NEW YORK TIMES: THE CITY WEEKLY DESK
August 7, 2005

If anyone has seen a thief riding around Fort Greene, Brooklyn, on a bright orange bicycle built to power a blender, the folks at Habana Outpost would like to know about it.

When the determinedly eco-friendly bar and restaurant opened this spring on Fulton Street, at South Portland Avenue, decor included not only an awning made of solar panels, cups made of a biodegradable corn-based plastic, plates made of sugar cane fiber and tables made from recycled soda bottles, but also a bicycle-powered blender that sat on a steel stand on the patio and allowed patrons to pedal in place while mixing their own drinks.But one evening last month, the contraption disappeared.

''Apparently, someone rode off on it,'' said Atom Cianfarani, the bar's environmental consultant. ''I mean, no one saw it. But that's what we think must have happened.''

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VEGNEWS MAGAZINE
September + October 2007

Excerpt from "Intelligent Design"...Designer Atom Cianfarani was one of the first to put eco fashion on the runway at New York's Fashion Week. She served as a mentor to students at Parsons in the PETA program. Cianfarani says fashion schools are driven by industries that give them support and materials-the students use what they're given, whether it's fur or conventional cotton. "The alternatives don't have such a large voice," she says. But Parsons welcomed the program eagerly. "Tim Gunn was so excited for the students to be exposed to these alternatives," says Cianfarani.

Cianfarani and her design Partner Genevieve Gaelyn gave an introductory workshop to the students, introducing them to eco fashion and demonstrating their signature fabric: faux leather made from reclaimed bicycle tires. Students applied, and eight were chosen to participate in the workshop/mentoring program. "We met with them and helped them choose their materials, an essential part of the process." Cianfarani said the students were amazed "This was the first time they were exposed to leather alternatives-recycled materials, hemp. They had no idea there was something called "peace silk."

Although material choice is important to Cianfarani, she says that it can't be the only piece in creating a sustainable fashion industry. "There are many ways to measure sustainability," she says, but feels the "triple bottom line of "people, planet, profit" works best for fashion." This changes not only what you use to make the garments, but were they come from, how you pay your producers, and even "making sure your marketing department is using recycled paper." It's the whole picture. Cianfarani now consults with companies to help them develop a comprehensive sustainable philosophy. She recently designed New York's City's first solar-powered restaurant, Habana Outpost, Brooklyn, and has helped companies such as Rubyzaar Fair Trade Imports and CC Jewelry develop sustainable marketing practices, such as sourcing recycling copper and sussing our alternatives to plastics...

PAPER MAGAZINE: SHOPPING=POWER
July 2006

Habana Outpost, Fort Greene’s solar eatery
Down in a disused parking lot in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, a neighborhood eatery is doubling as a mini power plant and nonprofit arts organization. New York-born-and-bred restaurateur Sean Meenan, who runs Nolita hotspot Café Habana, founded Habana Outpost three years ago as a creative-minded hub where punters can eat, drink, shop and create while keeping things green. The restaurant's famous corn on the cob, hot dogs, Cuban sandwiches and veggie delicacies are served on sugarcane plates and consumed with biodegradable cornstarch cutlery; a strong-legged person mixes their fresh fruit smoothies with a Berkeley Bicycle Blender. Meenan, who also works in the film business, is intent on providing a communal space where locals can come together and hang out on his Trex picnic tables. With his eco-partner Atom Cianfarani, the two seek out the most ecologically sound materials, run a weekend flea market, host art exhibitions, organize outdoor movie screenings and events for kids -- and more. Around the area is a vast grid of solar panels that power the whole operation, even providing electricity to some of the buildings within a 10-block radius. "Con Edison wrote me a check!" says Meenan with a laugh. "It was only, like, $18, but I framed it."

Alex Zafiris
Photographs by Eric Ray Davidson

www.papermag.com

TONY KIDS
July 13-August 2006

THIS IS HOW WE DO IT_The restaurants that appear in this section are chosen by our food critics. We visit the establishment anonymously and pay for our own meals and drinks.

Habana Outpost_755–757 Fulton St at Greene Ave, Fort Greene (718-230-8238). Subway: C to Lafayette Ave, G to Fulton St. Lunch (Sat, Sun), dinner (Wed–Sun). Average sandwich: $7. Cash only._Habana Outpost dishes all the favorites from the original Nolita spot—grilled corn, Cuban sandwiches and mango-and-jicama salad—but with a twist: The indoor/outdoor restaurant uses solar power and environmentally-friendly biodegradable materials. Green designer Atom Cianfarani helped create the multipurpose space, which hosts children’s activities on weekends., which hosts children’s activities on weekends. weekends.

www.tonykids.com