For decades, Las Vegas has been known for its larger-than-life approach to everything. Is it any surprise then that the city applies its characteristic big energy to its sustainable dining efforts as well? As we approach Earth Day, explore the many different sustainable dining options in Las Vegas.

Make your meals especially memorable by indulging in:

Slow down

Resorts World Las Vegas is home to Slow Food champion and executive chef Nicole Brisson. Brisson, who heads up two of the resort’s dining experiences — modern Italian eatery Brezza and European restaurant Bar Zazu — has been leading the slow-food movement for years, celebrating local ingredients cooked naturally and carefully, with minimal impact to the environment.  Savor dishes at Brezza such as lobster campanelle, braised shortrib or seafood from their raw bar. At Bar Zazu, an upscale tapas lounge, you can expect small plates of ceviche, bone marrow or fried broccolini.

Brisson is a founding board member of the Slow Food USA chapter in Nevada and her commitment to the organization’s mission shows — Brezza holds the Snail of Approval award, an international honor that recognizes restaurants and food businesses that celebrate the organization’s vision of “good, clean and fair food for all.” Reserve a table in advance to secure your spot at either restaurant.

Plant-based goodness

Crossroads, the first plant-based fine dining restaurant in Las Vegas, offers diners an upscale experience filled with such signature dishes as beet tartare, tagliatelle Bolognese and stuffed zucchini blossoms.

Healthy eating

There have been so many new vegan restaurants around town in recent months that some could call the city “Las Vegans,” and the name would be apt.

Especially if you consider Truth & Tonic, a vegan cafe offering an entire menu of nutrient-dense, organic superfoods bursting with flavor and health benefits. Mushroom powder for a boost of energy, anyone? Located inside The Venetian Resort Las Vegas, the restaurant goes beyond environmentally friendly dishes with a host of gluten-free options, as well as a nutrient analysis for every dish and drink.  Fuel up for your day with their coconut milk French toast or lion’s mane crab cake sandwich.

Bottle service

Sustainability comes in all shapes and sizes, and at Della’s Kitchen — inside the Delano Las Vegas on the southern end of the Las Vegas Strip — it’s all about recycling. Instead of using single-purpose glasses and cups, the restaurant has a collection of drinking vessels made from the bottoms of recycled wine and liquor bottles. Fittingly, many of the bottles have been recycled from local nightclubs, a truly innovative way to repurpose local goods.

Not to be overlooked, Della’s also features grass-fed beef and free-range chicken, as well as farm-to-table produce from local Nevada farms and Vegas-area indoor greenhouses on their menu of breakfast specialties, sandwiches, tartines and salads.

Eco-conscious on the west side

Other Vegas Valley restaurants are leaders in the fields of sustainability and healthy eating, too. At Honey Salt in Summerlin, for instance, owners Elizabeth Blau and Kim Canteenwalla build their menu with ingredients sourced from regional farmers, growers and fishers. They also offer a monthly family-style Farm Table Dinner series featuring produce from different local purveyors.

Elsewhere in Summerlin, True Food Kitchen prides itself on using “consciously sourced seasonal ingredients” from farms and growers in the surrounding area, and the restaurant’s ambiance shines with environmentally friendly design elements throughout their dining room, including chairs made from recycled soda bottles. The menu itself is based on the anti-inflammatory food pyramid created by Dr. Andrew Weil.

Downtown deliciousness

Downtown is another great spot in Las Vegas to find eco-conscious restaurants and eateries practicing sustainability. At Peyote, inside the Fergusons compound, the menu is Latin-inspired and open-fire, and studded with locally grown produce. Guests wind through a cactus and succulent garden to reach the dining area from the street.

Freelance writer and editor Matt Villano has covered Las Vegas for more than 20 years — he has authored and co-authored 13 guidebooks about the city.