The Ashmont Grill has been chosen as one of five winners of the State's Smart Growth/Smart Energy Award this year. Lieutenant Governor Tim Murray will present the award at the Massachusetts Smart Growth Conference on Friday, Dec. 7.

Owner Chris Douglass richly deserves the award. Here are just a few of the Grill's accomplishments:

Bringing new life to the Ashmont Station area, drawing patrons on foot and by MBTA as well as by car
Creating 45 new jobs in the neighborhood
Using recycled materials in construction, and recycling all possible restaurant waste, including cooking oil for biodiesel fuel
Serving locally grown/caught fish, meat and vegetables, including herbs from the Grill's own on-site herb garden
Training local high school students in the restaurant business
So the next time you're enjoying a steak from a local pasture with vegetables from a nearby farm and a salad with herbs from the garden out back, prepared with help from a local teen who's "learning the business," be sure to congratulate Chris for a job well done!