George Wilkes and Barb LaVigne not only make a culinary statement at their Angry Trout Café in Grand Marais, they also work to have a positive impact on their local community and the environment. The restaurant prides itself on their running theme of sustainability and a culture of care. This is apparent in many aspects of the restaurant, including the locally-raised produce, artwork, furniture, composted kitchen waste, reusable take out containers, locally made organic cotton napkins and aprons, living wages for workers, dishware handcrafted by a MN potter, and much more. In 2004, George wrote Angry Trout Café Notebook, Friends, Recipes and The Culture of Sustainability, a fun read that describes the deeply rooted bonds grown during the evolution of the restaurant.
A key relationship is with Harley and Shele Toftey who own the Dockside Fish Market. Toftey's fishing business supplies Angry Trout Café with a fresh daily catch served to customers only hours after being caught. The market specializes in local fresh fish including bluefin herring, lake trout, and whitefish, direct from the "Big Lake‚" right outside their back door.
