CORONADO -- When many restaurants talk about their commitment to sustainable practices, it's a politically correct bandwagon they've jumped on to hype their locally-grown produce and meats. But at Mistral -- the signature restaurant at the Loews Coronado Bay Resort -- they put their money where their mouth is.

Virtually everything on the menu (and even the menu itself) is grown, purchased or derived from sustainable growing practices, whether it's seafood caught fresh that day off the Pacific coast or produce grown just steps from the dining room.

Yes, that's right. When it comes to using locally grown produce, Mistral Chef Martin T. Batis doesn't have to go very far. The hotel has its own 3,600-square-foot herb garden on-site, where Batis goes each morning to gather clippings from more than 20 to 30 herbs and 20 to 30 fruits and vegetables (depending up on the season) that grow in the garden just off the main lobby.

The lush garden, planted about 10 years ago, has four different sages, two tarragons, a laurel tree growing fresh bay leaves, lavender, lemon verbena, fennel, thyme, flat-leaf parsley, basil, mint and (one of the chef's personal favorites) fragrant lemon verbena, among others. Depending upon the season, there are also papayas, strawberries, broccoli, artichokes, pomegranates and nearby groves of lemons, oranges, lime-quats, kumquats and more.

The Mistral menu is seasonal, reflecting the bounty of the organically grown produce, seafood and meat mostly drawn from a dozen local farming communities (including Chino Farms in Rancho Santa Fe for produce, beef from Brandt Beef, mussels from Aqua Farms and Mary H Farms and much more).

A few examples of the farm-fresh items on the menu are the Coronado Farmers Market Bitter Greens salad ($9) features Ha Farms Fuji Apples, gorgonzola, golden raisins and a sweet onion vinaigrette. The Artichoke Milanese ($13) features artichokes form Castroville Farms, with Parmesan, gremolata sauce and crispy pancetta. And the Tarragon Free-range Roasted Chicken ($24) features tarragon and lavender from the hotel's garden with pancetta-whipped potatoes, fresh spring vegetables and lavender honey glaze.

Fresh-hooked Baja seafood is featured prominently, including the Sea of Cortez Prawn Risotto ($26) with Baja shrimp, Mano de Leon scallops, calamari, black olive cream and red pepper fettuccine. And beef from Brandt Farms, including a 10-ounce Ribeye ($32) served with rosemary "frites," Roquefort butter and marchand de vin, or a peppercorn-sauced Brandt tenderloin ($44).

Another seasonal specialty is the restaurant's signature cocktail -- the Seasonal Sparkler -- which mixes Domaine Carneros sparkling wine with fresh seasonal fruit marinated in French and Italian liqueurs (right now, the restaurant is featuring fresh winter pears soaked in Poire Williams and Amaretto), priced at $12.

Mistral diners know they're in for something different from the moment they sit down in the elegant restaurant, which is generous designed with a wall of windows overlooking the blue San Diego Bay. The menus are made daily -- printed on handmade, recycled paper and assembled with a fresh strip of bamboo grown in the herb garden. Servers are also well-informed on the source of the produce and proteins on the menu, and the highlight of each dish is the freshness of the flavor, an the decorative herb-sprig skewers picked fresh from the garden.

The resort's commitment to sustainability isn't just smart marketing, according to Ellen Burke Van Slyke, the resort's Creative Director of Food and Beverage, it's a natural.

"Sustainable agriculture is healthier, involves environmentally-friendly food production methods and supports local farming communities," she said. "When you're located in San Diego and have countless organic resources at your fingertips, it's easy to support one of the fastest growing food movements."

The resort's efforts have not gone unnoticed. USA Today recognized the Loews Coronado as one of the "10 great places to kick back while giving back," largely thanks to Mistral's organic menu.

Carrying through the theme are a series of free tours that hotel guests can take to enhance their dining experience and knowledge. On Tuesdays, Batis takes guests on a guided tour of the Coronado farmers market. And on Friday afternoons at 3 p.m., the resort's Executive Chef Patrick Heymann offers "A Walk in the Herb Garden," where he describes all of the herbs and fruits and then offers a cooking demonstration. On a recent Friday, Heymann whipped up a Mojito-style cocktail called a Caipirinha, with fresh crushed mint, pineapple and Brazilian rum (Leblon Cachaca), and an appetizer featuring mint pesto. Other seasonal items offered at the garden tour are fresh-grilled artichokes with lemon-thyme aioli and peach-and-thyme margaritas.

Getting to Loews Coronado takes about an hour from North County. The hotel is situated on a man-made 15-acre, bayside peninsula off the Silver Strand Parkway, just south of Coronado. Take I-5 South to the Coronado Bay Bridge, once in Coronado, turn left on Orange and follow it south past the Navy's amphibious base (and SEAL training center) to the Loews Coronado Bay Road. The resort includes 440 newly renovated rooms, a private 80-slip marina, three restaurants and three tennis courts. For more, visit www.loewshotels.com.

Mistral

Where: Loews Coronado Bay Resort, 4000 Loews Coronado Bay Road, Coronado

Price range: salads/appetizers, $9-$15; pasta/risotto, $18-$28; main courses, $24-$44

Reservations: (800) 815-6397