Refettorio San Francisco

SF Restaurant Cala Will House Massimo Bottura’s Nonprofit Until 2022 | Eater SF

"During the pandemic the space became the temporary home of SF Refettorio, part of Massimo Bottura’s Food for Soul network, which designs refettorios as community hubs that work with local organizations, producers, artists, architects, and leaders to restore underused spaces and serve nutritious meals made from surplus ingredients—open Monday to Friday for people in situations of social and economic vulnerability. I saw Farming Hope serve as the local operating partner, turning Cala’s pristine kitchen and high-ceilinged dining room into training grounds where apprentices work behind the stoves Monday through Friday preparing thousands of meals for San Franciscans in need (with Saturdays devoted to garden workdays at the New Liberation Church on Divisadero). The program emphasizes elevating the work, blending beauty and inspiration with service: chefs with backgrounds at places like Lazy Bear, Petit Crenn, and Boulevard supervise weekly tastings where apprentices—like Donald, who shared his gumbo from outside Baton Rouge—develop dishes, and the team hopes to reopen the dining room for indoor service in the fall while pursuing a permanent space that can include more community, art, and cultural resources." - Ellen Fort