The food: Water

Where to find it: Anywhere; but, in this case, Chez Panisse, Gourmet Ghetto, Berkeley, CA

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This week, the SF Bay Area endured a burn—literally—to its food culture. An early morning fire set a section of chef Alice Waters’ famed Chez Panisse restaurant ablaze on March 8th. Thankfully, no one got hurt, but it set back an institution that serves inspiration to California cuisine and culture. In fact, it even inspired me to create this #FoodFriday blog series you’re now enjoying. The blaze may have closed the restaurant for the near term, but with a bit of damage comes an opportunity to regrow.

Chez Panisse delivers a local, organic belief of food that will withstand any fire or foe. Food, especially good food like Chez Panisse’s, may be temporary on a person’s plate, but the life a chef  breathes into food acts as a cultural message that will always endure. Just like your grandma’s chocolate chip cookie recipe, good food endures through generations and tribulations.

Water doused the March 8th flames at Chez Panisse, and now it’s time for the restaurant to rebuild. On this #FoodFriday (two days before lucky St. Patrick’s Day), let’s send some lucky thoughts over to our friends at Chez Panisse and hope that this will give them an opportunity to further innovate our food.

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Behind every beautiful thing there’s been some kind of pain.

– Bob Dylan