Dear Feastlings,
There’ll be no fireworks on Saturday, and with any luck this rain will aid efforts to contain the Bighorn Fire. Yesterday I dropped off 187 meals to some very kind and grateful firefighters at nine different stations, and while we’re all hoping for and end to this disaster (and it’s 58% contained and they’ve begun the “mopping up” phase as of this morning,) the disaster in our hospitals is only ramping up. Yesterday saw nearly 4900 new cases in Arizona, which is slightly over 3/4 of Arizona cases for the entire month of April. So yes, I guess we’re
a) still only doing takeout; and
b) sending more food to hospital workers, who are already getting a drubbing, and about to get trampled.
I’m working on arrangements to send meals to the Emergency Department at Banner University, plus what sounds like an entire floor of COVID units at St. Mary’s. That’s all still in the works, but we’ll do it the same way we’ve been doing it thus far: for every 250 donated meals we cobble together, Feast will donate another 50 meals. We’ll be posting something about that soon, but as of now, it’s looking like we’ll do that on July 10. And, if I may interrupt myself briefly, I’d like to take this moment to thank you all as a group for your astounding generosity, which in the interest of full disclosure, not only is a kindness to someone who’s protecting us all and helping seriously ailing people, but is a kindness to the crew here at Feast as well, and keeping our tiny little family employed. So thank you. Boatloads.
There will be no wine tasting this Saturday, it being the 4th of July, fireworks moratorium notwithstanding. And bar moratorium, gymnasium moratorium, and ironically, here’s a restaurateur who believes there should be a restaurant moratorium as well. And if there’s anyone who hates a moratorium, it’s me. But we’re letting a microscopic virus run roughshod over the state right now, and if it isn’t reined in, we’ll eventually have to admit defeat and stay locked up for months longer than we might have had to. I’m starting to feel resentful that we’re all relegated to feel the repercussions of the choices of the least risk-averse among us.
I, for one, would love to still be able to be open by the time busy season rolls around again come Halloween, but as I watch people gear up for “celebrations of the 1st Amendment” that have less to do with speaking freely than speaking without a mask on, on Saturday, I can’t say I feel bullish, and I’m curious how many people, and how many jobs, will be laying in the dust when it finally settles. I’m hoping that if I cross my fingers and keep my karma jar full, we’ll get a season in to bring this spring and summer into balance. So more soon about the hospital donations, and a link to the benefit event we’re doing with the Primavera Foundation on the 13th.
With no wine tasting on Saturday, I leave you simply with today’s menu and the hope that you’ll give us a call at 326-9363 to order something delicious. Then we can all take that Saturday nap. Happy Independence Day, everyone.
Your friend,
Doug