On Wednesday, evacuees arrived at the Pasadena Convention Center in a steady stream, many of them with only one or two bags containing belongings saved before multiple fires in the region could ravage their homes. Parked out front was the Yeastie Boys' black and white food truck, staffed by two employees handing out brown paper bags filled with fresh bagels and schmear.
“All the inventory we had for the day, we are leaving,” said Juan Pérez, a Yeastie Boys staff member. “All the buns [and] cream cheese we made for today, we are putting it to good use.”
Like many Angelenos, Yeastie Boys owner Evan Fox was unaware of how devastating the fires would be. He didn't cancel his morning bakery Tuesday night, and as flames engulfed thousands of acres into Wednesday morning, the businessman realized he couldn't send his seven food trucks and hundreds of bagels to the streets to do business. as usual.
“At 6 in the morning it was like, 'Wait a minute,'” he said. “Immediately that was the [decision]and I felt really good about it.”
Fox's bagel trucks fanned out to Pacoima, Pasadena, downtown and Westwood, delivering more than 1,000 bagels. On Thursday they returned to the Pasadena Convention Center with World Central Kitchen, the global humanitarian aid organization headed by celebrity chef José Andrés.
As soon as Fox posted on Instagram about her bagel donations, text messages started coming in from other chefs and restaurateurs, asking how they could be of help.
In the darkness, a light: Dozens and dozens of chefs and restaurants in the Los Angeles area are advertising free meals for first responders, evacuees and others affected by the region's fires this week. Some restaurants, now closed due to the emergency, are cleaning out refrigerators full of produce, meat and dairy intended for regular business, hoping to put food that would otherwise go to waste to good use.
Others are volunteering their kitchens for community efforts. Some are accepting monetary donations to purchase ingredients to prepare and donate meals to evacuation centers.
In Silver Lake, Bé Ù chef and owner Uyên Lê taped a new sign to the front window of her Vietnamese takeout restaurant. Written on cardboard it said: “WE [heart] THE. Evacuees and first responders FREE MEALS.”
Lê could see the fires from her apartment on Tuesday night. The next morning, he woke up at 5 a.m. to a red sun. Once she learned that her own neighborhood had not been directly affected by the fires, Lê opened Bé Ù for service on Wednesday. He posted online that displaced people and firefighters could get banh mi, noodle bowls, lemongrass chicken wings or anything else on his menu for free.
Bé Ù chef and owner Uyên Lê shoots a sign advertising free meals for fire evacuees and first responders on Wednesday.
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
“I consider this business to be a place of community, resilience and support,” he said Wednesday afternoon. “It has always been part of our mission. … I also think it's important to show leadership in a time like this and hopefully other people who have the ability to assist. [to] “Areas where they feel safe can also continue to provide resources and support to members of our community.”
On Thursday morning in Glassell Park, Bub's bakery and diner and Grandma's owner Andy Kadin and his team baked extra bread to distribute to those in need. Shortly after, Villa's Tacos owner Victor Villa shared that he and his team were making “as many Villa Trios as possible to hand out to our firefighters and first responders” and asked for tips on delivery locations. The Salvadoran spot La Pupusa Urban Eatery published that the Pico-Union restaurant would not only serve free meals to firefighters, but would also accept donations, which the staff will take to evacuation and safe zones.
Silver Lake's Café Tropical, normally closed for dinner service, hosted a dinner Wednesday night to donate all proceeds to the Los Angeles Fire Department; The team then also made 500 breakfast burritos for the LAFD. Next door, the Silver Lake Lounge bar announced it would accept donations for affected families and first responders. The Beverly Grove location of sandwich specialist Uncle Paulie's also became a donation center, obtaining water, individually packaged snacks and other items for the LAFD. In Koreatown, burger and bar destination Love Hour is offering free meals to first responders and those affected by the fires, in addition to getting blankets, hygiene products and other supplies that the team plans to distribute this weekend.
In Chinatown, Baker's Bench opened its doors Thursday with a self-service, pay-what-you-can model, with staff putting together activity packs for kids. The Fat & Flour location, another acclaimed bakery in Culver City, shared that all food would be charged through a donation-based system.
In Studio City and Santa Monica, popular burger joint Heavy Handed is offering free meals to firefighters, police and first responders, and announced that the team is also available to deliver food to groups in need. Local taqueria chain Guisados announced it will be donating food to community shelters all week. At Little Fish in Echo Park, 20% of the seafood-focused restaurant's profits will go Thursday to firefighting causes and displacement relief.
Others, like Venice outdoor pizzeria Fiorelli Pizza and West Hollywood French restaurant Chez Mia, are accepting donations to prepare more meals to donate to those in need.
A few Los Angeles chefs and restaurants have joined Andrés' team at World Central Kitchen, including Evan Funke of Mother Wolf, Funke and Felix; Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken of Socalo and Border Grill; Roy Choi's BBQ; and Nate'n Al's chef Tony Leitera.
In a video posted to Instagram Thursday morning, Andrés stood outside the former Patrick's Roadhouse space surrounded by fire trucks, with their lights on. The parking lot along PCH serves as a de facto gathering place for several groups of firefighters battling the Palisades Fire.
“We are setting up the World Central Kitchen truck here,” he said. “From here we feed them: sandwiches, fruit, water.” He said that hot food would arrive soon to help them strengthen their strength. Los Angeles chefs were mobilizing.
