San Francisco chef Dominique Crenn was huddled with staff one day in mid-March when she learned that coronavirus restrictions would close the dining room at her celebrated restaurant, Atelier Crenn.
Immediately, everyone started brainstorming. “We said, ‘OK, who are we? We are people at the service of people, always here to feed the community,’” Crenn said.Since then, Crenn and a skeleton crew — 20 of the 70 people she usually employs — have made hundreds of meals for medical workers and firefighters.
They’ve sent meals to a nearby domestic violence shelter. They’ve started a takeout business, selling multi-course tasting menus — a seven-course luxury kit is $145 — and even a wine tasting kit.