On one night in 2007 there were at least 7,839 homeless people counted in Seattle. Some were out on the street, some were in shelters and some were in transitional housing programs. On that same night, it’s likely that I was perched up on a barstool somewhere, spending oodles of money on martinis and snacks. This dichotomy is a sad fact of urban life. It doesn’t escape me when I pass people sleeping on the street with leftovers in hand. If I told you that eating a turkey sandwich could help end homelessness, would you believe me? It can.
Walking into the FareStart Café on 7th Avenue downtown, the hum from the crowded room ricochets off of the high ceilings, and breathes life into the new and open dining room. These are FareStart’s new digs, and they’re fancy. I stroll in, a solo diner, and am seated at the communal table, amongst a handful of business lunchers. It smells good, it looks good and I feel good. I’m actually proud to be here.
FareStart, officially started in 1992, at its core, is a “job training and placement program for homeless and disadvantaged individuals.” Last month, their new dining facility celebrated its one-year anniversary and it’s clear, judging from the large and small details of this place, that the focus was on creating a seamless socially conscious program, as well as, sustainable design. The communal table in the dining room is made from an existing beam that wasn’t needed in the rebuild. Tabletops are made of recycled paper-composite and the glass windowpanes were salvaged from the original building. There is a large area in the garage set aside for composting kitchen scraps and water-saving mechanisms and motion-activated lighting were installed. This location has even become the downtown pick-up spot for Full Circle Farms CSA boxes.
And what of the food? The restaurant is open for lunch during the week. On a recent lunch visit I sat down to a small bowl of shrimp bisque ($2.25), the daily special, served with a warmed roll and a pad of butter. The soup was creamy, but not too creamy and I savored each hot bite. I ordered the Founders Toasted Hazelnut Field Roast ($7.95) for my entrée. Created by founding chef, David Lee, it is a delicious lentil sandwich, peppered with sage and crusted in toasted hazelnut. Each bite was flavorfully sweetened with the accompanying fig mayo. A nice gourmet touch that was unexpected. The sandwiches arrive with your choice of soup, salad, fries or onion rings. It’s quite a selection, and a welcome one. On my second visit, I opted for the burger and rings ($7.25), too hard a temptation to pass on. Service was warm and kind during each visit and frankly so were the guests. At the communal table, I struck up conversations with my neighbors each time. Maybe it is because everyone feels so good after a great meal for a great cause?
Equally delicious are the three-c ourse meals hosted each Thursday by a local visiting chef. FareStart is a non-profit organization with a 501c3. While nearly half of it’s operating budget comes from the FareStart businesses (the restaurant, the café, catering, etc.), the other half comes from the generous support of donors. Profit created from running the business, (i.e., catering and the restaurant) is kept in-house to fund the training program for homeless and disadvantaged men and woman. It is a circle of goodness made popular and successful, in part, by each Thursday’s Guest Chef Night, wherein a local chef prepares a luxurious meal with the students and serves it to a full house of hungry do-gooders. Most recently, Steve Smrstik of the Pink Door and Bobbie Moore from the Barking Frog offered up their culinary skills to the FareStart crowd. These are often sold-out events, with guests clamoring for a spot.
The cover of the FareStart’s menu reads, “Quite possibly the most socially conscious sandwich you’ll ever eat.” I couldn’t agree more and I intend to dine here frequently in the coming year.
Amy Pennington is always on the hunt for a new, tasty and earth-friendly food adventure. Ever since last month’s review of Dinette, she has developed a strange fascination with toast.
Culinary Bootcamp — and beyond
FareStart is more than just a cooking school. Yes, students enter a 16-week training program to ready themselves for jobs in the culinary and hospitality industry. The difference between these students and others, however, is these folks arrive empty-handed and often homeless. If everything goes right, they leave with a new set of skills and the ability to sustain themselves. (FareStart proudly boasts that 85% of graduates are employed within 90 days of completing the program.) Classes are small — often only a handful of participants — and a new wave of students begin each week. About half of them will drop out before the course is over. The remaining, however, follow a strict and time-consuming curriculum. Students begin training in one of three kitchens: The basement level, where basics like knife skills are taught, is a large kitchen set up to make contracted meals, which are delivered to various city shelters and several Headstart school programs. Eventually, they move up to the catering kitchen for private functions and finally, spend the last week before graduation in the restaurant upstairs. All combined, these three kitchens produce more than 2,500 meals a day.
Additionally, there is trained staff in place to provide counseling to students. Ranging from conflict resolution and life skills training to personal hygiene, a team is on hand each day to help these students succeed. The staff of FareStart has been known to lease beds at nearby shelters to cut down on student travel time, provide one-on-one counseling and in general act as a safe haven while students are transitioning their lives. Each day, family meals are served in a cafeteria-like room for staff and students, alike. Students are welcome and encouraged to use private rooms in the building to meet with family. Often, students are estranged from families and this precious space is helpful in reconnecting and re-establishing family ties. And really, that’s what it boils down to at FareStart. Their mission is to rebuild lives, reconnect families and strengthen a diverse community. In this new space with a fresh outlook, they’re doing a damn good job.