Many things changed during the pandemic, but some remained the same: on Christmas Eve, the city’s food insecure population will feast on 2,000 pounds of ribs.
“Ribs are definitely the favorite meal of the year in our community, by far,” says George Gundry, director of meals at GLIDE.
It is part of an annual partnership between GLIDE and the House of Prime Rib, in which the restaurant literally donates a ton of meat with exclusive side dishes like broccoli with honey and lemon, mashed potatoes, dinner rolls and eclairs. The tradition began 27 years ago, after the owner of the House of Prime Rib, Joe Betz, read an article by columnist Herb Caen of the San Francisco Chronicle that included a count of how much meat was served in a day.
“Who’s afraid of the big bad meat? Mother not! Last Sunday, Joe Betz’s rib house sold 1,307 pounds. of the noble elderly, raising the cholesterol count of the whole city ”, he wrote on May 13, 1992.
Caen is playful ribs from the notoriously gluttonous restaurant led Betz to decide to donate an amount equal to St. Anthony’s that December, and then switch to GLIDE the following Christmas.
Three generations of the Betz family serving a delicious rib on Christmas Eve.
Alain McLaughlin“I went to the service at GLIDE and he was preaching hope, not class differences. And I was so impressed with that that I decided to donate to GLIDE, ”said Betz.
RELATED: This millennial generation got a coveted job carving meat at the historic SF House of Prime Rib institution
GLIDE has continued its efforts to feed those in need during the pandemic, serving 2,200 meals every day. The dining team operates with a team of 22 people who will cook and pre-cut the rib on the spot, and are currently not accepting volunteers for security reasons, a policy that has led to a wave of creative donations. They received pies, cookies, flowers and centerpieces that customers can take to make their environments more festive. Although meals are now served outdoors, rather than in the cafeteria, Gundry sees this as positive.
“On a personal level, I really liked it. At GLIDE, our dining room is a bit small and cramped. Customers don’t have much time. They enjoy the meal, but as soon as they finish eating, they get up and leave. People are more comfortable outside and stay a little longer, ”says Gundry.
Like GLIDE, the House of Prime Rib is closed for indoor meals, but open for home delivery. It was not practical for the House of Prime Rib to build a parklet like so many other San Francisco restaurants to serve outdoors, but as soon as the city considers it safe, they plan to reopen immediately to bring the entire team back to the restaurant.
A prime rib lunch served at GLIDE.
Alain McLaughlin“Let me put it this way: at least I can employ a lot of people. When it comes to the economy, you don’t make money. But at least our name remains and I have people working, ”says Betz.
Betz and the rest of her family have made it a tradition not only to donate food, but also to work at GLIDE on Christmas Eve to distribute meals. He says it gave him a perspective on the struggles of San Franciscans living on the brink of poverty and how they are not always the people you hope you need.
“There was a customer here all the time, sitting at the bar having a drink,” he says. “Then he didn’t show up anymore and we were all worried about what happened. About six months later, I’m serving at GLIDE and he crosses the line. He went through bad times. Show you … it can happen to you, it can happen to any of us. “
GLIDE Memorial Church is at 330 Ellis St. The Christmas Eve lunch for the needy will be served from noon to 1 pm
Sharing Season
This year, more Bay Area families than ever are struggling. Together, we can prevent homelessness and hunger. Join us in supporting the Season Sharing Fund, which helps families in crisis. 100% of the money raised goes directly to housing and food. DONATE NOW.