Eaters Digest: Lunch at Grey Bears

EAT THIS: LUNCH AT GREY BEARS

Volunteers Kira Ruvo (left) and Richard Emigh serve lunch at Grey Bears. Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz

Did you know that the busiest lunch spot in Santa Cruz County gives away its food for free?

I spent some time at Grey Bears this week discussing the pressures of rising food insecurity in Santa Cruz County – watch for the story soon – and observed how this 52-year-old nonprofit feeds the local community. One of the most surprising things I discovered is that Grey Bears’ hot lunch program, which runs Monday through Friday, feeds an eye-popping 200 to 300 people daily – up from 20 to 40 before the pandemic. And that’s all within one hour, from 11:20 a.m. to 12:20 p.m.

Executive director Jennifer Merchant told me that for some, it’s the only hot meal they’ll eat that day. But people come for a variety of reasons, and although Grey Bears prioritizes serving those over age 55, all are welcome. Over and over again I heard that people return for the community and connections, as much as the food, and that loneliness can be as painful as hunger.

My fellow diners shared touching stories. One grey-haired Felton resident I spoke to said he has come two to three times a week for more than 20 years. His younger friend was enjoying lunch after picking up a bag of groceries for his neighbor, who can’t leave their house. Another older woman told me she had recently been laid off, and was grabbing groceries, lunch and extra pastry for breakfast. “Unemployment doesn’t go very far. Now I don’t have to worry about buying food,” she said.

Everything is prepared by kitchen manager Sandy Johnson-Dexel and a hardworking team of volunteers. On Thursday, they served Caesar salad with homemade dressing and either chicken salad with Thai basil or salmon salad, plus an array of prepared salads donated by New Leaf Markets, fruit salad, Asian pear with slices of sharp cheddar cheese, and a smorgasbord of desserts. Everything is gleaned from local bakeries, restaurants and grocery stores. It was delicious, and nourishing in more ways than one.

2710 Chanticleer Ave., Santa Cruz; greybears.org; 831-479-1055.

BEST OF THE WEEK AHEAD

Below, find a curated list of the best food and drink events in Santa Cruz County for the coming week. At the top, I share my picks of unmissable local happenings.