On-Call Runner
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| The Michael Family (clockwise from left): Joe, Trudi, Cecile |
My connection with Food Runners goes way back. At some point
in the early 90’s, my dad Joe Michael was approaching retirement and started
taking cooking classes at Tante Marie’s Cooking School to fill his time and
expand his already sharp culinary skills. He soon met Mary Risley and promptly
fell under her spell, as one is apt to do. In no time at all, she had him
onboard and fully committed to being one of her first Food Runners. Meanwhile,
I also met Mary at Tante Marie’s, which was just up the street from
Williams-Sonoma’s headquarters where I worked off-and-off for almost two
decades. Mary was a long time close friend of Chuck Williams, so we frequented
the school for team-building events and special celebrations.
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| Chuck Williams Mary Risley |
Joe had a regular food run, picking up from Il Fornaio, which
was a fixture for decades along the Embarcadero until it closed late last year.
The restaurant and bakery was on the way home from the South End Rowing Club in
Aquatic Park, where Joe was a member and swam every day before dawn, regardless
of the water temperatures. He would fill his car with dozens of leftover breads
and pastries and head to Martin de Porres to drop them off, most likely taking
a nibble en route. Folks would often gather there, awaiting his arrival and
knowing that top-notched baked goods would round out their morning meal. This
routine carried on for about 20 years until Joe passed away in 2011.
That year I lost my dad and my job within a few months of
each other. To put it mildly, I was a hot mess and was desperate for something
meaningful to not only occupy my day, but also provide me with a sense of
purpose and renewal. Somehow I put it together and realized that becoming a Food Runner was the perfect solution. I could carry on my dad’s legacy while
doing good for the SF community, providing food to those in need and feeding my
soul at the same time.
These days, Food Runners is still a family affair. As a long
time supporter of the organization, my mom Cecile regularly attends donor
appreciation dinners at Mary’s house, and I join for the volunteer parties.
After many years of having a weekly run, I’ve switched to being a floater,
picking up runs here and there as my schedule allows. Regardless of the route
or the people I encounter along the way, running food always reminds me of Joe,
bringing me back to him again and again.
