World News – USA – How SF’s House of Prime Rib ensures a Merry Christmas to those in need

So many things have changed during the pandemic, but some have stayed the same: On Christmas Eve, the city’s population is food unsafe. Feast on 000 pounds of prime rib.

« Prime rib is by far our community favorite of the year, » said George Gundry, GLIDE’s food director.

It’s part of an annual partnership between GLIDE and the House of Prime Rib, in which the restaurant donates a literal ton of beef along with signature side dishes like honey-lemon broccoli, mashed potatoes, rolls and eclairs. The tradition began 27 years ago after Joe Betz, owner of the House of Prime Rib, read an article by the San Francisco Chronicle columnist Herb Caen that stated how much meat was served in a day.

“Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Beef? Not mother! Last Sunday Joe Betz sold the House of Prime Rib 1. 307 pounds. of the aged heyday that raises cholesterol throughout the city, ”he wrote on Jan.. May 1992.

Caen’s playful ripping of the notoriously voracious restaurant prompted Betz to donate an equal amount to St. . Anthony is this December and then joins GLIDE for Christmas.

“I went to the GLIDE service and he preached hope, not class differences. And I was so impressed that I decided to donate to GLIDE, ”says Betz.

RELATED: This millennium has got a coveted meat carving job at the famed SF institution House of Prime Rib

GLIDE has continued its efforts to feed those in need during the pandemic and 2 daily. 200 meals served. The meal team works with 22 employees who cook and slice the prime rib in-house. They are currently not accepting volunteers for safety reasons, which has led to a surge in creative donations. They have been given cakes, cookies, flowers and centerpieces for customers to take to add a more festive touch to their living spaces. Although meals are now more likely to be served outdoors in the cafeteria, Gundry actually sees this as a positive.

« Personally, I really enjoyed it. At GLIDE, our dining room is a bit small and cramped. Customers don’t have a lot of time. They enjoy their food, but as soon as they finish eating they get up and leave. People feel more comfortable outside and stay a little longer, ”says Gundry.

Like GLIDE, the House of Prime Rib is currently closed for indoor dining but is open for take away. It was inconvenient for House of Prime Rib to build a parklet like so many other San Francisco restaurants to serve outdoors. However, as soon as the city deems it safe, they plan to reopen immediately to bring all the staff back to the restaurant.

« Let me put it this way: at least I can keep a lot of people busy. From an economic point of view, you are not making money. But at least our name stays the same and I have people who work, ”says Betz.

Betz and the rest of his family members have made it a tradition not only to donate food, but also to work at GLIDE on Christmas Eve to distribute the meals. He says it gave him a perspective on the struggles of the Franciscans living on the edge of poverty and how it is not always the people one would expect who are in need.

« A customer was here all the time, sitting at the bar and having a drink, » he says. « Then he didn’t show up and we were all worried about what happened. About half a year later I’m serving at GLIDE and he comes on the line. He’s had bad times. It shows you . . . it can happen to you, it can happen to any of us. ”

GLIDE Memorial Church is located at 330 Ellis Street. The Christmas Eve lunch for the needy will be served from 12. 00 to 13. Served at midnight. m.

More families are fighting in the Bay Area this year than ever before. Together we can prevent homelessness and hunger. Support the Season of Sharing Fund with us, which helps families in crisis. 100% of the collected money goes directly to living and eating. DONATE NOW.

Dan Gentile is the arts editor at SFGATE. He moved from Austin, TX to San Francisco, where he worked as a vinyl DJ and freelance food and music writer. His writing has been published in Texas Monthly, American Way, Rolling Stone, Roads & Kingdoms, VICE, Thrillist, and others.

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