Didi and the Kids

Wow. I just had my order taken at Haley House Cafe in Roxbury by Didi Emmons herself, as she struggled to keep up the pace for the long line of customers, clean the tables and restock the coffee and silverware supplies, on this packed Sat afternoon at the cafe. She is the head chef here, but it's pretty crazy to see a famous chef like her putting in the time to do the grunt work that is usually done by low-wage college students and starving artists.

Then I was distracted from job cover letters by watching her tie the aprons on to two 10 year old girls, as they came in for their nutrition/cooking class, assuring them that although she was off to a meeting, this week's "guest chef" would be as nice as she is. I had read that Emmons was offering these classes, but it was pretty awesome to see the co-owner of Veggie Planet interacting with kids who clearly felt comfortable with her.

Despite all of the crap going on in the world (like the Supreme Court's brilliant decision to enable the deaths of countless DC residents), it's hopeful that there are such talented, creative and righteous people right here in my own [adopted] city of Boston.

[As I write this, a young African-American boy with a mohawk in an apron just wandered into the cafe to use the restroom. so cute.]