Welcome to Refuge: Stories about finding humanity through...

The last few weeks have been overwhelming.

When the front pages of our newspaper are inundated with tragic stories of uncontrollable fires, mass shootings, hurricanes and nuclear war threats, the work we do in the food journalism realm can sometimes feel ... insignificant.

But not always.

Especially when the world is burning around us, food can be a gateway to humanity and culture, to hope and despair. The stories in this collection are important. They are important in telling the story of the Bay Area, its culture and its people. They are important in sharing the role of food during times of crisis, during times of loneliness, times of abandonment, times of senselessness and hopelessness.

This dedicated issue — Refuge — is inspired and assisted by La Cocina, the San Francisco nonprofit that serves as a food-business incubator for low-income women, especially immigrants. Twice a year, La Cocina puts on a powerful show called “F&B: Voices From the Kitchen.” It’s billed as a storytelling project that seeks to share voices that are less-often heard. Each show centers around food, through the lens of a singular theme.

On Thursday and Friday, Oct. 19-20, La Cocina will tackle the topic of Refuge. Here at the Chronicle, we worked with La Cocina to share some of those stories in our pages. Others will be showcased at the show itself. The “F&B Refuge” performances will take place at San Francisco’s Swedish American Hall (Oct. 19, $55) and the San Jose Museum of Art (Oct. 20, $35); tickets can be purchased at www.voicesfromthekitchen.org.

Bay Area, we’re all hurting. We can find refuge together. Please enjoy the stories shared herein: A Vietnamese refugee family that found its way in America. A once-homeless woman who now helps others in the Tenderloin. A bowl of grits that brings comfort from a changing city. A vineyard worker who came to California in hope of a better life.

These are stories that more relevant now than ever.

Whether lonely, abandoned, unfulfilled or lost, we find solace in the simplest thing — our daily bread.

Looking ahead, we want to tell your stories. Share yours: plucchesi@sfchronicle.com

—Paolo Lucchesi, San Francisco Chronicle Food Editor

Table of Contents

El refugio de Silvia by Esther Mobley

The gayest cook in the Castro by Jonathan Kauffman

What Sanctuary means to those on the periphery by Shakirah Simley and George McCalman



Eddie's Cafe and a bowl of grits by Tannis Reinhertz

One Vietnamese refugee family's quest for solace by Thuy Tran

How the 'Mama of the 'Loin' found, and gives, sustenance by Bonnie Tsui

Food memories fill the void left by an estranged father by Illyanna Maisonet

Being black in San Francisco means finding peace amid isolation by Justin Phillips

Living for the lunch break by Omar Mamoon

Tequila diplomacy builds community at Tommy's Mexican by Shanna Farrell

From 1906 to today: How we connect when disaster strikes by Sarah Fritsche