Old Skool Café

Review

August 12, 2016 —

Mendell Plaza, 3rd and Palou

1429 Mendell Street, San Francisco

Got the drummettes (8 or so to a plate, ask for hot sauce-$8),

the shrimp n grits (super cheesy, with a hint of blue-$18),

the garlic mash (looked like little Red Blisses from the skins in it, really good) with gravy (Southern Cracker Barrel style, but I do like brown-$7),

peach-chamomile soda (could be more of a statement item on the menu, as one of the only nonalkie drinks in a youth-run restaurant-$4.50), the mint lemonade (which I liked much better, regular also available-$3). Flat 18 percent gratuity added.

Such a serious issue, the violence in our society when reflected in our young people. I was glad to be in a position to support people transforming their lives, making a way to meet their fate. Adults should mostly be blaming ourselves for any of this, which youth shouldn’t read as a fucking excuse.

One meditation which came to me walking Third Street after the meal:

Greatness through growing is our fate. Great. But it’s our fate, our destiny, through Focus, Attention, Transforming and Energy.

• Focus
• Attention
• Transform
• Energy

What Kanye said, “go back when you get dough”? (< — Jamie Foxx’s Extravaganza remix, FYI). Maybe there’ll be lobster that night.

From the Café’s website, OldSkoolCafe.org :

Old Skool Cafe is a faith-based, violence prevention program, providing marketable employment skills in the restaurant industry to at-risk youth ages 16–22.

Breaking the cycle of incarceration. Creating communities and reconnection to society.

Old Skool Cafe provides the opportunity to transform the loop of incarceration and recidivism into healthy life loops. Youth come from jail, foster care or situations of abuse and neglect into a supportive environment. Youth create bonds at Old Skool Cafe and form a foundation that will be there to support them through the ups and downs of their life long after they leave Old Skool Cafe.

As of 2014, the recidivism rate for youth at Old Skool Cafe is 10% in comparison to the national rate of 76% according to Bureau of Justice Statistics, which is significantly lower.

Peace to Old Skool Café — oldskoolcafe.org .

Peace, reader.

Peace.

- U.S., August 13 2016