Whistlestop JANUARY 2011
E PRESS
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Jackson Café Menu Gets Extreme Makeover by JOHN BOWMAN
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he Bay Area is renowned for its emphasis on healthy food, what with Alice Waters and Michael Pollan preaching and practicing their fresh food mantra and farmers markets drawing thousands of foodies every week to their stalls. In this issue, Whistlestop Express pays tribute to healthy eating, particularly for older adults. And we celebrate the new and healthier than ever menu at our Jackson Café, thanks to new management headed by Rocky Packard. The new café manager brings 32 years of experience in the food business to Whistlestop. Packard, 50, has operated his own restaurant in Santa Fe, NM, where he was born and grew up, and has been a regional executive chef for Andronico’s Community Markets. He comes to the Jackson Café as part of the new collaboration between Whistlestop and Homeward Bound (see Hunting Kestrel page 11
article on page 2). A Homeward Bound baker who went through the organization’s culinary school will soon join Packard at Whistlestop. “Lots more fresh food” was Packard’s answer to the question about what he brings to the café. “Much of what was served in the past was frozen or canned,” said Rocky Packard, new chef at Jackson Café, moving the café Packard. The to the next level. new menu feasaid. “One woman came up tures much more fresh food, to me and said she was so including homemade salad pleased with the enhancedressings. He has already ments that now she is a introduced more interesting menus, like the exquisite pork regular.” He also plans to “dress up” roast he served up recently. the dining room to make it Response to the changes has look brighter and more like been immediate – attendance a restaurant, and he is going at lunch has doubled in the to provide training for the past month. “We’re hearing volunteers. ✦ good things from diners,” he Grand Mom's Vegan Adventure page 13
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