Launched in 2008, North Bridge Magazine is a twice-yearly publication tailored to Acton, Carlisle, Concord, Lincoln, Sudbury & Wayland residents and edited to enrich the experience of living in six of Massachusetts' most desirable communities.
Issue link: http://northbridgemagazine.epubxp.com/i/490312
A favorite meal To be candid, this story is all about lunch, which to me, and perhaps to you, is a topic of genuine interest. I love lunch and all its atten- dant rituals: it's my favorite meal of the day. And to my delight, I soon discover I am about to enjoy one that is surprisingly generous and tasty. For deep within the confines of this prison there is a café that not only features great food and is open to the public four days a week, but offers its fare at bargain prices. Should you really consider going to a prison for a meal? Well, based on my experience at the Fife and Drum, the inmate-staffed restaurant located on the grounds of the correctional center, the answer is most definitely yes. But I'm getting ahead of myself. First, I have to park my car and remove all items from my pockets except my car keys, a few dollars to pay for the meal, and my driver's license. Then, I need to deter- mine where I'm going, which is done more readily when a kindly prison staff member points me on my way. Should you want to go yourself, just look for the vaguely modern, poured concrete building three or four hundred yards up the entry road on the left — the one just beyond the solar farm. Brought up short My initial anxiety somewhat allayed — at least now I know where I should head — I am brought up short by a most unexpectedly seduc- tive sensation. All at once my nose is filled with the heavenly smell of roasting pork; of apples and baking and, yes, all the rich, warm, nostalgic smells of grandma's kitchen. But this is a prison, right? Truth be told, I am late for a luncheon appointment with Colette Santa, superintendent of the facility, and Darren Duarte, a former newscaster and television producer who now handles public affairs for the Massachusetts Department of Corrections. I met Duarte last year, by phone, when working on a story about a special prison education program. When last we spoke, some months ago, we agreed to get together for lunch. Little did I expect that almost a year later I would be on my way to a prison to finally meet up. A small, cheerily painted cafe And now, having left my ID at a reception desk and dodged a col- umn of inmates heading for their cellblock in an adjacent building, please allow me a moment to sincerely urge you to consider doing the same. The food at the Fife and Drum is just so good and served 24 ★ north bridge magazine ★ S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 1 5 Should you really consider going to a prison for a meal?