in such generous portions one wonders why the small, cheerily painted
café into which I enter does not have a waiting line.
Indeed, soon every seat is filled by an assortment of prison staffers, sen-
iors, and folks with intentions exactly like mine — which is entirely under-
standable given that the price of a complete lunch is an incredible $3.21,
an astonishing but welcome fact that I confirmed on a second visit a few days after my first.
Today, however, I am a guest of the Commonwealth. Before sitting down to eat and chat
with Santa and Duarte, I am tendered a tour of the restaurant kitchen by Kim Luketich,
chef and culinary instructor at the Fife and
Drum. In this capacity, she works with
roughly a dozen inmates in a certificate
program that prepares them to re-enter
society once their sentences are completed.
First, a brief tour of a galley kitchen con-
firmed my earlier, mouth-watering impres-
sions: huge slabs of pork loin, skewered
and stuffed, were the focus of multiple
pairs of hands. Enormous trays of potatoes,
fragrant with spices and roasted to perfec-
tion, were in the process of being pulled
from steaming ovens. Nicely baked carrot
cupcakes submitted themselves for in -
spection and, once approved, were quickly
capped with delicious-looking butter cream
frosting.
Surgical attention
All is energy, movement, and collaboration
among the dozen or so inmates hard at
work in the close confines of the kitchen.
With diners expected within the hour (the
26
★
north bridge magazine
★
S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 1 5
Kim Luketich, chef and culinary instructor
at the Fife and Drum