So, naturally, it was only fitting we checked out this year’s GGRC conference to get a scoop on the latest restaurant trends here in The Bay Area.
(Think Comic-Con meets food festival.)
Weaving in between cooking demonstrations and culinary vendors, we did our best to sample everything within arm’s reach; we’ve never been so satiated before high-noon. In between bites and allowing our bodies to digest obscene amounts of buttered lobster and fograh, we found ourselves smack dab in the middle of more than a few, truly, fascinating and culturally panel talks.
(I, for one, was blown away by the sense of commitment every speaker, every panelist had to fostering a sense of comradery and community not only in their own eaters—but in the area surrounding them. Nothing hit that notion harder on the proverbial heat than the event’s capping panel on diversity and immigration. No topic was left unfettered—comfortable or otherwise. And, after an entrancing hour of back-and-forths and well-thought out questions, I was left with a new and profound appreciation on just how much our restaurant scene has influencing our culture.)
Come the day’s panini lunch break, it was clear that this year’s GGRA meet-up was more than merely about ethical tipping and to-go policy making—it was, above all, a celebration of inclusivity.
And, in that, was a bid to honor any person, from any culture, on a level playing field. Regardless of sexuality or gender identification. Muslim, Catholic, Buddhist; the notion that we all fall under the same common denominator was overwhelmingly clear.
And we couldn’t have had a better dish to end the day with—a platting of diversity, with a garnish of decency.
