Delicious and Meaningful

I am not easily ruffled by celebrity status. There are strata of celebrity and I am often challenged to distinguish who is who and from what they derive their importance. That said, I actually gawked the other day. I was officially star struck. Not so much by the mere fact of popular status but rather in what this gentleman was choosing to do.

It happened as I was enjoying a slice of heaven, also known as of Shaker Lemon Pie, at Mission Pie. Between mouthfuls (maybe even during), I was engaged in a lively conversation about sustainable food systems of course, when a lean fellow walked through the door. In the midst of conversation, one of my associates discreetly leaned forward and said, “notice the guy that just walked in…but don’t stare.” The man in question was at the counter so I was unable to notice him until he turned to leave. That was when it happened. Mid-sentence I stopped talking and took in the full glory of Mr. Benjamin Bratt.

While I do quite like Mr. Bratt’s acting and naturally, he is beautiful, what truly struck me was that Benjamin Bratt is customer of an establishment that melds the worlds of San Francisco food systems, environmental health, and sustainability with darn good pie. Apparently, he is an ongoing customer of Mission Pie.

Of all the places he could choose to go for a slice of pie in San Francisco, he chooses to support a community driven enterprise that “celebrate farmers, bakers, chefs, and all who work together toward a healthful food system.”* Wow. This is a man of distinguished taste who in one fell swoop is supporting community food systems, sustainable farming and youth leadership…and who, when all is said and done, likes a simple and honest slice of pie.

This is what really got me. A person famous for their action is acting in support of his local community…he cares. For that brief moment I witnessed a meaningful personal act, not a big screen one, that spoke of an inner beauty that matches, if not exceeds, the outer.

Thank you for supporting the cause Mr. Bratt!