I’ve been following The Town Kitchen on social media for a while, but just happened to meet one of the founders, Sabrina Mutukisna, at Oakland Impact Hub a few weeks ago. We had a really nice conversation and she invited me to check out the kitchen.
photo: Christina Mitchell
The Town Kitchen delivers lunch boxes for $13 that have been prepared by local youth, using local ingredients. They also partner with artisans like Tart! Bakery, Sugar Knife and Mamacitas Cafe to round out the meal with sweets and a beverage. Sounds awesome, right?
There’s pretty much something for everybody with several choices (including vegetarian and vegan options), and the menu changes weekly. There’s currently a ten box minimum (unless you have it delivered to Oakland Impact Hub or Hatch Today in SF), so it sounds like a good office lunch idea.
photo: Christina Mitchell
The vision is to “create community through local food; a community where low-income Oakland youth can shine; a community where we will introduce underserved youth to talented chefs & start-up entrepreneurs so they have the skills and network to pursue their future.” This is the kind of business I love to support – I was just hoping the food was as good as the vision.
photo: Christina Mitchell
Well, I’m happy to report that my lunch was both impressive and a good value. Jefferson Sevilla, who has cooked at Google and SpoonRocket, is the Executive Chef and the man knows what he’s doing. He trained the cooks to execute a tasty dish that could survive the delivery.
The tender meat in the Roast Beef Wrap was complemented by fresh veggies and the horseradish sauce brought everything together with a gentle kick.
photo: Christina Mitchell
Crispy, thin and lightly-salted, the house made potato chips were downright addictive. I wanted to save half for later, but I just…couldn’t…stop…eating. You know how it goes. And my lunch was complete with Black Medicine Cold Brew Coffee and a milk chocolate from Alter-Eco.
It was the perfect amount of food, so I didn’t feel too hungry or too full, even after eating everything. And it felt even better to know that I was supporting a local business with an empowering vision.
This week’s menu includes a delicious-looking Turkey Cobb Salad and an intriguing Beet Burger. Check it out and let me know what you think!
Christina Mitchell
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Thanks Christina for the awesome write-up. For Oakland food businesses interested in joining the youth movement, check out our collaborative at http://www.theyouthfoodproject.org!
– Sabrina & The Town Kitchen Team