Annie Somerville, longtime chef at Greens, the city's proto-meatless eatery, said that, until it happened, she hadn't been aware of the push for Meatless Mondays. "The more vegetables, the better," Somerville said, adding she hoped more San Franciscans would ramp up their meatless meal consumption, and buy more vegetables at farmers' markets. Personal vegan chef Jesse Miner said it was a good thing to raise awareness about plant-based diets. "It's a wonderful thing for out health, the health of the environment, and for animals," he said. But just as it did Somerville, the news of Meatless Mondays took him by surprise.
Millennium chef Eric Tucker (partner in the Oakland vegetarian wine bar Encuentro) was more skeptical. "To be perfectly honest, it's kind of strange, and I don't see it doing a whole hell of a lot to change things," Tucker said. "It's great to call awareness to dietary concerns, and the whole interplay between one's dietary choices and the environment, and if it brings a couple more people in on Monday nights, great. I just don't necessarily think it's the best use for the Supervisors' time." Tucker said he'd rather see city officials spend time creating new jobs, helping small businesses survive. "There are a thousand other issues," he said.
