Thousands of firefighters are still working to contain the wildfires that displaced tens of thousands of Angelenos. Every day, several times a day, a collaborative, grass-roots patchwork of restaurant kitchens, trucks and makeshift catering operations feed the city’s emergency workers and evacuees. Neighborhood restaurants aren’t exactly set up to respond to emergencies, but they just can’t help themselves. The best kind of restaurant people tend to have a fundamental sense of hospitality, combined with an ability to deftly organize chaos. Most places extending radical hospitality are doing it out of pocket or through an unsteady stream of donations, and the truth is: No one can afford it. Meanwhile, city officials have said it will be another week before many people can return home. The restaurant industry in L.A. is facing its own challenges as diners cancel reservations and stay home, and even in the face of that, restauranteurs just keep stepping up to help others. Yes, they are providing food and perhaps more importantly, a sense of safety, connection, and resilience to those they serve.

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