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Welcome to 100 Miles, an exploration of sustaining life by going no further away than 100 miles to gather the things we need to live. This web log is my journal of food-based experiences, memories, thoughts, and recipes. I hope you enjoy reading it. To subscribe, so as not to miss each new edition, please enter your email address.

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      100 Miles, a food blog, is an exploration of sustaining life by going no further away than 100 miles to gather the things we need to live.  My great-grandmother, Ora Goodman, grew almost all that she ate in a backyard garden.  The food was fresh, flavorful and seasonal, and right outside her back door.  I would like this blog to be a compendium of memories, comments, thoughts, and recipes — an exploration of shared experiences, and travels involving food and sustenance.

      I started this blog as an outlet for my passion for food.  It’s based on my great-grandmother as she and my great-grandfather instilled in me a love of local, fresh, just-picked-from-the-garden food; simply prepared, eaten together at table.  It was the gift they gave me as a child.  My experiences working in their garden, picking vegetables and fruits that ended up on the dining room  table set the tone for my future food experiences.

      I’ve also been lucky enough to have known, and eaten with, some of this country’s most well-known food professionals, chefs, restaurant owners, food purveyors and writers.  I’ve also been able to travel overseas often, and have eaten the amazing food of many other cultures.  I have enjoyed every minute, every bite, and every taste  — and now I’d like to explore and share some of my experiences, and knowledge with you.

      Bon appétit!

      Charles G. Thompson, Los Angeles, California

      January 30, 2009

      Charles G Thompson

      Charles G. Thompson is a Los Angeles-based freelance food writer.  He first understood the meaning of great food in 1977 while living in France where he cooked for a French family. Using Julia Child’s ‘Mastering The Art of French Cooking’ he learned to cook a la franςaise. Since those early days he has worked in such restaurants as Jeremiah Tower’s Stars in San Francisco, the Santa Fe Bar & Grill in Berkeley, Brendan Walsh’s Arizona 206 in New York, and Restaurant Muse in Los Angeles. He was also a cheese buyer at San Francisco’s famed Oakville Grocery, as well as the DDL Foodshow in New York.  He recently decided to write about his career, experiences and travels in the food world.  Charles has traveled widely and speaks French, Spanish and Italian.

      Background

      After graduating from high school at age seventeen Charles left  his family in Northern California and went to live with the Zundel family in Colmar, a town located in the Alsace region of eastern France.  While employed as the family’s au pair he cooked, cleaned and cared for the family’s four children.  Going out every day with a wicker basket and visiting the butcher, the baker, the green grocer, and the cheese monger  to buy food items for that day’s meals was his favorite part of living in France.  And as luck would have it Mme. Zundel, an American, owned Mastering The Art of French Cooking so that Charles along with Mme. Zundel’s guidance was able to learn to cook.  Upon returning to the States a year later he spoke French fluently and really knew how to cook.

      That year in France was the beginning of a lifelong love of food and eating.  Settling in San Francisco he entered the Hotel and Restaurant Management program at City College of San Francisco.  After graduating from the program he started cooking in Bay Area restaurants and working in retail food establishments.  Among the businesses he worked in were Today’s on Union Square where he was the lunch chef; the Oakville Grocery where he was the cheese buyer; the Santa Fe Bar & Grill in Berkeley, and Stars in San Francisco both owned by chef Jeremiah Tower where Charles worked in the kitchen as a line cook, and on the floor as a host .

      He also spent time living in New York City where he worked for film producer, Dino de Laurentiis at his food emporium, DDL Foodshow, as an opening consultant and finally as head buyer in the cheese department.  While working for Dino de Laurentiis Charles became interested in the film business and enrolled in New York University’s film and television program.  He graduated with honors and now holds a BFA in film and television production.  While he was a student at New York University he worked for well-known restaurant consultant Clark Wolf, and as dining room manager at Arizona 206 with chef Brendan Walsh.   While a student at NYU Charles spent a summer in Los Angeles working as manager of the legendary Los Angeles hot spot:  Restaurant Muse.

      For the last fifteen years Charles has worked in the film business in Los Angeles, California as a feature film marketing consultant.  While working in the film business he has continued to eat and write about food.  The food business was a first personal as well as professional love and one that Charles is now embracing again starting right here with this food blog, 100 Miles.

      Contact

      If you have comments, questions, or would like to reach Charles, please send and e-mail to Charles G. Thompson at charlesgthompson@100miles.com.  You may also leave comments on the individual blog posts.  We welcome them.  Thank you.