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Poinsettia-Bearing Secret Santa Reinstates Farm:Table's Holiday Cheer

A low-down plant thief can't stop the holiday spirit.

Angie C.

Farm:Table has been holding down a small corner of the gritty Tenderloin for five years now, serving croissant sandwiches, fancy toast and scones at their tiny community table. But last week, the itty-bitty breakfast spot was the victim of a Post Street Grinch, when their festive poinsettia was uprooted and stolen from the parklet in front of the restaurant.

However, mysteriously, mere hours after the original tweet, the poinsettia was replaced with an even bigger, nicer model by a secret Santa, restoring holiday cheer throughout the 'loin.

The gift was a rare pleasant one for Farm:Table owners Tom Benson and Wendy Rouse, who are otherwise accustomed to the challenges caring for a public space. "Goings-on in parklets are always a bit of mystery, most of which we hope to never know about," says Benson. Rouse, an avid gardener, has had to deal with plant-jacking and public urination, but continues to maintain the communal space. "The parklet has become a garden she is able to share with the entire neighborhood," Benson says. Many of the hodgepodge of plants have been donated by customers and neighbors, including two large shrubs that Rouse and Benson rescued from abandonment by when the hotel across the street left them to die. The poinsettia will be in action throughout the holiday season, so stop by and admire the secret gift.

Farm : Table

754 Post Street, , CA 94109 (415) 300-5652 Visit Website

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