Lucky’s chefs feed battle weary firefighters

MONTECITO, Calif. - Sister restaurants, one in Montecito and one in Malibu, helped feed fire-weary crews last week in Los Angeles County.

Gene Montesano, owner of Lucky's on Coast Village Road and Lucky's Malibu in the Malibu Country Mart, helped staff strategize and jump into action.

"We don't fight fires," said Larry Nobles. "We cook."

Nobles, Director of Operations and General Manager for Lucky's in Montecito, said they packed up 500 hot dogs, 500 hamburgers, a "couple hundred" pounds of meat and hauled the bounty to Malibu in a refrigerated truck, donated by The Berry Man.

Logistics were tricky but with help from a Los Angeles County food inspector, Nobles said they were able to grill up meals Friday for firefighters in the parking lot at Zuma Beach alongside a team of hard-working inmates, handing out sack lunches.

"They were exhausted, completely beat up," said Nobles. "A lot of soot and ash all over their faces. Some were coming off 24 hour shifts, no sleep in two days. They were really beat down. So, it was a pleasure to feed those guys and be there for them."

Nobles said is was a "no frills" set up and once the grills got going, the inmates stepped in and helped cook.

Nobles said Montesano and the team are now trying to figure out other ways to help the firefighters, local residents and communities impacted by the devastating fires.