Walking into Mill Valley Pasta Company, customers are greeted by Tony Adams’ welcoming smile. Adams is more than just a friendly face; he is an asset to our community. As the owner, founder and head chef of Mill Valley Pasta Company, Adams has been able to help hundreds of people dealing with food insecurity. For years, the local pasta business has been quietly offering free meals to anyone who needs them, relying on one philosophy: No one should have to worry about where their next meal is coming from.
When Tony Adams taped a sign-up sheet to his Tam Valley mailbox in the summer of 2020, he wasn’t trying to launch a business. Adams was simply a furloughed chef with a vintage pasta machine and a desire to share his food with his neighbors. “I basically was like, hey, I’m Tony, I’m a chef. I’m not gonna kill ya. I miss cooking for people,” he said. It started slowly, with just a few neighbors reaching out. As interest increased, people started asking for more, now insisting on paying. By the end of the year, Adams had accidentally created Mill Valley Pasta Company, which now produces 1,000 to 1,500 pounds of pasta every week.
What started as a small act of connection during the pandemic has grown into one of Marin’s most meaningful hidden gems. At the heart of that generosity is something Adams calls the Uncle Tony Program. “For me, as a chef, we always want to feed people,” Adams said. “Growing up, my parents hid the fact that we were more food insecure than I realized. So I’ve always understood how hard it can be to ask for help.” The Uncle Tony program was built specifically to remove that barrier. Anyone can walk into a farmer’s market booth or store location and pick up an “Uncle Tony order,” no questions asked…