Campus Dining hosted a food tasting event and tour for student media on Sept. 23 to show its response to student feedback. More vegetarian, vegan and allergy-free options were added to West Side Dining.
The campus dietitian, Stephanie May, general manager of West Side Dining, Heather Zimmer and executive chef of West Side Dining, Sean Morrell, all spoke at the event.
The event began with May discussing the healthy options that West Side offers. She assured student media that there are plenty of vegetarian options at every food station. This was in response to both vegetarian and vegan student complaints.
After the formal tour of the facility, chef Morrell guided student media towards a table full of samples. The table had vegan burgers, satisfying vegans and vegetarians alike, juicy turkey burgers and classic beef burgers. The options were accompanied by fish, jasmine rice and chipotle mayo.
A card next to the chipotle mayo detailed its secret ingredients: mayonnaise, lime juice, cilantro and chipotle peppers in Adobo sauce. Zimmer placed a bucket full of citrus water next to the food as a healthy alternative to soda.
When chef Morrell was asked what he was most proud of, he did not answer with a particular dish. Instead, he said he was most proud of his workers.
Adapting to the new system was not easy, chef Morrell said. Morrell said that he will continue to work hard, so that the dining experience can improve for all parties involved. He promises to increase speed of service, to keep things safe and sanitary back in the kitchen and to never stop listening to student feedback.
The state-of-the-art East Side Dining, located on Toll Drive, will take the place of the Student Union when it closes. It promises to have all the stations from the Union and will be a mix of retail and dine-in, Murphy said.
Campus Dining and West Side Dining are reacting to student’s opinions, according to Murphy. The administration ensures that their main concern is the satisfaction of the students, she added.
Correction: Oct. 5, 2015
A previous version of this story erroneously identified an attendee of the media tasting as Janet Murphy, the graphic designer in marketing for Campus Dining. Murphy did not attend the media tasting.
