Joseph Phillips
Students lined up to have a taste of different foods at dining's Street Foods of the World event in the various dining halls. Gyros were served as part of the Greece section in Clark Dining Hall Thursday, Jan. 16, 2014. Photo by Joseph Phillips
For the second consecutive year, University Dining sent students on a culinary trip around the world, or at least metaphorically speaking, Thursday evening. In this case, the world consisted of the Clark, Fountain and Case dining halls, but the food was diverse nonetheless.
University Dining Executive Chef Bill Brizzolara created the idea for the Street Foods of the World theme meal last year after cooking in a competition in Massachusetts.
“The chefs learn while they are away at different competitions and come back with something special,” said Keith Smith, director of dining and operations.
Brizzolara teamed up with several of his peers to create various recipes that would eventually comprise the menu for the popular theme meal. The chefs collaborated, testing and analyzing their recipes before they were finalized.
According to surveys, students enjoyed the event last year, and dining decided to bring it back for a second year, Smith said. Though last year’s meal likely introduced many students to foods they had never tried before, returning students didn’t experience culinary culture shock for a second time. Due to student survey responses, dining chose not to alter the menu, allowing students to either visit for the first time or return to the foods of India, Japan and Greece.
Street Foods of the World and other such theme meals often prove quite popular among the guests of the dining halls, but the customers aren’t the only ones who look forward to these meals, Smith said.
“Cooks and chefs love to do events to create a cool environment for students.” Smith said.
Smith said the staff and cooks have the chance to show their culinary abilities at these theme-dinner events, and the purpose of the Street Foods of the World is to expose students to different cultures.
“We want to give them something special that they will remember.” Smith said. “We’re investing back into our students for their meal plans.”
And invested they are. Planning for Wednesday night’s event started during the summer, more than five months before the meal, and food preparation began on Monday.
“This event shows how much we love to cook,” said Steve Lester, a chef from Fountain Dining Hall.
In addition to the work put into the meal by the chefs who cooked it, the marketing team decorated the dining halls with flags from the countries that inspired the dishes being served.
For many students, such as Tyler Bogert, a junior in agricultural and environmental technology, the hard work put into the meal didn’t go unnoticed.
“The decorations are epic, but the food was more epic,” Bogert said.