“The shared meal elevates eating from a mechanical process of fueling the body to a ritual of family and community, from mere animal biology to an act of culture.” ….Michael Pollan – author, journalist and professor at UC Berkeley
Greetings:
What a great way to start a new school year! Dining has many new and exciting projects in the Student Union this semester. We are eagerly awaiting a brand new renovation at Whitney which features a farm to table design. Freshens has moved to the new Recreation Center and to add to our excitement, Dining will unveil a new Asian concept next to One Plate, Two Plate. In the resident facilities you will see new lighting at North Campus, an upgrade to the dish machine/drop off window at Gelfinbein and also you will experience several new recipes on our menu that have been created by our chefs.
When spring semester ended there was a rush to begin construction at Whitney. The roof was removed to make way for a skylight, the entrance was prepared for a new area for our checker station and the rear dining room was turned into a cafe with a working gas fireplace. Once open, I encourage all to visit and experience the “wow” effect of the new Whitney dining renovation. Our staff has been working on new recipes at Whitney that feature local, vegetarian and vegan items which will add to the new dining program. While we know everyone will be eager to share in this new dining experience and that Whitney will be a busy place this fall, we ask that you please provide us with your patience as we work to adapt to our new renovation.
As you visit the Student Union this fall you will see two, new dining options, The Market Café (formally Freshens), which offers a wide variety of salads and international sandwiches that are not available anywhere else on campus. To complement this area we also moved our USM soup station to the café location. Additionally we will be opening, Earth, Wok & Fire, an Asian concept that will provide our customers with two options, a buffet of prepared Asian dishes and also a “wok” to order area where the customer determines what the ingredients are in their dish. Of course for all of you die-hard Smoothie fans have no fear Freshens has not gone away. Freshens is now at the new Recreation Center, located just inside the main entrance. You will also have the opportunity to choose from a whole new menu of healthy options that complements the many smoothies that were previously offered.
Make sure to take a moment and look through this semester’s UCuisine. You can find this booklet in the dining halls, around campus or online. It has everything that you will need to know about dining. It truly is a great snapshot of who we are and what we have to offer. When deciding on our cover for this semester’s UCuisine we wanted to feature a true UConn icon and that is UConn’s Dairy Bar ice cream. Our Student Coordinator, Tatiana Eder, was willing to be part of the photo shoot since there was free ice cream involved. A “true” Husky!
Lastly, to keep in touch with Dining and the services and events we offer, make sure to visit our website (dining.uconn.edu) and follow our social media accounts. Please let us know how we can meet your needs. There is a link on our website for your feedback and questions. Your dining experience has to be a memorable one or we have failed to meet your expectations. Enjoy the semester, practice sustainability and make a conscious effort to make the most out of life.
Eat well, enjoy life and pursue your dreams,
C.Dennis Pierce
Executive Director of Dining Services
Connections to UConn for Chef Sean Hawkins have truly come full circle.
