Check out the latest from the University Catering team in their Fall newsletter!
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UConn Dining Services Manager for Culinary Development Robert Landolphi made a guest appearance on WTNH Channel 8 Good Morning CT creating a Hawaiian Barbecue Pulled Pork sandwich on a Hawaiian brioche bun. Check out the video to make it at home or try one today in the USM Market Cafe (Student Union, 1st floor).
Chef Landolphi also showed off the Polish (Zapiekanka) Flatbread, Japanese Chicken Salad, and the Italian Flatbread. All are being served this week at the Market Cafe.
“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
REMINDER: Friday, September 13, is the last day to downgrade your meal plan for the fall 2019 semester. You may, however, upgrade your meal plan at any time throughout the semester.
To make changes to your meal plan, please call the Dining Services main office at 860-486-3128.
Students who are new to UConn are always confronted with the same challenge when deciding on what meal plan best fits their needs. As you explore our options you will find that each plan comes with unlimited access to any of our eight residential dining programs. This is a relatively unique feature compared to other schools. Continuous dining in all of our eight units (with the exception of one which is closed for a brief time in the afternoon) makes it easy to have access to nutritious options throughout the day.
As you can see, all three plans vary in points. The lowest plan has no points. When you spend a point at our retail locations the point has the value of one dollar however, in realty when points are tied into an “all you care to eat plan” the true value of the point is significantly less. You can say that these points are “discounted” versus actually spending money from your wallet or using a charge card. You can also see this by looking at the minimal difference of the cost of each plan and the added value of the points assigned to our top two plans
Parents and students often ask what is the best plan or most popular? This is not an easy question to respond to since each student has different eating habits. Many spend more time in the academic buildings, library, or Student Union where points can be spent. What I can share is that seventy-five percent of our students on our meal plan select a meal plan option that has points attached. There is true value to this option versus spending out-of-pocket a dollar for a dollar. Also, with over twenty-five retail options across campus. Points are a convenient way to purchase food rather than return to our residential dining units.
I hope this might provide you with some insight into your decision process. Remember anytime during the semester you can call our office at 860.486.3128 and upgrade a plan that was initially selected.
Dennis Pierce, Executive Director of Dining Services