The clock strikes 11:50. The bell tower rings. Students rush out of their classes and head to the dining halls for lunch. Need a pick-me-up? The Ivy Room’s freshly blended smoothies might be just what you need. Looking for something heartier? The pasta toss at the Sharpe Refectory will be sure to fill you up.
But with all these dining locations and potential menus, how does Brown Dining Services select what its chefs will cook up that day?
Broadly, the menus are chosen through a “holistic approach” that considers student preferences, local ingredient sourcing and day-to-day variety, Vice President of Dining Programs George Barboza wrote in an email to The Herald.
General menus are decided a semester before the menu cycle. The Dining Services team then reviews the menus in weekly “Menu Meetings,” when team members propose new selections based on student and staff feedback collected throughout the school year.
And students — though sometimes critics of the meals — seem to find the options appealing.
“I really like the meatballs at V-Dub and the salads,” Santiago Barrera ’28 said when asked about his favorite dining meals. “I have the same salad every day.”
Dominique Iragena ’28 said she enjoys the self-serve pasta option at the Ratty, but finds herself at a variety of the dining locations depending on the time and day.
“At night, it's Jo’s. When I want a smoothie, it's the Ivy (Room),” she said.
Many popular items in the permanent menu cycle come from staff recipes, like Ana’s Potato Salad, Parris’ Fried Rice and Sarah’s Chili, Barboza said. Dining Services’ resident bread baker also developed “wonderful recipes like Blue Cheese Bread and Cinnamon Bread” that seem to be “enjoyed by all,” he added.
Dining Services accepts student feedback via email surveys, suggestions received on bulletin boards and monthly Dining Council meetings between, Barboza said.
Also, Dining Services opened halal, kosher and allergen-aware stations in the Ratty last year as part of an effort to accommodate special needs and dietary restrictions, Barboza wrote. Dining halls have also developed inclusive policies in preparing all menu options; the majority of menu items with chicken are halal for example, he added.
But for some students, Dining Services has room for improvement.
Zach Gordon ’28 suggested adding underrepresented cuisines, like Indian and Middle Eastern food.
Arjun Deshpande ’28 said he feels Dining Services can also do more to expand vegetarian options.
“I have a lot of friends who don’t get to eat a lot of the food,” he said, highlighting how many of the prepared menu options include trace amounts of meat like chicken or bacon.
