Find Out Which Rutgers Grads Became Food Industry Mavens

For almost 250 years, amazing people have graduated from Rutgers University due to its outstanding curriculum and college experience. But which Rutgers grads have impacted the food world and what have these individuals achieved?

Steven Gomez

Photo courtesy of Steve Gomez

The Doritos Locos Taco was created by Rutgers Food Science alumnus Steven Gomez, class of 2001. Steve worked at Taco Bell’s Irvine California Headquarter for years engineering the Nacho Cheese Doritos taco shell. The hardest part of creating this taco was making sure the delicate shell would hold the heavy Taco Bell fillings and making the stick-to-your-fingers Doritos cheese.

Photo by Brandon Slover

Not only was the original Doritos Locos Taco a huge success, it also started a new trend for Taco Bell. Now there are Spicy Chicken Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Tacos and Fiery Doritos Locos Tacos. Feel free to try all three varieties and decide which was the best flavor created.

Rebecca Dengrove

Rutgers Food Science alumna, Rebecca Dengrove, created delicious specialty ice pops called Brewla Bars. These bars are made from teas, espresso, botanicals (plants) and herbs in a heated process. They are only 50 calories or less and are boosted with vitamins and minerals, so there is no guilt when you want to indulge on a hot summers day.

After working with Pepsi, Glaceau, and B&G Foods, Rebecca partnered with her brother Daniel to develop Brewla in 2009. A video was made of Rebecca and Daniel talking about their delicious product, for those who are interested in hearing about their journey.

I, myself have not had the opportunity to indulge in one of these naturally brewed popsicles. However, I would love to try one after reading the amazing reviews they continue to receive. Some of the customers describe the bars as incredible, real tasting, and great unique flavored bars that are a new twist on an old classic.

To purchase these delicious pops, you can go to street fairs in NYC (Brooklyn based product) and at Whole Foods supermarkets. It was a wise decision for Rebecca to attend Rutgers and study food, because now there are more nutritious fruit pops for consumer purposes that everyone can enjoy.  

Mario Batali 

Photo by Elizabeth Unger

Iron Chef Mario Batali was a Rutgers graduate who greatly contributed to the food world. Mario graduated Rutgers in 1960 and continued his education at Le Cordon Bleu. Mario now owns over 20 restaurants, hosts two TV shows: Molto Mario and Mario Meats Italy, authored 9 cookbooks, became an Iron Chef, and co-founded Eataly (an Italian food market in NYC).

Photo by Susanna Tuan

Rutgers not only helped Mario’s education, a restaurant on Rutgers campus called, Stuff Yer Face helped Mario find his passion for food. Stuff Yer Face is a handmade stromboli joint right off of Rutgers College Avenue campus on Easton Ave. Mario loved the adrenaline rush that came from being their line cook and had fun while cooking.

While pursuing his food career, Mario has sponsored a line of kitchen essentials. He also created his own tomato sauce, dried pasta, and gelato for commercial use. I have personally tried the tomato sauce, and it tastes just like grandma’s homemade gravy on Sundays. I used this sauce with some angel hair pasta and cut up grilled sausage. It was the perfect meal.

Photo by Brandon Slover

To emphasize Mario’s amazing skills, Spoon University challenged Mario’s knife skills in this video. Change your daily routine and watch Mario on TV or divulge in his mouthwatering food; he is a true visionary for food lovers everywhere.

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