Sometimes it’s easy to take your campus dining hall for granted, but a lot goes into putting food on students’ plates. Here are some little-known reasons why Tulane Dining is actually bomb.
1. The chefs are pros.
Photo courtesy of Tulane Dining
Tulane is the only campus in Louisiana that has a Certified Executive Chef as the General Manager, as well as four Best Chefs of Louisiana working on campus. With such top-notch chefs, Tulane Dining has won 34 awards just in the past year, including the judge’s choice for Best Traditional Seafood Gumbo in Louisiana.
2. They have a whole lot of mouths to feed.
Photo courtesy of Tulane Dining
This year, Tulane Dining will produce a whopping 2.2 million meals. 60,000 of these will be for students with special dietary needs, such as like vegan, gluten free, and Kosher dishes. Another 7,000 of these will be everyone’s favorite late-night splurge, the pizza-sized pancake from City Diner.
3. They give back to the community.
Photo courtesy of Tulane Dining
Tulane is all about service and outreach, and the dining department is no exception. Tulane Dining has donated over 400 meals per week to the Food Recovery Network since September 2015. They will also produce and donate 12,000 meals for New Orleans parks and recreation camps this summer.
4. Their seafood is legit.
Photo courtesy of Tulane Dining
Tulane Dining has received Certified Wild Caught status from the state of Louisiana, meaning that the fish served on campus were all caught wild and in-state. That includes everything from Bruff’s traditional fried catfish Fridays to the assortment of grilled seafood served throughout the week.
5. They keep it fresh.
Photo courtesy of Tulane Dining
Eating locally and sustainably is all the rage. To keep up with this demand, Tulane Dining has 13 farm partnerships in Louisiana. This includes nearby Liuzza Produce Farm and Poche Farm. Such local sources provide everything from the freshly cut fruit in Bruff to the house-made pickles at Pickles to the produce sold at the campus farmer’s market.
6. They serve only the best beef.
Photo courtesy of Tulane Dining
The Peak Performance Station at Bruff serves only Louisiana Certified Beef. This signifies that the cattle were born and raised in-state and fed the best puffed wheat and corn. All deli meats served in residential dining areas are also gluten, hormone, and antibiotic-free.
To learn more about the benefits of sustainable meat, check out this article about the Real Food Challenge, something many Tulane students are passionate about fully implementing on campus.
7. They’ve got meals on wheels.
Photo courtesy of Tulane Dining
Tulane is home to two groundbreaking food trucks. Roulez is the first and only food truck to accept only college meal swipes – no cash or credit. Ironsides Waffles, which notably serves superhero-themed waffle sandwiches, won Best Menu Concept from Food Management Magazine in 2015.