Food Services

Fall Is a Great Time for Colorful Fruits and Vegetables

Did you know New York is one of the top agricultural states in the nation? It is! About 20 percent of the state’s land area—more than seven million acres—is farmland, with some 36,000 crop and dairy farms. New York is the second-largest producer of apples, snap beans and maple syrup; third in cabbage, grapes and dairy; and fourth in pears. Overall, agriculture in our state is a $42 billion industry.

As you might imagine, fall is one of the best times for seasonal produce around these parts. The air gets crisper, the leaves turn shades of gloriousness, and the harvest is bountiful: apples, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cranberries, escarole, fennel, leeks, pumpkins, squash and so much more.

When we’re in need of ideas of what to prepare and how to prepare it, we turn to a favorite chef, Carmine Mortellaro. Carmine is the sous chef for Syracuse University Food Services.

Read the full story at Syracuse University News.

A New Era at Syracuse University: Barnes Center at The Arch Transforms Health and Wellness

Yesterday, Syracuse University opened the Barnes Center at The Arch, the University’s new state-of-the-art health, wellness and recreation complex. The new facility and the programs that find their home there include many amenities found in other college and university recreation centers, but the facility isn’t what makes the Barnes Center transformational for students.

Recognizing that individual well-being encompasses mind, body and spirit, the Barnes Center offers something different. Its staffing, resources and services go well beyond the scope of a traditional college recreation center. In addition to recreational fitness and personal training, students will find student health clinics, nutritional advice and stress management, meditation resources and mental health counseling in a central location.

Read the full story at Syracuse University News.

Otto’s Juice Box Prepares for Grand Opening

As the grand opening for the Barnes Center at The Arch nears, the Food Services staff at Otto’s Juice Box is simultaneously preparing for the big day and settling into their daily routine in the newest café on campus.

On Friday, September 13, the public is invited to the grand opening of the Barnes Center, where the staff at Otto’s Juice Box will provide free smoothie samples. A representative for KIND bars will also be on-site and will have free samples as well. The star of the show will be a cake in the shape of the new building, as well as SU’s famous carrot cake cupcakes.

The new café opened to the public on Monday, August 26, and offers seven different smoothie flavors, along with a make-your-own-smoothie option. A selection of iced and hot teas and coffees round out the menu, along with a regularly rotating selection of grab and go salads, fruits, and wraps.

Student input at a campus taste test led to the selection of the flavor options, and Food Services staff further perfected their recipes by sampling the smoothies among their employees, said Sue Bracy, director of Food Services.

There’s one more element yet to arrive in the café: A smoothie bike! In the spirit of combining healthy food and fitness, these gadgets are essentially stationary bikes with a twist. The blender containing smoothie ingredients is prepared as usual, but the blending process is only complete once the smoothie consumer pedals the bike, activing the blender. A delicious smoothie is still the end product, but the production involves burning a few calories first.

The smoothie bike is due to arrive in the next few weeks. Syracuse University community members can submit feedback about Otto’s Juice Box or any other Food Services location by contacting mealtalk@syr.edu.

Brockway Dining Center and The Tomato Wheel Earn National Awards

Syracuse University Food Services earned two prestigious national awards this summer, recognizing the renovations to Brockway Dining Center and the creation of  The Tomato Wheel in-house retail pizza concept.

The National Association of College and University Food Services’ (NACUFS) Loyal E. Horton Dining Awards are the highest honor in college and university culinary arts. Food Services earned a bronze award in two categories: Residential Dining Facility and Retail Sales/Marketplace for large schools.

Read the full story at Syracuse University News.

Food Services Receives 2019 Best Overall Food Allergy Program for Universities

Food Services was recently awarded 2019 Best Overall Food Allergy Program for Universities from AllerTrain by MenuTrinto LLC. The AllerTrain team selected winners from universities and restaurants across the country to recognize outstanding food service leaders in allergy training and safety.

“It is an honor to be recognized with this award,” says Ruth Sullivan, Food Services registered dietitian. “Food Services is committed to providing a safe, worry-free dining experience for our students, faculty and staff. This recognition provides our students with special diets, an additional level of comfort when choosing foods served in our facilities.”

Read the full story at Syracuse University News.

During Opening Week, University Food Services Feeds an Army—and Then Some

The lists go on and on—brunch for 180 members of the marching band, a buffet for 45 College of Arts and Sciences advisors, a lunch for 25 at the Setnor School of Music. They’re punctuated by bigger numbers—a dinner for 800 international students at Manley Field House, a welcome picnic at the Dome for 7,000, Orange in the City in Clinton Square for 3,000, plus the everyday meals in on-campus dining centers. It all adds up to 63,904 meals (or roughly the population of Utica, New York) served over the course of one week.

Read the full story at Syracuse University News.

Food Services Partners with Local Farm to Obtain Year-Round Fresh Produce

Students at the University’s dining centers may have noticed a fresh, new item on the salad bars: baby radishes and beet greens. The produce is sourced from Agbotic Farms, a local farm an hour north of campus in Sackets Harbor, New York. Purchasing from Agbotic Farms allows the University the ability to offer students fresh, locally grown produce year-round—difficult to achieve in the Northeast.

Food Services and Sustainability Management staff took a trip to the farm to learn more about the operation. “The Food Services team was excited to make the visit to determine if their products would be a good fit for Syracuse University,” says Mark Tewksbury, director of residential dining. The University does its best to serve locally grown produce, but that has proven to be a challenge with New York’s short growing season.

Read the full story at Syracuse University News.

Food Services Earns Nut-Free Certification, Continues to Make Dining Safer for Those with Food Allergies

Students with peanut and some tree-nut allergies can feel safer now, more than ever, while eating in Syracuse University’s dining centers. That’s because Food Services’ Production Kitchen and cook chill facility, located in the Commissary, recently became “certified free from” peanut and tree nut (except coconut) allergens by Kitchens with Confidence (KwC) by MenuTrinfo. KwC is a leading allergen and gluten-free auditing and accreditation firm; the Commissary is where most of the food served on campus is made.

Read the full story at Syracuse University News.

Food Services Staff Member Dishes Up Warm Welcome to Schine Diners

Dorothy “Dottie” Russell is surrounded every weekday by the friends she has made over the years as she prepares the day’s salad fixings and keeps a busy pace monitoring the salad bar in Schine Dining.

There are the students to whom Russell sends a joyful greeting of “Hi, Baby,” and the faculty and staff members who share a quick chat with her. Everyone is made welcome.

Read Dottie’s full profile at Syracuse University News.