I got an email on Monday from Northfielder Randy Clay, Board Manager for Bon Appetit Dining Services at St. Olaf, inviting me to lunch on Tuesday for their 7th Annual Eat Local Challenge:
I am attaching a release [PDF] about our Eat Local Challenge event tomorrow. I would love it if you would come have lunch on us!
If you have not visited our Dining Hall recently, tomorrow is a great opportunity to see what we are all about, as we will be showcasing our efforts to support eating locally.
So Robbie and I took him up on the offer. How could we not have a free lunch at the best college food program in the USA?
Yep, Newsweek’s 2011 College rankings for Best Food ranked St. Olaf as #1.
And MinnPost’s Beth Hawkins authored this article a couple weeks ago: From Parmesan risotto to cider-brined pork, St. Olaf’s food dubbed best in nation.
L to R: Randy introduced me to Bob Appetit Executive Chef Mathew Fogarty; I got a free pass from Northfielder and Just Food Co-op member/fan Marlys Proehl; I got served Thousand Hills Cattle Company beef by company rep and Northfielder Todd Lien; and then I sat down and pigged out with my sweetie.
So yes, Locally Grown won the 7th Annual Eat Local Challenge, along with a few thousand other Oles, and a long list of those who produce locally grown (heh) food. Yum.
All I can say is ‘wow’! I worked in the Macalester College food service from ’88 to ’91 and we rarely ever used anything that wasn’t frozen or from a can. However, we would have ROCKED the Eat Local challenge, since the students pretty much survived off bowls of Malt-O-Meal cereal. 🙂
I checked the St. Olaf website, but couldn’t find out any information about pricing. What would it cost for the average citizen to walk in off the street and have lunch? Does that happen? Do they encourage it? If so, I would love to give it a try.
I am also hoping that eventually we will see an entrepreneurial Ole who takes this model and sets up a restaurant in town that emphasizes high quality, locally-sourced food.
David,
We are indeed open to the public. Lunch is $8.75 and dinner $10.25. Best restaurant in town, without a doubt. Ironically, Macalester is now a Bon Appetit account. They participated in Tuesday’s Eat Local Challenge, as did over 400 Bon Appetit cafes nationwide. More importantly, we are committed to sourcing local, sustainably raised products all year round.
Thank you,
Randy Clay