The hour has come. After a morning and early afternoon spent indulging in rich curricula and pondering the great questions of the world, it’s time that we, as Fieldston students, direct our attention away from the classroom and down the narrow passageway that bridges the Commons and the ultimate destination: the cafeteria.
With a many-hued salad bar, a pasta station and the entreés of the day at the ready, the choices seem endless. So why does a toasted bagel with a generous serving of butter or cream cheese seem to be the common alternative to a nutritious lunch?
The truth is the bagel is an easy choice, and so is pasta. Opting to stick within the confines of what appears “safe” or “comfortable” in the cafeteria can limit students’ perspectives on the space. Prone to mindless complaints and off-hand comments, Fieldston’s cafeteria often gets a bad rep when pit against the sprawling culinary scene interspersed through the Riverdale blocks surrounding our campus. Looking outward, as opposed to embracing the food offered within, can make students negligent of all a quick trip down the 700’s might entail.
Guilty of far too many trips to Riverdeli or Sal’s, I set out to learn more about the cafeteria and garner a better understanding of the way the community views it.
My exploration began with a look into AVI Foodsystems: the food and hospitality provider responsible for the various dishes each day. With a commitment to providing well-balanced, fresh meals, AVI aims to make food just as innovative as any other aspect of a school environment. Offering business, healthcare and leisure services, Fieldston is just one branch of the company’s expansive reach. As Resident AVI Foodsystems Director Amy Van-Tessel stated, “We locally source all our food to create a scratch-cooked meal for [the community].”
Just this past Thursday, AVI hosted a vendor showcase in the student commons to display the various individuals that come together to compose the company. A labyrinth of pumpkin spice coffee, breads and fall treats, students expressed a desire for the day-to-day menu to mirror that of the showcase. Form III’s Asher Desai stated, “The fair with the food should be the standard of lunch at Fieldston” as many peers at surrounding tables nodded in agreement and followed suit with their own personal commentary. “I think people are sleeping on [the cafeteria]; it’s underrated,” said freshman Mia Seshadri as Kyler Calderon pleaded, “More chicken please.”
Of a sample size of 25 community members, Friday’s lunch received an average 6.84/10 score with responses ranging from 3 to 10.
However, there are always ways to take initiative and share thoughts about Fieldston’s dining services. The Food Committee composed of Executive Chef Timothy Webb, the AVI Foodsystems director, campus officials, parents and educators meets 2-4 times a year to process feedback and review upcoming menus. Upper School Spanish teacher Charo Beltran is a member of this board and shared that student feedback is always welcome and in fact informs the way the menu takes shape. “There’s a little bulletin board where you could leave a note because they need to hear feedback from everybody. They take the feedback very seriously and we have been making improvements based on feedback only.”
Beltran also shared that the cafeteria has made significant progress in becoming an inclusive place for community members with varying dietary needs and restrictions. “In my case, if you ask me why I’m [on the committee], it’s because I’m vegan. I think it’s an important presence for people who have different dietary restrictions to be on this committee just to make sure everyone is included. When I started [at Fieldston], I remember there was no vegan cheese and no vegan options. There were some vegetarian options, but after having conversations, there were more options.”
The sense of choice and options that Beltran speaks of is what is so often disregarded when the cafeteria comes to mind. The rotating entreés include multiple soups (most recently “Cheeseburger” soup- a fan favorite of sorts), comprehensive salad and deli stations and pasta alternatives exist to provide the most all-encompassing cafeteria experience imaginable. Looking to the future however, the hope is that as well as continuing to be inclusive of the food needs of the Fieldston community, meals can further reflect the various identities of the community members that consume them with more diverse entree options.
Ultimately, while the common tendency to critique food appears a force of habit, I advise readers to keep an open mind before discounting the cafeteria altogether. After all, in the words of Noah Glassman ‘23, Fieldston’s cafeteria food is “[freaking] gas.”*
*gas- a term used to describe something that is superbly awesome or overarchingly great
