By Alana Mohan
Welcome back Golden Bears! It has been a long winter break, and our amazing staff has been working hard to make the dining hall even more enjoyable. There have been many changes, including transfer of stations, added stations, and a new menu for many of the stations.
Entering the first floor, you will see the Urban Kitchen station on your right, where you can find different types and shapes of pasta paired with a variety of sauces. There are also different types of bread to choose from to pair with your pasta! This station also acts as the taco station on Wednesdays.
Straight ahead will be True and Main Ingredient. These stations previously were referred to as the home station. The menu for these stations often contains different types of proteins, starches, and vegetables.
Next to that is the grill, which can now be referred to as Ignite. At this station you can find things like burgers, hot dogs, grilled chicken, grilled cheese, breaded chicken sandwiches, turkey burgers, and even chicken parm sandwiches!
This station often switches the type of fries they serve daily. Thick cut fries, thin cut fries, curly fries, and even chips will be available sometimes. Attached to the station are condiments and toppings for the grill food including lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and more.
The bakery, now known as Glaze, continues to carry the sweet snacks that it has always had. Here you can find cake, cupcakes, cookies, pastries, and even cinnamon rolls on Wednesdays! Directly next to Glaze is what used to carry yogurt, pudding, fruit, and jello. This station is now called Heirloom and has become the salad station.
This station moved from upstairs and carries even more toppings for salad creations. Heirloom now offers a variety of seeds and other nutrients that can be added to salads. Yogurt and fruit can still be found here! Across from Heirloom is still a variety of bread, bagels, and condiments such as cream cheese, Nutella, cinnamon-honey butter, and more.
Moving upstairs, a brand-new Asian style section was added. This station used to offer tacos on Wednesdays, disco fries, and more creative dishes made by our staff. Now this station, Umami, offers items such as rice, chicken or pork stir-fry, egg rolls, tofu, a variety of ramen-style noodles, and vegetable or beef broth.
This station also has fortune cookies and chopsticks that are always available. Umami has a very wide variety of sauces such as soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, and sesame sauce that can be found at the end of the station. We will have to see what dishes they create next!
Also on the upper level of the dining commons is Trattoria. This station has always been known for its pizza, but a variety of items have been added. Things like stromboli, baguettes, and pasta dishes can now be found at this station along with different types of pizza.
Lastly, Savory Stack is the new name for the sandwich station. Your choice of bread, meat, cheese, and other condiments can be put together to make a sandwich, wrap, or panini. This station includes a sandwich press if you’d rather have your sandwich warm! Pre-made sandwiches, wraps, and paninis will also be provided at this station. Types of premade items vary by the day!
Make sure to get your meal plan to access the amazing additions to Western New England University’s dining commons.
