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Washington State special event menu spans the globe

Students got to go “Around the World in 8 Dishes” at a special dinner event that featured selections from France, India, Italy, Mexico, Japan, Philippines, West Africa and America’s Pacific Northwest.

Mike Buzalka, Executive Features Editor

May 3, 2017

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Each dining hall at Washington State University (WSU) is expected to hold at least one themed food event each spring. This year, the staff at the school’s Hillside Café used that opportunity to celebrate WSU’s diversity by serving dishes from eight countries/regions from around the globe.

All the dishes were plated along with the sides in front of customers to emphasize freshness.

The choices reflected both a need for global diversity and also variety—the peanut stew served as the vegetarian option, for example. However, the necessities of turning out dishes in volume while maintaining quality, food integrity and providing visual appeal did affect choices, says Jason Butcherite, the executive chef at Hillside who designed the menu.

“I wanted to keep the dishes easy because they were composed plates, so I wanted to take into consideration how they were to be assembled and executed for service,” he explains. “Also, we did prep in small batches as much as possible to try and promote freshness and quality.”

About the Author

Mike Buzalka

Executive Features Editor, Food Management

Mike Buzalka is executive features editor for Food Management and contributing editor to Restaurant Hospitality, Supermarket News and Nation’s Restaurant News. On Food Management, Mike has lead responsibility for compiling the annual Top 50 Contract Management Companies as well as the K-12, College, Hospital and Senior Dining Power Players listings. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English Literature from John Carroll University. Before joining Food Management in 1998, he served as for eight years as assistant editor and then editor of Foodservice Distributor magazine. Mike’s personal interests range from local sports such as the Cleveland Indians and Browns to classic and modern literature, history and politics.

Mike Buzalka’s areas of expertise include operations, innovation and technology topics in onsite foodservice industry markets like K-12 Schools, Higher Education, Healthcare and Business & Industry.

Mike Buzalka’s experience:

Executive Features Editor, Food Management magazine (2010-present)

Contributing Editor, Restaurant Hospitality, Supermarket News and Nation’s Restaurant News (2016-present)

Associate Editor, Food Management magazine (1998-2010)

Editor, Foodservice Distributor magazine (1997-1998)

Assistant Editor, Foodservice Distributor magazine (1989-1997)

 

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