Photo by Lee Pellegrini
With menu options and food quality rivalling that of restaurants, Boston College Dining Services has been ranked seventh in The Daily Meal's “75 Best Colleges for Food in America” for 2018.
Seared scallops with strawberry and mango salsa. (Lee Pellegrini)
“These colleges and universities excel in gastronomy,” according to the website of The Daily Meal, which since 2012 has annually considered more than 2,000 U.S. schools, and honed its list to 75 finalists based on the following criteria: accessibility and service; nutrition and sustainability; education and events; surrounding area; and “X” factor—extras that go above and beyond to offer good food to students.
“We are very excited that we moved to 7th from 59th this past year, and attribute this improvement to several innovative initiatives,” according to Dining Services Director Elizabeth Emery.
These include the FRESH to Table program piloted at Corcoran Commons, which Emery noted has been “recognized by our professional organization with a GOLD medal,” as well as the implementation of mobile ordering at Hillside Cafe and College Road Cafe and Market; creative pop-up dining events for which Emery credits “our talented team at Heights Catering”; collaboration with student organizations to reduce waste across campus; and the focus on sustainable sourcing.
The Daily Meal citation on BC notes that “For a New England college, being able to offer locally sourced, always-fresh, never-frozen seafood is key. Add to that customizable and made-to-order dishes such as stir-fries, wraps, aero press coffee maker, phở, and pizzas, and you’re in business.”
It also underscores that the “dining experience at Boston College involves so much more than just tasty food.” Among other initiatives cited are the recent FRESH to Table program award, dedication to food waste reduction, exclusive use of fair trade coffee, operating energy-saving equipment, sourcing food from local farms, donating excess food to more than 40 area nonprofits, and offering a “Plain and Simple” dinner station free of the top eight food allergens.
Boston College was one of only three New England schools ranked [Northeastern University was 6th and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst was 8th] in The Daily Meal’s top ten. More on the ranking at The Daily Meal website.
University Communications