Farm to campus, from prep to dining—and more dining
Penn Dining Services cook up delicious, locally sourced, healthy, and abundant meals at nearly all hours of the day, an operation that starts locally and ends on plates licked clean.
Customers and staff at Houston Grill in Houston Market during the Jan. 23 lunch hour.
Whether they spring out of bed or sleepily hit snooze, Penn students have their own unique schedules and appetites. Penn Dining Services take the task of feeding the University community seriously, and the result is seriously satisfying. Beginning at 7:30 a.m. and open until 2 a.m. on weekdays, All You Care to Eat dining hours and locations serve sit-down and take-away dishes and snacks. Long before the cafés open, Bon Appétit cooks are busy preparing meals from scratch from locally sourced and environmentally conscious suppliers. And even earlier, farmers are up with their herds and flocks, milking cows and harvesting eggs, loaded onto trucks, and traveling the not-too-far distance to campus.
The ease of finding delicious and healthy meals at nearly any time of the day is complicated only by the sheer quantity of good dining options to choose from. Dishes are seasonal, with comfort staples alongside global cuisine. This spotlight on Penn Dining Services follows some of the suppliers, food service workers, chefs, and students enjoying salad bars, meze bowls, roast chicken, pizza, grilled veggies, and eggs—lots of eggs. (428 hand-cracked eggs per day to be exact.) From pre-dawn farms to late night clean-up crews, a look inside Penn Dining highlights the quality and care of the food and workers.
A herd of grass-fed Jersey cows at Pequea Valley Farm in Ronks, Pennsylvania on Nov. 20. The Abner King family, which owns and operates the Pequea Valley Farm, has a herd of grass-fed Jersey cows. The cow’s milk is made into yogurt.
A worker operates a machine that applies lids to yogurt cups at Pequea Valley Farm in Ronks, Pennsylvania on Nov. 20. Pequea Valley, which is owned and operated by the Abner King family, produces a large amount of yogurt for campus.
Truck driver Caleb of Esh Foods loads a pallet of yogurt onto his truck at Pequea Valley Farm in Ronks, Pennsylvania on Nov. 20.
Truck driver Orlando (right) hands off one of many boxes to receiver Al Hunter (left) during an early morning delivery at Hill House on Dec. 11.
Unit leader Malekah Bey adds eggs to her cake mix during the early morning meal preparation in the kitchen at Hill House on Dec. 11.
Cook Gerald Dove cuts up chicken during the early morning meal preparation in the kitchen at Hill House on Dec. 11.
Cooks Kendyra McCleary (middle) and Omyra Dickson (right), along with other members of the staff, maneuver around each other in the kitchen during the busy lunch hour at Houston Market on Jan. 23.
Executive Chef Steven Green (left) talks over a recipe with cook Gerald Dove (right) during the early morning meal preparation in the Hill House kitchen on Dec. 11.
Cooks Denise Ferrell (left) and Fred Ford (right) work on their respective dishes during the busy lunch hour in the kitchen of Houston Market on Jan. 23.
Cook Lynette Lunnon (left) works the Mongolian grill at Ginger @ Spruce during the busy lunch hour at Houston Market on Jan 23. Ginger @ Spruce features bowls of fresh, local vegetables, a variety of proteins, rice, and noodles topped with sauces.
Cook Gilbert Armstrong adds to the chicken salad sandwich pile during the lunch hour in the kitchen of Houston Market on Jan. 23.
Cook Malik Joyner works the carving station at 34 Street Carvery in Houston Market during the busy lunch hour on Jan. 23. 34 Street Carvery offers house-roasted meats, fresh breads, and a selection of vegetables and house-made spreads.
From left, cashier Luis Ramos, supervisor Harry Wood, cook Danell Flynn, and cook John Pratt attend to their stations at Houston Grill in Houston Market during the busy lunch hour on Jan. 23.
The afternoon crowd at Houston Market on Jan. 24. Houston Market is located on the lower level of Houston Hall. A popular lunch and dinner scene seven days a week for the Penn community, guests can choose from hand-rolled sushi; a made-to-order pasta bar; a grill station; made-to-order salad bar; an internationally inspired hot and cold meal station; and savory soups. The Market Café features produce from local vendors, including La Colombe coffee and espresso drinks, Balthazar Bakery pastries, and Capogiro gelato.
Cashier Michelle Wilcox (right) welcomes students to Kings Court English College House and swipes their method payment on Feb. 22.
Freshman Selene Bonczek Sotelo in the College of Arts and Sciences hugs Chef Deb Day (right) after complimenting the chef on her grit-making at Kings Court English College House on Feb. 22.
Cashier April Ishmael cleans one of the stations during the closing routine of the dining hall in New College House on Feb. 27.
Bon Appétit food service worker Raven White, along with her fellow staff members, clean, dry, and restock the dishes during closing of the dining hall in New College House on Feb. 27.
Bon Appétit food service worker Chenita Newkirk (left) sweeps up the floor during closing routine at the dining hall in New College House on Feb. 27.
Homepage photo: A member of the staff adds seasoning to a lasagna dish during the busy lunch hour in the kitchen of Houston Market on Jan. 23.
