University Dining is seeking a few volunteers to help serve the free Late-Night Breakfast that will be offered to all students on the first night of final exams, Monday, April 29th, between 9:30 pm and 10:30pm.  Several hundred students are expected to attend, so the Dining team could use some extra help to expedite service.  It’s also a lot of fun for the students to get their breakfast munchies served by members of UMW’s faculty and staff!  Volunteers are asked to arrive at 9:15 pm and serve until 10:30pm.  If you would like to sign up, contact Rose Benedict at rbenedic@umw.edu.

Get a free lunch on Monday, March 11th! As their “Welcome Back from Spring Break” gift to UMW’s faculty and staff, University Dining is offering everyone a free lunch in the Restaurants at the Top of the CRUC on Monday between 11 am and 2pm. Just show the cashier your EagleOne ID card when you arrive, and then enjoy an all-you-care-to-eat lunch from a wide variety of cuisines.

As an added bonus, between 12pm and 1pm Brooke Tresch, the Regional Dietitian, will be demonstrating how to make healthy salsas.  The first five students, or members of the faculty and staff, to arrive and sign up to participate in the demonstration, will get to help make the salsas, and everyone will get an opportunity to sample them.

For those who have never dined in the Restaurants at the Top of the CRUC, this is a great opportunity to learn about the available options.  The menu can be viewed in advance by getting the Everyday by Sodexo app on your smart phone, and then searching for Mary Washington. If you would like more information, contact Rose Benedict, rbenedic@UMW.edu.

The Restaurants at the Top of the CRUC have undergone some major changes that will be of interest to members of the University’s faculty and staff.

Rebranding of the Restaurants.  Except for Simple Servings, all the names have changed, and new, more modern, signs identify each location.

International Cuisine is Highlighted.  The new Showcase restaurant (formerly Serrano’s) will now feature a variety of global cuisines, which will include Hispanic as well as Chinese, Japanese, Indian, and many other ethnic foods.

“Simple Zone” is new and features packaged gluten-free and vegan breads, bagels, desserts, and other items that are available for self-service from open to close each day. Simple Zone is located at the back side of the new Mix Salad Bar, which has also been enhanced to include more meat proteins, as well as more vegetarian salads and salad dressings.

New Faculty and Staff Price: As part of regularly scheduled price increases, the cost for any meal at the Top of the CRUC for members of the faculty and staff will go up to $7 on February 1st.

Eagle’s Nest Change/Vocelli Pizza: The owner of Vocelli Pizza, who was a valued partner with University Dining for over 15 years, decided it was time to retire, and so Vocelli Pizza closed over the winter break.  We do have a new Italian restaurant coming on board, and more details about that concept and menu will be coming soon.  If all goes well, it will open in early February.

Major Dining Events for Spring: The calendar of special events is posted on the dining website every month, but here’s a snapshot of some of the more notable celebrations. All events take place at the Top of the CRUC.

Black History Month Events: Several events will be held in February, each highlighting a different cuisine representing various Black cultures. Menus were planned in partnership with the Black Student Association, the African Student Union, the NAACP, and the JFMC.  The kick-off event is a Southern Soul Food lunch on Thursday, February 1st, from 11am to 2pm.  That’s followed by a Caribbean Dinner on February 8th, a Mardi Gras Creole Lunch on February 13th, and an African Dinner on February 22nd.

Lunar New Year Celebration Week: February 5-9.  Popular Asian dishes will be served every day, plus Dragon Dance performances will take place at lunch on February 9th.

Health & Wellness Fair: Providers of goods and services that promote physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual wellness will be on hand with demonstrations, free samples, and lots of information.  The Fair will take place on April 3rd in the Chandler Ballroom between 11 am and 3pm. Participation as an exhibitor or vendor is open to anyone, including UMW departments and student groups.  Spaces are free.  For more information, contact Rose Benedict at rbenedic@UMW.edu.

Farmer’s Market & Craft Fair.  This outdoor event will be held on Campus Walk from Lee Hall to Monroe Hall on April 23rd between 11:30 am and 3pm.  Local farmers, crafters, artisans, bakers, and other small businesses are invited to participate at no charge. For details contact Rose Benedict at rbenedic@umw.edu.

University Dining is launching an “Eat Local” promotion this week that will bring a variety of new culinary experiences to dining guests and also help support local businesses. Once or twice a month, a local restaurant or local provider of food and beverages, will serve some of their most popular items in the Restaurants at the Top of the CRUC as part of the regular meal service. The Dining team reimburses the local business for the products served, and also provides a little bit extra to help cover some of the labor costs.  The restaurant prepares the food in their own kitchens with their own staff so that the dishes will be a true representation of the food they serve in their restaurants. They’ll then be given a platform in the dining room where they can serve their dishes and talk with guests about their food and dining establishments.

Many local eateries are hidden gems, just waiting to be discovered by our University community. The “Eat Local” promotion will help them get noticed! It will also bring some new and very distinctive tastes and flavor profiles into our campus dining program.   The first “Eat Local” event is Thursday, January 25th, and features Better4You Juices, owned by Claudia and Patrick Barnes.  Patrick’s personal experience with serious health issues inspired Claudia to experiment with a variety of cold-pressed juices, until she came up with all-natural juice blends that would meet Patrick’s nutritional needs, be easy to swallow, and, most importantly, taste great! Her juices were so successful that they eventually decided to open a business so they could share their Better4You juices with everyone.

Claudia and Patrick will be serving several of their juice blends at the Showcase station at the Top of the CRUC between 11am and 1pm on Thursday.  The next “Eat Local” event will be on February 21st, featuring Cool Cat Cupcakes during lunch. Several other local eateries will be coming to the Top of the CRUC throughout the semester.  Details will be available on the Dining website, or by contacting Dining@UMW.edu.