Monday, April 7, 2014

Mortar & Pestle IS NOT Closing!

This week, we sat down with Nona Golledge, KU Dining Director, to discuss the misperceptions about the closing of Mortar & Pestle Café (M&P) on West Campus.
Let’s cut right to the chase.

Is the M&P closing?

No! The M& P is committed to serving our partners on West Campus, but we do need to streamline the service.

Streamlined service. What does that mean?

We will close the grill portion and move the remaining operations to the coffee shop, where we can offer many M&P favorites with staffing geared to sales levels.

But why the changes?

Unfortunately, economic realities make it difficult to maintain our current offerings. Since M&P’s opening in 2010, the population on West Campus has not reached the point to sustain the current operation. Even with elimination of the grill, KU Dining Services will incur financial losses.

But don’t you receive student fees to subsidize the M&P?

No, Dining does not receive student fees or state funding. We are a not-for-profit organization offering dining services to the KU campuses. All income from sales is dedicated to supporting retail dining on campus.

So what will the New M& P offer with the grill closed?

We’ll continue to carry hot items. We will offer a rotating menu of hot entrees as well as Panini sandwiches, hot soup and the popular “dillas of the day.” We’ll also offer the complete line of Roasterie coffee and specialty beverages as well as breakfast pastries, gourmet salads and sandwiches.

What else do we need to know about the changes?

As the landscape of the KU campus changes, KU Dining Services changes too. We will watch for continued growth on West Campus so we can expand the offerings at M&P to best serve our guests.
See you at the U!

Thursday, April 3, 2014

Learn the Basics of Indian Cooking Enjoy Free Samples Too!

SUA and KU Dining are excited to be hosting Chef Hari Nayak, Indian chef extraordinaire, for two special events next week. 

Chef Hari is Culinary Director at Café Spice. Café Spice opened at the Underground one year ago, making KU the first Midwest campus to host this Indian concept. Chef Hari began his epicurean journey at The Culinary Institute of America. After working in India, he went on to work in restaurants in New York, London and Paris. Today, he is among America’s most celebrated chefs for his unique culinary style.

On Wednesday, April 9, Chef Hari will be hosting a cooking demonstration in the Jayhawk Room on Level 5 of the Kansas Room. The demo will feature traditional Indian food in Chef Hari’s own style. He’ll discuss the culture behind each item he prepares and guests will enjoy samples of the dishes. The event starts at 7 p.m., just about the time most students start hankering for that evening snack.   
Chef Hari will also be doing a book signing at this event for his bestseller, Modern Indian Cooking. In this book Chef Hari provides his outlook on Indian cuisine. This event is FREE for anyone with a KU ID. 

Then, on Thursday, April 10, Tea at Three will transform into Chai at Three, again featuring Chef Hari. A Henna artist will also be on hand to illustrate the depth of Indian culture. Masala Chai will be served, as will samples from Café Spice. If you’ve never been to Tea at Three, this would be the right time to check it out. As always, this Tea at Three is free and open to all.
Both events are presented by SUA’s Culinary Committee, in partnership with KU Dining at the KU Memorial Unions.
See you at the U!