For years Union College food has been provided by Sodexo. And while American university food has historically suffered a plethora of dining hall food stigmas, our SpoonU chapter thinks Sodexo did a great job listening to the Union College campus and what they wanted, and providing that to them. 

They also loved our SpoonU takeovers in the dining halls (that included anything from an avocado toast bar to make-your-own smoothie bowls). But American Dining Creations is taking over the reins at Union College this year.  

Don't worry, ADC wants to keep those going and they have new and shiny ideas for better dining halls as well. Being the in-the-know people that we are, we wanted to give you a quick rundown on some of the changes and improvements you should expect to see in the coming year. 

Dutch Hollow

coffee, wine, beer
Madison Shapiro

New: Students will now have the option to make their own Tex-Mex grill customizations. So those "stir-frys" everyone used to try and make a thing, are now actually a thing. Along with the Tex-Mex grill there will be a Sauté and Sizzle grill concept. All I'm thinking are new stir-fry creations and I'm into it. 

Also, there will be more hot entree offerings. So maybe they will actually cut back on the crazy amounts of fried food and give us some real stuff. A girl can dream.

Improved: The salad bar is expanding, with more toppings, vegetables and grains help to make your healthy lunch a little more interesting. Additionally, there will be more gluten-free options along with soups and baked goods made from scratch on the reg.

Also—this is big so coffee lovers listen up—American Dining Creations (ADC) will be partnering with a local coffee company. Now your all nighters will be that much better with a new and improved cup of joe.

Upperclass Dining

Julia Portnoff

New: People with allergies, there will now be a station with a chef just for you. Feel special? There will also be more vegetarian and vegan options prepared daily. ADC is rolling out a new feature called "Chef U." (We see what you did there, ADC.) This station allows students to become the chef and create their own masterpiece of a meal. Needless to say, we're excited.

Improved: There will be a redesigned deli with all new menu options. The salad bar will have even more greens and grains and Upper will now have pizzas and Italian specials. This is life-changing considering that freshman year most of us got used to having pizza for every meal. So thank you for bringing it back.

Last but certainly not least, they will serve local New York ice cream. Can I get an amen? Don't worry, SpoonU will still be doing their takeovers, but ADC has some great ideas that will help make them even better.

West

salad, spinach, vegetable
Photo courtesy of Union Dining on Facebook

New: Okay this one is good so listen up. West will now have something called Malt & Main. ADC's Nick Salvagni explained it to me as, "50’s diner meets 21st century Gastro-pub style food." I'm into that. Makes me feel all nostalgic about being a senior.

In addition, there will be even more international entrees at the Global Eatery station. Similar to Upper, there will be more Italian pizza and other dishes. More importantly, there will be a smoothie station. Looks like SpoonU's smoothie bowl takeover is going to face some serious competition.

Improved: The salad bar will see comparable improvements to those in Upper. ADC will also be incorporating some students' family recipes in their new comfort food station.

O3

shrimp, sushi
Photo courtesy of @fisharefriends_notfood_ on Instagram

Union students' favorite on campus eatery is getting even better. They can look forward to new menu items increasing the variety of local and organic products available. And students should also prepare to great creative with their salads, sandwiches and toppings. There might even be some new snacks in the mix. 

College Park Hall (CPH)

Photo courtesy of Union College on Facebook

Everyone loves the CPH salads, the only problem is that it feels like it's never open. Well, that's all about to change because they're expanding hours of operations.

Students will even get the chance to check out on their own 24/7 with the new self-serve beverage and grab and go options. CPH dwellers who don't feel like leaving, now you actually don't have to. Thanks ADC.

Rathskeller

tea, coffee, beer, pizza
Photo courtesy of union.edu

Rathskeller recently underwent extensive construction and menu improvement, but the new dining service provider is trying to make it even better. They plan to add new menu items, but don't worry, there will still be mozz sticks and Philly cheese steaks stuffed with mac and cheese. Also, they are switching to 100% grass-fed beef for their burgers. We see you ADC.

There you have it, the new and improved dining hall food at Union College. We look forward to some new and exciting events happening with American Dining Creations. If you have any ideas, please submit them here. We hope to hear from you!