Napkin Board Responses

Q:ezekiel bread out everyday. please?
A:We were shorted this item on our last order. It is due in today.


Q:Commons should offer more nut and seed varieties, especially ground nut butters. It's really easy to simply put almonds and pistachios with some olive oil (a nice combo)in a food processor, or grind some macadamia nuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, hazel nuts, pecans with honey, cinnamon and nutmeg (another good combo), or brazil nuts with safflower oil. Using nut butters may be a good way to keep nuts away from the rest of the food for individuals with nut allergies. Or if that's too much... please just find a way to give us more nuts and seeds! Thank you.
A:We already have cashew butter, peanut butter, and almond butter and sunflower seeds on the salad bar. I will look into more options but wanted you to be aware of what is already available.

Q:Do the cut strawberries offered at breakfast have extra sugar added, and if so, is it regular sugar or some sort of fructose or corn syrup? Thanks.
A:It is regular sugar.

Q:Could you tell me if the sunflower seeds on the salad bar are raw or roasted? Thanks.
A:They are roasted and unsalted.


Q:I think it would be excellent if Commons could make healthy quick breads, like pumpkin bread and banana bread, with oat flour instead of white flour. The oat flour is a whole grain but the taste is still delicate enough to eat like a white flour. Thanks! And please label these healthier versions as made with oat flour if you do make them!
A:We can look into doing this.

Q:the steamed brown rice served today at lunch - 10.29.08 - was the best i've had in commons so far. can you always make it a little more sticky and less 'individual grains all over my plate'?
A:Glad you enjoyed it.

Q: As staff, when I choose to eat in Commons depends on the menu (same with Staff Dining, which is rarely a good deal being nearly as expensive as Commons but much more limited options).

Hence, it is frustrating that the online dining menu is often wrong (though I appreciate it is online, unlike with the Den or the Staff dining), or changes after I have planned to visit Commons based on what has been forecast. 
Today I specifically chose Commons, rather than the more affordable Den, because Eggplant Parm was on the online menu this morning, only to find that it was not on the actual menu (I see that the website was updated to reflect this change, but not until sometime during the lunch hours or later).

Despite the numerous choices on any given day, once you eliminate the unpalatable and the grossly unhealthy options, the options I am interested in paying $6 range from few down to none.  The food is not consistent enough in quality for me to not care what is on the real menu when I decide whether to visit.

I don't know how often this happens, but I have more than a couple times decided to visit based on some dish being listed only to find that it was not actually being served, so either it happens a lot, or it tends to happen with the dishes I like.

A:We have been having trouble with the automated update that is supposed to be happening every Sunday- this has been going on since the start of year. My CBORD Menu Manager has meet with IS at least ten times to try and correct the issue though clearly this is still a problem. Like the rest of campus we are governed by the College's web site protocol so we are at their mercy.

As for your e-mail, in general  have to say I take offense at your comments about "unpalatable and grossly unhealthy options" and the quality of the food being substandard. Have you not tried the vegan bar? How about the local beef and fresh fish on the Euro station, and today  there is the Asian Soup bowl on the Grill - certainly not an unhealthy option- not to mention the plethora of alternative foods that are available in the choices cooler every day. In terms of the quality of the food we maintain a very high standard. It is important to remember that there are grave differences between feeding 5 or 6 meals a day and 4,000. Our menu needs to meet the likes and needs of all our students so if you are objecting to chicken nuggets and grilled cheese they are some of the most popular items on our menu but by far not the only choices available.

Following you will find the contents of several virtual napkins I received just today. It is not uncommon for me to receive as many as ten  napkins each day with the bulk of them containing comments like the one below. Perhaps if you ate more often in Commons you would better understand all that is available and would take into consideration that you comments are only one of many  received on a daily basis. Lastly, how many times have you gone to a restaurant advertising a special only to find out that they were out of it. It you are deciding to come to Commons just for a specific dish and not for the whole dining experience I can understand how you might be disappointed, but then you are really missing the point of dining in Commons altogether.

"On Oct. 10th the vegan bar had a dish, I think it was labeled as a vegetable tagine, that featured cauliflower, chickpeas, and vinegar.  Very good.  a)Can you post the recipe? b)Please make it a regular!"

"I am a senior living off-campus and I debated going off the meal plan.  I have to say, I'm so glad that I stayed on it!  Commons is a wonderful space with delicious food--everyone who contributes to keeping Commons humming does an incredible job.  Thank you so much for everything you do! "

Q:On Oct. 10th the vegan bar had a dish, I think it was labeled as a vegetable tagine, that featured cauliflower, chickpeas, and vinegar.  Very good.  a)Can you post the recipe? b)Please make it a regular!
A:Glad you liked it. Send me your e-mail address and how many you would like the recipe sized for and I will send it right out.

Q:What happened to the mug tops/covers that we used to have? The newer ones are not spill-proof and i have burned my hand sometimes from coffee spillage
A:We replaced those tops sometime ago and will no longer be using the spill proof two piece ones.

Q:please update the menu online
A:Done.

Q:scrambled egg whites every morning please?
A:They are available every morning upon request.

Q:noooo please do not even consider removing kashi heart to heart. that is my ultimate favorite!
A:We are not

Q: What happened to the mug tops/covers that we used to have? The newer ones are not spill-proof and i have burned my hand sometimes from coffee spillage
A:We replaced those tops sometime ago and will no longer be using the spill proof two piece ones.

Q:Virtual napkin board update=way too slow.  Please give faster feedback. 
A:Napkins received are posted within 48 hours

Q:can we have different kinds of kashi cereal besides the heart to heart?  That kind sort of tastes like dogfood, and it would be nice to mix it up a little...
AWe will be doing a cereal survey in the near future.

Q:Bring back the den!!
A:The Den has not gone anywhere, the hours have just changed. I'm looking at options to expand those hours and am taking into consideration all the comments I have heard in favor of extending the hours there. There are many issues that need to be factored into this decision and I will be talking to the FAC about it at our next meeting.

You have been heard.

Christine

Q:i love it when you guys serve baked sweet potatoes. it literally makes my day :) thank you!
A:We are glad that we can make your day.

Q:What is the usage status of partially  hydrogenated oils here at Bates?
A:Bates Dining Services uses only trans fat free oil when frying and offers both Margarine- which is hydrogenated- and real butter- which is not. Additionally olive oil is available all the time and should you choose so is almond butter, cashew butter, and apple butter. It is correct that the consumption of hydrogenated oils do increase one’s risk of heart disease, but so do a multitude of other factors. I think it is important that individuals look at their lifestyles in a holistic way when making food choices. The change in focus in the food community from looking at individual nutrients which make up a food to looking at food as a whole is fairly new and constantly changing. Given this it is going to take some time for people to decide what and how they should be eating. In dining services it is our job to provide as many choices as possible and it is up to the individual to make the choice that best fits their life

Q:The baked sweet potato wedges always have a yellow, dry burned flavor. Could Commons try maybe just baking halved instead of quartered sweet potatoes? This may help preserve some of the moisture. Thanks!
A:We can certainly look into this.

Q:The salmon always seems rather dry for such a fatty fish... is it possible that it is being overcooked? Thanks.
A:Thanks for bring this to my attention.