The Food at Lawrence

SimpleLife · 04-10-2009, 06:29 PM

My son is still narrowing down his college choices. Lawrence is definitely towards the top - except for one thing ... the food.

I know. It's silly. He loves the school. Loves the conservatory. Hates the food.

We visited the campus twice. The first time was in the summer. We had lunch on campus and were baffled at how it could be so bad! We were laughing at how absurdly horrible the menu items were - such a strange and unlikely combination of foods. Vegetables were in particular short supply.

We were told that, in the summer, the food in the dining hall was mostly for the athletes that stick around for summer programs of some sort.

So, when we came back during the school year, we were anxious to try the food again. We intentionally ate every meal on campus for two days. We were at the same time disappointed and busting a gut trying not to laugh about how it could possibly be so bad! It is true that the salad bar was much fresher with a lot more variety during the school-year visit. And there were perhaps a few more items in the hot line that had some nuance of nutritional value. And there were many tasty desserts available. But, overall, compared to every single other school we visited (and there were MANY), the food was still laughably bad! And nobody else seemed to know it! We were mystified.

My son's chief complaints - poor nutrition (very few vegetables; all meats were fried and/or processed; high sodium and fat content in most foods); only two food lines: hot line and sandwich line; just about everything was overcooked; boring, boring, boring selection - very limited choices; things just didn't taste good!

We are not picky eaters AT ALL. On the contrary, we like foods from every category you can imagine. However, I suppose that when it comes to nutrition and freshness, we could be considered picky.

I know there was a time when all college food was notoriously awful. But from what we've seen, those days are gone. We probably visited just shy of 20 colleges. Not a one had awful food - other than Lawrence. Some (many) had some pretty amazing food - with a great selection that varied from day to day and many nutritious things to choose from.

I know that Lawrence is a small campus. They can't support a ton of variety on the lunch line. I also know that they're getting a new student center and dining hall and trying to choose a new vendor now. But I also know that when we politely brought up the horrible food, people there didn't seem to take it seriously - as though they didn't know just how bad it was. "That's college life!" they said. So is there reason to believe it's going to improve with the new student center and new vendor?

Seriously, as silly as it may seem to some of you, the food at Lawrence just may turn out to be a deal breaker for this otherwise very impressive little college! I can hardly believe it when my son talks this way about it, but on the other hand, it is what he's going to be feeding his body 3 times a day, 300 days a year, for 4 or 5 years! And he really cares about his health (and so do I), and he honestly FEELS bad when he's not eating healthy food.

Otherwise, it's a dream school in every way!

Comments? Suggestions? Anybody else notice this about Lawrence?

watchthis · 04-10-2009, 07:48 PM

If Lawrence really is his dream school--food services aside--then he is in luck. As you may already know, LU's new campus center will open this fall. In addition, LU has contracted with Bon Appetit Management Company - Food Services for a Sustainable Future (Bon Appétit Management Company) for dining service in the new campus center. Hence, a very nice new dining environment matched with a very well respected dining service. (Same one as at Reed and Macalester; I sampled the food at each during the course of D's college search.) This represents, I think, exactly the sort of thing you are looking for.

SimpleLife · 04-10-2009, 10:01 PM

Wow! This is fantastic news! I cannot wait to relay this to my son.

It's hard to tell from the link just which sorts of foods they'll serve, but it certainly looks like they're set on good health!

Food was the only drawback for this school. But it was a HUGE drawback for my son, as silly as that may sound.

Thanks so much for sharing!

OperaDad · 04-11-2009, 01:38 AM

My daughter is at Lawrence, and said the new food service vendor is the same one that serves St. Olaf, and she liked the food there. She said we might have to get her the full meal plan next year.

Also, there are other places to eat just a few blocks west of campus. So, worst case, he uses the minimum meal plan for breakfast and lunch, and goes out for a decent dinner.

SimpleLife · 04-11-2009, 11:38 AM

OperaDad, we visited St. Olaf and LOVED their food! It was absolutely amazing! Like a nice cafeteria-style restaurant with all sorts of delicious and nutritious choices!

My son will be thrilled. In fact, St. Olaf's was, for a time, my son's first choice college - because of the lovely campus, the friendly people, the feel of the place, the emphasis on music, and the FOOD! He went on and on about that food for half a year! Eventually, he withdrew his application there because he decided against the choral emphasis and something to do with the lack of a language, maybe? Like maybe they don't offer Italian? I can't really remember the specifics. But to this day, the St. Olaf's food memories live on!

musicmomic · 04-11-2009, 01:21 PM

I had to laugh when I read about St. Olaf food... When we visited/auditioned several years ago, D wanted to go to St. Olaf for the food! I wanted her to go so I could eat the food when I visited!! ;-) As you note, food is not currently an LU strength but that is being remedied. Your son's timing is fabulous!! I can't wait to experience the new and improved food service at the awsome new student center.

MilwDad · 04-12-2009, 01:49 PM

We visited Lawrence on Friday and our student tour guide showed us the new Lawrence vegetable garden being tended by students. (It's a project that students suggested arising out of a sustainability seminar that was quickly approved by the school.) It is literally 100 feet from the site of the new Campus Center on the bluff overlooking the river. She told us that the produce will go directly to food services -- so you can't get much fresher than that!

(This was of little interest to OUR son, unfortunately, as he's not exactly a vegetarian. More like a pizzerian.)

This was our second visit at Lawrence, as we had visited with our older son several years ago, although he matriculated elsewhere. Lawrence was just as impressive the second time around. Actually moreso, since the old student Union and the Commons were the dowdiest places on campus during our first visit, and the spectacular new Campus Center, which will replace both, will be open by fall.

orangebeach · 11-17-2009, 06:51 PM

Not sure if anyone is still interested in the food service, but my husband and I ate at the Bon Appetit cafe on a Saturday afternoon, and it was great! They encourage non-students to dine there, so we took them up on it. What a nice atmosphere; full of life and the food was good.

My son is being pursued by the football coaches and is more than mildly interested in attending Lawrence, so we thought we'd have lunch there to see the new student center. I should also mention that we live about 7 miles from campus.

I am very impressed with the campus; although this university was never a thought for our children. I was under the impression that it was for strictly music/art majors, I realize that I was wrong. The more I am learning about it, the more enamored I am with it.

pohaku · 11-19-2009, 02:19 AM

As an alum, we used laugh about the fact that the main dining facility was aptly named Downer Dining Hall.

It appears that things have moved upscale. I'll have to drop by and check it out. Unfortunately we couldn't interest our oldest D in LU. Wouldn't even consider it on principle because both her parents attended. Sigh.

overseas · 11-20-2009, 12:03 AM

Hey, OB, my boss, we are on the other side of the planet now, was an ex-footballer at LU. So they go on and up.

OperaDad · 11-20-2009, 06:46 AM

How's the food now? My daughter lost 10 pounds as a freshmen. This year, she gained 5 pounds in her first term (she needs the weight).

orangebeach · 11-20-2009, 10:14 PM

overseas,

Thanks for the encouragement. My son is a smart boy, and if being blessed with athletic skills allows him an opportunity to attend a good school, so be it.

As for the food service, I wish mine was this good 25 years ago! My how things change. An alternative to on campus dining is Taste of Thai, within walking distance of Lawrence on College Avenue, very good!

idic5 · 11-23-2009, 08:54 PM

I just got back from bringing my soph daughter home after the 1st term, and I was able to make it to the new caf. before it closed Saturday night just before 800 pm. After a fantastic meal of an interesting variety of brightly colored and fresh - even at that time! - vegetables, including beets, artichokes/spinach salad, red beans and rice and lots of other healthy AND tasty choices, I said to myself that I must share the kudos on CC. I also did make a special effort to tell the chef of my dining pleasure.

My daughter had a creamy broccoli soup that she and my wife raved about. A parent sending their kid to Lawrence can be sure that they will be served good healthy wholesome food actually much better than most restaurants and better than what we can whip up at home - we just dont have the time and the accumen to do it.

Even the pizza - a stalwart for kids' meals - was a thin crust , thin cheese, but heavy with veggies affair. Again, it was still cruny and fresh even at that hour. They also had sausage.