On Tuesday, September 25, 2007, Bon Appetit Food Management Company and Duke Dining hosted it’s Eat Local Challenge. This is a special day where the university prepares all of its meals from farms and vendors that are within a 150 mile radius of the campus.
There was a plethora of colors, lighting fixtures and perfectly arranged entrees to behold. The unique twist to this photo shoot was that the event was held on Duke’s East and West Campus. Thanks to Katheldra Pinder (Training Director Bon Appétit at Duke University) I didn’t have to worry about getting to each location or getting lost because she drove me to where I needed to be.
As I walked around the West Campus facility I ran across two chefs making some of the largest Shish Kabobs that I had seen in a long time. These carefully balanced works of food art were fit for a king. They included ingredients such as Shitake Mushrooms, Green Peppers, Yellow Peppers as well as freshly cut poultry.
In the picture below, the worker is patiently waiting for the lunch crowd to arrive. The dinning hall and kitchen didn’t just contain food for a hearty appetite but it served up a visual feast for the eyes through its use of color in the decor.
Notice the inviting scene below? This is a section of the cafeteria of which the training director spoke proudly. After a brief break down of the history behind this functional yet beautiful display I learned that Duke University is the only place to have a “Stacked Salad Bar”.
Continuing the journey between East and West campus I was finally driven to East Campus. Below is a photo of a dedicated worker as he prepared the display. This photo was captured at the precise moment that someone tried to get his attention. Capturing the workers in both locations was challenging because everyone was moving around in preparation for the droves of hungry students that would come through the doors.
This is what I will call the mystery picture. However, just in case you can’t figure out what it is then I will share the story behind it. On the West Campus there is an immaculate dining hall. After taking a few shots of the hall I decided to capture a vantage point that most of us don’t pay attention to. That vantage point was looking straight up at the carefully placed chandeliers that covered the hall with a blanket of warm light.
Click on the video below to view the slideshow.
THERE ARE MORE PICTURES TO VIEW AND THEY CAN BE SEEN IN THE FULL GALLERY.