Mulberry Market serves new food options
Many students are flocking to the newly opened Mulberry Market to see how the new dining option compares with the others in the DeNaples Center.
“Really, we are offering menu items here at the hot food station that we realistically couldn’t provide in DeNaples,” Lew DeJoseph said, a chef at the new food court. “All the smoked meats we serve here are smoked on location; we simply couldn’t do that in DeNaples. We didn’t have the equipment needed to do so.”
The sauces that accompany many of the sandwiches are also made from scratch.
“We go through two to three gallons of sauce every day, and it is all sauce that we made. Nothing comes from a bottle. It is the real deal over here,” DeJoseph said.
Students are noticing the high quality of the food at the Mulberry Market.
“The food definitely seems fresher than what I usually found in DeNaples,” Alison Haegler, a senior at The University, said. “The made-to-order salads especially have a lot of fresh ingredients, which I really like.”
Many first-year students are also dining at the new market, even though it cannot be used as a meal swipe on the unlimited meal plan.
“I think it says a lot about the food we are serving here if freshmen are willing to come out of their way to get it, and then pay for it out of pocket,” DeJoseph said.
Students have been willing to wait for the food as well. During its busiest hours students could wait up to 15 minutes, or more, to order their meals. Some food items sell out very quickly. For example, smoked turkey sells out every night, and sometimes before the dinner meal times even begin. DeJoseph said other popular food choices include macaroni and cheese and his personal favorite, pulled pork sandwiches.
While many upperclassmen who live above the new market enjoy its convenience, they acknowledge that this comes with some drawbacks.
“The food is really great, fresh, and convenient, but it’s also rather pricey. You’re paying for the convenience, really,” senior Hillary Fanelli said.
Unfortunately, the prices make students go over their meal plan budgets.
“Here I can get a salad, and go over my meal plan. Only by something small like twenty-four cents, but still, I went over and I didn’t even buy myself a drink,” junior Katherin Juliano said.
It seems that students will still stick with DeNaples for their main meals, and only use this food station when it is most convenient for them, and when they are willing to pay for it.
The market staff is thinking creatively to try to make it easier for students in the future.
“I know that I am really making an effort to prepare some food in advance, to lessen the waiting time for students. We all just got started, and there are a lot of kinks to work out, but we will work them out,” DeJoseph said.
Students can also look forward to the daily specials, where new options will be available on a day to day basis. This may draw more students in, and though the price may at first deter them, the high quality food will surely convince them to come back.
By Christine Panzitta
Staff Writer
“Really, we are offering menu items here at the hot food station that we realistically couldn’t provide in DeNaples,” Lew DeJoseph said, a chef at the new food court. “All the smoked meats we serve here are smoked on location; we simply couldn’t do that in DeNaples. We didn’t have the equipment needed to do so.”
The sauces that accompany many of the sandwiches are also made from scratch.
“We go through two to three gallons of sauce every day, and it is all sauce that we made. Nothing comes from a bottle. It is the real deal over here,” DeJoseph said.
Students are noticing the high quality of the food at the Mulberry Market.
“The food definitely seems fresher than what I usually found in DeNaples,” Alison Haegler, a senior at The University, said. “The made-to-order salads especially have a lot of fresh ingredients, which I really like.”
Many first-year students are also dining at the new market, even though it cannot be used as a meal swipe on the unlimited meal plan.
“I think it says a lot about the food we are serving here if freshmen are willing to come out of their way to get it, and then pay for it out of pocket,” DeJoseph said.
Students have been willing to wait for the food as well. During its busiest hours students could wait up to 15 minutes, or more, to order their meals. Some food items sell out very quickly. For example, smoked turkey sells out every night, and sometimes before the dinner meal times even begin. DeJoseph said other popular food choices include macaroni and cheese and his personal favorite, pulled pork sandwiches.
While many upperclassmen who live above the new market enjoy its convenience, they acknowledge that this comes with some drawbacks.
“The food is really great, fresh, and convenient, but it’s also rather pricey. You’re paying for the convenience, really,” senior Hillary Fanelli said.
Unfortunately, the prices make students go over their meal plan budgets.
“Here I can get a salad, and go over my meal plan. Only by something small like twenty-four cents, but still, I went over and I didn’t even buy myself a drink,” junior Katherin Juliano said.
It seems that students will still stick with DeNaples for their main meals, and only use this food station when it is most convenient for them, and when they are willing to pay for it.
The market staff is thinking creatively to try to make it easier for students in the future.
“I know that I am really making an effort to prepare some food in advance, to lessen the waiting time for students. We all just got started, and there are a lot of kinks to work out, but we will work them out,” DeJoseph said.
Students can also look forward to the daily specials, where new options will be available on a day to day basis. This may draw more students in, and though the price may at first deter them, the high quality food will surely convince them to come back.
By Christine Panzitta
Staff Writer
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