Durham, North Carolina -
Yummy in Your Tummy!

Camp Food; usually brings images of cheeseburgers, french fries- not food to remember. Here at Duke, we have the "most best tastiest food" at the Marketplace.

There is always a source, though. The Marketplace receives it's homemade extravaganzas from Bon Appetit Management Company.

Bon Appetit is somewhat young- thought up by Fedele Bauccio and Ernie Collins in 1987. Locally grown, in-house-made meals is what the two desired for all by 1999. The company follows the Farm to Fork regulations where chefs purchase at least 20% of their ingredients from small, owner-operated farms, fishers, and artisans within a 150 mile radius of the kitchen. Making this move not only reduces a carbon footprint, but it tastes much better for the diners! Their fresh food is served within 48 hours from farm to plate, so you have a guaranteed winner on your hands.

Not only is the food at the Marketplace environmentally friendly, it is also a kitchen with strict principles and rules: neither their beef or chicken has antibiotics added, all seafood purchases follow the sustainability guidelines of the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch program, all produce is fresh, seasonal, local, and organic whenever possible, eggs have no question about being cage-free, milk and yogurt comes from cows without rBGH (bovine growth hormone), and absolutely no trans-fats are used in the kitchen.

You can taste the difference between a home-cooked meal and a frozen TV dinner. The Marketplace knows this, which is why they offer food from scratch. Salsas, pizza, marinara, stock, salad dressing, cookies, muffins, and bread are just a few things made fresh for diners. Chefs also cook vegetables in batches at the last possible minutes so that everything looks and tastes newly-made.

Not only can the Marketplace cook up a mean steak, they also offer special diet options for Kosher, Halal, and vegetarian/vegan at every meal. Organic and generally healthy foods are plentiful at meal time,too.

When asked about the types of comments and reviews the Marketplace receives, Mr. Michael Brownlee, Director of Residential Dining, he replied, "Our food reviews are positive. Many students and campers often let us know how they enjoy what we are offering - or specifically ask for something again that was a favorite." The Marketplace even has "secret diners" that dine and rate the Marketplace food, in exchange for free meals.

"Our food philosophy is that we are chef driven....our chefs are able to write menus weekly and seasonally, utilizing products that at are in season, ripe and full of natural flavor, while being made from scratch. Many companies (which I will not relay) utilize a cycle -rotating menu ( week A is this, week B is that, etc). At Bon Appetit we do not follow this format. With this being said we are very flexible in adapting to our guests requests. Our guest base has a very diversified palate and it is our commitment to enhance the dining experience by offering a quality product." Brownlee answered when asked "What foods have you changed over the years to suit your diners?" The chefs do not skimp out on giving it's hungry customers a plate full of happiness.