PROVO — The flour is flying and the smell of brownies lingers in the air at the BYU Culinary Support Center where food production is in high gear.
Inside various coolers and freezers, giant crates of soup and towers of ice cream await the Education Week masses, then the student onslaught a few days later.
"For us, Education Week is a great opportunity to get everything open and get geared up and ready for fall," said Dean Wright, director of BYU Dining Services.
Over the next five days, Dining Services will serve 60,000 meals in its eateries, 6,000 meals in the concession spaces at the Marriott Center and 8,000 meals in The Commons at the Cannon Center, the new cafeteria at Helaman Halls.
That translates to almost 3,000 heads of lettuce, 3,500 pounds of pineapple and more than 2,000 pounds each of honeydew and cantaloupe.
Oh, and a brownie or two.
"Education Week is high volume," said Doug Anderson, bakery manager at the Culinary Support Center. "Let's just say 'a lot' of brownies."
Friday, employees were filling éclairs, making fruit squares and measuring water into armchair-sized mixing bowls. On a good day they'll chew through 25 or 26 50-pound bags of bread, pastry and cake flour.
Actually, brownies are so popular that in a week's time, BYU will sell more than 8,000 dozen of the gooey chocolate squares. (BYU students only eat around 1,700 each week, though attendees at Women's Conference can power through nearly 12,000 in five days.)
This is the first Education Week the Culinary Support Center will be running at full capacity since its official opening last September. The center makes all the food for campus and then distributes it to the individual eateries, saving time, money and ensuring food quality and safety.
Down the hall from the bakery, the bustle was noticeably less as the cook/chill chefs assembled dozens of lasagnas. They're not for a specific order, but cook/chill manager Gene Latta likes to be prepared. He's already made and chilled nearly 1,200 pounds of pasta for the upcoming week, ready to be reheated in a moment.
Whether it's Education Week, Women's Conference or a typical fall week, the Cougareat is always busy, though the popular food items vary, said Cougareat manager Joe Tiapson.
The starving college student can get more bang for their buck at Taco Bell, but the older Education Week crowd prefers Teriyaki Stix or Subway.
But no matter where people eat, the trend is toward healthier options and more awareness of food allergies, Wright said. Salads are popular, Subway leads the Cougareat in sales and fresh fruit is always in high demand.
Legends Grille in the Student Athlete Building offers Mrs. Dash seasonings on the table, rather than salt, which must be specifically requested. The Cannon Commons offers gluten-free products and soy milk as well as tofu, which can be requested instead of meat.
"There's an increase in people getting ready to come to BYU by asking questions," Wright said. "They're planning their day and where they'll eat before they come."
The brownies will be waiting.
BYU dining options
Lighter dining
The Museum of Art Café's rotating menu offers elegant dishes like chicken curry salad, blackened chicken wraps and a creamy raspberry soup. A half soup and salad combo is $7.29, a whole is $8.29. The popular turkey harvest croissant ($5.99) combines sliced turkey, cinnamon cream cheese, lettuce, apple slices and provolone cheese. The restaurant overlooks the museum's main entry on one side with a scenic window view on the other.
The Blue Line Café in the Tanner building offers food New York deli-style with over-stuffed sandwiches, soups, and a daily blue-plate special. Grab a New York "Nathan's Famous Hot Dog" for $2, or a large buffalo chicken salad for $5.50. They also serve many of the prepared sandwiches and salads made in the Culinary Support Center.
L&T Salad and Soup in the Wilkinson Student Center offers made-to-order salads and wraps. Pick your own protein, including beans or nuts, cheese and toppings, or choose a classic Caesar salad wrap or Navajo taco, with a white or wheat roll on the side ($5.29). Customers can also order a large BYU soup for $3.49.
For Italian fare, visit Tomassito's Italian Cafe in the Cougareat, which serves lasagna, calzones, chicken parmesan and pasta with different sauces. They also serve breakfast croissants, crepes and quiches. Diners can grab a pasta, breadstick, salad meal with a drink for only $3.99 or a chicken parmesan combo for $6.49.
The Grills
Adorned in sports memorabilia, Legends Grille offers hearth-baked pizzas, specialty sandwiches, salads, burgers, salmon, beef and chicken, or build-their-own pasta with an emphasis on healthy, hearty options. The most popular sandwich, the San Francisco Melt ($6.99), combines beef brisket, cheese, a grilled Anaheim chili and spicy mayonnaise on toasted specialty bread.
The Cougareat's Scoreboard Grill is the central hub for burgers and fries. Most students stick with the economical single, ($1.99) though the Malibu chicken sandwich, with ham and Swiss cheese, ($3.69) is a popular non-beef option. The Grill also serves French toast and other breakfast items in the morning.
Customers at the Creamery on 9th can order their lunch and dessert simultaneously, as they chose between a cheeseburger, cheese sandwich or chicken burgers and a shake, banana split, sundae or double cone. The kids meal, no age limit enforced, is one of the best deals, with a burger, fries, drink and small scoop of ice cream for only $3.75.
Munchies
Orville and Wilbur's, in the basement of the Wilkinson Student Center, offers snacks or meals while you're bowling or just passing through. Their boneless chicken wings (6 for $2.99) are huge popcorn chicken pieces with a variety of dipping sauces and don't feel greasy like other chicken snacks. They also serve chicken sandwiches, nachos, fries and drinks.
Whether you need a banana, a bowl of soup or a pre-made sandwich, Cougar Express offers a convenient way to grab food in a hurry. They sell bagels, fruit, bulk and pre-bagged candy, sandwiches, salads and drinks.
It's easy to find the ice cream counter, Sugar n' Spice, where customers face tough decisions like: a single or double scoop, brownie sundae or plain sundae, cookie ice cream sandwich or old-fashioned doughnut. The sweet shop also sells shakes, lemon bars, muffins, milk and juice. BYU's signature brownies are 59 cents with a single scoop of ice cream for $1.89.
Wide variety
BYU's updated cafeteria, The Commons at the Cannon Center, features different stations where diners pick up individually plated dishes like stuffed cheese manicotti, Scarborough chicken with herb roasted potatoes and carrots with brown sugar and almonds. (Breakfast is $6.80, lunch is $8.10, dinner is $9.95) Don't forget to visit the salad bar, dessert bar, cereal bar and hamburger grill. Diners can also find some gluten-free items, soy milk and request tofu additions to meals.
The daily lunch buffet at The Skyroom ranges from Greek gyros to Indian chicken and BBQ brisket. Along with the themed options, there's always a soup bar, a carving station and a salad, fruit and dessert area for $12. With one of the best views on campus, dining hours are 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and reservations are accepted.
For more information visit dining.byu.edu.
e-mail: sisraelsen@desnews.com