Cafeteria food has come a long way from chicken tenders and fish sticks. Many private schools in the area employ chefs or hire catering companies to make higher quality, sometimes healthier meals such as grilled salmon and coconut curry. Here’s a peek at the menus of three local private schools.
St. John’s College High School
Most Popular Dishes: International sausage bar, hummus and fish (the school goes through 40 pounds a day)
Unique Features: Suggestion box and online survey to help shape future menus
Quotable: “Chicken wings, oh God, I’ve never seen anybody eat so many chicken wings. We’re out of ranch dressing before the end of lunch.”
—Alex Arce, food service director
Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart
Most Popular Dishes: Pork loin with pan sauce, bulgur wheat and raisin salad, quinoa salad with orange cumin vinaigrette
Unique Features: Gluten-free loaves of bread offered daily, desserts not served every day
Quotable: “Hummus is the thing that’s surprising. These girls eat a lot of hummus.”
—Hope Walker, food service director
Georgetown Preparatory School
Most Popular Dishes: Sweet and sour chicken, chicken kebabs with basmati rice and pulled pork
Unique Features: 28-item salad bar, frozen yogurt machine
Quotable: “We had a group of Korean parents ask if we could serve sticky rice. Now we’re going through 50 pounds of sticky rice a day. I have a teenage girl the same age of these boys, and there’s no comparison with the amount of food they eat. It amazes me.” —Leonard Burton, director of dining services
