A campus dining favorite reopens next week, with delicious, healthy options on the menu and updated decor in the dining room.
Lenoir Dining, an educational operation within the Department of Nutrition and Hospitality Management, which is housed in Lenoir Hall located on Sorority Row, is a student-run restaurant associated with a required course for students majoring in dietetics/nutrition and hospitality management. The nonprofit 40-seat teaching laboratory offers students hands-on experiences in all facets of restaurant operations.
It will be open for dinner beginning Tuesday (Feb. 7) and will resume the regular lunch and dinner schedule Thursday (Feb. 9). Lunch is served from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and dinner is 6:30-7:30 p.m.
“Lenoir Dining just underwent a wonderful renovation, which took about six months,” said Kathy Knight, interim chair and associate professor of nutrition and hospitality management. “We now have a new programmable combi-oven, a new steamer and various other pieces of equipment, including a brand-new glass-front freezer. It’s a reach-in instead of a walk-in because we mainly use fresh food.”
The dining room itself has also been updated with new chairs to give a bistro-like feel, and freshly painted walls with new molding and window treatments.
“We also have a new vision for Lenoir Dining in that we realized there was a disconnect between what we were teaching in our nutrition classes about portion control and eating more fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and the large portions at Lenoir Dining,” Knight said. “We want to resolve the disconnect and serve smaller portions, concentrating on fresh fruits and vegetables and using less fat, sugar and salt, following the guidelines at choosemyplate.gov. But there will still be lovely desserts.”
If someone is trying to lose weight, they should still be able to eat lunch or dinner and still meet their health goals.
“There are very few places in town where you can go in, have a very nice meal and come out feeling like you have done something good for your body,” Knight said.
Throughout the semester, each of the 64 students will rotate through various positions within the operation; ranging across service, cooking and management functions. In addition to their duties at Lenoir, students are also working at the McCormick Dining Room at the Inn at Ole Miss.
“Lenoir Dining has top-quality meals and service all for an affordable price, and I hope to learn what it’s like to operate a restaurant firsthand,” said Brent Brislin, a senior hospitality management major from Apollo Beach, Fla.
Listen to the Lenoir Dining radio promo
The menu changes weekly in an effort to expose students to new food ideas and concepts, as well as to allow them to express their creativity through food. Each meal consists of a drink, freshly made bread of the day, soup or salad, entree and accompanying side items and dessert, all at a cost of $7 for students, faculty and staff, and $10 for all other customers.
The new Lenoir is also family-friendly, with accommodations for children, including high chairs and healthy meal options.
Executive Chef Lee Craven instructs culinary labs and management courses in which he teaches students to plan, purchase, and execute menus and facilities maintenance for the student-operated restaurant. Craven is an acclaimed 2000 graduate of the Culinary Institute of America. Before teaching at Ole Miss, Craven was executive chef of Morgan Freeman’s restaurant Madidi, and the James Beard Foundation named him 2004′s “Rising Star of American Cuisine.”
Reservations are not required but are suggested, and can be made by calling 662-915-1863 or online. The weekly menu is also posted to the website. A room is available for private parties of 10-15 people.
