Seared scallops with strawberry and mango salsa, offered at BC's award-winning Tapas station; check out more menu options in the images below. (Photography by Lee Pellegrini)
Offering small, shareable portions from global cuisine influences, Boston College Dining Service’s Tapas station debuted last September in Stuart House on Newton Campus, and it’s already made a big impression.
Tapas was selected for the “Best Menu” honor as part of the 2016 Best Concept Awards by Food Management, a magazine covering issues and events, operational topics and food trends that affect the noncommercial food service industry.
Tapas’ concept is simple: Rather than order an entire meal, during the dinner period students can ask for a small portion to go with an entrée, or share their selection with several guests. Tapas – a Spanish word that refers to a wide variety of appetizers and snacks – operates on an a la carte basis, with items priced separately and not sold as a single meal.
Menu items have included curried chicken empanadas, edamame-spiced puree, seared scallops with strawberry and mango salsa, and banana fritters, among others.
BCDS Director Beth Emery told Food Management that the goal for BC Dining is culinary innovation, and Tapas allows the dining team to work on that goal. “We know that small plates are popular in the marketplace and students have asked us to offer options of items that are in smaller portions.
“Feedback from students indicates that they love to share menu selections with friends, and the Tapas station provided this opportunity. In addition, it has provided our cooks with a great chance to offer menu selections from across the globe,” she said.
The Tapas station began in BC’s Test Kitchen, which encourages BC Dining team members – including managers, line cooks, cashiers, utility and food servers – to experiment and provide creative menu ideas. If a dish receives a positive response, it moves out of the Test Kitchen and onto the permanent menu.
Explore BC's Test Kitchen with chef Keze Whitlow and production manager Pedro Garcia.
Keze Whitlow, winner of the Massachusetts Restaurant Association 2015 Line Chef of the Year, contributed to the test kitchen with Keze’s Tapas, “pan-seared scallops over chorizo drizzled with her secret sauce and seafood paella with mussels in an edible plantain boat,” according to Food Management.
The Tapas recipes are regularly altered to keep student interest buzzing; new tapas are introduced repeatedly.
“The unique ability to experiment with new Tapas menu items through the Test Kitchen has also kept students hungry, as it essentially allows Stuart to offer new tapas items every day a student enters Stuart for a meal,” said Emery, who adds that BCDS staff aren’t the only contributors to this station. “[Students] are always giving suggestions as to what they may have seen back home or locally, which has opened up a line of communication between dining staff and students.”
—Siobhan Sullivan | News & Public Affairs