Above the Stinger Pub, nestled behind Griswold Theatre within the Karen Sprague Cultural Arts Center building, you’ll find AIC’s Dining Commons. During lunch hour, the Dining Commons (or aptly known around campus as the “DC”) serves as a bustling hub for students, faculty, and staff to fuel, connect, and enjoy their time between classes. Within the DC, separated from the perimeter self-serve stations, there stands an individual flat-top grill called the Mongolian Grill. Its unique circular shape allows students to partake in a type of “culinary theater” where they can order, watch, eat, and interact with the chef a full 180 degrees around the open grill. As a lunch-time only feature, with a personalized rotating menu and a singular live chef with one or two assistants, the food has more of a “home-cooked” touch. There is an interactive aspect that you do not get with the self service mass-produced food featured in the other stations around the DC, and there is always a way to chose your ingredients that aid in the flavor and completion of a main dish. Some themes and examples I have personally seen in the DC include: create your own dessert pretzel bar, Quesadilla station, Gyro station, Lo-mein station, pasta station, and various others.

As a self-proclaimed “DC Lunch Time Advocate,” it is my favorite time of the day to meet with friends and eat food that we usually do not have in rotation. Another personal favorite attribute of the DC during lunch time are the events held by AIC Dining services. Much like the Mongolian Grill, there is usually a theme inspired by a dish or flavor profile where you can chose your own ingredients. There is also usually an educational component, either through “did you know?” facts posted on signs around the event, or through individual demonstrations on how to make a dish. Some events include: decorate your own cookie, create your own pie in a cup, make your own guacamole, and many more. I love to partake in all of these events for the same reasons I enjoy the Mongolian Grill: the interactive, personalized, exclusive access to unique dishes.

Additionally, much like most of the students during lunch hour at AIC, I routinely eat with a set of friends each day: Manik Martins and Na’Bree Wallace. They too have become DC lunch time fans and partake in events with me as well! In one of our many meetings, I asked them about their favorite part of DC lunch.

“I like the availability of different foods,” Martins said, “especially during lunch time, although I enjoy the dishes at Mongolian Grill the best and always find myself stopping by, even when I think I might not like it.”

“I like the desserts and the rotation they have,” Wallace said. “My favorites recently have been the cupcakes. And ice cream is good when the machine is on.”

In my last visit to the Mongolion Grill, I partook in the pasta bar station where I waited up to fifteen minutes, due to the line wrapped around the circular station. Its popularity was proven, as many of us were committed to the wait. Upon reaching the front, there was a buffet to choose your own ingredients. To the sides were additional options such as Alfredo sauce, oil, salt and pepper mixed seasoning, and garlic. To cook, there were four pans set up in a line that corresponded to each student’s order, and they were moved down the line when one dish was completed. When it was my turn to order, I had the intention of ordering pasta with light Alfredo sauce, onions, red and green peppers, scallions with mozzarella, garlic, salt and pepper.

Funnily enough, that is not what I ended up receiving, due to my miscommunication when ordering. I seemed to receive only scallions, mozzarella, and all the rest. I hadn’t noticed this until I received my plate and remembered that when ordering instead of referring to each ingredient, I pointed and said, “This entire middle row,” trying to suggest all ingredients at once. I realize now that I definitely should have been clearer and it was no mistake of the chef whatsoever! After the long wait and accidental change-up in flavor, I still enjoyed what was served to me and finished the entire plate! There was a sense of freshness with the ingredients and a boldness in flavor. The food is cooked and flavors are produced and reduced right in front of you. It provides a “homey” feel of flavors you can enjoy being prepared for you during a time of day that students use to relax and connect with their peers.