Residential Dining Tasting Tables Promote Creativity, Collaboration, and Learning Experiences 

Every quarter, Residential Dining brings creativity and education together through weekly tasting tables hosted in the dining commons. These events give students the opportunity to sample new dishes, share feedback, and learn more about the ingredients featured in dining commons’ menus. 

Led by Campus Dining’s Senior Executive Chef or the dining commons’ general managers, tasting tables encourage culinary innovation while creating an interactive dining experience for students. The tasting tables often highlight sustainable ingredients, globally inspired recipes, or menu items that will appear at upcoming theme meals. From responsibly sourced seafood like mussels and tuna to culturally significant dishes, the program introduces students to a variety of flavors and cuisines they may not have tried before. At the same time, students gain insight into the nutritional value and sustainability of the foods they eat. 

At the start of Spring Quarter, Residential Dining partnered with the Almond Board of California to host a special tasting table featuring a date almond bar recipe developed by the organization. Representatives from the Almond Board joined the event to educate students about the health benefits of almonds while engaging them through interactive activities, giveaways, and almond samples. By combining nutrition education with a hands-on tasting experience, the collaboration demonstrated how tasting tables can make learning about food both approachable and enjoyable. Residential Dining also incorporates tasting tables into its quarterly nutrition and sustainability events held at the dining commons. 

During the department’s Earth Day celebration at De La Guerra Dining Commons, Campus Dining Senior Executive Chef, Brian Smith, showcased a coconut chia seed pudding topped with fresh mango. The tasting table highlighted chia seeds, an ingredient available on the dining commons’ salad bar each morning. Through events like these, students are encouraged to explore nutritious foods they may not normally choose while discovering more about the healthy options available in the dining commons. By blending culinary creativity, sustainability, and nutrition education, Residential Dining’s tasting tables continue to transform food into meaningful learning experiences for students.