Philly: Your Friendly Neighborhood Dining Hall

If you walked into Philbrook Dining Hall this past weekend, odds are you saw the pink, red and white decorations and savored some chocolate kisses or candy hearts, without a second thought as to all the work that went into making that happen.

Although a trivial holiday, the staff at Philly went all out to celebrate the day dedicated to lovebirds. As with any holiday, decorations were put up, special food was prepared, the music was themed, and the staff even dressed up for the event, most sporting the color red.

“We want it to be special and show the students that it’s not just like every other day,” says assistant manager of Philbrook, Beverly Nemetz.

While all three of the dining halls on campus celebrate holidays in a similar fashion, Philbrook sets itself apart by maintaining a homey atmosphere. Nemetz, who worked at the campus Dairy Bar for three years, attributes this ambiance to the varied selection of rooms at Philly. No matter how busy it gets you can always find a seat, says Nemetz. Which is more than any student can say about eating at HoCo during peak lunch hours.

However, the variety at Philbrook doesn’t stop at the rooms. The assortment of food provides an impressive range of options as well. Not only does the menu vary from day to day, but the food gets switched out a scheduled three times a day! The menu items at Philbrook undergo a weekly rotation to mix it up and keep things interesting for the students. One thing most students might not know about their friendly neighborhood dining hall is that all the food is cooked daily.

The cooks do what is called “batch cooking,” which is basically the process of making food at intervals so none of it gets cold. For example, based on the flow of students coming through the door, the chefs adjust by preparing more or less food. That way the food remains fresh for longer.

Philly is also known for the hilarious napkin notes located on the right before exiting the dining hall. According to Nemetz, all the napkin notes that are received get answered, whether they are pleasant or not. While a fair share of the napkin notes are negative, Nemetz was happy to report that most of them are complimentary and appreciative.

With all of the meal changes, dish washing, container refilling, and cleaning that must be done, Philly has to have a stocked staff. In addition to the forty odd regular or “adult” employees that work at the dining hall, about one hundred and twenty students make up a hefty work force.

At any given time there are about twenty two people on the floor, working where students can see them and another thirty doing backstage work such as dishes, cleaning, or prepping.

A new addition to Philbrook is the nutrition table. Complete with a computer, this table offers brochures and packets with nutritional information about every item available at Philbrook. For those worried about allergies, calories and carbs, or those who are simply curious about the nutritional value of a specific dish, this table is stocked with plenty of data to sift through. The nutrition table is located right in front of the turntables of Philbrook’s entrance.

If those aren’t enough reasons to pay a visit to Philly, the dining hall has recently integrated new ideas to satisfy the students of UNH. Beginning this week, Philly is offering make-your-own crepes from 4:30-7 every Monday and Wednesday nights. Also, fresh fruit smoothies will be available at the same time on Tuesday and Thursday nights.

Nemetz, along with the rest of the Philbrook staff, are constantly looking for ways to better the service at Philbrook and appreciate any feedback they can get from students. When asked what the student population could do to make their jobs easier, Nemetz said to just be patient.

So, next time you’re in Philbrook take the time to listen to the music, appreciate the plasma TVs and thank the staff members you see. It takes a lot of work to keep 11,000 plus stomachs full and Philly is up to the challenge.