Bon Appétit Management Company

03/08/2024

The smiles of people who just learned how to make pasta from scratch. 👆 Chef Adam Dittmer at Bon Appétit at LinkedIn Chicago led a cooking class for InDay to teach attendees the art of making pasta!

02/08/2024

We'll have our cakes and eat them, too, please 🤤

Our team at Bakery 350 never ceases to amaze with their confections, and these are some of our recent faves:
🏳️‍🌈: Rainbow colored layer cakes for Pride Month
🍒: Cherry cake to celebrate stone fruit season
🎸: A 50th birthday cake for the music fiend

01/08/2024

With approximately 38% of food in our supply chain going to waste — costing roughly $218 billion each year — the need for food waste reduction is overwhelming from an equity, economic, and environmental perspective.

Our Waste Programs Manager Rose Benjamin recently attended the ReFED Food Waste Summit and learned more about actions being taken to end food loss and waste. Read about her discoveries in her most recent blog:

As Dana Gunders puts it, “food waste is a dumb problem.” I recently attended ReFed's annual conference to share strategies on food waste reduction across local and federal levels and between public and private sectors

30/07/2024

Summer calls for gorgeous salads paired with a glass of chilled white wine. (We don't make the rules, we just do what the season tells us.) 🥂

1️⃣ Summer salad with burrata from Restaurant 917
2️⃣ The heirloom tomato salad at Chandlery combines heirloom tomatoes, local greens, and garden garden basil
3️⃣ Parmesan chicken cutlet Caesar salad with heirloom tomatoes at Penn Dining's Quaker Kitchen
4️⃣ The Sand Hill Kitchen's caprese salad features sweet watermelon, heirloom tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil and mint

25/07/2024

We 💕 a good farmers' market! Share the love and tag your favorite market below 👇

📸: Our Foundry & Lux team supports a monthly farmers' market for tenants. Their most recent market featured lots of seasonal faves from Simbas Heirloom Farm and bread from Firebrand Artisan Breads.

24/07/2024

It's wedding season 💍

Our culinary and event planning teams are in full swing bringing everything from a small wedding to a large celebration to life. Reach out to your local Bon Appétit team to start planning your wedding (or next event!) with us.

Here's some moments we 💗 from recent weddings:
1️⃣ The bride and groom enjoying custom cocktails by our Cleveland Museum of Art Events team
2️⃣ A wedding reception set-up at Bon Appétit at Rose-Hulman
3️⃣ A family at a ceremony hosted at STEM Kitchen & Garden

23/07/2024

Regenerative agriculture is the current "trend" in sustainable food, but have you heard of a Poultry-Centered Regenerative Agroforestry (PCRA) system?

Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin, the mind behind Minneapolis-based Fair Trade Certified Peace Coffee (and our Farm to Fork partner!), has recently shifted his focus to regenerative chicken production at Salvatierra Farms, which is part of a collective of seven farms where all farmers operate within the same PCRA ecosystem, sharing the same philosophy, and raising their product under the Tree-Range label.

Our team at Carleton College is proud to support Regi in growing his farm business. We're also excited to contribute to the broader Poultry-Centered Regenerative Agriculture ecosystem as the farming network and non-profit continue to expand. Learn more about how Tree-Range is revitalizing agriculture as we know it here:

Salvatierra Farms is alive with flocks of pasture-raised chickens, native trees, and crops. A group of 15 students, staff, and Bon Appétit chefs from St. Olaf College and Carleton College, where Salvatierra is a Farm to Fork partner, recently had the privilege of learning from Regi’s unique appro...

17/07/2024

How are you celebrating stone fruit season? 🍒

We're keeping it classic with fresh peaches in crisp salads, straight from the farmers' market cherries, and sweets like peach pie. 🥧

1️⃣ The Lighthouse SSF roasted corn and peach salad with Manchego cheese, candied walnuts, and lemon poppy seed vinaigrette
2️⃣ Peach pie from the LinkedIn pastry shop
3️⃣ Local cherries at the Penn Dining farmers' market
4️⃣ Grilled peaches with ricotta and balsamic glaze from a summer grilling class at Samsung Café
5️⃣ Brentwood peach and apricot salad with feta cheese, sunflower seeds, and balsamic vinagrette from Foundry & Lux

16/07/2024

Congrats to our culinary team at Penn Dining who just won two silver awards in this year’s National Association of College & University Food Services (NACUFS) competition for Residential Special Event of the Year and Wellness & Nutrition Program of the Year!

Show some love for the Penn Dining team below, and read more about their award-winning programming: https://ow.ly/hop850SBLWn

10/07/2024

Sourcing truly local food isn't always easy, but the Bon Appétit at Roger Williams University team has built a leading local sourcing program by bringing the best of the state’s cornucopia of seafood, produce, and animal proteins to the students, faculty, and staff of Roger Williams University 🎣 Read about the three main purchasing strategies the RWU team, led by General Manager James Gubata and Culinary Director Jonathan Cambra, implement to regularly exceed their goal of purchasing 20% of their food locally:

The Bon Appétit at Roger Williams team has built a leading local sourcing program, bringing the best of the state’s cornucopia of seafood, produce, and animal proteins to campus. Over the past 18 years, the team, led by General Manager James Gubata and Culinary Director Jonathan Cambra, has worke...

09/07/2024

The Sand Hill Sundeck, our newest restaurant in partnership with DivcoWest, is a modern and sophisticated dining experience featuring a full-service modern eatery, a gourmet deli and boutique market, and a large sun deck with unbeatable views.

Our Culinary Director Nicolai Tuban exclaimed, “The Sand Hill Sundeck is a celebration of the Bay Area, from a Bay Area guy.”

Get a taste of the Sundeck: https://www.bamco.com/press-releases/new-dining-experience-sand-hill-sundeck-brings-elevated-and-gourmet-offerings-to-menlo-park/

08/07/2024

We know what it takes to get the kids in your life to enjoy cooking. How? Look no further than making strawberry shortcake — no joke! 🍓

Our latest Healthy Kids in the Bon Appétit Kitchen class at The Lighthouse SSF featured hands-on demos where students learned knife skills and, if we're being honest, how to create a delicious looking dessert.

Swipe through the carousel for some precious moments from the class.

01/07/2024

Summer is for farmer's markets. 😎 At Bon Appétit at LinkedIn Chicago, they elevated the market experience with DIY bouquets and snack vendors. What's your favorite farmer's market find? 👩‍🌾

29/06/2024

Say farewell to our east coast fellow Elise Dudley! Over the past two and a half years (and nearly 50 visits to our higher education accounts!), Elise has witnessed the stories behind the food served in our cafés. Read Elise's final blog to read her reflections on her time as a fellow:

When I left full-time farming to start the Fellowship, I knew I would be a traveling food systems educator, but I rapidly realized my dream job had so much more to teach me. Over the past two and a half years and nearly 50 visits to higher education accounts, my understanding of food systems change....

26/06/2024

You can invite up to 5 other people to enjoy all of these pizzas and salads on the patio at The Lighthouse SSF — who do you invite? Tag 'em below. 🤤

21/06/2024

Get the recipe for Timothy Pakron's (aka Mississippi Vegan!) Vegan Drop Biscuits, best paired with his recipe for mushroom gravy (link to more recipes below).

Makes 8 servings

INGREDIENTS
2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ Tbsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp sugar
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
3 Tbsp cold vegan butter
3 Tbsp melted vegan butter, for brushing
2 Tbsp unmelted refined coconut oil (solid)
1 cup thick, plain coconut yogurt or labneh
1 cup cold plain plant-based milk

DIRECTIONS
1️⃣ Preheat the oven to 475°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2️⃣ Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, and nutritional yeast in a large bowl. Using a fork, vigorously mix the mixture, fluffing everything together, removing any clumps.

3️⃣ Add the cold butter and hard coconut oil. Using the same fork, cut in the butter and oil until you are left with a crumbly texture (the size of large peas). Pour in the milk and yogurt and mix until just combined, making sure to get the dry bits at the bottom of the bowl. The dough should be shaggy.

4️⃣ Using the fork and a spoon to help, transfer 8 mounds of dough onto the lined baking sheet, spacing them with a few inches in between. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden on top, adding a few extra minutes if need be. Remove and brush with melted vegan butter and serve.

Note: If you can’t find non-sweetened, thick coconut yogurt, you can use a total of 1 ¼ cups cold plant-based milk with 1 tsp of vinegar for tang.

Get other fantastic recipes from Timothy:

Timothy Pakron from Mississippi Vegan is known to revamp Southern favorite dishes that are deeply rooted in plants, while showcasing big and bold flavors with creativity and style.

20/06/2024

Cake 🤝 AI

What does AI have to do with cake? Well, at Bakery 350 our pastry chefs have been using Adobe Firefly to help them create intricate patterns, unique shapes, and personalized decorations. Here's some examples of how they've implemented Adobe's AI to create beautiful, from-scratch cakes.

19/06/2024

To commemorate Juneteenth, we’re unpacking the history of Juneteenth and creating space in our cafés for community partners.

Taking inspiration from the wisdom of our previous Juneteenth partner CheFarmer Matthew Raiford, we are using this day as an opportunity to reflect on the sacrifices made — and that continue to be made — in the struggle to dismantle the structures of racism and white supremacy. As Raiford astutely puts it, “freedom ain’t free”.

As the African American Intellectual History Society (AAIHS) notes, the historical legacy at the heart of the now federal Juneteenth holiday masks the complicated struggle for Black Americans.

Black Americans are still the victims of institutional racism and often unchecked discrimination. In the words of AAIHS, until the eradication of slavery’s legacy, the promise of Juneteenth remains unfulfilled. Read more about the history of Juneteenth: https://www.bamco.com/blog/juneteenth-2024/

18/06/2024

Timothy Pakron, Bon Appétit's partner for LGBTQ+ Pride Month, shared his recipe for "the best mushroom gravy you've ever had." His recipe for Mushroom Gravy is best paired with his recipe for Vegan Drop Biscuits that we shared earlier this month! 🍄

Makes 6 servings

INGREDIENTS
½ cup olive oil (or sunflower oil)
8 oz mushrooms, thickly sliced (cremini and/or shiitake)
1 cups sweet onion, chopped (1 large)
½ tsp sea salt
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp vegan butter (optional)
2-3 Tbsp garlic, chopped
½ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp dried sage
½ Tbsp garlic powder
½ Tbsp onion powder
½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
1 ½ Tbsp nutritional yeast
⅓ cup red wine (optional)
5 cups water
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 Tbsp tamari or coconut aminos
2 Tbsp vegetable bouillon paste
1 Tbsp mellow white or chickpea miso

DIRECTIONS
Bring a large skillet or saucepan over medium-heat and add olive oil, mushrooms, onions, and salt. Mix well and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to encourage browning, until slightly caramelized and juicy.

Add the flour and mix well. Cook for about 5 additional minutes, toasting the flour until lightly brown. Add the vegan butter (if using), along with the the garlic, thyme, sage, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes (if using), black pepper and nutritional yeast and cook 2-3 minutes to toast spices and cook the garlic.

Add the red wine and cook for 1 minute to cook off the alcohol. Then pour in 5 cups of water, rice vinegar, tamari, bouillon paste, and miso. Mix well, turn the heat up to high, and bring to a simmer. While at a simmer, cook for about 5 minutes. Then, reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook for an additional 5-10 minutes until the gravy is thick and saucy (or until desired consistency is reached!). Serve over everything!

For a smooth gravy, remove from heat and transfer to a blender. Blend until smooth and transfer back to the skillet. Cook for a few minutes, until smooth and creamy, and serve. If making ahead, store in the fridge.

Timothy Pakron from Mississippi Vegan is known to revamp Southern favorite dishes that are deeply rooted in plants, while showcasing big and bold flavors with creativity and style.

14/06/2024

It's Farm to Fork Friday! (Don't forget to wish your friends, family, and even acquaintances a joyous day filled with local food. 😉)

We're shining a spotlight on Pride Road Farm, a small 77-acre farm where farmers Najeeb and Millie Muhaimin and their family take pride in raising their animals in an environment and on land they deserve.

They were inspired to get into pasture-raised poultry by Yasin Muhaimin — the patriarch of the Muhaimin family — who also operates a small chicken farm in Zachary, LA.

They grow Ranger chickens for their overall hardiness, foraging abilities, slower natural growth, and lifestyle. Their chickens have access to fresh pasture grasses and the variety of insects that inhabit them — which are delicious snacks for chickens!

Check them out at Pride Road and here:

Pride Road Farm is a family owned and operated 77 acr pastured-raised poultry farm located in Shady Dale, GA.

13/06/2024

Timothy Pakron of Mississippi Vegan harnesses his love for food, photos, and plants in our interview with him for LGBTQ+ Pride Month. Read on below. ⬇️

Tell us a bit about how you first got into cooking and sharing recipes.
My journey started as a young boy growing up in Mississippi. I was always fascinated by plants, mushrooms, and being creative. I had a big appetite, and I learned pretty early on that I was a bit more excited about food than most. I first started cooking in the 6th grade when I would make cookies for my teachers.

How did Mississippi Vegan get started?
A friend convinced me to start my Instagram (Mississippi Vegan). I immediately noticed that people were interested in what I was cooking. I merged my passion for creativity and cooking with my photography skills, something I studied as a studio art major in college. I started to learn more and more about food styling and food photography, and I realized that it was the perfect combination of everything that I love.

Read the unabridged interview with Timothy here:

We had a chance to chat with Timothy Pakron, cookbook author of Mississippi Vegan, as well as a writer, photographer, and gardener who shares his approach to developing accessible recipes, and celebrates what it means to be gay and vegan in the South.

11/06/2024

Say goodbye to our West Coast Fellow Hillary Swimmer! 👋 We're excited to see how she'll apply what she’s learned at Bon Appétit in her continued food system work. Explore her takeaways to share from her time as a Fellow:

The past two years as Bon Appétit’s West Coast Fellow have been filled with meaningful connections, growth, and invaluable knowledge about our current ...

10/06/2024

Get the recipe for Timothy Pakron's (aka Mississippi Vegan!) Vegan Drop Biscuits, best paired with his recipe for mushroom gravy available at the link below.

Makes 8 servings

INGREDIENTS
2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ Tbsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp sugar
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
3 Tbsp cold vegan butter
3 Tbsp melted vegan butter, for brushing
2 Tbsp unmelted refined coconut oil (solid)
1 cup thick, plain coconut yogurt or labneh
1 cup cold plain plant-based milk

DIRECTIONS
1️⃣ Preheat the oven to 475°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2️⃣ Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, and nutritional yeast in a large bowl. Using a fork, vigorously mix the mixture, fluffing everything together, removing any clumps.

3️⃣ Add the cold butter and hard coconut oil. Using the same fork, cut in the butter and oil until you are left with a crumbly texture (the size of large peas). Pour in the milk and yogurt and mix until just combined, making sure to get the dry bits at the bottom of the bowl. The dough should be shaggy.

4️⃣ Using the fork and a spoon to help, transfer 8 mounds of dough onto the lined baking sheet, spacing them with a few inches in between. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden on top, adding a few extra minutes if need be. Remove and brush with melted vegan butter and serve.

Note: If you can’t find non-sweetened, thick coconut yogurt, you can use a total of 1 ¼ cups cold plant-based milk with 1 tsp of vinegar for tang.

Get other fantastic recipes from Timothy at the link in our bio!

Timothy Pakron from Mississippi Vegan is known to revamp Southern favorite dishes that are deeply rooted in plants, while showcasing big and bold flavors with creativity and style.

07/06/2024

We've got that James Dean, daydream look in our eyes, because we've been sending off our seniors in style 😎

Our team at Transylvania Dining hosted a cookout so students could soak up the last rays of sun on the Transy campus.

06/06/2024

Ahem 👋

Now that we have your attention, we're entering the fried chicken sandwich competition. This is our entry from Counter Point Café. Need we say more?

05/06/2024

Bon Appétit Management Company is thrilled to be partnering with Timothy Pakron of Mississippi Vegan for LGBTQ+ Pride Month.

Timothy is a food blogger, photographer, cookbook author, and avid gardener who celebrates his identity as a vegan and a proud gay man, born and raised in the American South. His blog and debut cookbook, Mississippi Vegan: Recipes & Stories from a Southern Boy’s Heart, invites readers to explore the vibrant tradition of plant-based cooking that exists within Southern cuisine.

Read more about Timothy's culinary journey and his goal to "reveal the secret tradition of veganism in Southern cooking" here:

This LGBTQ+ Pride Month, we at Bon Appétit Management Company are thrilled to be partnering with Timothy Pakron of Mississippi Vegan.

04/06/2024

There's no such thing as "Too Sweet" in our books (sorry, Hozier 👀). We'll take each of these with coffee black, though!

1️⃣ Key lime tarts at SCU Dining Services
2️⃣ Lemon berry cupcakes from the amazing bakers at Bon Appétit at Carleton College
3️⃣ Raspberry sorbet with a coconut cookie at Provenance at the Cleveland Museum of Art
4️⃣ Macarons at Bon Appétit at Willamette University
5️⃣ Foundry & Lux partnered with Firebrand Artisan Breads for their pastries and baked goods

03/06/2024

We're waving a fond farewell to our Fellows this June before welcoming a new batch for fall! Each of our three fellows is sharing their fondest memories and learnings as they approach the final days of their fellowship. Although our Fellow Elise Kulers’ time at Bon Appétit is not at an end, she shared three of her biggest "a-ha!" moments at her most recent blog:

After five semesters as the Midwest Fellow, I’ve had countless opportunities to engage with food systems in creative ways. These experiences have instilled a deeper understanding of the realities of food service and sustainability at large.

01/06/2024

We’re excited to be partnering with Timothy Pakron for LGBTQ+ Pride Month to imagine a more diverse and equitable outdoors. Timothy is the creator of Mississippi Vegan (Mississippi Vegan), which is both a blog and a cookbook. With his platform, Timothy celebrates his identity as a vegan and a proud gay man, born and raised in the American South. Throughout June, we're featuring articles about Timothy and sharing some of his recipes from Mississippi Vegan right here and on bamco.com.

30/05/2024

Our team at Perot Café, headed up by chef Rolando Campa, hosted a guest chef for multiple days. Guest chef Greg Lowry’s menu consisted of a jalapeño crunch burger, panzanella sandwiches, gnochetti with wild shrimp (pictured), and more!