Kennesaw State’s dining hall ranks among nation’s best

The Commons has nine eateries with a variety of foods.

Q: Is Kennesaw State University’s dining hall ranked among the best in the country?

A: Kennesaw State is ranked No. 5 by BestColleges.com’s “Best Dining Halls” in 2019.

Hendrix College, a small, private liberal arts school in Conway, Arkansas, is tops, according to the organization, followed by the University of California-Berke- ley, University of Massachu- setts-Amherst and Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. Emory University, here in Atlanta, follows right behind KSU.

“We have had 108,033 visitors in October at the Commons (through Monday),”

Assistant VP of Communi- cations Tammy Demel told the AJC in an email.

According to BestColleges.com, “The top dining halls excel in each of four areas: Diversity and accessibility of food, commitment to nutrition and wellness, commitment to sustainability and waste reduction, and dedication to student satisfaction and community outreach.”

KSU launched its Farmto-Campus Program in May 2010 on 2 acres, according to a sign posted inside the dining hall. Expansion to the program includes greenhouse space, addi- tional plantable acreage, bee farms and over 60 free- range chickens.

The Commons dining hall, on Kennesaw’s main campus, features nine eateries with a variety of foods offer- ing local, fresh and nutritious choices.

There is a salad bar; a vegan station; a deli; and Italian, Mexican and Asian food, as well as hamburgers and hot dogs. There are also grilled cheese sandwiches, a mainstay for any college student. Miso Caliente seemed to be the “hot” spot based on the line of students waiting.

The bakery was the go-to destination, with a variety of mini-sized, freshly prepared desserts.

Apron Strings, referred to as “Mom’s Cooking on Campus,” offered chicken jambalaya and blackened catfish on a recent Monday afternoon. For dinner, the menu included Carolina barbecue smoked chicken and trout escabeche.

BestColleges.com reported, “KSU features a strict recycling and closedloop composting program.

These efforts prevent more than 40,000 pounds of waste from entering landfills each month.”

Before exiting with your tray and empty dishes, you will notice a hydroponic growing station on the wall.

Students, faculty, staff and guests are allowed to eat at the dining hall with school photo ID or Talon card. The dining hall is not open to the public in an effort to promote safety.

Location: 540 Parliament Garden Way NW, Kennesaw.

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CONTRIBUTED BY KATHRYN KICKLITER KSU’s student culinary center known as The Commons dining hall offers fresh and local food choices produced from its Farm-toCampus Program.