Photo courtesy of Kamau Kegler’27
Every day at 12:30 sharp, hundreds of EA students and staff file into the Tierney Dining Hall eager to find out what they will eat for lunch. Lunch at EA rarely disappoints, featuring numerous options, from perfect build-your-own sundae bars to fan-favorite dishes. While students decide what to eat for the day, few stop to consider the time and effort put in behind the scenes in order to feed 1,500 people every single day with different tastes and food preferences, which spark debates over what belongs on the menu.
Though most people eat lunch provided by Sage daily, many EA students do not truly understand the secret ingredients added to every recipe to ensure the success of our dining program. One aspect of the behind-the-scenes effort can be seen through the dedication of the Sage staff at EA. Bob Berger, Executive Chef at Sage EA, has been a part of Sage at Episcopal from the very beginning.” First introduced to Sage through a friend, Berger points out the sentimentality of his profession: “I’ll tell you what. For me, it’s full circle, because this is something that I did 30 years ago. In between, I was running gourmet specialty food markets as a director of different concepts and things like that. And then this is what I did back in the day for Marriott contract food service at conference centers.”
As Executive Chef, he is in charge of ordering for all 1,500 people, working with vendors, and supporting all the different departments within Sage. He loves working with Sage and his community, sharing, “How well [the] team just works together. We have fun, it drives us. It really keeps us going.”
Speaking more generally about EA, he says, “What I love, and I mean this, [is] the community. When you’re as old as I’ve been and you’ve been in a lot of different places, it’s places like this that are extremely rewarding. The students, the administrative staff, everybody comes together, supports us, and I think it helps us do a better job.”
Photo courtesy of Tyrell Cohen ’27
Working alongside Berger is Chef Dan Michitti. Michitti shares his story, explaining: “A typical day for me is to come in, set up my station with all my cleaning supplies, and then start to prep for today’s lunch. Once I have that in a good position, ready to go for lunch, I look for the next couple of days and see what else I can cut for that.” Michitti has been Episcopal for almost five years. “I was looking for a job that would be a little bit more challenging, and came in, and I interviewed, and it seemed like a really exciting venue to work at.”
He especially enjoys prepping for the faculty and staff events at the Head of School’s house, and his favorite lunches to make are the more well-liked dishes. “Lunches that I like to make usually are Bang Bang Chicken, which everybody loves, mac and cheese, the more popular dishes, stuff like that, where everybody gets excited.” Michitti also notes, “My favorite part about working at Sage would have to be, and EA in particular, is the community here, the enjoyment that the students and the faculty and the staff get from the food that we make and that they get to enjoy.”
The Sage dining staff at EA truly does play such a significant role in the community, putting so much effort into cultivating meals for everyone at Episcopal. Their dedication doesn’t go unnoticed, as shown by the students’ enthusiasm for lunch in the dining hall, where everyone seems to have a strong opinion on their ideal Sage meal.
On days when Bang Bang Chicken is served, the lunch line stretches far around the corner and out the door. The dish seems to be the most popular meal at EA, even winning the Scholium bracket last spring for best Sage meal. Sophie Liu ’29 agrees, saying, “My favorites are the Bang Bang Chicken and the chicken wings.” While Bang Bang Chicken seems to be a hot commodity, some say otherwise. Contrary to popular opinion, Carolyn Totherow, Associate Director of Admission, feels that Bang Bang Chicken isn’t all that it seems to be, explaining that she rarely, if ever, chooses to get it; instead, her favorite EA lunch is acai bowls, noting that she wishes they had it more often. Lily Lake ’29 highlights the cauliflower and the wraps as her top picks, and Natalie Jiang ’27 points out the Japanese fried chicken as her favorite Sage meal. Even with fan favorites on the menu, students’ and faculty opinions shed light on certain areas where the cafeteria falls short.
Many agree that the food could be a bit more diverse. Jaina Markle ’28 and Callen Park ’29 both agree that rice appears a bit too often, sharing a similar opinion with Totherow, who also wishes the build-your-own bowls would make fewer appearances, as the same rice and meat bowls tend to feel repetitive. Markle and Park instead hope for more pasta or chicken wraps. On the other hand, some, like Jiang, believe that there is actually too much pasta rather than too little. “I wish we had, like, a little bit less pasta just because I feel like they want us to be athletes,” Lake says.
Regardless of differing opinions, many agree that the desserts are the best part. Park claims his all-time favorite is the cake and brownie bar, while Liu and Isabella Talapan ’29 enjoy the cupcakes and Oreo cheesecake. According to Totherow, “Clearly the best, and no one can say any different, are the chocolate bars with the graham cracker crust, pretzels, and salted caramel.”
On top of having to decide which meal or dessert to have, there’s also the problem of having to maneuver through the extremely crowded cafeteria.
The cafeteria is constantly packed with students and staff members, making it hard to navigate. When asked what he would change about the lunchroom, Park notes, “Probably the layout of the dining area, like where you get food. It’s kinda unorganized. The line for the main dish cuts into the line for the hot food, so it’s awkward. Then on the side there’s the hot food, and on the other side is the fruit and the dessert, and it’s hard for people to walk.” Markle, on the other hand, wants the paper containers to be more stable, “The brown containers that you get for fast lunch, I wish they were either bigger or more sturdy.” Totherow wishes shredded cheese were readily available for days when there’s chili, or just in general because, she says, “What does cheese not help?” Jiang and Parker Totherow ’29 would both like to see reusable utensils on days when they have flex, or just want to take a meal on the go.
While there are opinions on how to make our dining hall experience better, it doesn’t take away from the fact that Sage puts a tremendous amount of time into feeding the community day in and day out. Whether it’s a crowd-favorite or a daily staple, they devote lots of thought, effort, and preparation into creating our dishes, making sure we get delicious food. Next time you enter the lunchroom, make sure to thank the staff and give them a quick hello; maybe even gain a new friend.