The cafeteria has officially leveled up! From creating a well-balanced menu for over 2,000 students at Mitty to serving it every day, the Epicurean Group strives to provide the community with fresh, honest, and local meals. Having worked with Mitty for over 20 years, the Epicurean Group’s responsiveness to students’ needs and menu feedback highlights their genuine commitment to the community.
This year, there have been many notable changes to the cafeteria experience: new menus on the kitchen windows, more inclusive cuisines, and a greater variety of snacks. While all of these changes have undoubtedly refreshed the Mitty dining experience, one stands out in particular—the advanced lunch menu.
The new lunch menu at Mitty—created with students in mind—aims to bring more variety and diversity to the dining experience. According to Vince DiPietro, the general manager, and Andrew Edens, the executive sous chef, the update reflects a shared effort with the administration to make lunchtime more engaging and enjoyable for everyone by moving away from repetition and introducing a wider range of cuisines that accommodate the diverse tastes of the student body. Overall, the new approach focuses on keeping things fresh, balanced, and representative of the community’s many preferences.
From Shepherd’s Pie and Butter Chicken to American Sliders and Fish and Chips, the revamped menu now features a more diverse selection of popular dishes. Aiming to connect with more people and fulfill cravings, Mitty’s dedicated staff has listened to previous suggestions and introduced many new selections with the improved menu. One of the major additions this year is the snack bar. Satisfying students’ sweet tooths, the snack bar offers a greater selection of gummies, pretzels, Pocky, chips, and other popular candy bars. Furthermore, new drink options have been added, including Dunkin’ coffee, horchata, Shirley Temples, and much more!
However, the improvements go beyond entirely new offerings—past favorites have also been enhanced. From the addition of BBQ chicken pizza to the pizza lineup and matcha to the beverage selection, to an expanded variety of choices at Mitty’s beloved pasta bar, students now have even more ways to enjoy their meals. As always, students can view the lunch menu on the school website each morning to see what’s being served.
With the new lunch menu established, students have already started sharing their opinions. Junior Natalie Kim commented, “I like the food. It’s cool that they have a new variety of meal options.” Additionally, as ASB Vice President, she added, “Student government gets together once a semester to try food…we value the opinions of people on campus and try to take into consideration what people enjoy and what they don’t.” By working with the Epicurean food committee, the student government helps staff better understand the tastes and preferences of our high school community—contributing to happier students.
The staff at Mitty have also shared their thoughts on the updated menu, emphasizing the importance of keeping meals fresh and engaging with the community. They explained that the menu was redesigned to provide a wider range of options. Mr. Edens specifically highlighted how student tastes and preferences were central to the changes, showing that the team carefully considers feedback to ensure the menu is both enjoyable and balanced.
Seeking continued growth and improvement, the Epicurean Group is now asking students and staff for personal feedback. Whether positive or constructive, the kitchen team is always open to hearing suggestions on how to enhance or add to the existing menu. To gather ideas, the team plans to host impromptu survey meetings called “What’s Hot, What’s Not?” In these sessions, students from all grades will be able to share their thoughts about the menu. Mr. DiPietro explained, “If you tell us some dishes that you’d like to see, or something your mom makes with an awesome recipe—if it’s feasible for us to do—we’ll take it into consideration.” Posters and links about this new opportunity will be released this month, so be on the lookout!
With dishes from around the world alongside beloved classics, there’s something to please every palate. The staff’s thoughtful consideration of meal variety and diversity reflects their genuine care for Mitty students—a sentiment we can all appreciate. After all, a happy stomach makes a happy student.