New Take-Out Lunches Offer Artichokes, Pesto

Students who used to worry about limited bag lunch choices can sleep easier. Thanks to an overhaul of the take-out lunch system, the menu now includes such treats as artichoke sandwiches and a "grilled eggplant roll-up."

Gone are the boring white and green order slips of years past which offered mundane sandwich selections.

Instead, bright yellow forms boast of, among other things, a sandwich with "just a drizzle of pesto sauce" and a lemon chicken salad with a bit of fresh tarragon.

The revamping, which took place over the summer, comes by popular demand, according to Michael Miller, executive chef at Harvard Dining Services.

"Better box lunches were in the top ten of student requests in the spring student survey, so this summer we worked on upgrading the sack meal program," Miller says. "We tested a lot of different recipes, and we tried to choose the ones that tasted best and held up in the sack lunch environment."

Better yet, Miller says, they're good for you, too.

"We tried to choose meals that were light, healthy, nutritious and contemporary," he says.

Other choices include a "Farmer's Sandwich" and a "Chef's Salad Bowl."

Some things about the lunches won't change, though. Students can still opt for more traditional lunchtime alternatives, like ham or roast beef sandwiches.

And Charles B. Wilcots, assistant manager of Union Dining Services, says lunches will still be made fresh daily and will still be stamped by the worker who packs them.

Despite the enthusiasm of dining officials, student reaction so far has been mixed. Some say they appreciate the new lunches as a change of pace.

"The box lunches are a welcome oasis from the regular food at the Union," says Kate N. Woods '98.

But dissenting opinions abound. Jennifer A. Bolstead '98 described her box lunch experience last week as "mediocre at best."

Box lunch requests must be made at dinner the day before, and lunches can be picked up between 7:30 a.m. and 10 a.m

Some things about the lunches won't change, though. Students can still opt for more traditional lunchtime alternatives, like ham or roast beef sandwiches.

And Charles B. Wilcots, assistant manager of Union Dining Services, says lunches will still be made fresh daily and will still be stamped by the worker who packs them.

Despite the enthusiasm of dining officials, student reaction so far has been mixed. Some say they appreciate the new lunches as a change of pace.

"The box lunches are a welcome oasis from the regular food at the Union," says Kate N. Woods '98.

But dissenting opinions abound. Jennifer A. Bolstead '98 described her box lunch experience last week as "mediocre at best."

Box lunch requests must be made at dinner the day before, and lunches can be picked up between 7:30 a.m. and 10 a.m