Now serving thousands of meals a day to young foodies, the new Arnold Dining Commons at Southern Methodist University is a leap forward from the college dorm cafeterias of yesterday.
Among the innovate features of the new dining hall are windows that darken during the brightest times of the day. The dining hall is naturally lit and cool, even when the Texas sun beats on the windows. Learn more about the new hall.
Dining hall workers prepare tapas-style plates at seven stations, giving students a variety of choices. The vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free station has been a hit. Allergens like nuts are clearly marked on all food choices.
To stay cool, there's cucumber-infused water, watermelon-infused water, cantaloupe-infused water, and many other choices. On tap: Vitamin water, Silk soy milk, colas, Starbucks coffee and Tazo tea, and hormone-free, locally-sourced milk.
There's Shrimp Pad Thai, for young people who've been raised on international foods. The dining hall also has a Mongolian grill, and serves sushi, Jamaican shepherd's pie, and curry.
Despite all the exotic offerings, the burgers, fries, and pizzas are still the all-time favorites.
The pizzas are served fresh from the brick-fired pizza oven. SMU serves many varieties, but cheese pizza is the most popular.
With the dining hall open all day long, students aren't bound to the rigors of the old breakfast-lunch-dinner schedule.
