Written by Noelle Edwards
Photos by Aaron Cronin
The Preserve has always been a student favorite for both lunch and dinner. However, now more than ever, students are flocking to the dining spot for new and exciting additions to the exposition menu, such as jalapeño-avocado mayonnaise and cilantro rice.
Chef Kayla Dawn Poore, one of the lunch expo chefs, was able to provide insight into changes at the Preserve that are contributing to the improved quality of the expos. Poore, originally from North Carolina, came to work at Colorado College from Orlando. She previously worked at Bull & Bear at the Waldorf Astoria, currently the No. 3 steakhouse in Orlando. However, Poore was looking for a new experience, and began working at CC during mid-April last semester.
Although it is always busy, there has been a visible increase in the amount of students sitting both inside and outside the Preserve. When asked why this might be, Chef Poore said, “It has to do with the staff that’s here now. People who really care about how the food comes out. It’s just having passion for what you do.”
Poore tries to use bright colors and fresh ingredients, and always makes sure the food is tasted before it goes out. The idea in the kitchen is that if the chefs do not like it, students probably will not either.
The chefs at the Preserve are cooking for the people they are serving, and put effort into the food to make sure it is something that the CC student body would enjoy, not just putting out food for the sake of feeding students.
When asked why she thought there has been an increase in students eating at the Preserve, Poore said, “I think it’s better because we get to have an input now. I can tell [Bon Appétit] what I want to do, like the [head] chef, or I can bring up an idea or something I want to try.” Although the chefs at the Preserve are given a general menu by Head Chef Matt Butler, they have the freedom to tweak the menu and decide what ingredients would complement each other well. Instead of tofu for example, Chef Poore tried making chickpea patties the other day to change up the vegetarian options.
Chef Poore not only considers what is fresh, local, and seasonal, but also how she can bring diversity into the Preserve. This process includes considering the international student body at CC and students that have had the opportunity to travel around the world.
National Taco Day on Oct. 4, for example, might have just contained ground beef and refried beans in the past. This year, however, students were treated to cilantro rice, corn salsa, shredded chicken, and guacamole sour cream. Although the Preserve repeats the general structure of the menu each week—wraps, tacos, and sandwiches—each aspect of the meal has been noticeably more unique.
“Every component of every dish is well thought out and well executed and it seems like somebody really cared about how the food was going to taste and feel and look when it hit the plate,” said sophomore Gabe Rosenthal.
The level of quality that the expo exemplifies is thanks to the chefs’ goal of making sure that the person who eats at the end of the day has the exact same meal as the first person who comes in to eat. Everything is made from scratch in the kitchen and with the freshest ingredients that the chefs can obtain.
The Preserve is a place where students gather to meet with friends and enjoy good food. Students voiced the idea of increasing the Preserve seating to upstairs because of how many students are eating in the dining space. Sophomore Lily Chen said, “I don’t have meal plan money, and I still eat at the Preserve.”