Out to Lunch
Nuggets from eating on campus
Burned out on the bologna and cheese sandwich you bring for lunch?
Forgo that brown bag, get out of the office and experience one of Duke's 33 eateries, many of which feature healthy and organic options that fit into most budgets. Duke Dining Services and its vendors offer patrons everything from Mediterranean and Asian fare to bagels, burritos and made-to-order pasta dishes.
"Duke Dining Services is not your typical dining program," said Jim Wulforst, director of Duke Dining. "We pride ourselves in having an extraordinary range of vendors and menus that change based on the wants and needs of our customers."
Here's a sampling of some offbeat campus eateries to tempt your taste buds:
The Refectory Cafe
The aromas wafting up the Duke Divinity School stairs from The Refectory Cafe are heavenly. It's the comforting scent of its "hot, healthy and homemade" meals prepared by Bon Vivant Catering. This ‘green' cafe uses as many local vegetables, eggs and other items as possible. Usually, the only trash is your recycled paper napkin. China plates and stainless steel flatware are the order of the day, used at Duke in the 1940s. Homemade oatmeal -- coarse ground whole oats -- is available for breakfast. And vegetarian and vegan offerings abound, but chicken pot pie and shrimp gumbo satisfy meat and seafood lovers, too. Lunch goers can usually pick from a daily special and award-winning chili and soups, wraps and more from several dollars to around $7.95.
Lenore Ramm, a Duke graduate and applications specialist at the Center for Instructional Technology, eats at the Refectory once or twice a week, usually with Neil Prentice, manager of social sciences information technology services. They enjoy the delicious specials every week, but they are delighted when their favorites are featured. Prentice gets the shepherd's pie; Ramm orders sopa de polla, a Mexican-inspired chicken casserole, washed down with sweet tea.
"It's got chicken and sour cream and tortilla chips, and it's very mushy, and that sort of appeals to me," Ramm said. "You can get extra toppings, but I usually find it doesn't need anything extra."
Info Bites
• Giorgios Hospitality Group, caterer and owner of six Triangle-area restaurants, including Parizade in Durham, is the new cafe vendor at the Nasher Museum of Art.
• Faculty and staff can pay for meals with a DukeCard. Enroll in the Flexible Spending Account (FLEX), the pre-paid debit feature on your DukeCard or visit a DukeCard office.
• Faculty and staff who show their DukeCard and pay with cash, check or with FLEX, receive a 10 percent discount at some eateries. (Limitations may apply; check the Dining Services website for details.)
• Got a hankering for Indian food? Sitar serves up traditional fare from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday in the Great Hall on West Campus
The Perk at the von der Heyden Pavilion
This coffeehouse next to Perkins Library has glass walls and arches that echo Duke's architecture. Overstuffed chairs and small tables draw students, faculty and staff with laptops. This spot is comfortable with wood-slat floors and a high ceiling, punctuated by beehive-shaped lamps. Faculty and staff find it a good spot for a fast, light lunch by Saladelia Cafe.
The menu includes packaged-to-go salads and signature sandwiches such as chicken salad, falafel wraps and hummus with pita bread. Pita sandwiches and wraps are around $3.99 to $5.99. Fruit cups and juices are available, as are teas, coffee drinks and sweet snacks.
Dawn Hall, an advertising salesperson for The Chronicle, enjoys the Greek chicken spinach wrap.
"I've been very pleased each time I've eaten lunch at The Perk," she said. "I seek healthy and fresh dining options on campus, and I'm happy to have found both there."
Like the Refectory Cafe, The Perk at the von der Heyden Pavilion is in the "Winner's Circle," a recognition developed by N.C. Prevention Partners, for healthy dining.
Grace's Cafe
The cafe prides itself on quality food and service, reasons that keep Donnie Painter among its clientele.
The dining room at Grace's Cafe, which features Asian cuisine, is rather tranquil. Hums and buzzes from kitchen appliances and clanks of pots and pans are barely audible in the dining area, making Grace's a quiet spot to grab a quick bite.
Menu items range from pot stickers and General Tso's chicken to egg drop soup and Moo Goo Gai Pan to American staples like the cheeseburger. If you missed the most important meal of the day, Grace's serves breakfast any time. There are also items for the health conscious, including steamed vegetables with chicken.
"The food is great, and the service is great," said Painter, who works in Apartment Operations. "You can call it in. They'll tell you it'll be ready in about 10 minutes, and it will be."
Twinnie's
Location, location, location the old real estate axiom goes, and Twinnie's Irish Pub has just that.
Twinnie's corner in the Center for Interdisciplinary Engineering, Medicine, and Applied Sciences, or CIEMAS building, draws students, faculty and staff alike. Chicken or vegetable pitas are grilled before serving, giving them a crispy exterior. There's a daily hot special, such as chicken curry, and soups. Prices are around $4.25 to $6, and fresh coffee is always available.
"First of all, it's convenient," said Ron Stubbs, who recently walked next door from the Pratt School of Engineering, where he works as a systems programmer, for lunch to-go. "They have some good sandwiches. The chicken pita's good. Almost everything is good. I'd recommend anything."
A smattering of tables and booths are outside the restaurant's service area. You can watch the hustle and bustle of campus life, but there are also private spots, if that's what you crave. The restaurant has two wall-mounted plasma televisions, and one typically carries cable news or sporting events, so you can catch up with the rest of the world while taking a break from yours.
Around the end of August, Twinnie's pours Guinness, Yuengling and Bass every weekday after 4 p.m.
Pauly Dogs
The hot dog cart on the West Campus Plaza is not your typical stand. These dogs bark in dozens of different languages.
Want crumbled potato chips and barbecue sauce on a kosher beef hot dog? You've got it. Looking for horseradish and bacon bits on a chicken pup? Look no further. Craving soy sauce and sauerkraut on a veggie dog? It's there, along with classic Italian sausage on a bun.
At Pauly Dogs, you can bite into a Sabrett, topped with your choice of 36 toppings, including three different hot sauces, roasted garlic and pepperoni. The stand posts a list of "Top 12" combos. The list includes The Andrew (potato salad, bacon, yellow mustard, ranch dressing and Old Bay seasoning); The Bomb Fire (chili, jalapenos, crushed cherry peppers, shredded cheese and Tabasco); and The Yankee (sauerkraut and spicy mustard).
Prices start around $2.50. On a sunny day, grab a dog, take a seat on the Plaza, and let the office slip away for a few minutes.