Walking into Auburn's newest dining experience, Plains to Plate, aromas pique curiosities and the irresistible smell stirs a carnal desire to eat what's best.
The food filling the bins in the new restaurant in Lupton Hall comes from places near home.
The rolls are Sister Shubert's, an Auburn alumna, baking out of Montgomery; the sausage comes from Conecuh farms in Evergreen; tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuce come from Auburn; and cream comes from the Stone Hollow Farmstead in Harpersville.
"I just purchased as much local as we could: hydroponic produce grown here in Auburn, grits from Birmingham and kale and hushpuppy mix from Alabama," said Emil Topel, senior executive chef. "We just tried get as much local as we could and build a menu that was healthier."
Contributors are highlighted along the walls of Plains to Plate.
"Ninty-nine percent of the things that are in here are made from scratch," said Glenn Loughridge, director of dining services.
Topel guarantees hardly anything in Plains to Plate is bought premade.
"With the hydroponic produce, he picks it and we get it a day later," Topel said.
Topel compared it to buying from the normal produce supplier, who he says will have picked the produce two weeks before it's served.
It's that freshness that gives the food inside Plains to Plate its flavor.
Tiger Dining replaced soda fountains with coffee and hydration stations, with cucumber and lemon infused water jugs.
In Plains to Plate, one meal or four sides, including a drink, is $8.99.
A special dietary-needs counsel, which began last semester, asked for expanding dietary options. Loughridge and others within campus dining recognize students practicing veganism aren't just about the lifestyle, but hold it as a belief system.
An internship position associated with the Real Food Challenge, an on-campus group since 2011, established connections with local agricultural companies.
Rosa Cantrell, junior in agricultural communications, serves as the president of the Real Food Challenge and works in the internship position with campus dining.
"When you purchase something, it could lessen or strengthen things like social and environmental injustice," Cantrell said. "It's important to know where your food comes from, and where it's grown."
One of the biggest Real Food fingerprints can be found in the change of meal styles. A typical meal includes an entree and two sides Real Food asked for a four-sided dish allowing for all vegan items or non-gluten items. These are two of the specialty food options offered in Plains-to-Plate.
"I think that's why we have an outstanding venue," Loughridge said. "We had great input from students. We have an outstanding chef who really took that input to heart and made it easier for students to interact with their foods. I think it was really a collaborative process and that's how you end up with the best results."
The new restaurant isn't the last step in dining's integration of using closer to home foods. Charlie's Donuts from Montgomery now sells on campus along with late-night weekend favorite, the hot dog stand Whatcha Want.
Huge changes are also found in Terrell dining hall.
"We wanted to upgrade the space to make it as good as we could make it," Loughridge said of the renovations to Terrell.
Terrell now works to produce with local foods.
The C-Store moved to align with the Taco Trek, and both are open until 1 a.m. Across from the new soft seating are an all-you-chose-to-eat buffet and hibachi grill. Replacing Nathan's, both offer customizable food options.
"We want people to feel at home," Loughridge said. "You come home, chill out, watch TV, get some food, eat and maybe come back to get some dessert [and] see some friends."
Topel said there are heated entrees every day, along with vegetarian options.
There is also a pantry-style refrigerator, open to everyone, that contains all kinds of milk and other standard kitchen items, allowing students to make everything from cereal to sandwiches.
"It's where we are going as a company," Topel said. "In dining halls, all the prep is out front. With the produce all the cooks are out front chopping it up. It just gives a better impression, made to order right in front of you."
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