Emerson College celebrates allergy-safe semester with private four-course dinner
By Kyler Maira
Navigating what can and cannot be eaten can be a tiresome battle for people with dietary restrictions. When having to be so selective, people miss out on tasty treats and are forced to eat substitutes that often do not cut it.
Emerson College’s dining hall hosted an allergy-safe four-course private tasting dinner to give students with food allergies a moment in the spotlight. Twelve students with restrictions to the major nine allergens, came together to socialize, relax, and enjoy some fine dining.
Emerson’s head chef Alex Drumm started the night with a light, airy timbal of melon and cucumber carpaccio with ribboned prosciutto in sweet pink minted watermelon water. Next came a roasted tian of vegetable ratatouille, herb puree, tiny greens with fingerling potato chips, and creamy yellow pepper bisque coated in charred scallion dust.
While eating the pan-seared beef sirloin entrée, Sophomore Bianca Gallelli described how the Emerson dining staff pays extra attention to make sure she gets food that complies with her gluten intolerance.
“I love Joy, the manager at the deli- she is one of the best people ever. She even goes out of her way. If she catches me on a busy day, she’ll turn around and ask ‘Did you eat today? I haven’t seen you in a bit.’”
The meal finished with a pair of butternut squash cannolis filled with vegan rice pudding on an apple pomegranate compote. The meal concluded Chef Drumm’s event, but his work with students will continue throughout the year.
“What I tell all the students,” he said. “Is that especially with allergies, they’re here on a journey, and they need nutrition to get through it so they can’t miss any meals. Then I make them promise me: you’re not gonna miss any meals.”
Drumm has group chats with the six percent of Emerson students who have food sensitivities so that they always have an open line of communication. Students text Chef Drumm, who cooks for anyone who asks for special orders daily. He noted that the severity of allergies keeps rising, so he tries to create a welcoming experience for all students, ensuring they know they are not burdensome. He even posts a suggestion board on one of the dining hall walls, which he reads first thing when he arrives every morning.
He also mentioned how many students do not want to make a spectacle of their allergies, so for one student in particular, the dining staff will hand-deliver them their meal outside of the dining hall–maintaining the student’s anonymity.
Chef Drumm prides his kitchen on its transparency, often giving students a tour, showing them where they can go and what they can eat.
“I’m a parent and I remember driving to drop my son off for school in Ohio,” he said. “I remember the feeling of ‘my loved one is out of my reach now’ and I remember going to his dining hall and I wanted to meet his chef. After, when we got back in the van to go to Boston we all felt like we left him in a safe place where people will take care of him.”
Drumm appreciates opportunities like these tasting dinners to flex his cooking muscles, but more importantly, because they build communities of people who feel comfortable eating safe, tasty meals.
“You can tell he cares about what he’s doing and what he’s putting into it,” said Gallelli. “If you see Chef Alex behind the counter taking care of your food, you know you’re in good hands.”