In the newly reopened Blue Room, customers have found themselves surrounded by signs of change: an array of locally prepared food items, longer hours — and no microwaves.
Along with the return of freshly made sandwiches and focaccia, the Faunce House eatery now offers pastries from local LaSalle Bakery and dinner options from Thayer Street's Kabob and Curry.
"As part of our efforts to provide authentic and locally produced items in our menu selection we decided that a partnership with local vendors and restaurants was the best alternative," Jacques Larue, director of retail dining, wrote in an e-mail to The Herald.
Natalie Posever '14 said she enjoyed the Kabob and Curry entrees — offered from 4 to 9 p.m. — and appreciated the Blue Room's choice to serve the food on recyclable plates.
Larue wrote that recyclable plates "fit with Dining Services' commitment to sustainable initiatives."
While the Indian entrees available for a meal credit have garnered positive attention, reaction to the sushi from Shanghai, priced at $7.75 for a large box, was less enthusiastic.
"It's extremely overpriced," said Raymond See '13. "I can just go to Haruki Express and get better sushi."
See said he would like to see Haruki Express, along with some kind of pizza option, included in the menu. Posever said she would be interested in a wider variety of Asian food.
Although the new Blue Room has brought more diverse food options to its customers, other things have quietly gone missing. The microwaves, once used to heat up muffins and soups, are no longer available to Blue Room patrons.
Isabel Platt '14 said she has noticed their absence, even though she had no experience with the old Blue Room. "I bought a cup of noodles here once and had to go all the way back to my room to heat it up," she said.
Larue wrote of the microwaves, "All our Blue Room menu items don't require the use of the microwave and therefore no adequate space for a microwave was included in the servery and dining room layout." Because of requests, "we are evaluating the best location to accommodate a microwave," he wrote.
The menu and other features will not remain stagnant, Larue wrote.
"Throughout this first year of operations, our Blue Room team will respond to our customers' feedback," he wrote. "We have a suggestion box available at the Blue Room, and we welcome all our customers to share their suggestions and ideas."
