Providence Academy morning announcements include birthdays, sports, clubs, colleges, and just as important, today’s lunch.
Following the first announcements, the classroom’s morning commotion quickly dies down to hear the lunches for the day. Although the announcements always include the main lunch, they usually omit the grill menu. Students start the day off with only half of an idea of what to get for lunch.
Mrs. Gregg, who sends the announcements out, explains the inconsistency, “because the grill menu is only up one week prior, if I want the lunches for the week I have to go down and get them. Sometimes I just don’t have the time.”
All lower school families receive the main line menu and the PA website also provides a copy accessible to everyone. Nevertheless, only the lunchroom posts the grill line and gives meals a mere week in advance.
Why do the two menus vary in so many ways?
Marshall Morris, the head chef at PA, does most of the planning and managing for both the grill and main line. He describes the differences of the menus as a result of the kitchen’s inventory. Because of the limited space, storage cannot hold a month’s worth of food for both the grill and the main line.
Mr. Morris orders the food for the main line two weeks before the lunch, whereas he can order food for the grill the day of.
The grill focuses on middle and upper schoolers, as well as faculty, and features more elaborate cuisine.
The main line offers more standard meals, particularly catering to lower schooler students.
Having a short menu for the grill allows for flexibility and changes in the menu if needed. Both lower school parents and students find it much easier to plan out meals ahead of time, so a monthly menu accompanies the main line.
Mr. Morris explains, “it’s meant to be simpler. If the kids are planning on having French toast on Thursday, we don’t want to change that on them.”
While students like Juliet While ‘18, have no objections to not knowing what the grill serves until their arrival at lunch, other students actually enjoy it.
Grace Van Dellen ‘18, likes the uncertainty of the grill line.
“I really like the mystery surrounding the grill line, although I guess this can turn out negative. On the other hand, it can really pick your day up when Santa Fe Rice Bowl is on the grill,” Van Dellen said.