Food
Back in 1965, when GQ food and wine critic Alan Richman was a senior, nobody cared a bit about the quality of food on the Penn campus. Sandwiches, pizza, and meatloaf were the extent of the choices at restaurants, and food trucks weren't even a gleam in an entrepreneur's eye. And those who wanted haute cuisine? They could hop the train to New York or make the ultimate pilgrimage to Paris. But, if they stayed in Philly, it just wasn't happening and nowhere less than the Penn campus.In 1998 the tale is quite different. Philadelphia is enjoying another restaurant renaissance and food plays a major role in the life of the campus. Trucks and carts line the streets offering a staggering variety of choices from sushi to soul food, with an ethnic diversity that would do the United Nations proud. Upscale restaurants like the White Dog, Zocalo, and the newly revived La Terrasse show up in food columns across the country. And, as the University draws up plans for the campus of the future, restaurants, food courts, and al fresco dining areas all play a major role in the reshaping of our contemporary campus.
In this issue, Penn Arts & Sciences talks with Penn alumni
whose careers are intimately involved with food, with students about
campus food, and with a researcher who likens eating gourmet food to
making a scientific breakthrough. Bon appetit, and hope you enjoy the
issue.