While Mardi Gras festivities take place thousands of miles away in New Orleans, Byrne Hall hopes to bring the spirit and food of the holiday to Hanover by celebrating "Cajun style."
Although Byrne Hall, the Dartmouth Dining Services facility located between the Amos Tuck School of Business Administration and Thayer School of Engineering, caters mainly to graduate students, the cafeteria has been a welcome stop for River cluster undergraduates for years.
The dinner, which will begin at 5:30 p.m., will highlight a season, which according to tradition, starts on King's night, or the feast of Epiphany, and runs until Ash Wednesday.
The menu for the evening includes Cajun chicken, shrimp and scallop creole, dirty rice, red beans and rice, vegetarian gumbo and King's cake.
King's cakes are baked and served throughout the carnival season. Secretly baked into the cake are different objects.
The person receiving the piece of cake with the object becomes the "king" for the day and is responsible for baking the next cake and throwing the party where it will be eaten.
Prices for main entrees begin at $4.00 and students may purchase a platter which includes all the entrees for only $9.95.
Students may use their student identification cards to charge their meals, but are unable to use their Declining Balance Accounts.
Shanna Kelly, the servery supervisor, said the cafeteria's servery will be decorated with traditional Mardi Gras paraphernalia including beads and masks.
Although the cafeteria caters more to graduate students, "we are glad to serve undergraduates," Kelly said.
But upcoming Mardi Gras festivities notwithstanding, many undergraduates on campus are turning to Byrne as an alternative venue for dining.
The eatery, a fairly new facility, is known for its ambiance and atmosphere.
Kathleen Tortolano, assistant manager of Byrne Hall, said "Byrne serves a mix of classic New England fare and also down-home cooking. The food is very upscale yet very eclectic and diversified."
Kelly said "Byrne Hall offers a very pleasant atmosphere with high-quality food."
The cafeteria which won first-place in the Woodstock Chili contest, beating out such outside restaurants as the Woodstock Inn, has been praised incessantly by students for its variety, atmosphere, and quality.
Jeneil Palmer '97 said she chooses to eat at Byrne "because of the convenience and distance from her dormitory."
"The atmosphere at the cafeteria is much more quiet ... and the food is great. Byrne is a welcomed change of pace from Food Court and the Hop," she said.
Taja-Nia Henderson '97 said Byrne has "the best food on campus, honestly."
"Everything is so good. Byrne is the logical place to eat," she said.
"The food at Byrne is probably the most economical food on campus in terms of price and quality," Henderson said.
Paul Dionne, a cook at the facility, noted that his dinner entrees are a little more upscale than the rest of the campus.
"We use better ingredients and as a cook, I stress quality over quantity," he said.
Henderson said, "I eat at Byrne Hall because it makes more sense than walking to Food Court to eat a hamburger or some random pasta dish. At Byrne they have several choices whether it be stir-fry or chicken and rice. You don't have to worry about whether it will be tasty or not. The food is always good," she added.
Kelly attributed the cafeteria's success to the employees.
"The people here make it special. We enjoy working for the students and making things as great as possible," she said.
Dionne said, "There is a camaraderie between co-workers here."
Palmer also said the "workers there are very nice and customer-friendly."
"As a cook, I have to perform a variety of capacities, including catering and fine dining. It's not that I'm just stuck doing the same thing everyday. Since the cafeteria serves an eclectic variety of foods from around the world, my job is ever-changing and never monotonous," Dionne said.
Tortolano agreed. "The menu here gives us more freedom of creativity," she said.
She also noted the cafeteria provides a vast array of vegetarian and low-fat options.
Palmer cited the I.D. card charge as a reason for her having visited the cafeteria infrequently this term, since she is not allowed to use her DBA at Byrne Hall.
But Henderson said, "For me the price and quality are worth it. If it doesn't matter and I am going to pay, I will spend the money anyway. The food is worth it. The employees are very nice and personable," she said.
