[caption id="attachment_7562" align="alignright" ] Special Dinner - Bacon Crab cakes and Mac N Cheese![/caption]
We all know most of the restaurants on Purdue’s campus, but one may come as a surprise to many. Marriott Hall may seem like just a normal classroom-style building, but it houses the Hospitality and Tourism Management students. Their classrooms are not just desks and whiteboards!
The John Purdue Room, a full-service, student run restaurant is housed in Marriott Hall. During an HTM student’s education they are required to take two different restaurant labs during their time at Purdue. They are put into roles that stretch their learning of the restaurant business; from mangers to servers to cooks to dishwashers.
The day-time lab runs from 8:30am-2:50pm. This time frame preps for lunch, serves lunch and cleans up before the next shift begins. During these seven hours’ students rotate from front of house servers, managers, and cooks.
Lunch is served from 11:00am-1:00pm, Tuesday through Friday, so this makes the perfect place to bring a guest to show off all the fine things Purdue has to offer. Here they can get a light salad, sandwich, or a more filling entrée. Make sure to try the John Purdue Plate since it is always changing and you get to try different items every time you go back.
The night time lab runs from 3:00-9:50pm. During this lab, students are given more responsibility since they know the basics of the restaurant and how it should be run. Every week a front of house and back of house manager are picked to run the “staff.” They also are in charge of designing and preparing a three-course special that is served throughout the week.
Dinner is served from 5:00-7:30pm, Tuesday-Thursday, but make sure to call in advance because seating is limited. The menu consists of some heartier meals like slow braised beef short ribs and crispy fried buttermilk chicken. Each menu item is also paired with a wine for your convenience. Make sure to try starting off with the creamy potato soup, then getting the Maple Leaf Farms house made duck pasta for your entrée and then finishing with one of their amazing daily desserts!
Check out their Facebook to see their many events that they hold as well for an extra special date night!
Hannah, Visit Lafayette-West Lafayette Intern and Purdue University Student, shares this blog.
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