Since the beginning of the spring semester, the Orleans Room’s action station is strictly vegan.

At its conception, the purpose of the action station was to give chefs some creative space and students more food options. It also provided a convenient space to serve up the vegan alternative. Now, all animal by-product options have been removed from the station, and only vegan dishes are prepared.

Complaints from vegans and vegetarians about meat being prepared in the same area – although ingredients were always kept separate – spurred the changes, which were also effected in part because many OR-attendees have special diets. Due to allergies to nuts, dairy and other foods, Dining Services chose to limit the ingredient options at the station with these people in mind.

Music industry junior Zac Brown, for example, visits the action station because he can’t have dairy or soy, but at the same time, “the food just tastes better,” he said.

The action station was not supposed to become the vegan station. The main purpose of the action station was to provide “food cooked in front of you in a gourmet way,” said Caitlin Craig, Marketing and Customer Service Manager of Dining Services. Craig hopes that after renovations to the OR, the vegan/vegetarian station and action station will be separate.

“I know it bothered a lot of people that it was cooked on the same thing,” music industry freshman Sean Hart said. “They should always have a strictly vegetarian station.”

All food prepared at the station is made with vegetarian stock – vegetable water used for flavoring.

Sous-chef Patrick Fenn said that people should trust his professionalism, and vegetarians and vegans can be sure that his meals meet all vegan standards.

He prepares all of his ingredients himself, from the dressing to the rice.

“I wish I could use other things, but that’s because I’m a chef,” Fenn said.

“(An action station) just adds a personal touch to the meals.”

Vinny Bruno, executive chef, said he believes the station attracts people who want food prepared restaurant-style, probably more so than people who have strict diets.

“It’s an option other than what the OR serves,” finance sophomore Eileen Castle said.

“It usually tastes a lot better.”

Katie Urbaszewski can be reached [email protected].