Letter from the Director

I would like to welcome you to dining at California Baptist University.

From the hearts of our culinary team to the mouths of our campus community you can taste the love in our award-winning food.

The Alumni Dining Commons transforms the typical all-you-care-to-eat culture by artfully composing every plate, reminiscent of your favorite restaurant.

Our concept, modeled after Spanish Tapas, offers restaurant-quality, small-plate presentations and encourages guests to explore and experience a variety of foods but in smaller portions. We want you to taste our food and say, "Wow! That is so good. I'm going back for seconds!"

The culinary team works hard to design menus that are fast, fresh, delicious and nutritious without losing customization.

I invite you to come and watch the "art in action" as a symphony of ingredients are composed on plates in front of you.

Brisco's Café is a hub of activity on the east side of campus offering bowls, burgers, custom handcrafted sandwiches, salads, wraps and daily specials. Choose an entrée, two sides and a beverage, then just swipe and you're on your way. This location is perfect to grab a quick meal to go or to hang out with friends in the modern dining area or great patio outside. This location is open for Late Nite until 11 p.m.

Wanda's in the center of campus continues to be the commuter student location of choice. Immerse yourself in the coffeehouse atmosphere while enjoying the great tasting food and beverages. It's a perfect location to meet up with friends or sit outside and study on our beautiful patio.

Being in the historical citrus belt, we are proud to offer a variety of citrus grown in our neighborhood on trees that are 100 years or older. Some of the citrus varieties were created here in Riverside. We also include fresh vegetables and fruits from our local area. We continue to expand our locally grown program. Our seasonal approach to planning focuses on working with local growers to forecast the availability of fresh local ingredients to incorporate into the menus. This results in maximum freshness and flavor while working to reduce our carbon footprint.

Ongoing nutritional education is integrated into the menu offerings. Vegetarian and gluten-free options are posted at each meal period. A special dietary needs station in the Alumni Dining Commons offers gluten free, dairy free and other special-request diet items. Meals are customized to meet special dietary needs while maintaining fellowship. If you have any questions regarding special diet needs don't hesitate to ask a manager or email me directly at edacosta@calbaptist.edu.

I am blessed to work with a talented group of hardworking chefs, managers and staff that take pride in creating delicious nutritious food 365 days a year. It's not just about the food but the joy we get from serving others. We are honored to serve our students and contribute to their health and well-being while here on campus. We enjoy collaborating on the menu development and working on creating great dishes that will surprise and amaze the students, faculty and staff.

I am very fortunate to work on the California Baptist University campus where our university president, Ron Ellis, is a not only an avid foodie but understands the value that a high-quality food program brings to the university and its students.

I believe working in that environment allows us to push the food boundaries. We like to say, "Come for the education and stay for the food!"

Eric Da Costa
Director of Food Services
Provider Contract Food Service
California Baptist University