News Release

Pacific to serve Soul Food for Black History Month

(January 31, 2007) -

University of the Pacific will hold weekly Soul Food luncheons for the public and the campus community throughout the month of February in celebration of Black History Month, starting Thursday.

The luncheons will be held in the Redwood Room in Pacific’s McCaffrey Center from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Thursday for the entire month. Members of Pacific’s Black History Month committee said the luncheons are intended to expose other ethnicities to various African-American dishes and to dispose of misperceptions about what foods are popular in the black community and how they are prepared.

“One of the best ways to rid oneself of bias is to have direct contact and exposure with that which one only knows vicariously and or indirectly,” said Chris Clay, a Black History Month committee member. “We in fact demystify unvalidated perceptions of what we eat and how we prepare meals.”

The meals cost $6.95 per person and include dessert and beverages. The luncheons are open to the public as well as to students, staff and faculty. A daily menu of the meals being served can be found at www.cafebonappetit.com/pacific.

The meals will include dishes that have long been popular in African-American culture, including jambalaya, collard greens, fried okra and red beans and rice, as well as desserts like peach cobbler and sweet potato pie. The dishes will be prepared by the Bon Appétit Management Co., Pacific’s exclusive caterer. Bon Appétit prepares all of the food served throughout the campus’ dining venues, including the student center and residence halls.

The Palo Alto-based company has more than 190 cafés across the country, providing café and catering services to corporations, universities and specialty venues. The food service company places an emphasis on serving fresh, healthy food that is locally grown.

For more information, contact Sia Mohsenzadegan, general manager of Bon Appétit, at 209.946.2264 or smohsenzadegan@pacific.edu.