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Cornell University

Student & Campus Life

Cornell Dining team reps the Big Red at the Princeton Review Best Campus Foods event

by Mark H. Anbinder

It's an annual opportunity for the best and brightest of collegiate culinarians to show off their creativity. Each year the schools named to the Princeton Review Best Campus Food ranking send representatives to Amherst for a showcase dinner at the University of Massachusetts. 

At the end of March, Cornell Dining Senior Chef Chloe Greenhalgh led a team that included Chef JJ Molina, Chef/Manager of North Star Dining Room, and Chef Michael Ives, Sous Chef of Cornell Catering. They were supported at the event by Executive Chef Ambarish Lulay, Cornell Dining Director Paul Muscente, and Senior Executive Director Dustin Cutler, who was also a panelist at the event.

A row of people, four of them in chef coats and aprons, stand in front of a poster
The Cornell team at UMass Amherst for Best Campus Foods 2026: (l-r) Paul Muscente, Michael Ives, Ambarish Lulay, Chloe Greenhalgh, JJ Molina, and Dustin Cutler. Photo by Keith Toffling Photography courtesy UMass Dining.

Each team prepares 800 portions of their menu, served in a station format to hundreds of UMass students and other guests, along with dishes from eight other schools' culinary teams.

Cornell Dining's Mediterranean menu featured a bounty of fresh and vibrant flavors, with dishes that included Naan with Beet Tahini and Zhoug Pepper Relish, Falafel, Green Harissa Grilled Chicken, Green Harissa Roasted Salmon, Ancho Roasted Vegetables, Power Greens, and a Grain Pilaf.

Plates of food on a table with red tablecloth and red and white Cornell fan items such as pom-poms and bullhorns
Cornell's Mediterranean menu flanked by Big Red spirit gear! Photo by Keith Toffling Photography courtesy UMass Dining.

For dessert, Cornell presented Georgie’s Date Cake with cardamom orange yogurt and pistachio topping. 

Each school has the opportunity to show off its culinary creativity, and each also shares a five-minute presentation about its campus dining program in a panel format, moderated by Robert Franek, Senior VP and Publisher of The Princeton Review. 

Thanks to Chef Chloe, Chef JJ, and Chef Michael for showcasing Cornell Dining at its best!

About Cornell Dining

Cornell Dining is consistently ranked in the Princeton Review's top ten for best campus food among all colleges and universities in the country! That high rating comes from customer surveys, and reflects Cornell Dining's commitment to serving high-quality foods that are healthy and creatively prepared with genuine care for a diverse community. Cornell Dining operates about 30 on-campus eateries -- which include residential dining rooms, cafés, coffeehouses, food courts, and convenience stores -- and serves more than 23,000 meals a day to members of the Cornell community. For more information, visit dining.cornell.edu.