Thanksgiving is an American holiday celebrated by students and families across the country, but for many out-of-state and international students, they can’t make the long trip home. On November 24, CulinArt hosted a traditional Thanksgiving meal with all the trimmings and transformed Seawolves Kitchen at East Side Dining into a festive and welcoming environment for students.

“Thanksgiving Day is the perfect time to remind one another of the many reasons there are to be grateful and we are truly grateful for the students we serve everyday who make Stony Brook a home away from home. We are also grateful for all of our team members who worked this holiday to make a memorable experience for our students,” stated Kevin Schirmacher, CulinArt director of Operations, East Side Dining.
CulinArt staff served a traditional Thanksgiving meal with a turnout of nearly 200 guests. The delicious menu included roasted turkey with apple cider gravy, roasted sweet potato and butternut squash soup, roasted root vegetables in a cranberry citrus glaze, roasted Brussels sprouts with balsamic glaze, shaved parmesan and bacon lardons, bourbon maple sweet potato mash, au gratin potatoes with gruyere, parmesan and roasted garlic, baked apple pecan cornbread stuffing, warm buttermilk biscuits, cranberry orange chutney, beyond meat vegan shepherds pie, stuffed shells, apple pie, pumpkin pie and pecan pie.
“This year we wanted to offer something fun and trendy similar to what local restaurants offer to guests, so we developed a mocktail menu to accompany the Thanksgiving feast,” explained Kenneth Ferro, CulinArt director of Dining Services, East Side Dining. Mocktails included sour citrus spritz, marshmallow cider and sparkling pom.
Before the Thanksgiving break, students celebrated Friendsgiving dinners at dining locations on campus. The Students for Humanity and Distressed Children & Infants International also hosted a food drive to collect nonperishable food items to donate to the on-campus food pantry and local shelters.
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