Skip to main content

Think outside the chicken wings: Unique and delicious food options on UW’s campus

November 1, 2017 By Emily Hamer

At the stir fry station in Gordon Avenue Market, UW dining hall staff serve 400-450 stir fries a day. Emily Hamer

With six dining halls, a database of around 1,500 recipes and between 30 and 50 entrees a day in the larger dining halls, the university offers a lot of options when it comes to food.

With six dining halls, a database of around 1,500 recipes and between 30 and 50 entrees a day in the larger dining halls, as well as 10 restaurants and 17 markets and cafes, the university offers a lot of options when it comes to food.

But inevitably some choices are going to be better than others. So what are the best?

We talked to some of the leaders of dining halls and markets around campus to find out which dishes are the most popular, then picked some of our own personal favorites.

Paul Sprunger, executive chef of University Housing’s Dining and Culinary Services, checks in on food production and talks with kitchen staff working at the Gordon Dining and Event Center at the University of Wisconsin–Madison on May 4, 2015. Photo: Jeff Miller

But just because an entree is a high seller, doesn’t mean it’s the best food on the menu. University Housing Dining and Culinary Services executive chef Paul Sprunger says there are a lot of unique, high-quality food options that students don’t try.

By far, the most popular dining hall dish is chicken wings, which Sprunger understands because he knows students “like their chicken wings.” Students usually don’t start branching out from familiar options like chicken wings, pizza, cheeseburgers and chicken sandwiches until later in the school year — if ever.

Sprunger says many students are short on money, which makes it challenging to take the risk of trying something they might not like. Still, he says he hopes students will start to branch out because the dining halls all serve high-quality food. All of the soups, pasta sauces and many other recipes are homemade.

“I think there’s a lot of food that we do really well that goes under-ordered or under-appreciated,” Sprunger says. “Something may not sound appealing to a student, but if the student would just give it the chance they would probably eat it quite a bit.”

If you’re still scared of exploring, here are just some of the highest quality entrees offered on UW–Madison’s campus, and remember, you can always request a sample before purchasing an entire item.

Portabella Lasagna

One of Sprunger’s personal favorites is the Portabella Lasagna, a vegetarian dish that is served about every two weeks.

The layered pasta is made with portabella mushrooms, a cream sauce, garlic, shallots, cheese and fresh pasta sheets. The creamy baked entree is a delicious twist on classic lasagna.

Arctic Char Saltimbocca

Last year, Sprunger started a fresh sustainable fish program, where dining halls are required to have one of five sustainable fish options on Wednesdays nights. One of those options is the Arctic Char, a close cousin to salmon, but more mild. Sprunger says students sometimes don’t try the fish because they haven’t heard of it before.

The char is prepared in a Saltimbocca style: it’s wrapped in prosciutto, baked and then served with a lemon butter sauce. And in addition to being sustainable, Sprunger says the char is also always fresh, never frozen.

Beef Pot Roast

Many of the meals in the dining halls are homemade recipes.

If you’re missing your mom’s cooking, the dining halls make home-cooked meals too!

Sprunger says University Dining’s homemade beef pot roast is the quintessential “Midwestern comfort food.” The beef is slow braised and served with mashed potatoes.

Garbanzo Bean Curry

A meal that’s “fragrant, but not overly spicy,” the Garbanzo Bean Curry is a vegan dish that packs a lot of flavor. It’s served over basmati rice with garbanzo beans, onions, peppers, curry sauce and coconut milk.

The entree is very popular with vegan students, but Sprunger says he thinks even students who aren’t vegan would really enjoy it. It’s offered every three weeks.

“That’s a dish that’s really really good that we can’t convince people to order,” Sprunger says.

Pork Dan Dan Noodles

Beyond the dining halls, the Wisconsin Union’s Badger Market in Ingraham Hall offers great food. They’re the only Badger Market on campus that serves hot food items for lunch, says Amy Smith, manager of Ingraham Hall Badger Market.

One of the most popular entrees at the Badger Market, and one of our personal favorites, is the Pork Dan Dan Noodles, which originates from Chinese Sichuan cuisine.

Something many students don’t realize is that the dining halls serve fresh ingredients.

Sichuan is a type of cooking from southwestern China that is known for being very spicy. While the Badger Market Dan Dan Noodles are likely not as spicy as those in southwestern China, the entree features a flavorful balance of peanuts, scallions, pork and a spicy sauce served over thick noodles. You can also get a vegetarian egg roll as a side.

The next time Pork Dan Dan Noodles will be offered at Badger Market is Tuesday, November 21.

Farmhouse Chicken

With juicy breaded chicken, savory mashed potatoes and creamy gravy, Badger Market’s Farmhouse Chicken truly tastes like a home cooked meal. Smith says the dish is their “Monday comfort food.”

The entree is one of the most popular at Badger Market. It’s offered in Ingraham Hall on select Mondays from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., unless they sell out.

Greek Plate

Another popular option at Badger Market is the Greek Plate. Choose from falafel or gyro meat on a pita, then top it off with tomato, onions, cucumbers and tzatziki sauce.

To explore more options, you can browse the menus on the University Housing website or the Badger Market website.