I have written a lot about the food on campus and even downtown, so today I thought that it would be a good time to take a step back and talk about the people who are making and serving this food. There are some great people in the dining halls at Penn State and popular restaurants around town. I apologize in advance because I do not know many of these people’s names so some descriptions may not be very descriptive, but I will do my best.

First and foremost is April who works at the register at Redifer Common’s buffet. No matter how early you are there for breakfast April will always great you with a huge smile on her face and an air that life is good. She never fails to ask you about your day or to remind you to bring an umbrella with you if it is going to rain that day or the next. Another staple of Redifer is the woman who works at the register at Fresco y Caliente. I do not know her name, but she is sure to address you by your name with a huge smile on her face. You will never leave Fresco y Caliente without her best wishes to have a good day. Then, moving over to west I have found one of the only college age kids to rise to these ladies’ level with kindness and that is the girl who occasionally serves food at the west buffet. While most of the people who work there don’t say anything and go about their job, her voice is always upbeat and her face smiling. People like these are what makes dining at Penn State even better and can brighten your day at any time.

Another worker who I have recently talked to for the first time is a French chef and helps to explain some of the changes in menus. Almost every day Redifer serves the same food as it and the rest of the buffets do every week, but every once in a while, you’ll walk in to find a table of fresh muscles and fixings or a nice piece of meat. When this happens, it means that *insert name I do not know* is working tirelessly behind the scenes to make it happen. Another chef that makes his restaurant what it is is someone my friends and I call “The Falafel Man.” The Falafel Man runs the Halal cart downtown and his personality simply does not fit inside of the cart.  He’s always talking to you about something completely unrelated to Halal food and brings the energy demanded of late-night State College.

These are simply some of the people that have stood out to me in my day-to-day life and I’m sure there are many more people who deserve recognition out there too.