Interior Masthead

school cafeteria

Dining Services Program

Friends Select School is excited to partner with CulinArt Group for our dining services program. CulinArt provides innovative dining solutions to help students and employees eat and live well. Made-to-order, handcrafted food is always the CulinArt way. 

Highlights of our dining services program at Friends Select:

  • Our Salad Bar is stocked full of the freshest seasonal produce with a variety of colors, flavors, and local ingredients.
  • The Chef’s Table features comfort-style hot entrees with warm side dishes.
  • At City Grill, students, faculty, and staff can sample favorite fare and try exciting new items, such as the meatless Beyond Burger.
  • The Rice Bowl is an everyday staple with steaming sticky rice and a variety of traditional Asian toppings and sauces.
  • At the Toasts of the Town station, students can create tasty combinations atop crisp toasted bread...think avocado or ricotta toast with fresh fruit and toppings.
  • Our hand-stretched pizza, Tuscan Specialties, and famous garlic knots are a crowd-pleaser. We will balance this station with healthier cauliflower and wheat based pizza dough.
  • At Downtown Deli, students can build their own sandwich with premium provisions, fresh-baked breads, and a variety of toppings and spreads.
  • Our Kettle Soup is always made from scratch.
  • From time to time, we will feature international micro concepts, such as Noodle Bowls, Bibimbap, and our Mexican Cocina Fresca.
  • From morning through 4:00 p.m., our Market Snacks retail area offers students, faculty, and staff a chance to purchase a nourishing and satisfying snack, quik pik sandwich, salad, fruit cup, parfait, or power pak.
  • Wellness Wednesdays and Try it Tuesdays will introduce students to new tastes while educating on the benefits of superfoods, eating more fruits and veggies, and how foods affect mood and balance.
  • To keep the dining program fresh and on-trend, we will host special events, including PopUp Café, Trend Tuesdays, Guest Chef Series, Smoky Roads Traveling BBQ, and visits from our Registered Dietitians and wellness experts.
  • We celebrate diversity through food, with special menus in recognition of cultural heritage months.
  • We like to have fun! Our dining services team will celebrate theme days like Halloween, Lunar New Year, NFL Opening Day, and many more.

Health and Wellness
CulinArt encourages students to maintain a healthy lifestyle—one that incorporates wholesome, balanced food choices, regular exercise, and an overall attention to living well.

Our signature “Eat Well” menu program is comprised of recipes that incorporate whole, naturally flavorful and nutritious foods prepared with healthful cooking methods. We use spices and herbs so that you get more of what you need—necessary nutrients, fabulous flavor, and pleasing presentation.

Our “Eat Well” from-scratch creations contain:

  • Beneficial sources of fat
  • Less than 10% of calories from saturated fat and 0 artificial trans fat
  • Less than 800mg of sodium per serving
  • Less than 8g of added sugar
  • At least 3g of dietary fiber per serving

All of CulinArt’s team members complete Food Allergy and Celiac Disease training, which is reviewed and certified by Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE) through their FARECheck program. Our goal is to provide every student, faculty, and staff member an exceptional and safe dining experience. If you have an allergen concern, always feel free to contact our dining services team.

We also make it easy to choose menu items that are right for you! Look for our vegetarian, vegan, Eat Well, and locally-sourced icons on menus and printed signage.

CulinArt’s team of registered dietitians and wellness consultants presents students with exciting and engaging educational moments throughout the school year. On “Wellness Wednesdays,” we focus on timely nutrition trends and themes. On “Try It Tuesdays,” we not only challenge students to taste something new and different, but we let them know how and why it’s beneficial to their health. Be on the lookout for special health and wellness promotions throughout each month. Be sure to say hello to our friendly wellness experts the next time they visit Friends Select.

Sustainable Solutions
CulinArt’s mission is to constantly evolve our culinary, social, and environmental practices, and to exceed your expectations, every day. By preparing delicious, high-quality food that meets ever-changing needs, we offer the best of all worlds: mouthwatering dishes that are exceedingly nutritious and also present the least amount of negative impact to our planet. 

Our sustainable solutions include:

  • Purchasing ingredients from local and regional sources as a first choice.
  • Sourcing proteins from suppliers that promote the humane welfare of farm animals. Our shell eggs are Certified Humane Cage-Free, and we source foods that are produced with minimal use of (or free from) chemicals and antibiotics.
  • Striving to source “Best Choice” and “Good Alternative” rated seafood according to the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch recommendations.
  • Reducing food production waste through our “Waste Not” kitchen tracking program.
  • Driving change from the inside out through Compass Group’s landmark commitment to reduce food waste by 25% by 2020, and a longer-term goal to reduce food waste 50% by 2030.

Students, faculty, and staff will enjoy a variety of sustainability-focused promotions and education throughout the school year, including Sustainable Seafood Month in October and Stop Food Waste Day and Earth Month in April. Our goal is to raise awareness and promote solutions that positively impact today’s students and generations to follow.