Caltech Dining Scoop - New Red Door Items? (UPDATED)

Regardless of whether you’re an early bird or a night owl, you have probably noticed a difference or two in the Red Door menu this term. The breakfast menu offers a brand new Blueberry Waffle dish, the Pulled Pork Sandwich was swapped out for a Ham Mozzarella one, and the Corndog has become a new nighttime favorite. What’s up with the sudden change? Are these new items here to stay?

“So these are things we are rotating! What we try to do is every term we will bring in something new for everyone in our community to enjoy,” RD Marketplace Operations Manager, Eddie Hurtado shared in an interview. “For summer, we want to bring back tasty, fruity options that are available seasonally [such as] the Berry Salad, or the Peach Salad.”

It certainly seems like this rotation is popular among undergraduates! There’s been a mix of reviews about the blueberry waffles and the ham mozzarella sandwiches (doesn’t the ham mozz remind you of the Caprese… just with ham instead of tomatoes?), but no one can deny the corndog frenzy that has swept the campus. CDS General Manager Frances Yokota attests to this popularity, “Kids are asking for it during the day! But then it wouldn’t be special.”

Hopefully the variety keeps the Red Door menu appealing to students for the rest of term! However, many students agree that they find certain menu additions to be unappetizing… such as surprise grasshoppers in their shakshuka. Ann Zhu (ChE ‘24, Avery) recounts the traumatic moment when she identified the unwelcome guest. “I moved a piece of garlic bread and realized ‘Oh, there is something underneath my garlic bread!’” Since the incident, she has been too anxious to order her favorite breakfast item again.

Both Frances and Eddie were astonished at this news. One plan to prevent any future surprises is for lids to remain on top of any sauces as much as possible when not being served. “Dining Services does our best to provide the best service and quality of food for everyone in our community, and we’re going to make sure that this issue does not happen again, “ Eddie promises. Even though this has been an isolated event so far, CDS staff have doubled down on stopping any more grasshopper invasions, and they encourage any students who experience similar incidents to report them immediately!

Has a bug showed up in your food? Will the corndogs remain in style? Only time YOU will tell! Contact your House Food Comm representative(s) with your thoughts or opinions about any food served on campus, or feel free to fill out our online feedback form at https://bit.ly/caltechfoodfeedback