New Head Chef Cooks Up Culinary Delights In Lender Refectory

Hamden Hall students and faculty have been treated to fine dining this school year thanks to the cuisine being served by head chef Anthony Groh.

Anthony came to Hamden Hall by way of the Four Seasons Hotel chain and Omni Hotels, both of which allowed him to travel the world and expand his culinary skills. Anthony attended SUNY Cobleskill and graduated in 2005 with a degree in restaurant management and culinary arts.

“An opportunity like Hamden Hall hardly ever presents itself to a chef during their career,” explained Anthony. “It was the right situation at the right time as my wife wanted to see me more. Hamden Hall allows me the chance to work 9 to 5, Monday through Friday.”

Feeding an entire school community doesn’t seem to daunt Anthony, who maintains that organization is key (not to mention good cooking skills!).

“There is an order to which you cook your starches, vegetables, and meats. The main thing is to never lose focus on what your daily tasks are and to be smart while preparing the day’s feast,” he said.

And feasts there have been! With the addition of Anthony to the Lender Refectory food service staff, lunches have been “beefed” up with all sorts of offerings, from eggplant rollatini to pesto sauce to chicken coq au vin. Side dishes include more seasonal vegetables and fresh fruit. Desserts such as “dirt cake” have also been on the menu, which is a weekly collaboration between Anthony and Food Service Manager Valerie Bossie.

“We have been trying healthier foods as well as vegetarian options. Really there are no restrictions to what we can put on the menu which is why we like feedback from teachers and students to help us broaden our menu even further,” said Anthony.

Having once worked solely with vegetarian food, Anthony is eager to continue offering a variety of vegetarian meals. He maintains that his ultimate goal is to cook something that ends up being a new favorite in a student’s diet.

“My goal is to make food that appeals to the kids so much that in 10 years when they are eating at a restaurant, they are able to compare their cafeteria food to the meal they are having at that point of time,” he said.

Anthony noted that it can be difficult to lure students out of the pizza and chicken nugget mode that many fall into – but that’s the challenge of working with young people. To meet standard requirements for nutrition, Anthony incorporates a healthier starch and vegetable to balance out an offering such as fried chicken or fish.

“It’s more fun making a unique dish that is healthy and seeing staff and kids enjoy it,” he said.