June 15th was the night. Seniors came together to clink glasses and experience a once-in-a-lifetime dinner under the stars in Stanford’s historic Main Quad at the 19th annual Senior Dinner on the Quad. Stanford Hospitality's catering team collaborated with the Stanford Alumni Association to produce the signature event.
“We were proud to be part of this celebratory Stanford tradition and pulled out all the culinary stops to give our graduating students a night to remember,” said Michael Gratz, executive director of Residential & Dining Enterprises (R&DE) Hospitality & Auxiliaries.
Serving 1,800 guests in the middle of the Main Quad sounds like it has a high degree of difficulty. Not so, said Chef Andrew Mayne, senior associate director of Culinary Arts for R&DE Hospitality & Auxiliaries “At Stanford R&DE we have a one-time mindset. On this night we all come together. It’s really just about staying on top of what we do and making sure everything is where it needs to be so that the event runs seamlessly,” he said.
Mayne makes it sound easy but planning typically begins six months in advance. After countless hours of menu planning and project coordination, one would wonder, how does Senior Dinner on the Quad stack up, pound for pound?
24: The number of hours required for set up, including building an elaborate onsite outdoor kitchen
2: The number of signature cocktails – “Cardinal Cooler” (Moscow Mule) and “Palm Drive” (Rum and Pineapple)—served at the garden party reception
1800: The number of chairs needed to transform Main Quad into an alfresco wonderland with Memorial Church, the university’s crown jewel, as the backdrop
450: The number of red and white Gerbera daisies blooming from the table centerpieces
4.5: The number of hours the event ran (6:30 – 11 p.m.)
30: The number of Stanford Dining and Hospitality chefs behind the evening's fabulous food
25: The number of Stanford Dining and Hospitality managers who worked the event
125: The number of servers who delivered the formal three-course dinner
300: The number of pounds of beets (organic and sourced locally, of course) for the family-style salad
600: The number of pounds of potatoes peeled for the truffle mashed potatoes
200: The number of quarts of crème added to the truffle mashed potatoes
20: The number of gallons of balsamic demi-glace drizzled over the main course, grilled tenderloin
17 percent: Attendees who opted for a vegetarian entree
0: The number of “freak out moments” experienced by Team SDOTQ. “We always have our head in the game,” said native New Zealander Mayne,
displaying his trademark Kiwi cool. “We never take it out.”
Want to see the night come alive? Watch the Senior Dinner on the Quad featurette.
