As TV chef Emeril Lagasse would say, "Bam!" Eliot and Kirkland residents returning this fall found dining hall service areas straight off a Food Network set, supported by kitchens run like a high-tech assembly line.

But the shiny areas students can see are just the tip of the iceberg lettuce. Soon most undergraduate Houses will be renovated on the model of Eliot and Kirkland, designed by a collective effort at Harvard University Dining Services (HUDS) and built on the cutting edge of institutional cooking.

The project was headed by Lenny Condenzio, an associate director at HUDS who also led renovations at Annenberg Hall and in Adams House in the last five years.

The Eliot and Kirkland renovations have drawn rave reviews from students, but Condenzio says that the process of transforming two well-worn kitchens into models for the entire food service industry--all in 11 weeks--is one that could only have been done with lots of help.

"You can't be successful here at Harvard unless you involve everyone," Condenzio says with the pride of a father. "It's important that I have lots of names in this article."

Setting the Stage

The seeds for the drastic changes at Eliot and Kirkland were first laid at a retreat for HUDS management held two years ago.

Now known infamously among HUDS circles simply as "Cranwell"--for the name of the facility where the retreat was held--the event gave the management team and then-incoming HUDS Director Ted A. Mayer an opportunity to brainstorm about the future of HUDS.

The question they asked was "What do we want to look like in 10 years from now" says Alixandra E. McNitt, assistant director for marketing and communications for HUDS.