After closing for a year of renovations, the small kitchen in the basement of Dunster’s C entryway flicked on its Auto fryer last night, sending smells of warm grease wafting into the rainy night air and signaling the return of a once sacred tradition: the Dunster House Grille.

With a brand new kitchen, equally fresh menu, and a team of five managers, members of the Dunster House Committee (HoCo) are looking forward to overseeing a new and improved Grille.

“This has been something that’s a long time in the making,” said HoCo President Shaka J. Bahadu ’04 at the re-inauguration, “There are a lot of hurdles to running an operation like this and we finally jumped the last one tonight.”

The first hurdle was to recruit a team of managers to oversee the business end of the Grille.

“Basically, Shaka sent out an e-mail over the [House] list and asked who wanted to help out with the Grille. Five of us replied and after a about a month we’re up and running,” said Mary J. Widmeyer ’05, one of the managers.

The other managers include David E. Cohen ’06, Jamil Farbes ’04, and Leone E. Price ’06, who, amidst prepping for the initial rush of orders, expressed excitement for the big night.

“I’ve been really excited the whole day,” Price said. “I live right above the grille and it will be easy for me to come down and hang out. It should become the place to be on this part of campus.”

Neighboring Mather and Leverett Houses do not currently have similar eateries.

The managers are hoping that the Dunster Grille will become a hot spot for late night food for the river houses and help to fortify house community.

“I think it would be really cool for this to help build house spirit,” Widmeyer said.

HoCo treasurer David Stahl ’04— the inspiration for the “Fat Dave” sandwich of philly steak, cheese, mozzarella sticks, chicken fingers and fries, all inside a warm bun—was also present for the premiere.

“Hoco is excited about this new addition to Dunster House life,” said a hungry Stahl.

According to Cohen, the Grille will also feature half price sides for Monday Night Football.

The menu of sides includes fries, curly fries, chicken fingers, buffalo chicken fingers and mozzarella sticks, which seemed to be a popular item last night.

Several hungry grille-goers also expressed excitement about the Oreo shakes.

Zach D. Liscow ’05 said he was “pleasantly surprised by the number of options.”

And Margaret C.D. Barusch ’06 said she was excited about the bargain prices for food.

At five dollars, the “Fat Dave” is the most expensive item on the menu, or as Pat Swieskowski ’06 put it, “The lobster of the Dunster House Grille.”

John S. Denton ’06, between bites of his “Da Pimp sandwich” said that he was looking forward to becoming a regular at the grille.

“The Dining hall closes at 7:15 and I get the munchies around 10,” Denton said.

— Staff Writer Wendy D. Widman can be reached at widman@fas.harvard.edu.