Dolci simmers in its new setting In spite of budget restrictions, student-run restaurant thrives

Author: Canem Ozyildirim

Middlebury's student-run restaurant, Dolci went through important changes this year; but despite its extremely loyal fan base, it kept an unusually low profile. That is not to say that there has been a decline of student interest towards Dolci; on the contrary, co-managers Jessica Clayton '09 and Brett Woelber '09.5 explained that students snatch the free diner tickets for each Dolci within the seconds of their release. But where was the constant buzz about Dolci this year?

Due to constructions in Proctor Dining Hall, Dolci's new home has been 51 Main at the Bridge. This new off-campus placement of the student organization shaped Dolci into something different, a bonafide gourmet restaurant running in one of the most handsome spaces in our little town of Middlebury.

"51 Main is the ideal restaurant atmosphere," Woelber explained, "and what is really advantageous from a culinary standpoint is that, unlike at Proctor, we can serve alcohol at 51 Main. A glass of nice wine or beer really complements a gourmet meal." However, it also forced certain inevitable changes on Dolci.

After moving to 51 Main, a general downsizing took place with regard to the pool of students who are working and eating at Dolci. Proctor, with a much larger kitchen and seating area, provides room for 36 more people and can employ twice as many people as compared to 51 Main St. Even though this change in venue dictates a decrease in the number of those who have the opportunity to learn about cooking, it has not undermined the importance of Dolci's mission.

"I definitely am not a gourmet chef," explained Woelber. Dolci has a staff advisor who mentors and teaches us how to cook. The head chef of 51 Main, Starrin Ricupero, has been an incredible support throughout the year in showing us what we need."

"Earlier this year, Dolci collaborated with 51 Main to throw a dinner for 40 trustees. It was pretty big and they seemed to have enjoyed it."

51 Main lends a unique atmosphere to Dolci, which helps the organization push their boundaries and evolve into something bigger. However, it is rather intriguing to consider what Dolci has to offer to 51 Main, the operation of which has spawned contentious debate this year. As the new social space strives to increase its profits and to survive, co-managers cite the value of the publicity brought by Dolci as irrefutable. "I think Dolci is a great way to disperse the talk about 51 Main among students," Woelber explained, "Those who come to have dinner at Dolci and enjoy the atmosphere are likely to come back to 51 Main on a regular night."

Another big change for Dolci was to move the traditional dinners from Friday night to Wednesdays. Every other Wednesday evening, between 5:30 pm and 7:00 pm, 51 Main closes its doors to everyone except 50 students who have fought the good fight for free Dolci tickets. The increased student demand is rooted in the change in frequency of the dinners once offered back in the Proctor days.

Caitlin Olson '09 recently went to Dolci. "I really like Dolci at 51 Main because it truly feels like a different dining experience," she said. "It is true that we are having them much less frequently; however, for me, the elegant atmosphere is worth the trade off."

Dolci is offering an interesting menu this week, in addition to beer parings for those who are over 21. "Most people have never tried most of these expensive beers from Belgium which are also the main ingredients of the food we are serving this week; for example, we included a celery lager soup in our menu," said Woelber.

"51 Main has given Dolci the opportunity to further experiment with interesting menus."

The administration, along with the managers of 51 Main and Dolci, is holding a meeting to discuss the future logistics of the restaurant. The results of these meetings will be covered in the next edition of The Campus.