And what I learned is that hospital cafeteria food is vastly different than it was just a few years ago. Hospital after hospital offered me organic dishes, fresh-not-frozen meals, and local meats and produce.
And in a city like Portland, where foodies reign, hospitals are catching on to the food trends and could quickly become competition to the high-priced restaurants.
[Emphasis mine]
Who edits these articles!
Hey honey, where should we go for dinner? Hmm… Paley’s, Aviary, St. Jack? Oh, I know; let’s go to St. Vincent’s!
sidemeat says
right.a made for sidemeat response post
but my reply will be posted several cycles too late
or not at all.
Nope, not gonna do it.
L'epicier says
I agree with you Food Dude, hospitals are no challenge cuisine-wise. They are trying to offer fresher and healthier options, like fresh fruit and whole grains, but even organic stuff that sits in a steam table isn’t real tasty. At least they are acknowledging that since unhealthy food is the casue of many ailments, or at least part of the cause, they shouldn’t serve it. I think this makes a statement about the sad state of the poor Boregonian, that they are desperate to sell a few copies…
morris says
The last review I saw of hospital food was by a terribly anorexic teenager who started a blog, never ate any of the food, only took pictures of it and wrote what she thought it might taste like. Unlike recent Oregonian food writing she got better, started a career as a journalist and published a book. This should have been published on April 1.
johnny says
Funny you posted this today. I ate lunch at Legacy Meridian Parks cafeteria today and its possible it was the worst meal I ever paid for in my life!! The only way I would ever eat there again is if I was in a coma and the meal was a tube feeding it was really that bad!!
Kassie Halpin Robinson says
The breakfast burritos from room service at Tuality were honestly brilliant. I don’t know if they still have the same chef, but I will never forget the comfort of knowing I wouldn’t have to eat dry white rice and limp, flavorless vegetables like I had to at another hospital.
laura says
I was at OHSU hospital during dinner time yesterday, and the smell of mystery meat that permeated the corridors was enough to make me want to hurl. It even wafted into the MRI room, making it a full sensory experience!
Jill-O says
My experience here has been that hospital cafeteria food is not made by the same entities that make the food served to patients in their rooms. I logged a lot of time bedside at both Good Sam and Emanuel, both Legacy hospitals, and it was really obvious that Good Sam had better food for their patients. When I mentioned that to a doc (many of them float to various hospitals in the system) she confirmed that it is cooked/prepared at Good Sam, and it is delivered to/heated at Emanuel…to cut costs. I do not know for sure, but I would bet this is true for other hospitals in that system.
The cafeterias in both of those hospitals serve waaaay better food – good salad bar options and some nice other options as well. And yes, lots of local hospitals have locally made grab and go products and packaged baked goods, especially stuff like veggie/vegan/gluten-free options.
That said, why would anyone opt to eat at a hosp. cafeteria if there were better options nearby and the situation allowed for it? Yes, another pathetic piece from the Snoregonian…sigh.
sidemeat says
A hospital salad bar?
‘sneeze garde’ is a trademark,
not actually a vector control…
I’d rather prefer picking up third world diseases
while actually visiting third world countries….
There are times when a snickers for lunch is the best option.
Joanne says
I work at OHSU, and eat in the cafeteria at night (after midnight) at least 1 night a week. We have curries, local sourced lamb, and/or well prepared salmon as choices almost every night. Yes, there are also sad veggies on the steam table and mystery casserole, but you don’t have to work hard most nights to get a good meal. I can tell you that the nights we have shrimp curry or fish tacos it feels like the whole hospital staff is lined up down there. Coming from the Midwest where cafeteria food was unidentifiable glop, I am impressed at the options that exist here.
Diane says
The food I was served as a patient at OHSU in November was superb. I mean, I was floored. Even the salmon was perfectly cooked, and the strawberries were incredibly flavorful.
Rebecca says
Both the Providence in Mt Tabor area and Kaiser on Interstate’s cafeterias are just fine for lunch. In fact, they are better than much of the cart food that people get so excited about.
Nice piece of lean protein with some whole grains and salad – why knock it?
I used to go to St. Mary’s in San Francisco for breakfast with a view for about three dollars. It was kind of bland actually.
Food Dude says
Um, I’m knocking the comparison to hospitals being competition to the best restaurants in town.
Rebecca says
well, yes, that’s absurd. I would say, Kaiser P cafeteria is some serious competition for the White Eagle…
sidemeat says
depends, what are the metrics?…
neither one scores major points on food,
yet, each enjoys a certain freak factor
insofar as ‘the scene’ goes…
myself, I’m sorta fond of the ‘easy spirit’
sensible white casual pump look
so I have to go with Kaiser six nights
but if it’s casual pump tuesday
then I hafta go with the eagle….
besides, they let me run a tab…
C Tomlinson says
Kaiser Interstate offers excellent homemade food at very reasonable prices; $6 for a nice, thick slice of salmon with two sides. Their Shepherds Pie won great reviews from hubby who loved the cheesy top. Their salad bar is terrific, though the croissants are clearly frozen and not recommended. Food good enough that on occasion I’ve ordered extra and taken it home for supper!
pdxyogi says
Adventist carries Petunia’s vegan/gluten free baked goodies. That area is kind of a food desert, so the cafeteria is a welcome oasis.