The beet

“Taste of the Town” continues to be the talk of the town in Wallkill CSD, NY. The Whitsons team ran another successful collaboration at school lunch with a popular local restaurant, teaming up with Magnanini Restaurant to bring their Italian cuisine renowned throughout the community into cafeterias throughout the school district.  

Students at all five schools in the district enjoyed an authentic Italian menu, similar to the family-style dinners Magnanini is known locally for. The menu included: 

• Fresh Homemade Tagliatelle Pasta tossed in Tomato, Basil, and Cream Sauce and topped with freshly grated Reggiano Parmigiano Cheese
• Chicken Breast in a Lemon Cream Sauce 
• Seasoned Steamed Broccoli with Butter 
• Warm Dinner Rolls 

This is the third “Taste of the Town” collaboration Marilyn DiGregorio, General Manager, and her team ran this school year in Wallkill. The previous two collaborations with local restaurants Handsome Devil BBQ and Hudson Taco created a buzz amongst students. That awareness and excitement has resulted in greater lunch participation, particularly for this, the final and largest “Taste of the Town” event of the school year. With the collaboration reaching all five schools in the district, meal participation increased between 17%-20% at each location.  

For each collaboration, Marilyn works diligently with the restaurant owner to ensure the menu they develop together meets National School Lunch Program (NSLP) nutritional standards – offering a Meat or Meat Alternate, a Grain, a Fruit, a Vegetable, and a fluid Milk.  Together, they ensure students can enjoy a “Taste of the Town” at school lunch, bringing fun and flavor from the community into their cafeterias.