Expo Suggests: Allegre

Nestled quietly in the corner of the Applied Technology building is one of Ball State University's hidden gems: The Allegre restaurant. This student-operated restaurant gives junior and senior dietetics and hospitality and food management students the chance to flex their culinary muscles, all while learning how to run a high-quality restaurant.

Upon entering Allegre, you are welcomed by the smell of a warm kitchen, filled with foods that delight your senses. On this day, the menu consisted of fresh rolls, apple cobbler and mashed sweet potatoes. These dishes, along with several others, will make up the 32 delicious menus this year.

The restaurant will present 16 meals this semester, eight Wednesday lunch menus and eight Thursday dinner menus. Each meal is themed with a different style cuisine. Some styles include Chicago Italian, Harvest Meal, Miami's Little Cuba, Julia Child's Kitchen, a Las Vegas Show Kitchen and Arizona-Mex Cucina, just to name a few.

Diners will enjoy the meal, no doubt, but the work put into each meal should be noticed. For each meal, two students serve as the restaurant managers. The team delegates everything from the menu to duty assignments. The personal investment in this class project is part of the charm behind Allegre. It is hard to remember during this restaurant experience that the chefs, servers, kitchen staff and, yes, managers are students.

Senior Stefanie Hancock says, "The meals become so personal." Hancock's culinary prowess will be displayed with her Arizona-Mex Cucina meal.

"Having our own meal is like running a real restaurant," she says. "The meal is on your shoulders."

The class is taught by Chef Deanna Pucciarelli who has years of restaurant experience, perfectly suiting her for this course. Her background is in nutrition, so Allegre patrons can be assured they are eating well-balanced meal.

Students can't find a much better deal than a meal at Allegre. Lunch is $6 for students and $12 for non-students, while dinner is $8 for students and $15 for non-students. Customers are served a three-course meal with two options to choose from. For example, the December 11th Arizona-Mex Cucina meal features tortilla soup or corn fritters and herb salsa for appetizers, main courses of blue-corn tortilla crusted salmon or stuffed pablano peppers and a chocolate chile torte with cayan whipped cream—now that's a meal.

Chef Pucciarelli says, "When you come to the restaurant, you are, I believe, getting the highest quality meal in Muncie."
Students wanting to experience Allegre firsthand might have some problems getting a seat this semester. Spring semester, however, is another story. Chef Pucciarelli suggests that students who wish to make a reservation schedule their meal online. Sign ups for meals begin around the sixth week of school. When that time rolls around, be sure to log on and reserve your seat in Ball State's premier restaurant. You won't be disappointed.