St. Lawrence Commons Dining Services

Dear Friend,

Come, sit higher!

Dining Services at Christendom College represents a private, in-house team of dedicated culinarians that strives to cultivate an environment that attends to every student’s needs through adherence to Christian hospitality. The community and fellowship that arises from sharing meals is an indispensable aspect of Campus Life and functions as a daily anchor point to bring us together for a common purpose. This recognition of the centrality of shared meals to Campus Life entrusts Dining Services with the duty to provide a communal space and a daily dining experience that fortifies and enhances each student’s sense of brotherhood, belonging, and fellowship as proud members of the Christendom College community. At St. Lawrence Commons, guests will find a variety of homestyle dishes as well as familiar choices reminiscent of popular American restaurants, rounded out with daily offerings from San Antonio’s Italian Bistro, a plentiful and varied Salad Bar, and allergen-specific options from The Grove station.

Commitment to Quality

We are committed to the careful sourcing of consistent, high-quality ingredients for daily meals. Our fresh fish and seafood comes from purveyor J.J. McDonnell, an industry leader in quality and sustainability. We make every effort to source organic fruit and vegetables from Coastal Sunbelt Produce based on seasonal availability, complemented by the organic Tractor juice blends we serve. Our grass-fed, Black Angus beef comes from Cottonwood Ranch, a local farm headquartered just across the street from campus, specially butchered for our needs. Seed oils are not used for any preparations other than deep frying; instead, extra-virgin olive and avocado oils are used in every recipe. All our recipes are also free of MSG, barring some limited pre-prepared food items. We utilize only fresh shell eggs and liquid eggs—no powdered eggs are used in any preparation.

Allergen and Dietary Restrictions

Christendom is particularly committed to providing safe and healthy dietary accommodations for students with food allergies, food sensitivities, and unique dietary needs. To that end, there are always gluten and dairy-free options available at every meal on every station including the Main Line, Deli, Salad, and Pizza stations. The gluten-free area includes a fridge full of grab-and-go Udi’s muffins, bagels, sliced bread, brownies, and English muffins alongside a dedicated gluten-free toaster and waffle maker. Dairy-free milk alternatives including soy, rice, and oat milk are available on the same station. Additionally, we operate as a nut-free kitchen; no nuts are used in any preparation. The Grove station provides allergen-specific options for those students on the Accommodations list. Should a student have severe allergies or dietary restrictions, they may reach out to the Director of Operations, Mr. Tom Heim, to apply for an official accommodation letter to access options from The Grove. Learn more about our accommodation services here.

What Hospitality Means to Us

At St. Lawrence Commons, we focus on one word from the Christendom’s broader motto “To Restore All Things in Christ.” The verb “restore” means to bring back a previous, good state of being. We understand that eating together reminds us of the kitchen table, the hallmark of home, and produces a sense of familial belonging. Here in Dining Services, “Restore” means that we strive to cultivate an environment centered around nourishing, comforting meals that recalls and revives the sense of belonging, familiarity, and fellowship found around the kitchen table at home.

We look forward to welcoming you soon.

Sincerely yours,

Stephen Bieker, Executive Chef stephen.bieker@christendom.edu
Karl Foeckler, Kitchen Manager karl.foeckler@christendom.edu
Tom Heim, Director of Operations tom.heim@christendom.edu

Office Phone: 540.551.9208
Fax: 540.636.1655
Address: 134 Christendom Drive, Front Royal, Virginia 22630

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