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Pavilion manager Robert Lester had to point to a menu with Thursday's lunch item, which he could not pronounce but was very excited to taste.
Lester's enthusiasm for Qaubili Pilau carried over to the server, who gave students a free sample and urged them to eat it.
Already specializing in kosher and halal cuisine, the Pavilion dedicated this week's menus to specialized meals from around the globe in celebration of International Week.
Dartmouth's second annual International Week is an offshoot of the national initiative to prepare Americans for the global environment and attract future leaders from abroad to study in the United States, according to College officials.
Each lunch this week featured a different ethnic meal, including African American, Asian American, Latin American, Middle Eastern and European cuisine.
After assigning an ethnicity to each day based on a guide the International Office provided, the Pavilion staff gathered student input about which specific food items to make.
There was a big demand for Brazilian beef stew, a favorite from last year, Lester said.
Though the lunch crowds were not bigger than usual, Lester said he saw some new faces.
Meredith Russo '08 was pleased with the Szechuan Beef served on Asian-American Day and said, "it tasted more authentic than most of the Chinese food around here."
Last year, for International Week, each dining hall was assigned a day to cook for the theme, but this year the Pavilion did each day, since it is accustomed to creating different items regularly.
However the regularity of interesting dishes at the Pavilion made International Week less evident to students.
Russo, a regular at the Pavilion, realized the meals were special after buying her food, when she saw a sign advertising International Week.
She said she would have known if the meal was served in Food Court.
The low amount of publicity International Week received may also be to blame for this.
Students in the River, for instance, were not sent a BlitzMail message about the week's activities until Wednesday evening.
No outside chefs were used this week.
