After Dowling’s 19-year Food Service Director Mrs. Molly Ryan retired last year, we welcomed our new Food Service Director in August–Mr. Christopher Marsh. Since the first week of school, Mr. Marsh has developed the reputation of being the tall, bearded, friendly face in the lunch line who loudly asks, “Whatchu Want?” as students pass through the lunch line. While many students sheepishly object to his question, “Would you like vegetables with your Crispitos?” or turn their head when he asks “Want to try my new lasagna rolls?” most would still agree that his approachability and kindness are a positive interaction they look forward to every day in the lunchroom.
Mr. Christopher Marsh was born in California. When he was ten years old, his family moved to Colorado, where he first gained experience working in food service. At fourteen years old, he worked as a dishwasher at a tiny restaurant and then moved onto fast food and meal prep in high school. When Mr. Marsh was nineteen years old, he moved to Des Moines and began working at Johnny’s Italian Steakhouse, where he was the lead line cook for almost four years. After that, he earned the title of the Kitchen Supervisor at Prairie Meadow’s Triple Crown Buffet. Mr. Marsh has worked numerous food service jobs in Des Moines–even returning to Johnny’s as the Executive Sous Chef for three years– and earned his degree at DMACC’s Iowa Culinary Institute (ICI). Now, Mr. Marsh is settled in Des Moines with his wife, Alicia, and their three children: Allen (14), Jayce (12), and Raven (8). Allen is currently a freshman at Dowling Catholic.
Mr. Marsh shared with me that although Dowling is a private high school, the lunch program still receives state and federal funding, therefore requiring the lunch staff to follow the same strict regulations outlined for the public schools. For instance, students have to choose three of the five options to make a “Maroon Meal”: milk, protein, grain, fruit, and vegetable. This is only one example of the restrictions Mr. Marsh has to be cognizant of, as he has lists upon lists of regulations placed by the Iowa legislature.
These tight guidelines certainly make Mr. Marsh’s hopes and aspirations for the Dowling lunch program more easily said than done. Regardless, he has a tentative plan. As a result of Dowling’s extensive renovation projected to begin in the next couple of years, the lunch room will expand beyond the current tight quarters. Mr. Marsh predicts that the campus store will relocate and that area will be an extension to the lunch room, which he can utilize to set up his “buffet style” lunch. After these renovations take place, Mr. Marsh ultimately plans to “introduce culinary programs’’ and “move more towards scratch kitchen, home cooked meals.”
Unlike most public schools, Dowling does not offer a culinary class. This is largely due to a lack of space and resources. However, after Dowling’s remodeling, Mr. Marsh intends to “create a pro-start version to enhance the nutrition program at Dowling and teach kids about the different types of cuisine.” This would be a full credit course that would earn dual credit at DMACC’s Iowa Culinary Institute.
Additionally, Mr. Marsh hopes to move past the “chicken or pizza” reputation Dowling lunch has developed. His buffet-style lunchroom would provide numerous salads and sandwiches, taking form as a more sophisticated lunch menu for students with diverse palettes. The cashiers at the end of the buffets would still check the student’s plates to ensure they have created a Maroon Meal. After all, Mr. Marsh’s big plans still have to comply with Iowa high school lunch standards.
Our Food Service Director has already begun to incorporate the changes he hopes to see in the Dowling cafeteria. He has introduced new dishes, provided more sauces and dressings, and has pushed for greater overall variety in the lunchroom. Many of his new dishes have been a success, but he recognizes that some have seemingly failed. He laughingly shared with me that he “probably won’t be serving the lasagna rolls again.” Mr. Marsh emphasized how much he appreciates student feedback on his new recipes, as the opinions he hears in the lunch line help him form the menu for the next month.
While Mr. Marsh is certainly adamant about experimenting with new dishes, he hasn’t forgotten the fan favorites introduced by his predecessor, Mrs. Molly Ryan. Of course these include the Crispitos and Wild Mike’s Cheese Bites, but also Bosco Sticks, French bread pizza, and the classic breaded chicken sandwich. I asked Mr. Marsh what his school lunch of choice would be, and he quickly remarked, “obviously the Chicken Parmesan Sandwich.” He doesn’t think they taste bland like the Crispitos–in particular–do. Describing Crispitos as “bland” is certainly a hot-take and an opinion that I doubt many Dowling students share. Regardless, Mr. Marsh recognizes that many high schoolers are picky eaters, so he admits that it is important to sticking to the basics every now and then.
Many of “the basics” are exactly what every senior student hopes to see on the menu during their last semester of high school. Mrs. Molly Ryan always used to allow the seniors to choose the May lunch menu. Will Mr. Marsh continue this tradition? He shared with me, “Of course I will.” Thank you, Mr. Marsh!