New Lunch Entrees in the Snack Bar

New cooks in the kitchen and treats for the taste buds!

We are pleased to announce that the campus Snack Bar will now feature several “global cuisine” offerings at lunch time. There will be vegan and vegetarian items available to purchase.

Vrinda Quintero of Areperia831 catering will be cooking Latin-inspired dishes on Mondays and Wednesdays.

“My cooking influence is mostly Venezuelan,” commented Quintero, “but I also make a lot of Indian food and Chinese food, which I learned while I lived in those countries. I started cooking as a way to create community. That is to say my catering and pop-up business are a social enterprise, meaning the success of the business is not only measured in financial gains but also in social an environmental impacts. So we have different projects supporting schools, community clean-up and other nonprofits. I, for most part of it, make everything from scratch (even our vegan mayo). As much as I can I buy organic and local produce. My dishes are generally vegan, with cheese offered as an add-on.”

On Tuesdays, Lakia Queen of Alkebulan catering will be preparing dishes from the continent of Africa, mainly from the countries of Eritrea, Ethiopia, Sudan, Tanzania and Kenya. On Thursdays, she’ll prepare familiar American fare.

”My journey with cooking for others began with cooking for friends and then gatherings, then finally as a passion/hobby/business,” said Queen. “One of my first cooking jobs was in a vegan, vegetarian raw organic food restaurant in San Diego, where I learned to really prepare healthy meals for people interested in eating for mind, body, soul and balance. Currently, I am preparing cuisine with the same insight around creating healthy-balanced meals for the mind and body, but we also focus on sharing traditional cultural foods from the continent of Africa.”

Our Menu:

Monday: Arroz con pollo bowl (rice and jackfruit “chicken”), served with black beans and option to add a side of arepita (a versatile corn cake).

Tuesday offerings will include:

  • Sudanese Red Lentil soup
  • Babaganoush (eggplant puree with veggies, herbs and spices)
  • Salega, a dish of steamed cabbage, carrots and potatoes in cumin curry
  • Green salad with colorful vegetables
  • Zigni, an Ethiopian-style marinara with a hint of Berbere spice blend
  • Injera or Ethiopian crepe-like bread made from Teff, and an ancient power grain, high in minerals and protein

Wednesday: Tacos with an option to add a side of salad or slaw.

Thursday: Homemade macaroni and cheese, or “chick’n” salad, with an option to add a side of green salad.

Friday – We will continue to offer burritos (veggie, bean and cheese, or potato) from El Azteca Mexican Restaurant in Watsonville.

Preorders are required, sign-ups are online through the school website. Orders will close on Wednesdays for the following week’s menu. The menu may change monthly. Entrees will cost $5-$7, with sides starting at $3 each.

Bon Appétit!

Order Today

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Contact: Leigh Ann Clifton, Director of Marketing & Communications,

Nestled among the redwoods on 355 mountaintop acres, Mount Madonna is a safe and nurturing college-preparatory school that supports students in becoming caring, self-aware and articulate critical thinkers, who are prepared to meet challenges with perseverance, creativity and integrity. The CAIS and WASC accredited program emphasizes academic excellence, creative self-expression and positive character development. Located on Summit Road between Gilroy and Watsonville