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Goudy Commons returns this fall with new cuisine

by Jennifer Johnson,

Walk into Goudy Commons Cafe and you’ll see an immediate difference from last year — black and grey paint covers the wood wrapping around service stations, and display cases replace a self-serve sandwich area.

After a few months of intense construction, the cafe that attracts staff from the state capitol and hospital is back with more delicious offerings from Cafe Bon Appetit than before. 

Goudy Commons
Before the renovation

But of all the notable changes — including new operating hours at other Willamette eateries — one of the biggest is Goudy’s change to all-you-care-to-eat board plan.

Here’s a preview of the new menu and pricing for faculty, staff and students (not on a board plan):

Breakfast: $4.85

Find warm pastries and build-your-own parfaits along with basics like hot and cold cereals with a toppings bar. Bagels with a selection of schmears and toppings will be available, as will a new breakfast bowl station and gluten and nut-free pastries.

Goudy will offer two hot breakfast lines; a specialty station that dishes up fun items like frittatas or roasted sweet potatoes, and another that hosts more traditional fare, like scrambled eggs and sausage.

Brunch on the weekends will feature a make your own waffle bar, deli station with hot sandwiches and salad, entrees featuring pasta bakes, whole roasted meats and seasonal vegetables as well as our traditional breakfast fare. 

Lunch: $7

New culinary themes will appear at both lunch and dinner this year.

Cavolo’s team is exploring Latin food that extends beyond beans and rice — think street tacos, taco salads — as well as some Kaneko favorites like handrolls, maki sushi and Japanese curry bowls. Kory Williams, the Sous Chef at Kaneko, is now working at Goudy and will contribute his expertise to the new menu.

The salad selection is bigger than ever and now available next to the Hearth station. Diners can build their own salads, choose from composed, or a pre-plated salad created by the culinary staff. The Deli station, Leaf and Loaf, features pre-made sandwiches which can now be toasted or pressed as a panini and add pickled veggies or homemade chips to round out the meal.  

Dinner: $8.15

Goudy’s signature stations have transformed.

At “Char” find protein options besides burgers and chicken strips — like smashburgers, grilled chicken and fish — while “Silken Road” hosts more Middle Eastern and Asian-style cuisines that will be devoted to healthier, balanced meals with lean proteins, two-thirds vegetables and one-third grains or healthy carbohydrates.

One of the most anticipated changes to dinner and lunch service is the addition of a new electric oven designed and made in Italy. Expected to be installed by winter break, the higher-temperature oven presents more exciting possibilities, such as Sicilian-style pizzas, focaccia bread and open-faced sandwiches, not to mention a bigger variety of traditional round pizzas and the option of pasta bakes.

The Bon Appetit team welcomes everyone back to Goudy and they are very excited to showcase what the culinary team can create in the new space!  

Hours of operation

Goudy Commons

  • Monday–Friday:
    • Breakfast: 7–10 a.m.
    • Lunch: 11 a.m.–2 p.m.
    • Dinner: 5–8 p.m.
  • Weekends: 9 a.m.–1:30 p.m.

Blitz Market 

  • Monday–Thursday: 8 a.m.–8 p.m.
  • Friday: 8 a.m.–10 p.m.
  • Saturday: 4–10 p.m.
  • Sunday: 4–8 p.m.

Smaller bites of food — pastries, house made donuts, and other morning favorites — will be offered here along with drip coffee options. Robust grab and go offerings plus the option to by grocery/beverage items in bulk. 

Rick’s Cafe

  • Monday–Thursday: 7:30 a.m.–4 p.m. 
  • Friday: 7:30 a.m.–3 p.m.

Kaneko Commons

Closed, but expected to reopen fall 2022

About Willamette University

Our historic campus next to the State Capitol in Salem houses a renowned residential liberal arts college, and our downtown Portland campus houses the flagship Pacific Northwest College of Art. Professional graduate programs in Portland and Salem include the Northwest's oldest law school, Oregon's top-ranked MBA program, MA and MFA programs in the arts, writing and critical studies, and our Computing and Data Science program.

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