Photo By Cpl. Christopher Johns | Eric Runningpath, the lead dancer with the Intertribal Dancers out of San Diego,...... read more read more
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MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. – The best Marine Corps mess halls throughout the world are competing for the coveted Maj. Gen. W.P.T. Hill Award for Food Service Excellence competition to recognize the best mess hall in the Marine Corps.
Gonzales Hall, winner of the Best of the West mess hall competition, welcomed judges for the award into its facility for the second time in the past two years, aboard Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif., Nov. 16.
Judges and Marines alike had the opportunity to enjoy a Native American Heritage Month-themed meal, as dancers with the Intertribal Dancers performed to the drums and songs of Falling Rock, a group of Native American musicians and singers.
Themed meals, however, are not the only meals offered at the mess hall.
“We also offer a [variety] of different foods and services to the Marines here, like a Mongolian bar and sizzling salad bar among other foods, explained Pfc. Liz Barrera, a food service specialist with Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron and an Oklahoma City, native. “We’ve brought a lot of new things to the chow hall and we’ve improved from when I first got here.”
After having won a preliminary competition in their regions, winning mess halls must work even harder to prepare for the next step to be the Corps’ best. Judges look at food preparation, sanitation, paper work, training for the Marines and much more.
“This is the Super Bowl for us,” said Maj. Richard Kohler, the director of food services and subsistence program with Headquarters Marine Corps and a Marion, Ohio, native. “At this point in the game, it’s the smallest details we are looking for, because everyone is at the top of their game.”
The team at Gonzales Hall works hard all year to keep Marines coming back to eat, competition or no competition.
“It’s very busy [back in the kitchen,]” said Barrera. “You learn a lot. You have to follow the menu and your hard cards exactly. Sometimes [we] could be put onto two main items and you really have to know what you’re doing. We put in a lot of hours to prepare the food for the Marines to come here and enjoy.”
After the competition has concluded the results will be posted early January of next year, with judges looking for something special about the winner.
“What my motto is as a director is to be the Marines first service,” said Kohler. “Making sure that Marines get the best food that they can … One of the things I like about this facility is the building itself and the cooks. The cooks themselves are very motivated, they have a positive attitude. You can tell how they interact amongst themselves but more importantly how they interact with their civilian counterparts. They both have the same mindset that the most important person in the building is the person coming through the serving line.”
| Date Taken: | 11.16.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 11.19.2012 18:59 |
| Story ID: | 98112 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, CA, US |
| Hometown: | SAN DIEGO, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 161 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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