New semester, new students, new dorms, and new memories to create at “1851,” Florida State University’s new dining facility. The eateries that comprise 1851 are set to open on August 28, the first day of the fall 2017 semester.
Unique to campus, 1851 is designed to be on the leading edge of a national trend, with expanded meal options emphasizing fresh and healthy food that is locally sourced. It consists of four “micro-restaurants” and a convenience store, all in one spacious 24,000-square-foot facility. The university’s third major dining facility, 1851 will join the Seminole Café (formerly known as Fresh Foods) and the Suwannee Room. Built on West Jefferson Street, 1851 has a convenient, central campus location.
At FSU, there is nothing else like 1851. Constructed as part of one of the newest residence halls — Azalea Hall —1851 was designed to serve not only students, faculty and staff, but visitors and members of the community as well. Its look, feel, and menu items are created specifically for the university as part of a program called “FSUnique.” It’s a recipe that the Seminole dining team predicts will take FSU’s food service program to the next level.
The four-featured micro-restaurants at 1851 are: Noles Homecoming, JStreet Grill, Passport, Tuscan Eatery, and its convenience store; The Canteen.
If you are craving that home-cooked meal, you can dine at Noles Homecoming, where recipes by celebrity chef Art Smith, a culinary ambassador and alumnus of FSU, are used. These include omelets and custom breakfast sandwiches in the morning, carving stations, rotisserie and fried chicken, and more. If you want comfort food, this is the place.
If you are craving a juicy burger, be sure to stop by and grab one at JStreet Grill. Home of the “JStreet Burger,” an eight ounce patty of Angus and ground chuck topped with a five-cheese mac and cheese blend, fresh pickles, arugula, and served on a house-baked brioche bun. For your side, you can order some fresh cut potatoes or sweet potato fries. As for a drink, try one the hand-spun milkshakes.
If you are looking for healthy or international food options, dine at Passport, where you can create a healthy rice bowl, stir fry, or pho. This micro-restaurant also offers delicious world flavors such as Indian food, Mediterranean, Latin American and regional American.
It’s date night, but you live on campus and have no car. No worries, try Tuscan Eatery for some Italian fare. Chefs created a signature sauce and paired it with pizza, pasta, and meatballs. Their pizza is a 12-inch, stretched flatbread pie that gets perfectly crispy on the bottom — yum! They also serve delightfully cheesy lasagna, paninis, spaghetti and more.
Lastly, the convenience store provides more than just snacks. At The Canteen, you can create your own salads, purchase fountain drinks, refrigerated foods, or a cup of coffee from local business RedEye Coffee.
While the food is an amazing factor, the décor for the micro-restaurants is just as impressive. At Passport, notice how green and white are the prominent colors, which is designed to give guests an eco-friendly vibe. While over at JStreet, it is more urban, containing chalk walls and garage doors that open up to outside seating. Also, over by Tuscany Eatery, expect the large windows to open as doors when the weather gets cool.
The modern facility can seat up to 450 people with seating on the first floor, second floor and outside. A lot of thought was put into the spaces functionality, while making sure it felt welcoming. Near the restrooms and under the staircase, there are hideaway/study areas, making the perfect spot for relaxing while snacking or studying.
The goal is for this new dining area is to be one of the top college dining locations in the nation. 1851 was designed by architectural firms Gilchrist Ross Crowe of Tallahassee and The Collaborative of Toledo, Ohio. Travis Johnson, executive chef of food services for the 30 Seminole Dining locations across campus, said Florida State’s team of chefs, dietitians, sustainability experts and marketing gurus nailed the concept at 1851.
“We have one of the best teams in college dining in the country,” Johnson said. “Yesterday someone walked in here and said, ‘this is the best burger I’ve ever eaten.’ When you hear that kind of comment, you know all the planning – the culinary choices, marketing ideas, discussions and dietitians – has really paid off.”
Operated by Seminole Dining and Sodexo, hours at 1851 will vary.
Generally, 1851 will be open Monday – Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. and Sunday, 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
1851 accepts Seminole Dining meal plans with the VIP option, Flex Bucks, Garnet Bucks, cash, credit and debit.