VOL. 23, NO. 3	September 19, 1997

Record Photo by Eileen Barroso.

By Anne Canty

  "Faculty House is and should be a place where faculty can come together in a social setting, with each other, as well as with members of the broader university community," said Board member Sally Weiner, director of Columbia Art Properties and the Wallach Art Gallery. "There is no other place at Columbia that affords that opportunity in the same way."

  "Our objective," said Executive Vice President for Administration Emily Lloyd, "is to support the Faculty House Advisory Board in making the House more attractive and inviting for the faculty and other members of the Columbia community."

  Over the summer, historic photographs were used to recreate furniture arrangements in some of the rooms, and period fixtures and furnishings have been reconditioned to give the house a more classic look, in character with its 1927 opening. In improving the look of Faculty House, a premium was put on working with existing pieces, both from the point of view of finances and authenticity. Among the furnishings that were rediscovered are some elegant—though well-worn—tables by the English furniture-maker, Thonet. A test restoration of those and some other furnishings is currently being attempted.

An Improved Dining Experience—The esthetic and culinary refurbishments will be obvious after a visit to Faculty House this year. The DeWitt Clinton dining room on the fourth floor, pictured at left, offers a spectacular view to the east and lunch and dinner buffet. Record Photo by Eileen Barroso (above) and Joe Pineiro (below).

  Although the house—with two distinct dining options, a cocktail lounge, and six private rooms of varying sizes for meetings and parties—is geared to faculty, the public is welcome. And the new Faculty House should offer something to please every palate and pocket. The DeWitt Clinton Dining Room on the fourth floor offers a more formal business setting, with a view to the east that rivals the neighboring Terrace Restaurant, yet at a fraction of the price. Regular patrons of the dining room will be pleasantly surprised, not just by the systematic sprucing-up, but by a reduction in cost of the lunch buffet from $12.95 to $10.95.

  Prices in the newly renamed Garden Cafe on the third floor will also remain affordable—the average lunch time purchase is a reasonable $5 and change—but the choices and quality of the food have been greatly expanded, and the decor brightened.

  A new staff from the restaurant management company, Restaurant Associates was brought in to make these improvements. It includes Manager of Food Services Mark Romano, Executive Chef Pierre Corteville, and Director of Catering Arlene Phelan. Restaurant Associates has experience both in running university faculty clubs, such as Prospect House at Princeton, Rockefeller University, and the Harvard Business School; corporate and foundation dining rooms; and numerous fine restaurants like New York City's Four Seasons, Café Centro, and the SeaGrill. John Hogan, well-known to many on campus, will continue to supervise operations at Faculty House.

  "With the changes over the summer," said Ken Knuckles, who in his role as Vice President for Support Services is responsible for the overall administration of Faculty House, "we are aiming to combine the elegant history and tradition of the house with a new vitality. We hope that a more pleasant physical environment, and a healthier menu with greater variety will help Faculty House fulfill its important role in the life of the university."

  There are some discounts for those who take memberships in faculty house, but you don't have to join to purchase a meal there. Faculty House accepts cash and credit cards in both of its dining areas and the cocktail lounge.