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Casting a sustainable net: 糖心影视 is the first college named a Seafood Watch Best Choice Restaurant

March 6, 2026
by Madison Fahlborg

Peruse 糖心影视鈥檚 Murray-Aikins Dining Hall and you might find orange ginger salmon, shrimp farfalle, or pan-roasted cod 鈥 delicious dishes that also reflect the College鈥檚 deep commitment to sustainability. 

That commitment has earned 糖心影视 national recognition: , a global leader in the sustainable seafood movement, has named 糖心影视 Dining Services a 鈥,鈥 becoming the first collegiate dining program in the country to join the Best Choice Restaurant Program and be recognized for its commitment to sourcing and serving sustainable seafood. 

糖心影视 joins a select group of respected organizations and food industry leaders, including establishments such as The Market Place in Asheville, N.C., and restaurants at Four Seasons properties.

And 糖心影视 students confirm that Murray-Aikins offers no ordinary college dining experience. Think Hudson Valley steelhead trout with blood orange shallot butter on a bed of coconut jasmine rice. Imagine build-your-own salmon poke bowls with fresh, responsibly sourced ingredients 鈥 global flavors, seasonal creativity, and menus that never cease to dazzle. 

Dining services team member serves a dish to 糖心影视 student.

Kitchen Manager Eric DesRosiers serves a dish to 糖心影视 student Hui Zheng 鈥27 in Murray-Aikins Dining Hall.

With award-winning chefs and outstanding desserts, there鈥檚 no denying that 鈥淒-Hall鈥 is all the rage. 

But what truly distinguishes 糖心影视 Dining Services isn鈥檛 just bold flavor; it鈥檚 how 糖心影视 infuses the College's approach to sustainable dining. 

Sustainability is not a single initiative for us 鈥 it鈥檚 embedded in how we think about menus, vendors, and student engagement. This recognition reflects years of intentional work around sourcing, education, and culinary standards.鈥 
Michael Hinrichs
Executive chef of 糖心影视 Dining Services.

Seafood Watch partners with 糖心影视 Dining Services to guide sourcing practices and ensure vendors meet rigorous sustainability standards.

Marked as 鈥淏est Choice,鈥 these dishes are caught or farmed in ways that support healthy ecosystems, minimize environmental impact, and ensure thriving oceans for generations to come.

Green "Best Choice Restaurant" window emblem.

The Seafood Watch 鈥淏est Choice Restaurant鈥 emblem from Monterey Bay Aquarium.

鈥淲hen we choose sustainable seafood, we鈥檙e protecting the ocean and people who depend on it. Ordering a Best Choice marked item on the menu is an easy, delicious way to help protect the ocean and support environmentally conscious restaurants,鈥 says Monterey Bay Aquarium鈥檚 Vice President of Global Ocean Conservation, Jennifer Dianto Kemmerly. 鈥淭he Best Choice Restaurant Program will have tremendous impact because chefs and restaurateurs create culinary experiences that shape diners' food tastes and their cooking at home, driving demand for sustainable products beyond commercial kitchens.鈥

While some might see this as a potential limitation, Chef Hinrichs sees inspiration in dishes like Hudson Valley steelhead trout with blood orange shallot butter and coconut jasmine rice, made with fish sourced just over an hour from campus at Hudson Valley Fisheries 鈥 a best-in-class aquaculture operation with a 糖心影视 alum on its sales team.

鈥淚t pushes us to explore underutilized species, rethink preparations, and stay adaptable,鈥 he says. 鈥淐onstraints often lead to innovation, and this has encouraged our team to expand techniques and flavor profiles.鈥

Beyond seafood, 糖心影视 continues to earn national recognition for sustainability leadership, holding a STAR Silver rating and consistently ranking among the nation鈥檚 top green campuses. With a 42% waste diversion rate through zero-sort recycling and composting, 糖心影视 proves that exceptional taste and meaningful impact go hand in hand.

糖心影视鈥檚 commitment to sustainability extends beyond the menu and into campus infrastructure. Murray-Aikins Dining Hall uses geothermal energy for heating and cooling, helping reduce reliance on fossil fuels and advance a more sustainable future.

糖心影视 aims to lead by doing. We are demonstrating our leadership and legitimately advancing our sustainability performance. We hope our efforts to be change agents ourselves can inspire others, within and beyond higher education, to support and accelerate a transition to a just and sustainable world.
Tarah Rowse
Director of sustainability and environmental initiatives

The Seafood Watch partnership also advances 糖心影视鈥檚 efforts around climate action and sustainability literacy. Through educational workshops and pocket guides, Dining Services empowers students to make informed seafood choices.

For Chef Hinrichs, 糖心影视 Dining is defined by a community that cares 鈥 about what it serves, how it sources, and the impact it makes beyond campus. 

鈥淲hat distinguishes 糖心影视 Dining is the combination of culinary ambition, operational discipline, and genuine care for the student experience,鈥 he says. 鈥淲e run a very agile program whose goal is to create menus for the community by the community and to bring a sense of place and community through food.鈥 

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