Chef Cooks up Connections with Students

Cafeteria Chef Manager Oscar Sanclemente prepares a meal, Dec. 2, 2019. (Jagger W. ’26)

Cafeteria Chef Manager Oscar Sanclemente’s days are packed, starting at 5:00 a.m. and ending in the evening as late as 9:00 p.m., depending on the day. 

“He’s a really good chef. He’s very loyal and knows what he’s doing,” cook Chenise Reid said. “He puts out very good food. I’m very satisfied with his abilities.” 

Mr. Sanclemente has had 12 years of culinary experience, starting at the Culinary Academy of New York where he studied from 2008 to 2009. 

 “I didn’t even know that I wanted to be a chef,” Mr. Sanclemente said. “I was just trying to find a good job that would turn into a career, and shortly after that I started working in restaurants,” he said.

As he grew more experienced with restaurant life, Mr Sanclemente discovered that he loved cooking. He broadened his talents, cooking in a variety of restaurants and bars as well as catering services before coming to Browning.

At the School, Mr. Sanclemente and the rest of the Cater to You team work together to feed  approximately 500 hungry students, faculty, and staff every day. Performing this task, and accomplishing it to everyone’s satisfaction, is no mean feat. The team must plan for weeks in advance.

“He’s very vocal,” Ms. Reid said, describing Mr. Sanclemente’s management style. “Before the day starts, he lets us know everything that needs to be done for the day, and of course everybody does it.” 

“Every day when we come in, there are tons of bananas, apples, vegetables, poultry—all kinds of stuff,” Mr. Sanclemente said. “We make sure we put away all the deliveries, so nothing goes bad.” 

Lunch food and its preparation and presentation has evolved throughout the years. 

“Cafeteria food used to come prepared already, and the staff would just heat it up, and you got what you got,” Mr. Sanclemente said. “Now, it’s awesome because students get all kinds of different foods. And they have options if they don’t like what is being served at the counter. They can make a sandwich or a salad. So it has changed completely.”

Students may be too busy to notice all of the effort that goes into putting food on their plates since their lunch periods are limited to about 20 minutes.

“My schedule does not allow me to fully appreciate what the lunch staff does for us,” Henry F. ’25 said. “During my 15 minutes at the cafeteria, I only get to thank them once.” 

Dietary restrictions add to the complexity of the cafeteria staff’s responsibilities. Science teacher Joan Gillman arrived last year and gave the lunch personnel a list of her allergies. Ever since then, they have been preparing a special lunch for her.

“I feel that the entire kitchen staff is truly compassionate,” Ms. Gillman said. “They show a lot of concern, they want to make sure I have a great eating experience, and they have gone out of their way to make sure I have a safe and delicious meal every day.” 

According to Mr. Sanclemente, dealing with food allergies is the most important aspect of his team’s job. Each staff member must be sure to remember everyone who has allergies and help avoid any adverse reactions to the food. One little mistake can turn out to be extremely dangerous.

While running a modern cafeteria is serious business, Mr. Sanclemente takes the weekends to relax. When not feeding a horde of hungry boys, he enjoys golfing as well as football. His favorite meal to make is Taco Tuesday, and he considers lasagna the most complicated meal. 

Next time you gobble up a sandwich, salad, or a plate of pasta, do not forget to sincerely thank the hard working people behind the counter who make it happen for us every day.