Food at McMurdo

The cafeteria is inside the big blue building, "B-155".  Just outside the cafeteria entrance are two large foot pedal operated washing stations.  Each station has at least four (i forget) spots to wash hands.  Washing hands is key to staying healthy in a tight community like McMurdo, illness can sweep through the people easily.  

Once you have washed your hands you are free to enter the cafeteria.  The hours are 4:30 AM - 7:30 AM for Breakfast, 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM for Lunch and 5:00 PM to 7:30 PM for dinner everyday of the week with the exception of Sunday.  Sunday continental breakfast is from 5:00 AM to 7:30AM, Brunch from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM, and dinner from 5:00 PM to 7:00PM.  There are special mealtimes for the people who work over night, "Midrats".  There is also a "Grab n Go" spot if you are going to be out in the field all day and need to bring food with you.

The meals so far have been pretty good.  I don't have a favorite meal yet but lots of people love the Sunday Brunch.

Breakfast has eggs, potatoes, and a meat.  There is also an egg station for made-to-order eggs / omelets.  However, the entire station ran out of fresh eggs since no flights have made it in recently, our flight was the last flight to make it in successfully.  For lunch and dinner there are a few choices at each meal.  There is always a vegetarian option.  Here are some examples of things to eat from last week's menu: Turkey Tetrazzini, Pulled Pork Sandwiches, Beef Pad Thai, General Tso's Chicken, Meatball Subs, Lemon Caper Trout, Hearty Beef Stew, Chicken and Yellow Rice, BBQ Beef, Pork Carnitas, Teriyaki Salmon, Beef Stir Fry...

Tonight the dinner will be Chicken Marsala.

Once you get your dinner you head out to the large seating area with rectangular tables for 2, rectangular tables for 4 or large circular 6 - 8 person tables.  Matthew knows quite a large amount of the cormmunitity here so we sit with people he knows.  Everyone is so friendly and willing to share about themselves, their work, or even the weather.

I can say that I miss Milk and Fresh Fruit.  The milk here is powdered milk and it does not work for me, yuck!  There has been no fresh fruit so far.  There is fruit on one of the food lines but it is canned fruit with syrup.  The last piece of fresh fruit I had was the apple in the bag lunch on the C-130.  That apple was incredible with a crisp snap to each bite and good amount of juice in the apple.

Looking forward to some fresh fruit on my return journey in a month.