Vandy Gone Swank
If you know anything about me, you know I love food. I mean, love food. It’s a deeply engrained passion that I hold near and dear to my heart.
So when I heard Vanderbilt Campus Dining was hosting Blanc, a very secretive Gatsby-esque event, I was absolutely so psyched for the food. However, as an intern in Campus Dining’s marketing department, I knew that the experience itself would also make for a night to remember.
Oh, and how Vanderbilt did not disappoint! 
The event location was kept secret until the day of the event, so I knew it had to be somewhere fabulous. Campus Dining transformed a beautiful terrace into a open air kitchen. Everything was decked in white–from the beautiful tablecloths to the hanging lights, it was absolutely beautiful! All of the guests were told to wear their finest white attire, so all of the students were looking pretty snazzy as well.
Once we arrived and claimed our table, the feasting began. From plantain and raisin soup (still dreaming about that one) to tables upon tables of exotic cheeses, the first course did not disappoint. The entrees! Oh my. To imagine that I attend a school that prepares you lamb chops, grilled octopus, and local chicken and fig all on the same night? Well, sometimes I’m a little blown away myself.
The lamb chops were an obvious favorite, but personally, I was thrilled about the octopus. It was so different and delicious from anything I had ever tried before! If you haven’t had any octopus before, Vanderbilt might be the school for you.
I thought that, after my adventures into the entree portion of the meal, that dessert surely couldn’t hold a candle to the rest of the meal. What was I thinking! This is Vanderbilt we’re talking about!
If you’ve ever had a cooking from Rand, you’ll know that Vanderbilt’s pastry chef is an absolute genius. And yes, Vanderbilt has a pastry chef.
He proved his genius at Blanc by preparing a creme brulee…INSIDE A PUMPKIN.
It was so absurd and delicious and tasty and savory and, well, you get the point.
The whole event was so decadent you would think you’re at one of Nashville’s five star restaurants. Nope, it was all done right around the corner from my dorm room. That’s the kind of school Vanderbilt is. They bring once-in-a-lifetime experiences within a nice walking distance.
Sheesh, even as I’m writing this I’m getting pretty hungry all over again. Luckily, Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and I have some leftover Maggiano’s in the fridge!
Until we eat again!