Wednesday marks the first guest restaurant night for UB students. Local restaurant Ilio diPaolo will be featuring Italian favorites in the Richmond and Red Jacket dining halls.
Ilio diPaolo's will be the first restaurant to participate in Campus Dining and Shops' new guest restaurant program. The program strives to give students more variety in their cuisine and the opportunity to try food from other cultures.
"Our guest restaurant program [will] provide our students authentic international cuisine while showcasing local restaurants that specialize in these dishes," said Jeff Brady, executive director for UB Campus Dining and Shops.
Colleen Morris, a senior dance major, believes the guest restaurant program will encourage more students to eat on campus.
"Dining halls have to compete with the temptation for students to eat off campus since you can get better food off campus," Morris said. "Having guest restaurants gives students more options."
Ilio diPaolo's has been a Buffalo tradition for 45 years. Ilio diPaolo himself was born in Abruzzi, Italy and came to the United States in 1951 as a pro-wrestler. After 40 successful years in wrestling, diPaolo decided to open a restaurant. What started as a pizzeria in 1965 with only four employees has expanded to become an award-winning restaurant featuring a variety of traditional Italian dishes.
In authentic Italian fashion, Ilio diPaolo's will present fresh Italian bread with olive oil and antipasto for appetizers. For entrees, Pasta Fagioli soup, Eggplant Parmigiana, Penne in Ilio's sauce and Rigatoni and Chicken Abruzzi will be served. For dessert, students can look forward to homemade mini cannoli.
Juliana Burkhart, a senior English major, thinks the guest restaurant program is a great idea.
"I think it's a nice change for students who end up eating a lot of the same things [in the dining halls]," Burkhart said.
The Ilio diPaolo family will be serving dinner in the Red Jacket dining hall from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and in the Richmond dining hall from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
