Levering Kitchens serves up new dining options

Updated stations, more halal options, extended hours—Levering Kitchens has responded to feedback from diners and has new offerings for the new academic year. Hopkins Dining spent the summer testing and rolling out a variety of improvements to its Levering menus, including new salad and international stations.

According to Brandon Kelly, director of retail operations for Hopkins Dining, these changes come after months of discussion and planning.

"We do a lot of research to be as authentic as possible," he said. "If we're going to do international cuisine, it would be disrespectful for us to do anything else."

The updated stations include:

Image caption: Red Lantern Kitchen

Image credit: Will Kirk / Johns Hopkins University

• Mosaic Global Kitchen: Formerly the Grill station, this new Mediterranean concept offers a variety of healthy and flavorful halal proteins. Menu options for the station include Build-Your-Own Bowl (choices including gyro and shawarma), grilled halloumi, and chickpea chermoula.

• Tossed Kitchen: Formerly the Fresh and Toastee stations, Tossed Kitchen features a build-your-own salad and artisan bread concept. Guests are invited to choose from a wide array of signature salads and bowls, toppings, and scratch-made dressings.

• Red Lantern Kitchen: Formerly the Wok station, Red Lantern Kitchen features a Southeast Asian stir-fry concept. New menu items include beef and broccoli, vegan sesame "chicken," and steamed dumplings.

• Levering Taco Kitchen: The menu of this fan-favorite station has been updated to include a variety of house-made Sonoran cheese crisps.

Also beginning this year, Levering Kitchens will be open until 9 p.m. with meal exchange options available during dinnertime only.

Kelly said he's excited for Homewood campus affiliates try these new meal options and noted that they will evolve and change in the coming months.

"These are brand new concepts," Kelly said. "We are still learning and we are still developing. Like with any new restaurant opening, what we're going to be doing six weeks from now is not going to be exactly what we're doing right now."