The 42nd Street Symphony, made up of community musicians, is lively and loud. People pay $9.50 for lunch and move along the line to pick up meals before Sioux Fan luncheons each Friday before UND home football, basketball and hockey games.
The Alerus Center lunches are usually more like a dinner -- and always are different. There is dessert at the end of the line and are attendants who will help guests with beverages that are included with the meal. Some have just a soda for $1.75 and skip the main fare. Tables are covered with white cloths, and there are green paper napkins at each place setting.
When the band plays the UND fight song, "Stand Up and Cheer," everyone rises and claps while singing and looking around to see who else is there. Then, as people finish their noon meal, Lowell Schweigert, president of Sioux Boosters, welcomes all and introduces the coaches.
The luncheons are open to fans who want to get an insight into UND sports from those in charge. They often hear from student athletes.
A recent meal before the Potato Bowl started with Caesar salad made with crisp fresh greens, plenty of black olives and grape tomatoes. Beyond, there were pans of baked potatoes with accoutrements such as chopped onion, grated cheese, bacon bits and butter. Next, there were slices of prime rib simmering in au jus. And at the end of the line, there was bread pudding for dessert. More than 200 were served.
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The man behind the Sioux meals is Dan Horski, executive chef for the Alerus. In November, he will mark six years on the job, and he said, "I like cooking for banquets. It's very organized, and you know exactly what you will be serving." That's unlike the days when he was chef at the Grand Forks Country Club and later for Eagles Crest at King's Walk golf course.
For the Sioux luncheon before the Minnesota hockey series last weekend, Horski came up with a Chinese buffet, which included sweet and sour chicken, shrimp-fried rice and a beef stir-fry. There also was an Oriental salad and fortune cookies -- along with a beverage and dessert.
In 2009, Horski has overseen food for 45 weddings. The number has grown from a half-dozen a year in the facility's early years.
Horski works with Rod Oas, food director for the Alerus. They are optimistic about the future of food service, which last year accounted for more than $1.1 million in income from banquets and catering. And that was aside from the concessions in the Alerus.
Horski is charged with planning food for banquets. He uses his imagination and does Chinese and Mexican buffets from time to time. And he uses food that is seasonal. The challenge is to come within a budget, and Horski said, "It's not like in a restaurant, where you can run specials with food you have left over."
Servers tend to be longtime employees of the Alerus, with Mary Jane Harz working almost as a head waitress because she has been there the longest, according to Oas. The staff handles serving of food for buffets and dinners and serving done in suites.
The Alerus recently started a unit called Pub 42, which serves prime-rib combos for $10 in the upper lobby before games. Sandwiches are $9, chips and coleslaw $2. Pop or water is listed as $3.50.
UND Homecoming events brought in more than 1,600 people for meals. While weddings are increasing, customers are feeling the pinch of the recession. More are ordering harvest chicken, a dish with rice and garden vegetables used for stuffing. There are fewer parties ordering high-end sirloin.
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Reach Hagerty at mhagerty@gra.midco.net or call (701) 772-1055.
