A throwback menu for a timeless institution: Celebrating 75 years of the ‘Ratty’
A 75th anniversary dinner and 1950s-inspired menu marked a milestone for Brown’s largest dining hall, celebrating the generations of students who have enjoyed meals and community at Sharpe Refectory.
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Drawing on original mid-century recipes, Brown Dining Services’ culinary team served a 75th anniversary meal on Thursday, Feb. 5, at Sharpe Refectory that featured boneless roast leg of lamb and chicken divan. Photos by Nick Dentamaro/Brown University.
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From left, Brown sophomores Samantha Taylor, Micaela Schillinger and Isabella Xu sit together for dinner during the Ratty’s 75th anniversary celebration. “Ten out of 10,” Xu said. “We’re definitely going back for seconds.”
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Although the Ratty has evolved in many ways since serving its first meal in 1951, many say the sense of community, warmth and comfort it evokes has remained consistent for nearly a century.
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In addition to lamb and chicken, staff prepared several vegan, allergen-aware dishes, like broccoli, roasted Brussels sprouts and tempeh lentil loaf with marsala mushroom sauce, for the occasion.
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“I really do love when we host the special theme and pop-up events,” said Vice President of Dining Programs George Barboza. “The food at the Ratty is always good, but these are the times when we can really go above and beyond.”
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Workers prepare cakes and muffins for service during the Ratty’s early days in the 1950s. The anniversary celebration on Feb. 5 featured jelly rolls, apple brown betties and pineapple upside-down cake.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — A lot has changed at Brown University since 1951, but anyone entering Sharpe Refectory on Thursday, Feb. 5, might not have guessed it.
Red and white tablecloths and “Happy Birthday” banners added a snazzy touch to the largest dining hall on campus, affectionately known as the Ratty, as it commemorated 75 years of serving unforgettable meals and memories. At the center of the celebration was a menu inspired by the dining hall’s earliest days.
Drawing on original mid-century recipes, Brown Dining Services’ culinary team recreated a menu for its 75th anniversary that featured boneless roast leg of lamb with dijon, sumac, garlic and rosemary; chicken divan with broccoli and house-made Mornay sauce; buttery mashed potatoes; and classic peas with pearl onions. Vegan, allergen-aware, halal and kosher offerings catered to the evolving needs of the campus community, and the dessert table was packed with sweets evocative of a 1950s dinner party: jelly rolls, apple brown betties and pineapple upside-down cake.
The verdict?
“Ten out of 10,” Brown sophomore Isabella Xu said between bites. “We’re definitely going back for seconds.”
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Sharpe Refectory's construction at the intersection of George and Thayer streets began in 1950. The project was completed the next year and cost approximately $26 million in today's dollars.
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When the Ratty opened in 1951, 125 student waiters served all the diners in one session, employing “family style” service, bringing food to the table for diners to serve themselves.
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The first menu served at the Ratty included roast leg of lamb, wax beans, potatoes, coffee, milk and dessert — a typical plate for the time period.
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The menu for the Ratty’s 75th anniversary dinner in 2026 was inspired by both original recipes from Brown in the 1950s and generally popular dishes of the era.
Xu stopped by the Ratty with her friends, sophomores Samantha Taylor and Micaela Schillinger. Although they knew they would get a good meal, Taylor said, they weren’t expecting to be served a culinary history lesson with their dinner.
“We just showed up, and it was a super special day,” Taylor said. “The Ratty is so good with things like this — sometimes you feel like you’re eating the same thing for a while, and then suddenly there’s something new and unexpected.”
For Vice President of Dining Programs George Barboza, events like the anniversary dinner represent some of the most meaningful moments in his time at Brown. Since the 1980s, Barboza has helped shape the culinary landscape of the University, collaborating with student organizations to host culturally themed meals like Soul Food Night or bringing in guest chefs for high-end kitchen takeovers.
“I really do love when we host the special theme and pop-up events,” Barboza said. “The food at the Ratty is always good, but these are the times when we can really go above and beyond.”
Roast leg of lamb with dijon, sumac, garlic and rosemary was the centerpiece of the celebration.
Having witnessed decades of food trends in campus dining, Barboza sees the 75th anniversary as both a tribute and a promise.
“My hope is that the menus and service provided to students 75 years from now are reflected in the contemporary of that time,” he said. “But more than that, I hope that the Ratty continues to evoke warmth, comfort and community. That’s what makes the Ratty ‘the Ratty,’ as we hear from generation after generation after generation of alums.”
Shared tables, shared memories
When it opened in 1951, Sharpe Refectory was built to accommodate more than 1,600 students and quickly became an enduring centerpiece of campus. It’s often the first spot where new students — and prospective students, family members and other visitors — get to eat, said Assistant Director of Culinary Operations Sarah Bleich.
“It’s their introduction to dining at Brown,” Bleich said. “It becomes a core memory.”
For Xu and others, the Ratty has served as the setting to both everyday routines and special occasions.
“My roommate and I have a running joke about that table right in front, that it’s our table” she said, pointing across the room. “We’re genuinely always there. We’ll have family dinners with our entire friend group, and it just feels like the Ratty is inextricable from our sophomore year.”
That sense of belonging is something students often discover organically, especially during busy periods when the only free seat might be at a stranger’s table. And one meal can be enough to turn that stranger into a friend.
“ [75 years from now] I hope that the Ratty continues to evoke warmth, comfort and community. That’s what makes the Ratty ‘the Ratty,’ as we hear from generation after generation after generation of alums.
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George Barboza
Vice President of Dining Programs
“It’s just such a good communal space,” Taylor said. “It’s one of the only places on campus that is truly representative of the whole student body. You just end up talking to people.”
That easy sense of connection is what gives the Ratty its distinctive atmosphere, in addition to staff members deeply invested in students’ lives, Bleich said. During breaks, when campus quiets, staff members often talk about how much they miss the students.
“We have people who know all the students’ names and can start making their favorite sandwich as soon as they start walking up,” Bleich said. “We have students’ parents who thank us for feeding their kids.”
At Sharpe Refectory, Bleich said there is a dedication to the Brown community that has defined the dining hall for 75 years and anchored its spot as a campus institution.
“We want to be here,” Bleich said. “If these were our kids and we were 1,000 miles away, we would hope that somebody would be taking care of them the way we do.”
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