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Bristol, R.I. -- Aside from location, majors, dorm rooms and sports, food ranks as one of the key factors that students consider when applying to colleges. And with a coveted spot on The Daily Meal’s “52 Best Colleges for Food in America list,” Roger Williams is in good shape on the food front.

“We work hard here in the Dining Commons, and it’s nice to get recognized by an outside source – we were ranked last year in Newsweek as one of the top service locations in the country, so I guess word is out that the food isn’t too bad at Roger Williams,” says Stephanie Colliton-Keith, marketing manager/controller for , the University’s food service provider, with a laugh.

Executive Chef Rob Lavoie told The Daily Meal about ��ܽ����Ƶ’s “commitment to using fresh, seasonal ingredients sourced from local farmers and to sustainable practices on the whole, companywide.”

The blog post also cited the University’s all-you-can-eat dining program, which features everything from stir-fry to sandwiches and pizza to paninis. And the options don’t stop with the basics – students enjoy dishes such as turkey- and quinoa-stuffed peppers and semolina and Gruyere quenelle with marinara sauce.

“I think the students enjoy the variety,” Colliton-Keith says. “They eat here three times a day, seven days a week – you can get bored if there isn’t enough going on, but when you walk into the Upper Commons, there’s seven different locations, and we’re running different specials every week to break up the monotony.”

Lavoie also told The Daily Meal that since 2003 the Dining Commons has been serving seafood that meets Seafood Watch sustainability guidelines. Shell eggs have also been cage-free since 2005 and last month, the dining team started serving ground beef “that’s 100 percent from ranches whose animal welfare practices have been certified as meeting strict standards.”

After lauding ��ܽ����Ƶ’s dining options, The Daily Meal closed their post with this advice for students at other universities: “Undergrads: hurry, there’s still time to transfer.”

Read more (or check out the competition) at .