Despite its name, the student-run food service group Street Meat is successfully venturing into gourmet food beyond sidewalk beef.
The group hosted “Special Meat,” an intimate five-course dinner with paired drinks, on Oct. 19 in Hammarskjold’s backyard. Throughout the evening, 20 participants commented on the evolution of cooking and street meat.
Street Meat began when Robert Kirchenbauer ’25 and Akshay Shah ’25 met in PWR’s food class during their sophomore year. From there, the idea of running a food service business tailored to students was born. They were soon joined by Kayden Green ’25, and Jack Fox ’26 joined the team for the 2023-2024 academic year.
The original trio first started cooking hot dogs outside of a fraternity party in October 2022, saying it was “a way to cook with our best friends and feed the community we created.” Mr. Green said.
However, selling food outside the party was not ideal.
“The problem was people didn’t want to pay,” Shah said. “We had to balance cooking the food with actually having it come and making sure they weren’t stealing.”
Starting in May 2023, Stanford University began hiring this group to respond to events, including in several departments and residential areas. His first job in the business was the Stanny Award, the highest award given annually by the athletic department.
Since then, Street Meat has focused on providing prepaid events, cooking a wide range of food from tacos to beignets for events like sports tailgates and FLiCKS.
The semi-formal dinner may mark a further evolution of street meat, said attendee Joe Tay ’25.
“It’s amazing that they’re selling hot dogs outside the frat,” he says. “All the menus are handwritten, which is insane.” The table was decorated with the aforementioned menus, business cards, and flowers.
An example of a table setting using a handwritten menu and business cards. (Photo by Kayden Green)
Our first meal was butternut squash and pumpkin soup and homemade focaccia bread. For attendee Felix von Robert ’25, the soup was the star.
“This consistency is what all soups should be,” von Robert said. “The texture of the puree is similar to baby food…of course, it’s delicious and an elevated baby food.”
Attendee Zoe Bumstead, 25, also enjoyed the soup, describing it as “a delicious version of pumpkin pie.”
Street Meat and Green sister Casey Greene ’28, who also wrote the menu and business cards, cleared the plates for the first course before moving on to the second dish, salmon gravlax crudo. provided.
Kirchenbauer prepares a plate of salmon gulbax crudo for presentation. (Photo: Fernanda Ibarra/Stanford Daily)
The visuals of this plate immediately stand out, with the cut salmon delicately placed on top of crème fraîche.
“The plating is done intentionally and artistically. I like that you can’t tell what it is at first glance,” said attendee Kearia Victorino ’25. “I didn’t think it was salmon, but when I looked closer, it was definitely salmon.”
Other attendees praised the salmon and fig combination. Zach Zafran ’25, a former contributor to the Daily’s sports column, pointed out the surprise of sweetness in savory.
When asked what drew him to this extravagant dinner, Shah said: And people were saying we can’t do that, it’s not our brand, but we like a little challenge. ”
After guests finished their crudo, the third meal was served as a hearty family-style salad with kale, apples, Brussels sprouts, and fennel.
Family-style salad bowls are ready to serve on the table. (Photo by Kayden Green)
Zaffron allowed drink pairings for all courses.
“Apples in cider…apples in salad…I mean, it’s art,” Zahran said.
The apple in the salad was such a hot topic that attendee Kyle Haslett ’25 asked the table, “What about apples in salads? Because it’s gas. ”
The fourth dish that followed shortly after was beef osso buco and Milanese risotto, which was a crowd favorite. After taking his first bite, attendee Jeremy Merritt ’25 said, “It’s amazing. If there is one, this is it. The meat is tender and well seasoned. ”
“The way this beef is prepared shows love and care. This is a true Michelin restaurant,” said Victorino, who probably worked as a line cook at Kirchenbauer’s Michelin-certified San Francisco restaurant Francis. he said, referring to summer.
Despite the hustle and bustle of the evening, a dish of beef and risotto quieted the dinner crowd. “It’s the sign of a great meal,” von Robert said.
The fifth and final dish was sweet potato pie, a recipe Kirchenbauer learned from her grandmother.
Paired with black coffee, Tay said it was “the crown jewel of a great dinner”.
