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In the hour before the Syracuse University women’s basketball game against Boston College tipped off Sunday, the Zimmerman family perused the JMA Wireless Dome concourse. Their kids, Reagan and Owen, rushed to try foods ranging from Canadian poutine to Jamaican rasta pasta served by SU athletes.

“It just showed that there’s a lot of culture in Syracuse,” Owen said.

The All-Star Food Fest was held Sunday at the Dome’s flex space. As a collaborative effort between Kalamata’s Kitchen, SU’s Falk College, SU Campus Catering and SU Athletics, the event aimed to excite children about trying food from other cultures by featuring dishes meaningful to student athletes. The event was free to children and families who had tickets to the final regular-season game.

Upon entry to the event, guests were handed a VIP pass, Food Adventure Passport and an “I Tried It” certificate to complete and hang up in the “hall of fame,” which extended along one of the venue’s railings. The certificate let attendees identify their name, age and favorite food they tried during the event.

Sarah Thomas, a Kalamata’s Kitchen co-founder and author of children’s book “Kalamata’s Kitchen: Taste Buds in Harmony,” greeted children at the last stop of their All-Star Food Fest journeys. Thomas signed copies of the book and took pictures with attendees excited about the turnout.

“I’m just so thrilled that so many kids and families came,” Thomas said. “Everybody was really excited.”

Kalamata’s Kitchen is an organization started by Thomas and SU alumnus Derek Wallace to encourage cultural exploration through food. The organization aims to expand the palate of today’s youth via a published book series, digital content, a chef ambassador program and activations like the All-Star Food Fest.

One of the featured student athletes was Enrique Cruz Jr., an offensive lineman for SU’s football team. Cruz is Puerto Rican and chose to showcase empanadas.

Joe Zhao | Design Editor

Sarah Thomas, Kalamata’s Kitchen co-founder, signs her book at the All-Star Food Fest. The event aimed to expose attendees to foods across different cultures.

Growing up in Chicago, Illinois, Cruz said he was exposed to a diverse range of foods. He said that through the All-Star Food Fest, he hopes kids in the Syracuse community can receive the same experience he had.

“I just feel like it’s really cool to see them open up and try these different foods,” Cruz said.

Certificates began to decorate the concourse of the Dome throughout the event. While 10-year-old Rui liked the poutine, 7-year-old Leigha prefered the chicken empanadas.

Reagan Zimmerman loved the rasta pasta so much, she went back for seconds because “it just tastes amazing.” Reagan’s mother, Hollie, said she’s glad to see events like the All-Star Food Fest thrown for families like hers. As a Syracuse local, Hollie felt it was nice for the kids to interact with athletes they’d never met before.

“The kids get to try foods that I’m not going to be able to make at home,” Hollie said.

Heather Sympson always enjoys coming to the women’s basketball games with her kids because of the games’ affordability and up-close nature. At the All-Star Food Fest, her children, Betsy and Teddy, interacted with SU rowers and football players.

Teddy’s favorite dish at the event was the German spätzle, while Betsy’s was beef empanadas. Heather said that this was the first time her kids had been able to try a majority of the dishes being served.

Growing up, Sympson didn’t try diverse foods like those offered at the event. In fact, she said she never even tried sushi until college. As Downtown Syracuse expands its international food scene, she said it’s important to showcase these types of foods to kids.

Thomas hopes Kalamata’s Kitchen can bring more events like these to the community in the future. As the daughter of two South Indian immigrants, she has experienced the impact of sharing culture through food and books alike.

“It’s awesome for kids who can’t get to other places to have the experience,” Thomas said.

Published on March 3, 2025 at 12:18 am

Contact Spencer: sphoward@syr.edu