MALTA — Kishwaukee College’s campus food court, Kish Café, is under new management with new options for students and the community. Quest Food Management Service assumed management of Kish Café in July and brought with them a new menu and services, including off-campus catering.
Kish Café’s Head Chef, Rudy Galindo, has taken “college dining services” to a new level, creating high quality, freshly made cuisine. Galindo trained at the Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago, home to Le Cordon Bleu School. He worked as a chef with Chez Francois in Geneva, Mon Ami Gabi in Oak Brook, and Filo Spinatos in DeKalb, as well as with Northern Illinois University’s Dining Services for seven years.
He joined Quest in July 2017 and has been shaking up the lunch offering at Kish Café ever since. The menu features such tempting dishes as Parmesan Crusted Tilapia, Bacon-Wrapped Pork Chop, Risotto and Steamed Capri Vegetables, Chicken Cacciatore with a side of Rosemary Potatoes. Diners may opt for a fresh salad or the more traditional American dishes of pizza and hamburgers or drop in on one of the “bar” days to create their own baked potato or bowl of nachos using a variety of fresh toppings.

Food Service Director Monique Howery also joined Quest in July and brings experience from running the dining services at the DeKalb School District and business management. “My goal is to use Quest’s customized, fresh food approach to build our own brand at Kish Café,” she explained. “Not only to offer excellent and fresh food served at lunch but as an off-campus catering service. We have what I call “no boundaries” catering – the client chooses the menu and we will work with the client within their budget.” Chef Rudy added, “If a client wants something unique or new or very different, I will talk with them and create the dish they want.”
Both Howery and Galindo find the opportunities for growth and creativity to be exciting at Kish Café, but ultimately what drives them is this simple: creating fresh, delicious foods inspired by cuisine from around the world for people to savor and enjoy at an affordable price. Howery said, “We want the community to know that we can be a great place for lunch for anyone, not just students, plus we want community members to know that we have the versatility to cater events that are held off-campus.”
Kish Café is open for lunch from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Monday through Thursday. On Fridays, the Café operates as a “grab-and-go” quick coffee and lunch spot from 7:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
For more information, including a monthly lunch calendar and catering menus, visit www.kish.edu/kishcafe or contact Monique Howery at mhowery@kish.edu or 815-825-9557.