WINNER: NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY

ENTRY: INTERNATIONAL VILLAGE

THE BIG IDEA: International Village is a cutting edge dining outlet that takes advantage of customer expectations for diverse, interesting, high-quality and sustainable menu choices. And it does it in a brand new venue that is at the cutting edge of the green dining trend sweeping college campuses.

The 20,000-sq.ft. dining hall, as well as the adjacent retail space (with Jamba Juice and Peet's Coffee branded stations) are both 3-star certified Green Restaurants, making International Village the first campus dining facility to operate two such venues within a LEED Gold Certified structure in the United States.

The dining aspect of the Village centers around setting the mood for a great culinary adventure, with video screens at the entrance displaying live and still media from around the world. Inside, diners navigate their way along an avenue of culinary platforms with chefs manning open-kitchen stations where they prepare a variety of world cuisines and invite customers to partake.

The customizable selections, ranging from tandoor to brick oven selections, and from sushi to sliders, give students a wide variety of choices made even more flexible with the option of small plate samplers. Another highlight is the many sustainably sourced natural foods available at more than a dozen culinary platforms, including all-day breakfast and dedicated vegetarian/vegan.