Auxiliary Services Welcomes New Executive Chef for Campus Dining

A Syracuse native, Chef Ilana (Ih-lah-nah) Cahill’s culinary journey began at one of the city’s most iconic restaurants: Dinosaur BBQ. She spent nine years there, starting out as the hostess and working her way up through the ranks. When Cahill decided she wanted to make the restaurant business her career, the restaurant’s owner, John Stage, offered her the service director position for its Rochester location. Her experience there led to management opportunities at several other restaurants in the Rochester area.

She arrives at the University at an exciting time for Campus Dining. New concepts and recipes are being developed, Chef Cahill and her colleagues are exploring the latest food trends and implementing them in dining centers, and renovations have been made to several key dining facilities. Read on to learn more about Cahill’s journey from restaurant manager to Syracuse University’s Campus Dining: