Wining and dining at Tilghman’s table

The University’s top administrator doesn’t always eat her veggies.

“I hate Brussels sprouts,” President Tilghman said.

Though Tilghman has never made a list of her culinary preferences, Sally Lewis-Lamonica, the chef at the president’s official residence Lowrie House, “has a pretty good idea now of the thing[s] that I like,” Tilghman noted. “There are very few things I don’t like. And when I don’t like them, I leave them on the plate.”

Lewis-Lamonica has been cooking her way into the hearts and stomachs of Princeton’s elite for 21 years. While serving two University presidents and their many prestigious guests, Lewis-Lamonica has put her own stamp on Lowrie House.

When cooking for Tilghman and her visitors there is no such thing as a “typical day,” Lewis-Lamonica said.

“Sometimes there is a lot to do, and sometimes not as much, because [Tilghman] travels and has a lot of commitments” she said. “I’m always working around the next event.”

Accommodating this schedule keeps Lewis-Lamonica busy. “Sunday, we just had 75 new faculty and department chairs [over] for a reception, and I am the only person who does any work in the kitchen: shopping, prep work and executing the party,” the chef explained. “A party for 75 people can take me a couple of days.”

Lewis-Lamonica became chef of the Lowrie House through a series of coincidences.

Her husband Charles, who was the director of the restaurant at Prospect House, was speaking with then-University president Harold Shapiro’s daughter about her upcoming wedding at Prospect House. Lewis-Lamonica stopped by for a visit.

At that point, she was working at a small gourmet takeout store on Nassau Street. She met the bride-to-be, and soon after, Lewis-Lamonica explained, “Someone from Facilities called me and asked if I would be interested in working as the Shapiros’ chef.”

The Shapiro family moved into Lowrie House in January 1988, and Lewis-Lamonica started the job that October.

Since then, she said, she has learned a lot about food.

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“The Shapiros ate … in a very, very healthy way,” she said. “Vivian [Shapiro] was very concerned with simple, fresh cooking.” This, Lewis-Lamonica added, is the “Vivian” for whom the Frist Campus Center’s Cafe Vivian is named.

While cooking for the Shapiros, Lewis-Lamonica said she also “learned all about Jewish cooking [during the holidays]. Brisket, I perfected. And Matzo ball soup.”

Lewis-Lamonica said she exercises her culinary talent by using a wide variety of recipes for Tilghman’s meals. “One of the really wonderful things about working for [Tilghman] is that she has an incredibly wide palate,” Lewis-Lamonica said. “She eats almost anything.”

Tilghman would not name a favorite food, but did note, “My family’s favorite meal … is sesame chicken, which [Lewis-Lamonica] does a great job of.”

Still, there are some foods Tilghman said she prefers to avoid, such as the aforementioned Brussels sprouts. “I am not a big rice fan,” she said. “I lived in Africa for two years, where I ate rice for every meal. I’ve had enough.”

In addition to her culinary responsibilities, Lewis-Lamonica said her job comes with plenty of rewards. One advantage of her job, she said, was her proximity to her daughter, Kate Lewis-Lamonica ’08, during Kate’s time at Princeton.

“Katie used to come with me to work often,” Sally said.

Kate said that mother’s job profoundly shaped her Princeton experience. “That was always my window into Princeton, and it was actually [important] for me when I was deciding whether to [attend the University],” she explained. “One night, my mom had a dinner, and President Tilghman came back to the kitchen to try to convince me to come.”

Kate said that once she decided to go to Princeton, her mother’s position continued to provide perks. “A lot of my roommates and friends … ended up serving at Lowrie House,” she said.

The situation also provided more direct benefits. “Me and my roommates would end up eating [leftovers] that my mom would drop off,” Kate added. Her mother knew they “were college students who would love late night food,” Kate said.

Her mother enjoys the challenges posed by some of Tilghman’s guests’ dietary needs, Kate noted. “One of her favorite things is when [bioethics professor] Peter Singer comes to dinner, because he is a vegan in his own house, but he eats vegetarian in others’ homes. She gives him a treat and [cooks] vegan,” she explained.

“An easy way to win over the favor of these influential people in the University is being able to give them a good meal,” Kate said.

Having her mother at the heart of University administration was fun even before she started thinking about college, Kate noted.

“The one thing I remember very distinctly about President Shapiro was going in on school nights, because my dad was working and my mom had an event,” Kate explained. “Shapiro came in and always asked me what I was learning in school. He was very intrigued by whatever work I was doing … Being 5 years old, it was a unique relationship to have.”

Between the quality home cooking and close relationships with University elites, Lewis-Lamonica’s job has been a recipe for success.