Courtesy of Stu Comen

Chef Stuart Comen, commonly referred to as Chef Stu, retired from the University last semester after 40 years of working for Yale Hospitality — 38 of which he spent in the Silliman College Dining Hall. 

During his time at Yale, Comen worked as executive chef for a year and was also involved with the Local 35 union for Yale’s service and hospitality workers. He is remembered for his attention to detail and for helping accommodate so many students’ dining restrictions and preferences. Silliman dining hall workers Nicole Berstos and Sally Notarino shared significant praise for their time working with Comen. Notarino referred to him as a “big brother” and Berstos called him the “patriarch of the Silliman dining hall.”

“I had a lot of fun working at Yale, meeting many students,” Comen said. 

Berstos talked about Comen’s caring personality and strong leadership skills, which guided all his coworkers and “made Silliman different than the rest of the other dining halls.” She referred to his 40 years at Yale as “a lifetime commitment to the University.”

Notarino discussed some of the traditions that Comen implemented during his time at Yale. One of these included hot chocolate every snowy morning, providing a comforting breakfast during cold weather. 

“It’s not only Silliman that has taken a hit, it is also the union, also Yale Hospitality,” Notarino said about Comen’s retirement. 

Adalen Hammond ’25 said she was appreciative of Comen’s help in making gluten-free options available in the dining hall and that there would be gluten-free hot breakfast “ready for us” every day at Silliman. 

“Chef Stu was amazing because he truly cared about the individual,” Hammond said. “He was such a delightful individual, and it made a big difference to know that you had someone caring for your needs, even for breakfast.”

Comen was also involved in the creation of recipes and new dishes in the Silliman dining hall. 

One of his most popular recipes was the cream of wheat — a Yale favorite among students — which his mother made for him when he was a child. Comen said he still receives emails asking for the recipe.

“I would ask [the students] what they would like and get it done for them,” Comen said. 

Ella Lubin ’24 said that Comen offered to share his recipes with students after he left. She recalled that whenever she stood in line for food, Comen would always begin conversations with a smile and share stories about the food he was making. 

Comen shared a story about a student in Silliman who graduated last semester. He taught her how to cook steel cut oats for herself before he retired so that she could replicate his recipe after she left Yale. 

He emphasized the importance of teamwork and community throughout his time at the University. Comen called Silliman one of the “nicest places to come to” because its employees all get along well.

Comen also discussed how he enjoyed getting to see generations of Yale students throughout the years. 

“I would have students ask: ‘My mom wants to know if you’re the same Chef Stu as [the] Chef Stu she knew before she graduated,’” Comen said. 

According to Comen, moments like these made it difficult for him to retire, as he already misses his friends, students and coworkers.

Comen said that, if he were to change anything about Yale Dining, he would like dining hall chefs to be more involved with making the menus.

“We don’t seem to get together enough,” said Comen. “It would be nice to get together more and discuss the dining halls and menus.”

Nonetheless, his legacy lives on through the countless memories and impact he left on the Yale community. 

“We really feel his absence,” Aster Aguilar ’24 said. “It’s hard to realize what you have until it’s gone.”

Silliman College is located at 505 College St.