The stir over the new national food regulations rages on, as do the never-ending student gripes about long lunch lines.

But despite having to make some potentially challenging adjustments, both the cafeteria and Restaurant 108 still look to the future with optimism, wanting to make improvements.

From the year’s onset, the cafeteria workers have worked to reduce the length of the main cafeteria line. They have added two additional registers in hopes of speeding up the payment process. Apart from this, however, they will not make further changes to the main line.

Instead, Acting Assistant Director of Food Services Teresa Vidette has her sights set on the sandwich counter, which she hopes to open on Dec. 4. In theory, this would also then reduce some of the stress on the main cafeteria line.

To address complaints from last year concerning the length of the deli line, Vidette is trying to add a second line and cash register and introduce a kiosk where students can pre-order and pick up their food.

This is an ongoing process. The food options, she said, will be similar to last year’s, except the white bread.

“We went full force with Dietz and Watson, which is low-sodium and American Heart Association-approved,” Vidette said. “It’s pricey, but for the kids, it’s worth it.”

Vidette says she is striving to offer students what they want and like in terms of food.

“I’m listening to concerns when they come to me. I take everything into consideration,” Vidette said. “We’re trying to do the best we can to please everyone.”

Restaurant 108 is also working to please students and adhere to the guidelines. It serves students on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays. It has adapted its recipes to not only follow the new regulations but also to meet the expectations of students.

According to Executive Student Chef and junior Matthew Gladstone, chicken fingers, fries and Macaroni and Cheese, all popular options last year, have been revised, though mozzarella sticks will not make a return appearance.

Chicken fingers are now baked and hand-breaded instead of fried, the fries are now steak fries and the Macaroni and Cheese now has a low-fat cheese sauce, all under the new 300 calorie limit. They all taste just as good, according to Gladstone. Gladstone will also try to create a new menu items for the restaurant sometime in the future.

Career and Technology teacher Paul Carpenter, who heads Restaurant 108, has a renewed optimism about his frustration over the new guidelines last year.

“Last year I was pissed, trying to handle the new rules. But I’m glad that we have Michaela [the new Restaurant 108 teacher] here,” Carpenter said. “Our assistant chef last year might not have been able to handle it. Michaela’s a brilliant chef.”

Regardless of the estimated 50 percent drop in student business as compared to last year’s, the restaurant will still direct its energies into serving healthy but authentic food: “what you would get in a restaurant in Brookline or Boston,” according to Carpenter.

“We’re here to teach a class. We are going to teach it no matter what,” Carpenter said.

“We’ll teach the new regulations, and we’re going to teach the old style of cooking, ‘classical cooking,’ not the cafeteria style cooking Mrs. Obama wants.

We’re trying to get the food as close to classical cooking as we can while staying within the guidelines. Our goal is to serve more healthy and tasty food.”

Alex Johnson can be contacted at [email protected].