What does it say about you when an entire class of 8th graders gives you a standing ovation? It says you understand how to reach the hearts and minds (and in this case the tastebuds) of young people. That's what happened last year to Doree Fazio Young Head Cook and Assistant Kitchen Manager at Denny International Middle School.

Young and her boss, Sue Trainer Kitchen Manager, and their assistant Ardeen Tensen were awarded Kitchen of the Year by the Seattle School District last week. They were given the award for the number of lunches they serve, the marketing to students they do, and how well they meet goals established by the district.

They now serve 530 lunches a day thanks, Trainer said to the marketing done by Young and Tensen. They don't cook there on site as they did years ago. Now all food is prepared in a central kitchen and brought to the school to be heated and served. So, marketing matters.

The kitchen is always brightly decorated, and they play music, and more than that they work to make it a fun place to be. "You put your bad mood aside and you put on a happy face. We have a party in here every day and the kids know it. They come in here and we have a party atmosphere. We've got the music going. We've got their music going. Ardeen and I don't necessarily love their music but they love it. You make it a happy place to come every day." One thing they do that students have fun seeing is to throw Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches (fully wrapped in plastic) to one another, much like fish are thrown at the Pike Place Market in Seattle.

The ladies are working on getting the Seahawks Head Coach Pete Carroll to stop by, and Young said she's working on getting Macklemore, Seattle based hip hop star to drop by. Their marketing effort knows no bounds.

Teachers and Principal Jeff Clark often come down to the Galleria and have lunch with the students. It's a place everyone can enjoy.

The first day of school is their favorite day of the year. "When the sixth graders come in and see that they can put real food on their tray and not have a pre-pack, they are just thrilled," said Trainer.

The most popular food they serve is Nachos. With the healthy food guidelines in place and a district dietician providing all the food guidelines it isn't unhealthy. They've reduced the sodium and added jalapeño juice to give it a little kick of flavor. Another favorite, and still healthy is their "Big Daddy" pizza (whole wheat crust and chicken pepperoni). They also offer vegan and gluten free items for students.

They don't have any sugary sodas on campus. The school offers milk (regular and chocolate) and vending machines have juice and water. The dietary guidelines from the federal government, which went into effect this year even restrict vending snacks to nuts, fruit and granola bars.

But Denny students clearly love their lunch ladies, with a high number of lunches served, and a happy atmosphere from the kitchen, these students leave nourished by more than the food.