Capitol cafeteria: Where culinary interns grill while lawmakers deal

Legislature » Kenya Coleman is the soul of this kitchen.

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Coleman smiled at the memory of Huntsman. "I fed him peanut butter sandwiches without the crusts," she said.

Coleman knows the orders for many who roll through the 45-day session. For Dale Cox, president of the Utah AFL-CIO, it’s sloppy Joes. Gun lobbyist Clark Aposhian loves the taco salad. She said Gov. Gary Herbert likes mixed tater tots, cheeseburger and fries.

By the time she gets home, Coleman said she’s usually asleep by 8 p.m. — unless she takes time out to go bowling, her favorite activity.

"Sometimes we have school buses and kids coming in — they wear me out so bad, I don’t want to take a nap when I get home, but I do," she said with a laugh. "I just sit on the couch and fall right asleep."

But then it’s back up and at the Capitol at 5:45 a.m. making sausage and hash browns for the 8 a.m. rush.

Five days a week — hard-selling lemon chicken to indecisive faces or joking with lawmakers and smiling. Always smiling.

"I just try to throw out that spirit and spark," she said. "And hope it catches."

dmontero@sltrib.comTwitter: @davemontero

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