Winthrop and Lowell residents have applauded the completely renovated dining halls that debuted in their Houses this fall, despite some glitches and new restrictions on interhouse dining.

The old serving areas in both Houses were fully dismantled, redesigned and replaced, giving way to cleaner, brighter and more popular facilities.

According to Winthrop House Master Paul D. Hanson, the ultimate goal of the renovations was "to create a more congenial atmosphere for the students and staff and to improve food quality."

In both new dining halls, all food service is contained in an enclosed serving area, with free-standing stations rather than a single cafeteria-style bar.

Hanson acknowledged that having a brand-new dining hall hasn't meant that everything is perfect.

Flaws in the ventilation by the dishwashing area for both Houses need to be corrected.

The volume of interhouse dining in Winthrop has also soared, particularly during dinner and Sunday brunch thanks to a massive influx of prefect groups and other students. In response, Winthrop has instituted interhouse restrictions during those times. Hanson said the policy will be reevaluated in two weeks.

Lowell House has also encountered many of the same problems. Difficulties with the tray return machine, a "lowerator" that brings dishes from the dining hall to an underground washing area it shares with Winthrop, has caused backups, and Lowell residents have been asked to refrain from bringing guests to meals until problems have been fixed.