WARRENTON — During Olga Watkins’ first week at the helm of the dining facility at Camp Rilea, she quickly realized the military personnel coming through her kitchen were not used to receiving quality, homestyle meals.

Watkins, who works for Service Care of America, which the military base contracts for food service, took over management of the dining facility at Camp Rilea in the early part of 2021.

It was a dark and rainy day in February when the kitchen was preparing for a large group of military police from Texas. Since there was extra time, Watkins said she and her partner, Tom Fink, a former bakery owner who also helps manage the account, started making cakes and cupcakes.

When the group finally arrived and lined up for food, she said they were soaked and exhausted. Watkins recalls that when they looked down at the food, some exclaimed, “Is that for us?”

“The whole atmosphere changed,” she said, adding that it became like a party. “The whole vibe of the day was changed. They were so happy.”

The next day, Watkins said the captain of the group gave the kitchen its first medal.

Since then, the kitchen has received more than a dozen special honors and challenge coins from military units that have come through the camp, which Watkins proudly displays on a wall in the dining hall.

Watkins, who has worked in kitchens since she was a teenager, said that while military food has a reputation for being bland and simple, she and Fink are unwilling to compromise their standards as chefs.

In return, she said most military personnel are thankful and appreciative.

“And it doesn’t take much to do,” Watkins said. “But you have to want to produce food that’s going to make people happy. That’s what it boils down to.”

She said the kitchen has prepared everything from a crab boil with crabs caught by the troops to fresh tuna, pan-seared rare loins with citrus vinaigrette, omelets to order, homemade stromboli, Italian hoagies and Philly cheesesteaks with hoagie buns from Philadelphia.

Watkins and Fink have also made a variety of fresh pastries, filled cupcakes and miniature tarts.

The couple owns Killer Kupcakes, a cupcake business that earlier this month won the category for best dessert at United Way of Clatsop County’s Iron Chef Goes Coastal.

Paper rolls that line the tables at the dining hall are covered in notes written by troops.

“Best food I’ve had in the Marine Corps,” one said in blue marker. “What he said,” another in yellow said with an arrow pointing to the first note.

Nancy Haaser Jones, the owner of Service Care of America, said she has 15 kitchens in 10 states and that the kitchen at Camp Rilea stands apart.

“And truly, this is a one-of-a-kind operation,” she said.

The kitchen serves anywhere from 45 to 2,700 meals a day, and Hasser Jones said what sets it apart is the fresh, homestyle cooking.

She said it is important to recognize that troops are away from home.

“I mean, that’s really difficult. They might be from California, they might be from Maine,” Hasser Jones said. “They’re away from their families for a long time. Sometimes they leave here and they go and get deployed.”

During a time that is already emotional, she said the kitchen staff can give the troops an experience and can create a sense of community through food.

Watkins said that a lot of troops send pictures of the food to loved ones at home. Some even make requests for meals.

It lifts morale, she said.

“I’ve just been thinking a lot about even just how we improve what we’re doing for them without it costing us any more money,” Watkins said. “Just because they really don’t get anything like this anywhere.”