Abstract: A refrigeration/rethermalization food service system is described. The system includes a food service cart having hot and cold chambers for receiving pre-plated foods. A hot air plenum is provided along a sidewall of the cart in the hot chamber, and a cold air plenum is provided along a sidewall of the cold chamber. To rethermalize foods in the hot chamber, heated air is forced into the hot air plenum from a docking station, and the heated air is evenly distributed from the plenum into the hot chamber. To refrigerate foods in the cold chamber, chilled air is forced into the cold air plenum from the docking station, and the chilled air is evenly distributed from the plenum into the cold chamber. The substantially uniformly distributed convective air currents provide substantially even heating and cooling of foods located in all portions of the hot and cold chambers.

Abstract: A rethermalization system for rethermalizing food includes (a) a food service tray having a hot dish through-opening and the through-opening having a through-opening top edge, (b) a rethermalization cart including a cart frame, a plurality of heating pads supported within the cart frame, and a plurality of vertically spaced tray supports attached to the cart frame for supporting the food service tray at a plurality of alternative vertically spaced shelf locations, and in a tray support position such that the hot dish through-opening is disposed above one of the heating pads, and (c) a food service dish positionable in the hot dish through-opening of the food service tray.