c/o Pat Bailey
This Is Whey
By Naomi Oyakhilome
Contributing Writer
It’s 1 a.m. on a random Saturday night. Your blood alcohol level is incredibly high. You are drenched in sweat, dehydrated, and famished all at once. In your intoxicated stupor, you remember that you were smart enough to bring five dollars along with you, and now you must decide what to spend your money on.
All of sudden, your Fairy Food Mother comes to you out of nowhere to help you with your dilemma. Among your group of friends, you are the only one that can see her. No sooner has she appeared than she begins her one-minute monologue.
“Hey, dearie!” she exclaims enthusiastically. She is adorned in a grilled cheese costume. You are too stunned to speak, and you assume it’s the drugs. “What’s cheesy, delicious, classic, and only five dollars?” she asks.
Before you have a chance to respond, she continues with her rant. “Grilled cheese, of course! The Falafel truck might seem like a good idea, but don’t do it. Who wants to eat hurriedly made chickpeas anyway?”
She looks at you sassily as if daring you to oppose her, and after a couple moments, she continues: “Yeah, the Falafel cart has variety, but who wants to be a jack of all trades? With Whey Station, you’re an individual, and you get quality. You get to pick whatever you want to put on your gooey, crunchy, and perfectly toasted American sandwich.”
She flexes with pride after saying ‘American,’ and in that moment, she becomes a version of Rosie the Riveter.
“The calories burned from walking to the cart will counteract whatever calories are gained from indulging. All you have to do is start walking and…believe. You can do it!” She puffs up her chest for a moment, lets out the air in a puff, and laughs. She begins to dance in a circle around you chanting, “Grilled cheese!” until you suggest going to the grilled cheese truck with your friends.
Maybe your Fairy Food Mother had some valid points, or maybe you were just too hungry to argue with yourself, but your night ends with grilled cheese, good company, and the best five dollars you ever spent. There’s a possibility that the Food Fairy doesn’t exist (or maybe she does), but you can always count on Whey Station to be good. If you don’t like cheese or are allergic to dairy, it’s completely understandable to steer clear. If you aren’t subject to these constraints, then the obvious choice would be Whey Station—but hey, that’s just my opinion.
c/o Pat Bailey
Falafel: The Perfect End to a Night Out
By Katherine Scruggs
Contributing Writer
Making a pilgrimage to one of the food trucks on campus has become a staple of my weekend routine. I usually end up at Mamoun’s Falafel truck, which is conveniently located on Pine and near my dorm.
It’s hard not to pass the Falafel truck on the way home without making a stop. Usually drawn in by seeing friends sitting on the grass, I run over, and before long, I find myself lining up to order my go-to late night food: a falafel wrap. Depending on the night, the line varies in length, but the wait is shorter than at Whey Station, and there are a greater variety of options to satisfy your cravings.
Falafel is warm, satisfying, crunchy, and fluffy all at the same time, and it’s exactly what my stomach needs on a Saturday. The wrap drips with tahini sauce that inevitably leaks everywhere, but it provides enough flavor to satisfy the taste buds. As a bonus, if I’m in the mood for a “healthier” option, the falafel wrap can be served as a salad, with all of the same flavor but less mess and less guilt. The mozzarella sticks are crunchy and cheesy, making them another quick and tasty option. The menu has variety (rumor has it that the steak and cheese is also pretty good), but I have yet to order any alternatives to the falafel wrap.
Regardless of your personal opinion about the quality of the food or the service, it’s hard to deny that its central location and the ability to sit and enjoy your food on the grass hill with friends make Falafel a great choice for late night eating. It serves as the perfect end to a night out, leaving you full and content.