I’ll admit it. I groaned yesterday at the thought of eating yet another Caesar salad from the Campus Center (which bears a remarkable resemblance in taste to the chef salad, the egg salad, and the spinach salad). But then I came to a realization… it’s not the salad’s fault. It’s mine. We are given plenty of options here, and I just wasn’t being creative enough.
Because the fact is, college life can easily become routine. And once a routine, it can easily become a rut. And once a rut, it can easily become eating the same damn thing every day and then complaining about the lack of food options. So, I gave myself a pep talk. I said: “Marri, you need to get out of this rut. You need to rediscover Wesleyan dining, in all its glory.” I then followed my own advice by going on a three-day food binge.
1) MoCon: After an entire year of meals at MoCon, I thought I’d never go back. But gradually, I began missing the sweet aroma of fried food, the unlimited salad bar access, the large cake-like brownies, and the buzz of freshman gossip that resonates around the place. My nostalgia allowed me to have a new perspective on the whole MoCon dining experience—one that brought me to see things in a fresh light, and bust the “MoCon blahs” I thought I’d never get over.
Tips: Be constructive in the sandwich line. Get bread from the cranberry or olive bread loaves, toast it, and use that for your sandwich instead of the fluffy wonder bread. Add some cheese, and you’ve got your own melt. For brunch, mix things up a bit. Instead of having omelets and bacon every time, try getting fruit and cottage cheese, or put crunchy cereal on yogurt. If you want to get really crazy, try bringing a blender and make milkshakes or smoothies with the ice cream (yes, I’ve seen this done, and it was beautiful. But if the workers get angry for making a mess, don’t tell them where you heard the idea.) As for dinner, don’t be impatient. Sometimes last year I would skip the long line for the delicious panini and opt for the line-less mystery casserole of the day. I would inevitably regret that decision later. Eat brownies sparingly.
2) Summerfields: While the “earth, wind, fire, water” motif is clever, it’s also true that even Captain Planet gets boring sometimes.
Tips: When one of the elements is not striking your fancy, try mixing and matching with a friend. For example, you order earth, I’ll get water, and we’ll have a ‘surf’n’turf’. Another time I took apart a chicken wrap and used the strips of chicken on top of my salad, and I was impressed with my good idea. Summerfields’ late night dining is good too, but only if you’ve got the funds. That eight-point quesadilla may leave you broke if you’re a late-night frequenter.
3) Campus Center: Three floors of bliss can turn into three floors of blah if you’re not careful.
Tips: The first floor is good, as long as you take a break from the French fries and pizza occasionally. Your arteries will thank you. On the second floor’s sandwich station, make sure you specify that you want your sandwich sufficiently grilled, or else the cheese will be disappointingly un-melted. You’ll thank me later. The third floor vegan café remains the only reason Wesleyan students don’t have scurvy. Organic veggies and tofu dishes are a pretty solid way to get some nutrients. It’s also true, however, that it’s the only place outside of Manhattan where a salad can cost $12. So your pocketbook may not thank you.
4) WesWings. This place is a sports bar without the bar. I often find myself lured to WesWings by the idea of melts, wraps and wings, then further lured to read the sports section of the paper once I am there, which oddly seems to be lying on every table.
Tips: The sandwiches and chicken wings are deliciously greasy. If you feel like eating deliciously greasy things, go to WesWings. Don’t order a salad. Ordering a salad at WesWings is like ordering a cheeseburger at a Chinese Food restaurant.
5) Red and Black Café: A step outside Aramark can be a breath of fresh air. Don’t worry though. You can still eat your food off of trays if you have withdrawals.
Tips: The grilled paninis are tasty, and the lattes are the best around. Watch out for the blended drinks, as they cost much more than they’re worth. Don’t forget this place for breakfast too, as the croissant egg sandwiches beat Campus Center scrambled eggs any day.
6) Pi Café: This place is shaping up. With its chairs, couches, computers, and coffee that doesn’t exploit Colombian coffee growers, Pi Café is a diamond in the rough (the “rough” being the science center, because my science classes are crazy hard).
Tips: The coffee is best in the mrning when it has just been brewed. The biscottis are always a safe bet, while the donuts, if not gone, are stale by evening. And even though the Odwalla juice is expensive, it’s been claimed to nurse hangovers like a charm, both hydrating and replenishing.
7) Weshop: The best way to conserve allotted points (unless you’re buying the $15 organic olive oil) is to shop for your meals and cook them for yourself. With a little ingenuity, Weshop can have just about all you need for a quick, relatively healthy dinner.
Recipe Tips: Instead of regular old spaghetti with marinara, try sautéing noodles with artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomatoes (each available pre-packaged on the cooking aisle). Also, the pita bread is good and the falafel mix is easy. Buy them both and make your own falafel. Try making your own tzatziki sauce for it with plain yogurt and chopped cucumber. If you sign up for the organic fruit and veggie co-op at Weshop, you can also make a killer salad to have with your main dish. Then splurge with some almonds, feta cheese, and dried cranberries and make it festive. If you’re feeling inept in the kitchen, you could try Mac and Cheese with a spin. Add sautéd vegetables (onions, peppers, tomatoes), to Annie’s Macaroni and it’s gourmet meets college student in a bowl.
Leave a Reply