Eat this: Where to find food on campus
By Eric SeverAlright, the UC is a pile of rumble and there’s a big, craggy hole where many of us used to eat.
So, where’s a busy college student supposed to get a quick bite right here on campus?
Here’s a break down of what you can scarf down while you’re cramming for that exam you neglected because you were busy winning a glowing PBR sign at a beer pong tournament. Right? C’mon, you know you’ve been there.
Anyway, back to the food…Best on Campus-Elements Bistro on Euclid
(Parker Hannifin Administration Center, first floor)
For great atmosphere, excellent service, and fresh, local food, Elements is the place to eat on campus. The menu is made almost entirely from scratch and in house. The quiet, sunny dining room is a perfect spot to grab breakfast and lunch.
For breakfast, the amazing French toast ($6.25) features cinnamon-battered ciabatta bread and a gorgeous fresh strawberry maple syrup. They make a healthy, flavorful granola ($3.75) that’s very kind to the waistline.
For lunch, goodies from the West Side Market, Ohio City Pasta, and several local farms provide the ingredients for elegant and filling entrees, like the locally-produced kielbasa and pierogies ($8.50) or the Great Lakes Beer-battered tilapia ($7.50).
As much as I love this place, I must admit that its price may be a bit more than younger students are used to paying. The prices are very reasonable, but the extra dollar more they may spend at Elements may just not be in the budget. However, that money would guarantee a fresher, healthier meal than anywhere else on campus.
Three Square Meals
Midway Café
(Main Classroom, first floor)
This popular joint does a brisk lunch business, and it’s conveniently located right in the middle of campus. Perhaps more importantly, the variety of foods is one of the widest on campus, offering two distinct menus.
On the Italian end of things, Mamma Leone’s Pizza has calzones and breadsticks as well as a variety of traditional and specialty pizzas. The salad pizzas are definitely worth a try, covering warm cheesy pizza in a layer of cool crisp salad. The chopped antipasti ($5.99) features romaine, Canadian bacon, pepperoni, olives, peppers, and onions, all tossed in Italian dressing and served on herby, cheesy crust.
The Mesquite menu specializes in a variety of burgers ($3.09-$3.89), including the leaner turkey ($3.59) and the vegetarian black bean ($3.29). There are a variety of chicken sandwiches and BBQ meat sandwiches, including a carved brisket sandwich($4.79).
In a pinch, they do serve egg sandwiches and has browns as part of a very, very small breakfast menu.
Wheat Street Deli
(College of Business, first floor)
In a quiet, but somewhat gloomy dining area, windows oddly look-in on classrooms at the Wheat Street Deli.
The food consists of a standard array of deli selections in the form of sandwiches, salads, and wraps. The cranberry turkey sandwich ($4.49) holds a nice combination of sweet and savory flavors. The red pepper hummus sandwich ($3.99) is a hearty vegetarian choice.
The deli also offers a complete variety of hot and iced coffee drinks from Caribou Coffee.
The Viking Marketplace
(Viking Hall, first floor)
For all-you-can-eat types, the Viking Marketplace is a smorgasboard. They observe the strange practice of making you pay ($6.95 for lunch, $8.95 for dinner) before you can even enter what looks like a mall food court. I guess you’re supposed to assume you’ll get your money’s worth because whatever they have, you’ll get a lot of it. It’s open later than anywhere else on campus too, so you can gorge yourself well into the evening.Healthy
Glenn’s Energy Oasis
(Rec Center, first floor)
When trying to go a bit healthier, or just looking for a quick fix to hold you over until you have time for a meal, this smoothie stand is a fresh alternative to the unhealthy diet of the typical college student. With a variety of fresh fruit flavors and an assortment of “boosters” (from an immunity blend and multi-vitamins to whey protein and creatine), the smoothies can make an excellent liquid lunch. They range from $3.75-$4.50
Be warned though, many of the smoothies are made with Hershey’s vanilla ice cream, making them more like dessert and much less healthy. Pick yogurt instead.
Also be warned, the peanut butter they use is Skippy’s, not a natural peanut butter. For those looking for quality protein, this ingredient also provides a lot of hydrogenated vegetable oils and refined sugar.
Honestly for the price and the health benefits, buying a bottle of Naked Juice at Fenn Shoppe may be a better choice. This all natural drink contains a full pound of fruit in each bottle for about $3.69.Coffee and Nibbles
Rhodes Tower Café
(Rhodes Tower, lobby)
The Link Coffee Cart
(Law Building, on the Innerlink)
For those long days and nights of studying, these convenient “recharging” stations offer a quick coffee or light, cold food fare.
Both serve Outtakes sandwiches, salads, and wraps, and Au Bon Pain soups. Nodding to local foods, Wild Ginger sushi and Bialy’s bagels are served at both locations as well.
There are a few distinctions between the two, though. RTC serves Seattle’s Best Coffees in a variety of hot, cold, and blended drinks, as well as Tazo teas. The Link serves Caribou Coffee, but only the drip variety, and as well teas from the Republic of Tea.Dorm Food Stores
The Viking Convenience Store
(Viking Hall, first floor)
Fenn Shoppe
(Fenn Tower, first floor)
Located in the two residence halls on campus, these stores offer the basics of any convenience store. They both offer a wide variety of beverages, frozen foods, dry goods, and toiletries.
Fenn Shoppe has the added bonus of Caribou drip coffees, fancy pastries from Double Treat bakery, and hot subs to order from SubGeneration.Look in future Staters to feature restaurants just off campus. Now that we know what’s at CSU, let’s see what across the street, around the corner, a block away…
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