I'm sure many of you don't have fond memories of college cafeteria food, but Maggie has been enjoying the food at her college. The topic came up in our group chat, originally set up for everyone to see photos
of baby Annabel, and where Kathryn also shared photos of Mia and Christopher from time to
time.
A photo of Mia eating garlic bread prompted us to start
chatting about what we ate. Maggie chimed in with a description of “melt-in-your-mouth
delicious” grilled swordfish at her high-ranking school cafeteria* and “another
notable meal: described as a chicken salad sandwich with cranberries and
almonds, and Greek style orzo pasta salad” before Susanna suggested she take
photos of these notable meals so we could better visualize. Maggie retorted
that she’s no food blogger and that she wouldn’t know if it was worth documenting
until she takes a bite. Then, if it was good, she’d find it bothersome to stop
and take a picture because she’d be too busy enjoying the food, but she finally
agreed to try…
Speaking of cranberries reminded me of an old favorite
sandwich: turkey and cranberries with pesto mayo to which Maggie responded that
pesto mayo is the signature condiment at the sandwich counter. Also avocado in
everything – or available to add, like to an “amazing grilled ham and cheese.”
Since the majority of the avocado market is grown in CA, it’s not surprising
they’re so readily available.
The first photo popped up on 9/24 of steak with Thai noodle
salad – the beef tasted like that from a family favorite restaurant, Mandarin
Deli. That was followed by a Fosselman’s chocolate milkshake later in the
evening prompting conversation about the quality of food Maggie was eating and
how some of us haven’t had a milkshake in a while.
A brunch post popped up on 9/28 of chicken pecan salad plus green
salad of crispy lettuce with honey Dijon dressing, a bite of juicy red grapefruit
(from the self-serve salad bar) and a freshly baked croissant worthy of a
Parisian café” prompted Joel to comment on what a responsible meal Maggie was
eating compared to his strawberry velvet (chocolate) pancake topped with
whipped cream.
10/1 clam chowder and salad for lunch, open-faced burrito
10/2 a wrap (sandwich) tomatoes, avocado
10/6 chicken mushroom turnover with spinach salad and
finally a mediocre meal – “meatless Monday” Indian style (only because the
Indian in HK is so yummy)
10/7 wood-fired oven plate sized pizza (looked like chicken with
a white sauce)
10/8
a “small” serving of coffee and cookie ice cream – looked like a pint!
The descriptions petered out proving Maggie was indeed not a food blogger, but there you have it - notable college food from the past two weeks!
8. Occidental College, Los Angeles, CA
The dining services at Occidental
work with a student-led Cooking and Gardening course to educate students on
good composting practices as well as proper food handling. Some of the events
on campus include Food Justice Month, Public Health Week, and Earth Week, and
on top of that there are a huge array of themed meals that work in tandem with
student-run organizations and clubs. And let’s not forget about the Chef’s
Showcase, where on-campus chef’s prepare their personal favorites, and of
course, there’s Oxy Iron Chef, an in-house student culinary face-off. Clearly
Occidental’s goal is to focus on community building and community learning, and
we think that it is a noble goal. But it’s not just the events that impress us.
Their menu sounds more like that of a five-star restaurant than the menu of a
college dining program. Meals have included balsamic-glazed chicken, butternut
risotto, and braised beef
