Monthly Archives: September 2010

Tour de Hamdel: I’ve Lost My Mojo Melt Edition

In case you’re late to the Hamdel party, click here to find out what the tour is all about. Last time, I had the Acuna Matada.

After two disappointing sandwiches in a row, I felt like I’d lost my Hamdel mojo. For such an egregiously unhealthy bunch of sandwiches, dry meat and insipid sauce made each bite a calorically devastating exercise in sensory deprivation. In order to get my mojo back, I decided to try the mysteriously titled Mojo Melt—hot roast beef, melted American cheese, coleslaw, and Russian dressing on a toasted hero. Continue reading

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Filed under Columbia University, New York City, Tour de Hamdel

No Lack of Choice at Collis Café

Melissa A., Dartmouth College


Orientation has finally come to an end, which means that the seemingly ceaseless parade of free food events has also concluded. This, of course, led me to transition from Medlife organization meals and Ultimate Frisbee team dinners to the actual dining halls on campus. Over the past few of days, I have grown to frequent Collis Café, the dining location that lays in the heart of one of the biggest hot spots on campus, the Collis Center. With its wide variety of options, charismatic staff, and fantastic service, Collis Café attracts hordes of students. Continue reading

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Filed under Dartmouth College, Dining Halls, Melissa A.

New Haven Noodles (Part 1): Ivy Noodle- Lightning Fast Lo Mein

Zach B., Yale University

The New Haven food scene pales in vibrancy and variety next to nearby New York City or Boston. Even so, certain types of restaurants do abound around Yale, including pizza, Thai, and noodle houses. New Haven noodles range from diner food to sit down restaurants, and similarly differ in quality. I decided to visit three Yale staples and gauge their quality for myself: Ivy Noodle, York St. Noodle, and Bentara.

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Filed under New Haven, Restaurants, Reviews, Yale, Zach B.

Shish Isn’t Just For Kebabs

Nathan S., Macalester College

Surrounded by the copious sandwich shops and pizzerias on Grand Avenue, a single restaurant serves up traditional Mediterranean cuisine to community members, commuters, and college students alike. Shish offers an affordable alternative to traditional American fast food with gyros, falafel, hummus, and tabouli. The café offers a small dining space with an additional room (although sometimes not enough to hold the crowds) in the back to accommodate food rushes. Due to the relatively small café size and convenience, many patrons (college students in particular) chose to phone ahead of time and pick their order up. Continue reading

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Filed under Macalester College, Nathan S., Restaurants, Reviews, Saint Paul

Crude Pizza: A Different Type of Oil Dependency

Caleb P., New England Conservatory

To a cash-strapped student in the Northeast, making each dollar stretch as far as possible evolves from a budgeting strategy into a daily bargain-hunting experience. In Boston, Cappy’s Pizza’s and Subs near the Back Bay Fens serves a competitive bargain to all students looking for a filling meal at a low price. With single slices of pizza larger than the size of one’s face, Cappy’s, as locals call it, definitely delivers the illusion of value, regardless of one’s lunch budget. Continue reading

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Filed under Boston, Caleb P., Dining Suggestions, New England Conservatory, Restaurants

Tour de Hamdel: Acuna Matada, Not a Problem-Free Sandwich Edition

If you missed what this whole Tour de Hamdel thing is about, click here. Last time at Hamdel, I had the Cubano.

How did the Hamdel cooks distort The Lion King‘s “Hakuna Matata” into “Acuna Matada?” Seriously uninspired spelling bodes poorly for this sandwich. More importantly, what does the Acuna Matada, a hero with Arizona chicken salad, melted Muenster cheese, tomato, and hot peppers have to do with its Disney song namesake? Does lion taste like chicken? Is Arizona in Africa? Is anything about this sandwich at all African? Continue reading

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Filed under Columbia University, New York City, Tour de Hamdel

Sherman Serves Quantity, Not Quality

Daniel B., Brandeis University


In terms of food, Sherman Dining Hall at Brandeis University seems designed for those few predestined to be human garbage disposals– one can have an obscenely large meal lasting the course of an entire day in this buffet style eatery, with the sole catch being that most of the food they consume should probably be shoved into an actual trash can immediately. In all fairness, most of the food could be described as “edible.” Continue reading

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Filed under Brandeis University, Daniel B., Dining Halls, Reviews