Fine dining at our dear old Waves Cafeteria
So sue me: I love the Caf. I love Marina who always asks me if I’ve had my coffee yet. I love the sample cups by the salad bar. I love the salad bar. I love the french fries. I love the bowl of Craisins because they are perfect if you just need something sweet and want to fool yourself into thinking you’re eating a fruit but you’re not because it’s full of some kind of syrup and other chemicals but hey, live a little. I love Gabriel who tells me that I have to stop losing my ID card. I love Gabriel for finding my ID card. Twice. I love Conni with her iconic hair and skill with the mascara. And most of all: I love the facelift that has upgraded our eating experience at least one or two stars.
However, if you are like me which I am just assuming that you are because I’m 75 percent normal and that’s average at most schools, you like a little variety in your life. I mean, pasta is great … but five nights in a row? And, I mean, burgers are cool. I guess. You can never go wrong with pizza until you realize that all those treks up to the CCB really didn’t help at all to burn it all off. So, dear readers, I wanted to share with you some ideas that I have invented or that my friends have invented that have helped us fight both the freshman fifteen and the everyday boredom that may be associated with what my roommate calls “The Eating Experience.” Come, friends, let us experience eating in a whole new wave (laugh at the pun).
- Chocolate Waffles. Get sprinkles from the froyo bar and waffle batter. Word of caution: be careful not to overload the sprinkles because you may or may not break the waffle maker. I speak from a friend’s experience. Heed it.
- Veggie Wraps. So you are health conscious and enjoy the salad bar (like me!). But you are a little tired of the daily ritual: lettuce/spinach bed, this and that on top, more this and that on top because it looks pathetic, and then douse it in some kind of dressing. Next time, make your salad however you like and then take your little self over to the grill. Ask for a wrap —warmed, please. You can have your choice of spinach, tomato or whole wheat. All for only $1! And then ask for a side of guacamole because that is better than any dressing. I kid you not, I ate this every day, twice a day, my sophomore year. Heaven.
- The Monster Omlette. It’s a weekend and you have just rolled down to the Caf at the casual hour of 2:00pm and you are starving. Go get yourself your regular omlette, definitely get those tater tots because you deserve it and potatoes are a vegetable, and then sidle on over to the salad bar. Because it is a weekend, the omlette bar and the salad bar will be open at the same time. Didn’t get enough spinach? Pile some in. Need more protein? Chicken is your friend.
- I used to get a sweet potato every night with my dinner. You can make almost anything into a side. And you can ask for a side of almost anything! Don’t want the chicken teriyaki, but you want a side of brown rice? All yours. Want some of the taco-toppings but not the actual taco? Side it up, baby. Cheaper than the whole meal. Boom.
- ___ in a Cup. I learned this one from a friend. She puts her cereal and milk in a soda cup. So you get more cereal. And it is way more portable than those sad little green containers with the lids that never fit. You know what else you can put in a cup? Froyo and soda which equals a root beer float.
- Sample things if you don’t know if you’ll like it. Sample the froyo, the cereal, the fruit, grains, the salad bar. Ask for a sample of the roasted vegetables to see if they are crisp (yay) or soggy (nay). Because you never know. You may hate it. Better get a sample.
Okay, well, I can’t be telling you all of my secrets. But there you have it. How I ate at the Caf and survived. It’s really not that bad, too, if you think about it. I mean, they can put bacon in quesadillas, so I think it’s just alright.
Let me know if you come up with any other combinations, because I love connecting with others who believe in the Eating Experience. Keep nomming, friends. And treat yourself.
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Follow Taylor Nam on Twitter: @namnam330
