Unlike your orientation leaders, I’m not going to pretend that eating at the Emerson Dining Hall is a wonderful experience. I’m not even going to pretend that all of the food is guaranteed to be edible. This is not to say that all Emerson food is bad. Both the Max and Paramount Cafes have a wide range of food, from pizza and burgers to ravioli and stir-fry, that I have enjoyed quite frequently. Both of those places require Board Bucks or ECCash, which diminish very quickly. If you don’t want to spend an unnecessary amount of money on food, you unfortunately have to eat at the Dining Hall.
However, before you start filling out forms to transfer to other schools, let me tell you five tips to help you survive the dining hall, and even enjoy some of the food, without disturbing your stomach or running out of Board Bucks within the first few months:
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Be wary of the meat. Taken from years of experience in a sub-par public high school cafeteria, I have remained untrustworthy of any meat or dairy products that have not been cooked by either my family, myself, or a nice restaurant. I’ve never heard any complaints about the burgers in the dining hall, or anything from the grill for that matter. Be that as it may, the main entrees are usually extremely questionable. Look out for meat that looks a little too light or dark to be entirely normal, or meat that’s too shiny or soft. Ask for fresh eggs at the omelette station during breakfast. And don’t eat the sushi.
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Go to the grill. In my experience, the grill has been one of the best options for a Dining Hall meal. I don’t eat burgers, but I’ve heard they’re okay, and the quesadillas and grilled cheese I’ve had there are definitely good enough for me to go back multiple consecutive days and get the same thing. Experiment with the grilled cheese. Halfway through the first semester, I discovered that a grilled cheese with tomato and pesto is delicious. My roommate sometimes asks the chefs to put spinach, mushrooms and olives in hers. Next to the grill is the deli station, where I’ve heard the wraps are pretty good as well.
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Indulge in salads. It’s always a good sign when school cafeterias have more than just iceberg lettuce, and surprisingly enough, Emerson is one of these. Aside from the usual weak white crunchy excuse for a salad, the Dining Hall also serves either spinach or arugula, as well as a good helping of salad bar options such as olives, goat cheese, croutons, and more. They also offer up a grand selection of dressings and oils to top off your salad. My diet in the DH has almost always, without fail, consisted of a salad along with the rest of my meal.
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When in doubt, try the vegan station. I have never eaten from there, but I know plenty of people who have. The vegan bar mainly consists of various forms of asian-style noodles and vegetables. Someone once told me that they bring vegetables from the salad bar to the vegan station, so try that out. Even though my friends in the asian international student community have stated that it is not up to the standard they are used to, they still eat from the vegan bar frequently, and I have never heard any major complaints.
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The desserts are actually pretty good. In fact, it is my personal belief that they are the best things in the Dining Hall. What with soft-serve ice cream, toppings, and various assortments of cupcakes, puddings and brownies, there are plenty of ways to get creative with your dessert. One of my favorite creations is one that my roommate introduced, which is to put a chocolate brownie in a bowl, pour a generous helping of ice cream on that, and add whatever toppings you desire to make a brownie sundae.
Yes, I know, even though I tried to make you feel better about the Dining Hall, you’re probably less than enthusiastic. If it makes you feel any better though, I’m pretty confident in the diet choices I’ve made in the DH. If you’re careful of what you consume, you can still manage to eat healthily and enjoy your food.