November 3, 2017

FOOD WEEK | What is the Best Food Item at Cornell?

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Noah Harrelson ‘21: Risley’s overnight oats, that sweet nectar of Gods. As I eat, the world stops. I hear a chorus of small English boys and girls sing a song of love and laughter. All is well. All is well.

Spencer Sigalow ‘19: Scene: Line at Terrace.

I keep my head down and look at my phone to avoid small talk. Eyes on the prize.

* Hi there—Romaine Lettuce. Chicken. Edamame. Baby Corn. Can I please have more baby corn? Yeah, I love baby corn. Black olives. Croutons. Caesar dressing. No nuts. I insist—no nuts. Have a great day *

THIS is my routine. THIS is my life. THIS is my sanctuary. Nowhere else do I experience such bliss. Nowhere else do I forget my issues. Sitting inside Terrace, devouring my favorite salad. A salad of perfection. The crème de la Terrace. And just like that, I’m done. Til next time, old friend.

Gabe Ares ‘19: Definitely the Nasties Buffalo Calzone. I think we all sort our lives by period (e.g. childhood, adolescence, high school, etc). I sort my life by pre/post Nasties Calzone.

Nuri Yi ‘20: I am deeply in love with the chia pudding at Rose House: a slippery, ephemeral delight of a creature. Once it appeared with a chunky mango sauce and I ate so much that my lip swelled up terrifyingly. But that didn’t deter me; I left, sure, but returned less than an hour later with another friend to have yet another plateful. Since that day, I have found myself swiping into Rose when I have time (and even when I don’t) to lie in wait for the pudding, strangely slimy yet crunchy, creamy yet not actually indulgent. It is the only thing that currently gives my life and unlimited meal plan purpose. Here is a haiku I’ve written for the occasion:

O, chia pudding /
man’s search for meaning is a /
fatal attraction

Christina Xu ‘19: CORNELL DAIRY BAR BAVARIAN RASPBERRY CHOCOLATE CHIP ICE CREAM. I would probably sacrifice an auxiliary toe for a lifetime supply.

Lev Akabas ‘19: I only eat Kosher meat, and in Ithaca that basically means I never eat meat, so I tell everyone that I’m a vegetarian to avoid beginning every meal with a five-minute lecture on Jewish laws. But 104 West! has Kosher meat, and their Friday BBQ lunch of hamburgers, hot dogs, wings, and fries is so good that I used to skip Friday breakfast just to save room. It was there that I discovered what happens to the universe when one puts guacamole on a hamburger (tbh the universe stays pretty much the same, but that burger becomes most delicious thing ever). It is there that, once a week, I stop pretending I’m a vegetarian and face the fact that I will never, ever, turn down the opportunity to eat a good hamburger.

Monika Bandi ‘19: It has to be the Spicy BLT sandwich from Goldie’s. While not nearly as scrumptious and mouth-wateringly delicious as its predecessor, the BLT Wrap (Fall 2015 – Spring 2016, #rip), it still stands as my favorite Cornell meal, and I will gladly make the trek from the engineering quad to PSB when I crave it. The food and the smiling staff at Goldie’s make it worth it every time.

Jacqueline Quach ‘19: The Pumpkin Cheesecake (seasonal) and Double Chocolate Chip (hopefully for eternity) Muffins at Libe Café!!! There’s a reason why those are the first things you’ll see when you’re in line to get a snack from Olin! The high quality of these finely baked goods is consistent; every muffin I have bought and tasted has always had evenly – and generously – distributed fillings, a moist interior, and rich flavors. Although they’re probably oversized and totally unhealthy, those muffins are my go-to pick-me-ups whenever I’m having a rough day.

Bruno Avritzer ‘20: Traditional South African pizza. Only served once, when dining was having the world food event. Best pizza I’ve had in a long time, maybe ever. Keep an eye out, you won’t get a second chance.

April Ye ‘21: Hands down, Terrace salad. Anyone who knows me is probably, by now, sick of my raves about the perfectly tart-yet-sweet drizzled agglomeration of mixed greens and healthy-but-not-really toppings. Usually only able to stop by Terrace after class on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I sometimes start salivating in my dreams on Monday nights, or even go as far as to daydream about the toppings I would maybe change in my order for the next day (which never happens, by the way) – seriously, no exaggeration.

I’m usually super open to trying new things and not a salad person at all, but, when it comes to Terrace Salad, it’s as if I’m fixed under some sort of magical salad lover spell as soon as I step into Terrace. My feet walk themselves over to the salad line, my mouth and fingers gesticulate to the usual toppings and, before I know it, I’ve already swiped my BRBs.

I never get tired, either. Every Tuesday and Thursday, you can find me seated happily engrossed in my box of greens. Something about this small routine keeps me grounded, I guess, knowing that no matter what happens–even if the rest of my life falls apart–Terrace Salad will always be there.

Speaking of which, I can’t wait for Tuesday to come. I’m actually drooling.

Kyla Brathwaite ‘18:  The Ginger Yam Soup from Temple of Zeus. It’s the perfect combination of sweet and savory for cold, rainy Ithaca fall days. I am so dedicated to this soup that I’m willing to stand in the long Temple of Zeus lunch lines and eat standing up because there’s never a table free in the atrium. It’s just that good.

Jeremiah Kim ‘19: Cornell peanut butter, hands down (and into the tub of lovely, chunky, oily brown goop that I can squish between my fingers). Throwback to the Peanut Butter Article from last semester! Also, sorry for that mental image.