Photo credit: Huffington Post

The firings signal the end of a verification process that began on November 7th, when the college notified 84 employees that they must provide updated citizenship documentation by December 1st, or they would be let go. The Student Life reports that the letter was sent after the Pomona College Board of Trustees had received a complaint that some campus employees were undocumented, and that the investigation was part of a “series of legal obligations.”

“The College and some of its employees have been placed in a difficult and unfortunate situation, which we wish could have been avoided,” Paul Efron, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees wrote in an email to the Pomona community. “However, while many of us believe that the country’s immigration policies are in need of reform, it is important to emphasize to the Pomona community that the College has a responsibility to comply with the current laws.”

Photo credit: Huffington Post

After 17 employees failed to resolve the discrepancies in their files, the college terminated them effective today. Instead, the employees came to work chanting “we’re here, and we’re not leaving,” according to the Huffington Post.

The employees were joined by an estimated 150 protesters in Frary dining hall this morning, which has been the target of a boycott since Wednesday.  In a school-wide email to Pomona students, Miriam Feldblum, the Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students, announced that protestesters were permitted to take-over the dining hall. ”The organizers stated that their intention was to have 17 of their number arrested by Claremont Police, but College officials declined to have them arrested so long as they were peaceful,” Feldblum writes. “The protestors then moved to Alexander Hall, where they resumed their protest, continuing their stated intention of being arrested. Around 11:30 this morning, as a result of a negotiation between the protestors and the police, CPD arrested 17 protestors for blocking College Avenue.”

Photo credit: Huffington Post

Pomona dining hall workers have been attempting to unionize for over two years, although the L.A. Times reports that talks with Pomona’s administration have stalled. Cynthia Peters, media relations director for the college, told the Huffington Post, “The terminations had nothing to do with the union organizing. The two issues are completely separate.”

The events surrounding this issue are still on-going and this article will be updated as more information becomes available.

Chocolate Covered Coffee Beans: So caffeine keeps you up all night, or you just don’t really like the idea of staining your teeth with endless cups of coffee. Or maybe you just really want something that you can munch on the entire time you work. Well, these were made just for you. About $7 a pack at Trader Joe’s, they’re perfect when you need that tiny extra jolt to write the last page or two of your paper before bed.

Sparkling water: Again, for the caffeine averse, there are a few things quite so effective. Studies show that simply the carbonation helps keep people awake. The best part is you can buy it in a ton of different flavors, to satiate your every thirst.

Berries: Maybe it’s a personal thing, but studying always makes me hungry, or at least crave something to chew on while I read. Berries, conveniently, can be found in almost every dining hall (bonus points to the ones that have fresh ones at breakfast), and are healthy alternatives to more common homework munchies.

Cheese and Tortillas: The day during freshman year I thought to buy myself mini tortillas and shredded cheese at Target will always be a hallmark of my college career. 30 seconds in the microwave and you have a meal that you would have otherwise paid 5 bucks and spent 20 minutes waiting for at the hub.

Steam bag veggies: I know, I know, it sounds awful. But get a couple bags of veggies from the store (Target sells some good mixes), steam them for 30 seconds in your microwave (there’s that magic number again), and you’ll have a super-healthy snack. Sprinkle some salt or salsa on it, and it might even taste good.

Cake in a cup: Okay, I’ll admit this one isn’t as easy as the rest of them, but it’s completely worth it. All the ingredients are either non-perishable and will last you the whole year, or they can be found in a dining hall. Just mix 4 tablespoons of flour, 4 tablespoons of sugar, 2 tablespoons of cocoa, 1 egg, 3 tablespoons of milk, and 3 tablespoons of oil into a mug and heat it for 3 minutes –and voila– you have your own personal cake!  This can be a fun way to spend a birthday, too: make a fleet of cakes-in-cups and chow down with friends.

Ramen: This is even easier than making cup of noodles. Buy the Ramen that comes in a package, crush it while it’s in the pack, pour it on to a plate, season it with the powder that it comes with, and eat it like popcorn. Save yourself all that backbreaking labor that Ramen usually requires; it tastes just as good this way.

290 Sweet Striped Mints: One of the best things you can buy on Amazon (if you have not yet discovered the grocery section, I recommend you check it out ASAP: you can just tell your parents you bought a lot of books). Who knows when you’re really going to need your breath to be fresh and minty? These are not only delicious, but super useful and easy to grab. I, however, ate all 5,800 calories worth of mints in 3 days. That, I don’t recommend.

Single Serve Ice Cream: These are useful for so many reasons – they’re great on sunny days, great for making shakes, and awesome for floats. And for those interested in exploring off the beaten path, I recommend you try Mochi Ice Cream (available at Trader Joe’s).

Tzatziki: The best part about this one is that it’s available fresh at the farmers market in the village every Sunday. Deliciously garlicy and yogurty, it’s an offbeat dip that hits all the right notes during a Sunday night study-sesh. Great with pita bread or Trader Joe’s pretzel chips.

Your Mommy may not be there to make you meatloaf or lamb chops, but there’s really no reason to relegate yourself to the same cup of Easy Mac every night (even if its car shaped… pretty cool, you have to admit). Go to Target, and think beyond the ordinary.  Your taste buds will thank you.

Got more dorm favorites? Tell us below.

Since Waters’ foray into California cooking, pesticide-free, seasonal, locally grown produce has become ubiquitous.  Eating organic, Waters made the nation realize, is essential for capturing natural flavors of produce and ensuring the health of both the environment and consumers. What many of us now take for granted when we eat from Collins’ Farm-to-Fork area was made possible by Waters’ eco-crusades.

Waters’ activism extends beyond the kitchen.  The Edible Schoolyard is Waters’ way of spreading her culinary credo to young students, who may contribute to a more sustainable future for food.  In 1996, Waters built a 1-acre garden adjacent to a kitchen classroom at Berkeley’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School.  The Edible Schoolyard now involves 1,000 students in an experiential learning program about the food cycle.  There are now 5 Edible Schoolyards in New York, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Berkeley, and Greensboro, NC.

The School Lunch Initiative is another of Waters’ extraordinary efforts with the Center for Ecoliteracy to provide children with proper nutrition and bring them closer to the roots of what they eat.  Waters has inspired Americans to confront the nation’s complex problems with food, such as childhood obesity.  Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! campaign publicly channels Waters while working in the White House garden.

Whether or not you’ve tasted the butternut squash soup (divine) at Chez Panisse, Waters’ food credo deserves Claremont’s attention.  “I believe that how you eat, and how you choose your food, is an act which combines the political—your place in the world of other people—with the most intensely personal—the way you use your mind and your senses for the gratification of the soul,” Waters has said.  “It can change the way we treat each other, and it can change the world.”

While students from all the Claremont Colleges enjoyed the dishes of each of the visiting universities, the hits of the night were clearly the Beef Tenderloin served over Garlic Mashed Potatoes with Red Wine and Shitake Mushroom reduction and the pie station, both devised by Claremont McKenna’s executive chef, Alberto Gonzalez.  Both stations featured long lines of hungry students all night long. You can find highlights from last night below and the entire collection of photographs here.

Through a generous gift from the Bon Appetit Management Company, we will begin issuing one free container to every CMC student who is on a board plan. Distribution will be next week in Collins. The container we selected is currently in use at Pitzer College.

Free containers! We go to the best school ever! Free containers!  Incidentally, since we’ll be using the same containers as Pitzer, I suspect we might be able to use them at both cafeterias (unless insidious measures are devised to stop us).  As for why Bon Appetit was so eager to give us free containers, the administration explained that Bon Appetit’s greater buying power, “circle of responsibility” philosophy, and hopes of creating a prototypical green cafeteria for their marketing plans came on like a rush of generosity.

When I shared the news with students, reactions ranged from joyous to mysterious.  Elise Viebeck ’10 described it as “lifechanging,” while Abhi Nemani ’10 warned me that “freedom isn’t free.”  Wade Vaughan ’13 said what I actually wanted to hear: “two thumbs up!”  Share your thoughts below.

All this is true, you say? Why do I need to write it again you say? Is it because I have a posting quota you say? No!

The Hub just got EVEN BETTER!

Remember how you could use meal replacements at the Hub to get one arbitrarily chosen (and possibly nachos) option a day?  Ya, it was a little dumb that subs were free one day and six dollars the next.  But no more!  Now every day features seven choices:

1. Any sub and a soda
2. Any burger, fries, and a soda (bacon is extra)
3. Chicken tenders and a soda
4. Cheese quesadilla and a soda
5. Chicken quesadilla and a soda
6. Caesar salad and a soda
7. Panini or wrap or salad of the day

Plus you can swap your soda for a coffee-like drink!

My editor thinks this article would have more pizazz if I ended it on a witty note.  I think that if I squeezed one more drop of pizazz into it, the article would burst in your face like an overfull water-balloon.  Luckily for you I decided not to risk it.  The reader comes first!

Once you are at the table, a waiter brings the menus, you open yours… and your jaw hits the floor.  “Seventeen dollars!?” you think, “Seventeen dollars for some measly Lamb Kebabs?”  After you pass off your extreme case of sticker shock as a coughing fit, you carefully check the entrees.  Yep, there’s not a single entrée below $16.95.  If only you hadn’t spent so much money at Liquorama last weekend, if only ASCMC had processed your check request in a reasonable amount of time, everything would be fine, but as of this moment, you need to pay for an expensive dinner like you need a hole in your head.  You are now screwed, right?  Wrong, follow these steps and you will make it through the evening.

#1: Don’t get a drink

Most people will be familiar with this tactic.  Drinks in restaurants can be wildly overpriced.  I once ordered a Coca-Cola at a Pasadena restaurant only to realize when I got the check that they charged me $6 for the soda… and $6 for the refill.  Bastards.  While I am all for ordering a Coke when it is reasonably priced, if you are trying to save money, order water.

#2: Skip the appetizers

Appetizers are designed to sound, well, appetizing and they are easy to share.  Sound like a home run for a big group?  Think again.  Appetizers can ratchet up the price of a meal much more quickly than you think.  Most people tend to focus only on the price of their entrée and forget about the appetizers they ordered or shared.  At the end of the meal people then try to pay for the price of their entrée plus a couple of bucks that is supposed to cover tax, tip, and the appetizers.  Not only are appetizers expensive and often unnecessary (due to the size of the entrees), but they lead to who should pay what disputes that can sour an evening out on the town (or the village).  If somebody in the group asks “Anybody want some appetizers?” Try speaking up first and say “No, I think I’m fine, thanks.”  There is a good chance people will follow your lead.

Alternatively, if people do order appetizers, try ordering another appetizer as your main course.  They are often filling enough for one person with a little help and are almost always cheaper than entrees.  At some restaurants, like Casablanca, appetizers are their specialty or are better than their main courses so this tactic can be both cheaper and tastier than ordering an entrée.

#3: Order a dinner salad

Most people open up a menu and flip right to the “Entrées” page.  This is a mistake.  Entrées are usually the most expensive dishes on the menu.  Look under the “Salads” section for more reasonably priced alternatives.  At Casablanca I was able to get a dinner salad for under $10 dollars when entrées started at $17.  I could order a salad and an appetizer for the price of a main course.  The salad was big enough that I couldn’t finish it.  If you are unsure about the size of the salads at a restaurant, ask the waiter.  Also, if people aren’t ordering appetizers, ask the waiter to bring out the salad with everybody else’s dishes so you eat at the same time as everybody else.

#3: Go elsewhere for dessert

Lots of restaurants will scam you when it comes to dessert.  Restaurant desserts are often more expensive and lower quality than desserts offered by dedicated dessert joints like 21 Choices, Bert & Rocky’s etc.  The cheapest option would be to skip dessert entirely.  However, if people are calling for dessert, suggest going to 21 Choices.  Chances are it will be more affordable, more fun and more satisfying than overpaying for chocolate cake at the restaurant.

Hopefully these steps will come in handy if you ever find yourself unwittingly sitting in an expensive restaurant.  Now onto the menus for the week.

Monday:

Monday looks like an unexciting evening at the dining halls.  Collins beats out the decidedly mediocre bunch with BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches, Gyros and Turkey Casserole.  As I have noted previously, dining halls may have their weaknesses, but they also have their strengths and one of those strengths is making casseroles.

If you have an extreme visceral aversion to Collins gyros.  Try schlepping up to Scripps for Beef Fajitas, Indian Turkey Burgers, Vegetable Lasagna and Roasted Plum Tomatoes.

Tuesday:

Worried about finals?   Planning on studying hard during reading days?  Runners carbo-load before marathons.  Take a page out of their book and Burrito-load for your long study sessions at Frary‘s Taco Tuesday.  Very few things relieve stress like a giant burrito.  In fact, very few things do most things like a giant burrito.

Wednesday:

I was so conflicted over whether to recommend Frary or Collins this week that I flipped a coin.  Heads was Frary’s Japanese Night, tails was Collins’s Sushi Night.  It was tails.  Go to Collins.

For those of you who don’t like sushi, never fear, Collins is also serving a Chicken Caesar Wrap.

Thursday:

Thursday traditionally marks the last night of the week when dining halls are free to experiment before the weekend menus kick in.  This Thursday the award for best menu goes to…drumroll please… Collins.  Collins will serve a Chinese Chicken Lettuce Wrap, Taste of Europe- Creamy Risotto, Mongolian Beef and Orange Chicken.

Friday:

No surprises in the menus for Friday night.  Mudd is cleaning up once again, mopping the floor with the opposition by offering Individual Pizzas Made to Order, Clam Chowder, Loaded Baked Potato Soup (who knows what it’s loaded with, but it’s loaded), and a Carne Asada Taco Bar.

Saturday:

Scripps is, once again, wooing CMCers and their meal cards up to the land of fragrant fruit trees and elegant Spanish colonial architecture.  Scripps will serve Grilled Steaks, a Chicken Mo Shu Lettuce Wrap, Herbed Baked Chicken, and Vegetarian Breakfast Burritos.

Sunday:

Try Mudd for Steak, Pitzer for Macaroni and Cheese, or Collins for a Stir Fry from the Exhibition.

That is all for this week.  Thank you for reading!

While I personally think that trays make eating in the dining halls more convenient, Scripps has adopted a fairly user-friendly trayless system.  There is now silverware in each room near the drink dispensers.  This means students don’t have to try and balance a plate of food, a drink, and silverware when trying to find a seat.  The Scripps dining hall seems particularly well suited for going trayless because the drink dispensers are dispersed between the eating rooms.  This layout has always required students to put their food down on a table and then go get beverages.  Grabbing silverware while getting drinks is not too difficult.  If a dining hall like Collins or Frary went trayless, it would be much less convenient. Students would either have to make an additional trip back to the serving area to get drinks or find a way to master balancing drinks, plates and silverware all at once.

The second change was the demise of the Mudd brunch smoothie blenders.  According to signs at Mudd dining hall, students broke the blenders by using them improperly.  The blenders will be gone for the rest of the year.

Recipe of the Week: Jillian’s Snack Sandwich

This week’s recipe comes courtesy of Jillian Raftery ’12.

1.       Obtain 2 slices of bread (Buttermilk or Sweet Hawaiian) and toast them.

2.       Lightly butter each slice of bread.

3.        Spread crunchy peanut butter on one slice of bread.

4.       Thinly slice some green apple and cover the half with peanut butter with the slices (you should use less than half of the apple)

5.       Drizzle honey over the apple

6.       (Optional) Sprinkle some cinnamon sugar over the honey before you make it a sandwich.

7.       Place the other slice of bread on top to make it a sandwich

8.       Enjoy.

The end result is rich and creamy. Not only does the sandwich take advantage of the inherent apple-peanut butter synergy, but, as Jillian describes, “The peanut butter mixes with the butter to make it creamy and the honey sets it off so it isn’t too dry.”  This recipe can be replicated at Collins at lunch, dinner or snack.

And now, a look at the menus for the week.

Monday:

Start your week off right with a Grilled Three Cheese & Apple Sandwich from the Scripps Grille.  Scripps will also serve Beef Fajitas at the Expo, Buffalo Chicken Pizza at the Pizza Station and Roasted Chicken, Mashed Potatoes & Gravy, as well as Baked Herb Crusted Cod in the home-style line.

If Scripps’s menu doesn’t whet your appetite, try Mudd’s Muddgolian BBQ or Pitzer’s Mongolian Stir Fry.

Tuesday:

Frary seems to have a headlock on Tuesday night.  Its Taco Tuesday blows everything else out of the water week after week.

Last Tuesday I highlighted Collins’s Prawn Crepes as one of the most creative dining hall dishes I have heard of.  I tried them and must report that they were actually good.  They were served with a peanut sauce, prawn, noodles and carrot.  If Collins offers them again, I recommend giving them a try.  This week, you can head to Collins for Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches, Shrimp Egg Rolls, and Crepes of an unknown flavor.

Wednesday:

For as long as I have been writing this column, Collins and Frary have combated each other for the title of “Best Japanese Cuisine on a Wednesday Night.”  This terrible conflict shall enter the annals of history to take its place among the other irreconcilable conflicts of our time like chocolate vs. vanilla, pulp vs. no pulp, crunchy vs. smooth and Pirates vs. Ninjas.   One can only hope that these two gastronomical gladiators agree to schedule their signature Japanese nights on different days of the week for next semester.  Until then, 5C students will be faced, weekly, with the existential choice: Chicken Teryaki or Sushi? When faced with such a weighty decision, the opinion of a Forum pundit means little.  Follow your heart, be yourself and pick whichever one you want.

Thursday:

After facing a soul-searching choice between Japanese cuisines on Wednesday, 5C students must decide between competing wraps on Thursday.  Indeed, there is no rest for the weary.  Scripps will serve a Turkey Bacon Club Wrap, as well as an Italian Melt and Chicken Ranch Bacon Pizza.  Collins on the other hand, will serve a South West Chicken Wrap, as well as Taste of Europe- Gnocchi and Chili Dogs.  While the Scripps wrap is better than the Collins wrap, I am a sucker for Gnocchi (Gnocchi is made of pasta dumplings filled with potato.  It is delicious).

Friday:

If Frary has a headlock on Tuesday nights, then Mudd has tamed, domesticated and now feeds Friday nights with delicious scraps from its table.  Individual Pizzas Made to Order, a Carne Asada Taco Bar, Clam Chowder, and a Wing Bar are just too good to miss.

Saturday:

There must be some sort of tacit oligopoly formed between the dining halls regarding weekend menus.  Scripps is still the best choice on Saturday with Grilled Steaks and Cheese Tortellini.  Scripps is only challenged by Mudd and its sushi night.

Sunday:

Mudd will serve Individual Steaks Cooked to Order, but Collins has been improving its Sunday offerings and will serve Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches and a Teriyaki Chicken Stir Fry if you don’t want to deal with the lines at Mudd.

That is all for this week. Thank you for reading!

There are weekend mornings when I wake up and roll over to squint at the clock, only to groan after realizing that I have just missed brunch.  Almost every CMC student is bound to find him or herself in this same situation.  So, in the spirit of minimizing the decision-making that your groggy brain would have to deal with, here is some crisis preparedness training for just such a moment:

Let’s pretend you just woke up and think you’ve missed brunch.  What should you do?

Step 1: Have you really missed brunch?

Collins may close at 12:30, but other dining halls offer more reasonable brunch hours.  Mudd closes at 12:45 and Frary closes at 1:00.  If you wake up at 12:31, not all is lost.

Step 2: Ok, so you really have missed brunch.  What now?

If you have woken up after 1:00pm, you can still get food.  Here are the two questions to ask yourself: Do I want to pay for my food with flex or cash?  Can I make it down to the village?

Flex Options:

The Coop opens at noon on weekends and is your best bet for getting a filling meal on campus after the dining halls close.  The Coop can make amazing sandwiches if you customize them properly.  If you are unsure how to order a sandwich, follow the helpful guide taped to the counter.  Be sure to remember that you can have your bread toasted and your meat grilled.  You can also ask for avocado and/or bacon.  Here is my personal favorite: Sourdough bread (toasted) with turkey (grilled), swiss cheese, avocado, bacon, lettuce, tomato, onions, mayonnaise and mustard.

The Grove House also opens at noon on weekends.  You can get cookies, bagels, coffee, juice, tea and lemonade there.  The Motley opens at 11 on weekends and offers similar fare.

Real Money Options:

If you feel like transporting yourself to the village for a late brunch, you have a plethora of options to choose from.  For a reasonably priced, diner-style brunch, try my personal favorite: The Village Grill (on Yale and 2^nd).  For a bagel sandwich, try 42^nd Street Bagel (also on Yale, next to Rhino Records).  If you want to shell out some serious cash, try Le Pain Quotidien (next to the movie theater) or Walters (on Yale between Bonita and 4^th).  These are only a sampling of the options in the village.

And now, on to the menus for the week:

Monday:

Start your week off at Scripps on Monday with a Crispy BLT Chicken Sandwich from the Grille, or eat healthy at the Caesar Salad Bar.

If Scripps seems too far away, you can meander over to Collins for a Turkey Club from the Expo and Beef Nachos at the Options.  Gyros will be available at the Grill.

Tuesday:

Calling all those with avidly adventurous appetites, Collins is serving “Crepe Expectation- Prawn Crepe and Tofu Crepe” this Tuesday.  While it seems overwhelmingly likely that these will be gross, not to mention the Collins menu could be lying about the crepe flavors, there is a chance, however minute, that prawn and tofu crepes could be so strange that they actually work (I mean, theoretically one of the Collins dining hall staff has tried these and liked them enough to actually serve them).  Those of you brave (or daft) enough to eat outside the box can join me at Collins.  Collins will also be serving Philly Cheese Steaks.

Alternatively, if the thought of prawn crepes turn your stomach, you can go to Frary for Taco/Burrito/Quesadilla Tuesday.

Wednesday:

Wednesday features a much more conventional set of dining options: dueling Japanese nights.  Head to Collins for the best Sushi on the 5C’s or venture to Frary for Teryaki Chicken, Shrimp Tempura, Sticky Rice and Sushi.

Thursday

This Thursday Collins will be serving its tasty Southwest Chicken Wrap at the Expo, “Taste of Europe- Spaghetti al Ranceto” at the Expo (which could be good, the fact that it could be plausibly mistranslated “Rancid Spaghetti” notwithstanding).  The At Home will feature Meatloaf and Chicken & Penne Casserole.  Put a piece or two of Collins meatloaf between two slices of bread with lettuce tomatoes and mayonnaise for a nice meatloaf sandwich.  The chicken casserole might seem uninspiring, but casseroles are a traditional strong suit for dining halls and cafeterias and Collins is no exception.

If none of the above sounds appetizing, try Mudd’s Burrito Bar or Scripps’s Red Curry Stir-fry Pork.

Friday

Mudd is really knocking this Friday out of the park with Individual Pizza’s, Carne Asada Tacos, Chicken Tenders, and Clam Chowder.

If you don’t want to go to Mudd, try Scripps for their sushi night.

Saturday

This Saturday, Scripps takes the cake (or should I say the steak).  Scripps will be offering Steaks Cooked to Order as well as Chipotle & Cheese Quesadillas.

Sunday

Beat the crowds up to Mudd on Sunday for Steaks Cooked to Order, Fettucine Alfredo with Shrimp, Corn on the Cob and a Baked Potato Bar. Go early rather than late.  Few people get motivated enough to go to dinner right as the dining hall opens.

Frary has also started to cook steaks to order, but their steak is rather disappointing.  Last Sunday they had a great Chicken Wrap, but it remains to be seen what they will offer this Sunday.

Pitzer always has great Macaroni and Cheese for those who are tired of dining hall steak.

That’s all for this week.  Thank you for reading!

The Granola Parfait
1.       Obtain a bowl.

2.       Fill bottom of bowl with yogurt (flavored or plain).

3.       Add granola from the cereal dispensers and mix the cereal with the yogurt.

4.       Obtain a banana and cut it into slices.  Add them to the bowl.

5.       Obtain various other fruits (strawberries, blueberries etc), cut them up (if necessary) and add them to your bowl.

6.       Mix (or don’t) and enjoy

For a sweet twist try this:

7.       Add frozen yogurt on top of everything else (vanilla or tart n’ tangy seem to work best)

This recipe is well worth adding to your weekend brunch.  Remember that you can sometimes get fruit from the smoothie bar (especially at a place like Mudd where it is self serve).  Just remember that some smoothie fruit is frozen and so might not taste as good in your parfait.  Each person will have different consistency preferences.  Some people like lots of granola for more of a dry parfait, others like only a sprinkling of granola for a much more yogurt dominated dish.  Feel free to experiment with different ingredients.

And now, on to the menus for the week:

Monday:

Monday looks like an unexceptional dining hall day.  Try Mudd or Pitzer for their respective Mongolian style barbecues (Pitzer generally has a great grill too).  Alternatively, mosey on over to Scripps for Beef Fajitas.

Tuesday:

Tuesday is Burrito Night at Frary.  While it can take a while to get your burrito and you run the risk of somebody absconding with your burrito, Frary burritos are quite good.

If Mexican food isn’t your thing, stop by Scripps for a Turkey Club Wrap.  Turkey, bacon and mayonnaise (with tomato and lettuce filler) is a killer combination and Scripps won’t be nearly as crowded as Frary.

Wedesday:

This Wednesday, like every Wednesday, is sushi night at Collins.  Collins has been experimenting lately with replacing spicy tuna rolls (amazing) with spicy salmon rolls (not as good).  Hopefully they will abandon such nonsense this week.  If you are looking for a little extra spice in your sushi, try some of the spicy mayonnaise (the pink stuff).  It is especially good on the avocado rolls.  You can also try putting some wasabi in your soy sauce and mixing it until it dissolves.

Although I am personally partial to Collins sushi night, Frary has their Japanese night on Wednesdays.  Frary offers sushi (although it is not as good as Collins sushi), teriyaki chicken, tempura shrimp and sticky rice.  Some people adore Frary teriyaki chicken.  If you do go to Frary, you should know that there is no limit to how many items you can check on the order slip.  If you check multiple items they don’t give you less of each.

Thursday:

Head up to Mudd this Thursday for Muddgolian BBQ,a Quesadilla Bar, and a Pasta Bar.

Alternatively, go get some nachos at Scripps.  Scripps is offering a Nacho Bar as well as their Bread Bowl “Souper” Day.  Remember that you can use the nacho bar for other purposes, like making Cheese Fries.  Unfortunately, Scripps often runs out of bread bowls at lunch and has none left for dinner.

Friday:

Last Friday I investigated the Collins Za’tar Hummus Bar and it was surprisingly good.  I am not usually one to munch on pita bread and hummus, but on Fridays Collins has warm pita bread (different from the pita bread it has out every day) and two different kinds of hummus as well as onions and tomatoes that you can put on your pita.   Collins also has Lamb Carving Station in the “At Home” section.  For those of you looking for something out of the ordinary to eat on Friday, check out Collins.

If hummus really isn’t your thing, you can always go get Individual Pizzas at Mudd.

Saturday:

For Saturday dinner trot up to Scripps for its Steak Night, as well as a Chicken Mo Shu Lettuce Wrap. Scripps lines on Saturday can get very long so be sure to get there early or late.

Sunday

The traditional choice for Sunday dinner is Mudd‘s Steak Cooked to Order night.  I have mentioned a few times in this column that Pitzer also offers steak, but not cooked to order.  However, there is an additional reason to go to Pitzer: the delectable macaroni and cheese.  Normally I detest dining hall macaroni and cheese, but Pitzer has proven to be an exception.  I recommend it if you find yourself at Pitzer on a Sunday.

That’s all for this week.  Thank you for reading!