Someone's Hungry

Ozone Café

I am not just writing this post due to the fact that I am starving right now. I also want to discuss dining opportunities and where to go to get the perfect chicken parmagiana. Yummy.
There are quite a few dining options on Union's campus which is fantastic for me as I am a girl who likes to mix things up every once and a while. The college offers West Dining Hall, Dutch Hollow, Upper Class Dining Hall, Rathskeller, and Ozone Café. I have decided to spill my own opinion on each dining location so that whomever is reading this will have an idea of what to expect.
West Dining Hall:
Otherwise known as the busiest place on earth to be between the hours of 12 pm to 1 pm. Every time you venture into this world between these two times it is like stepping into the wild jungles of the Amazon. It is the Animal Kingdom in there as students fight for the last piece of pizza and load up on greasy french fries or a boring looking salad. The best time to go is right when the dining hall opens or right before it is about to close. I've found the environment much more peaceful and therefore have had a better dining experience. The food isn't too bad. Some of it is overly greasy and seems to be screaming, "Eat me, Eat me! I won't make you gain forty pounds!", but you just have to exercise self control and turn your ears away. The salad bar is really great. I love being able to create the salad of my dreams especially because it offers celery and raw broccoli both of which I can't live without. The sandwich station is also great as it has its very own grill where I can create paninis. For me, the overall best meal at West is brunch on Saturday's and Sunday's. I LOVE brunch as it is every type of food I would ever want to eat all concentrated under the same roof. The omelets are delicious, the pastries are heavenly, and they have grapes which makes my heart soar to new heights. While West isn't the best place to eat all the time, it does have the best brunch I have ever tasted. Amen to that.

Dutch Hollow:
This dining option is located in Reamer Campus center and offers all kinds of goodies until 12 am. There is soup, salad, sushi, fruit, yogurt...pretty much anything you could ever dream of. One downfall is that you have to pay with your declining balance, but the taste of the food makes up for it. Dutch Hollow makes a mean chicken parm that I always recommend to all my friends who come to visit me. The environment is also less stifled and more relaxed as there are less people milling around. The cashiers are also really friendly and always wish me a good day! Overall, it is a really nice place to grab a late night snack if you aren't afraid to walk across campus to get it.

Upper Class Dining Hall:
I have only ever eaten at Upper Class once, but it was a nice experience. The cafeteria is spread out along the second floor of Reamer and it has a lot of great food to offer. The first time I went there there was strawberry shortcake and I think that biased my opinion of Upper Class from then on. The layout is much better, more of an open spread. While the food is probably worse for you than at West, it is all the more delectable. Plus you are surrounded by all different aged students which is great because at West it is mainly freshmen. While the food might taste better and there might be more of an eclectic society, I still prefer West as it is a five minute walk from my dorm in the winter time.

Rathskeller:
I hate to admit it, but this is by far my favorite dining option. It is located under old chapel in a cellar, yet it is anything but dark and drab. I love the low hanging ceilings and the diner booth set up. I also love all the greasy, disgusting food they have to offer from milkshakes to cheese sticks. It is a great place to go on the weekend at 1 am when all you want is a salty snack before bed. The place has a bar atmosphere to it and that makes it have a cool, youthful feel to it. But don't expect to be served right away on the weekend. The place is usually packed around 1:30 am and the wait to get your food can be up to 45 minutes long. In the end, the food and the vibe is still worth it.

Ozone Cafe:
Truth be told I have yet to eat at Ozone! From what I have heard it is very very good, but sadly I have never been. It serves organic, healthy food by the plate, but must be paid for in cash or with the declining balance. I will have to update this post as soon as I get my butt over to the café to try all that it has to offer!

So all in all the best place to eat is....West during the week, Upper on Friday nights, Dutch hollow for a late night snack, and Rathskeller when going out on the weekends. I have no favorite place to eat, but instead enjoy all that the campus has to offer.