According to ‘experts,’ breakfast is the most important meal of the day. You’ve heard it for your entire life and probably believe it. I am here to dispel that myth.
In my world, breakfast doesn’t offer much beyond coffee.
For me, the most important meal of the day is dinner. Why, you ask? The generous portions, of course! And you can eat just about anything and call it ‘dinner.’ You can eat ‘breakfast’ foods like waffles or ‘lunch’ foods like sandwiches for dinner. Fun fact, a common synonym for dinner, ‘supper,’ has its roots in the word ‘super' (look it up).
Much to my embarrassment, none of my previous columns have featured on-campus dinner options. So, for my final column of the semester, I’ll recap some of the super suppers I sampled this week on campus.
First, in honor of Hanukkah, I tried Pax et Lox Glatt Kosher Deli’s latke Reuben. Rarely do I hear two words as intriguing as ‘latke Reuben.’
Between rye bread, the sandwich features hot corned beef, coleslaw, Russian dressing and two latkes. Yes, latkes inside a sandwich! As a devoted potato pancake fan, I ordered a side of latkes too.
The corned beef was lean and well-cooked, the Russian dressing was abundant and flavorful and the rye held firm despite the heavy load. The coleslaw was tasty but clashed with the warm sandwich because it was chilled. The crispy latkes were outstanding and added an extra crunch. I also appreciated the applesauce provided for my side of latkes.
Overall, it was a jam-packed sandwich that would make the Maccabees proud.
Next, I ventured to Hodgdon Food-on-the-Run to try the Pan Asia meal deal. I ordered a noodle bowl with beef stir-fry, bok choy, broccoli, carrots, mushrooms and Thai coconut red curry sauce. To be honest, I was not sure which vegetables to add, so I selected them all.
The bowl was fine. The noodles were flavorful but a little soft, and the curry sauce was overshadowed by the other ingredients. My fresh vegetable combination worked out nicely (I am patting myself on the back). The beef was tangy and well-cooked, but also chewy.
In the end, the bowl proved to be a solid on-the-go option from Hodge.
My final dinner was at Tufts Student Life’s “First-Year Feast.” Sorry, upperclassmen who missed out, but hey, a guy’s gotta eat.
Another of my favorite word pairings, ‘taco bar,’ headlined the feast. Tortilla strips, red cabbage slaw, corn, rice pilaf, black beans, pork carnitas, pulled chicken, pico de gallo and guacamole filled the buffet, all accompanied by apple cider!
Overzealous, I stuffed everything into my tiny corn tortilla. Based on my one semester of collegiate Spanish, my creation could be called, “más o menos promedio.” My tortilla was too small, so unsurprisingly the fajita crème sauce bled through. The rice and beans lacked flavor, and the corn was meh. On the bright side though, the pulled chicken was delicious, the guacamole superb and the apple cider refreshing.
A hearty thanks to Tufts Student Life for organizing this decadent event!
As always, here are my gut reactions:
Pax latke Reuben: Great combo. Make sure to bring napkins.
Pan Asia bowl: A solid quick bite. Request extra curry sauce.
First-Year Feast taco bar: Thoughtful and generous, but I overfilled my taco.
Finally, I appreciate my readers, who have munched with me through my first semester at Tufts. Thank you! Hopefully, you’ve been inspired to try some of the delicious food options I’ve reviewed, available both on campus and in Davis Square (and skipped the not-so-impressive ones).
Whether you feast on ham, sufganiyot or seven fishes, may the holidays be restful and filling. To paraphrase the words of Mariah Carey, all I want for Christmas … is food!
