Monday, December 29, 2008

The Best of Valentine Dining Hall

Given the name and the writers of this blog, you'd think there would be more posts about Valentine Dining Hall, the dining hall of Amherst College. Yet, when we initially launched this blog, Miller and I had very broad ambitions. We wanted a global audience--not one confined to the hills of Amherst, and so we tried to take on topics that wouldn't be Amherst specific (i.e. the top five cereals of all time or the evolution of klezmer music).

Nonetheless, with a dwindling readership, it is time to briefly pander to the Amherst College crowd. To our readers elsewhere, I apologize.

And so here are the top five meals at Valentine Dining Hall. What is a meal? Something that is not offered everyday--so anything that can be made on the stir fry or panini press on a daily basis is not eligible. And what makes a good meal? Something that makes you forget the dreadful assignment waiting in your dorm or forget the test you just bombed. Something that you come across on the internet menu days in advance, and excites you so much that you scream to other people about it. And in some cases, something that most people don't like but you do, so you can get it quickly without waiting in a long-line.

5. Chicken Gyro

This has been a welcomed new addition to the Valentine menu. So long as you don't worry about how much the chicken had to be processed to take on its odd shape, the chicken gyro is an excellent lunch selection. The bread can even be eaten by itself, if meat's not your thing. There may be some panini potential here too--I have not tried it yet.

4. Salmon with Asian Sauce

Due to the efforts of a few, many have suffered. Salmon with Asian sauce is no longer offered at Valentine, but when it was, it was great. You could put that sauce on anything, and it would be good. When students complained about the name, rather than simply relabeling the sauce, the dinning staff has looked to alternatives. While good, they do not match the unique blend of Asian sauce.

3. Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, and Valentine Dining Hall celebrates it pretty much every other week. More than anything on the list, this a complete meal. From the turkey, to the stuffing, to the weird veggie mush, to the all important corn bread, you cannot go wrong. The white cake, I mean corn bread, is a day-changer.

2. Crepes Stuffed with Mushroom and Spinach

In general, I think the dining staff goes a bit overboard with the vegetarian options. Always, at the end of the food selections, there is some extravagant vegetarian entree with more ingredients than I can count. Yet, when the dining staff keeps it simple, they excel. Case in point--the vegetarian crepes. I will cut the lines for these.

1. Lasagna/Ravioli

Before coming to Amherst, I never had a proper introduction to Italian food. This was due in large part to my fear of cheese. For example, up through middle school, I only ate cheeseless pizza. However, thanks to Amherst's lasagna and ravioli, I am gradually coming out of this shell. No two menu items perk up my day the way lasagna and ravioli do. As an additional perk, lasagna is almost always served on the same day as chicken fingers, which means the line isn't too long.

Honorable Mention: Turkey Croissant Sandwiches (great on the panini press)

Discuss.

3 comments:

Esteban P. said...

I am interested in this chicken gyro you mention :O

I was never a fan of val fish in any form, so I apologize for disagreeing here. But in general, asian sauce does have a good flavor.

While Thanksgiving is good, my issue is that it gets tiresome when you see it every other week. THAT MAY HAVE CHANGED THIS SEMESTER, IDK

Eww veggies. CANNOT OFFER OPINION

And as for your #1, I wholeheartedly agree that's probably the best thing Val offers.

Hm. And to think I was excitedly discussing val food that me and another student abroad missed while we were in Spain. I can't think of anything right now :|

Anonymous said...

I would like to discuss, but I am not from the Amherst crowd. As such,t his post makes me feel completely alienated, and I'm afraid I cannot forgive the Vegan Dessert.

Discuss that, b****.

Miller said...

Excellent post. The beef gyro is also edible, if anyone wants their lunch to have a larger CO2 footprint. One thing I disagree with -- the BBQ citrus sauce in which they now douse the salmon provides a superior alternative to the Asian sauce. And while I'm on the subject, when will they stop offending Scandinavians by attaching those peoples to that awful blend of vegetables? This racism calls for a letter to the Indicator.