Strutters the hidden gem of Schenley

Cathedral Cafe Location: Cathedral of Learning, Ground Floor Hours: Monday-Thursday, 10:30 a.m…. Cathedral Cafe Location: Cathedral of Learning, Ground Floor Hours: Monday-Thursday, 10:30 a.m. ‘- 6 p.m. Friday 10:30 a.m. ‘- 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday: Closed What You Get: Sushi, Chick-fil-A sandwiches, salads and deli foods Kelsey Says: ‘ ‘ ‘ Cathedral Cafe is perfect for grabbing lunch between classes with friends, but the Cathedral can get pretty crowded at lunchtime. The prices are relatively high, but overall the Cathedral is one of the better on-campus places for eating.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ I got a chicken quesadilla from Hometown Favorites for lunch. In retrospect, asking for the chemically ‘enhanced’ chicken may have been a mistake. Like almost all places on campus, the meat was just OKand pretty greasy. Next time I’d go for the vegetable quesadilla because the cheese and tortilla were good and grilled fresh. Made with fresh peppers and onions, it looked tasty, too. Noah Says: ‘ ‘ ‘ Where could you expect to find a cafeteria with fried chicken, customizable sandwiches and sushi in the basement of a humongous skyscraper-castle? Sodexo has invaded the ground of the Cathedral! The Cathedral Cafe is hit or miss. Sometimes you can find enough Chick-fil-A and Tsunami Sushi to feed an army;other times you must scavenge for a scrap of fried breading. ‘ ‘ ‘ The sushi is what most people come for and what I decided to purchase, although I’d just as much rather go to Sushi Boat on Atwood for better quality and less money. Yet, one thing that wound me up was when I got a cup for water, the staff charged me for a cup of ice … even if there was no ice. The charge is a quarter, which adds up to maybe a dollar a week. In 40 weeks, that’s 40 dollars. I’m no math major, but college is already costly as it is. Don’t charge me for my water cup. Schenley Cafe Location: William Pitt Union, Lower Level Hours: Monday’-Thursday, 7:30 a.m.’-9 p.m. Friday: 9 a.m.’-5 p.m. Saturday ‘amp; Sunday: Closed Sub Connection Hours Monday’-Thursday: 11 a.m.’-8 p.m. Friday: 11 a.m.’-4 p.m. What You Get: Culinary Classics, Strutters sandwiches, Pizza Hut, Freshens for smoothies and pretzels Kelsey Says: ‘ ‘ ‘ For healthy eaters, The Schenley Cafe probably isn’t your place of choice. Three of the main places to eat are an express Pizza Hut, a smoothie and ice cream station and Strutters, which features fried chicken, fried chicken sandwiches, fried chicken wings and fried potatoes.’ There’s also a Sub Connection where you can get sandwiches, as well as the Culinary Classics, which has a variety of Asian food, pastas and other ‘home-style’ foods. ‘ ‘ ‘ For lunch I had a generic type of Asian chicken (which I later discoveredwas supposed to be General Tso’s) with fried rice and an egg roll. The chicken was fried and covered in an inherently delicious sweet sauce, but the fried rice was tasteless and bland. And, alas, the egg roll was sad and soggy. Noah Says: ‘ ‘ ‘ The thing about Pizza Hut is that no matter what you get, it’ll be so greasy that it will melt in your mouth. Not that I’m saying that’s a bad thing, but if you’re wary of the fabled Freshman 15, then Pizza Hut is going to scare the crap out of you. Still, hitting up Freshens to get a smoothie (one of the healthy ones, not the super awesome ice cream and Kool-Aid with cherries smoothie) could balance you out. Don’t forget about Culinary Classics ‘mdash; it’s the University’s hidden Chinese food spot on campus. Sub Connection is a faux Subway, except its subs are so soaked in Italian dressing that you just might drown in vegetable oil. ‘ ‘ ‘ I decided to try the most overlooked aspect of Schenley: Strutters. I found my chicken sandwich much more enjoyable than the Chick-fil-A chain. The sandwich was messy, messy, messy, but it tasted like it’d been made with love. The Perch at Sutherland Location: Sutherland Hall, Upper Level Hours: Monday’-Friday 5 p.m.’-9 p.m. Saturday ‘amp; Sunday: 10 a.m.’-3 p.m., 4 p.m.’-9 p.m. What You Get: Soup, salad, sandwiches, dinner-related Food, Asian cuisine and steak fries Kelsey Says: ‘ ‘ ‘ Sometimes second time is the charm, or at least that’s the case with Sodexo’s newest dining facility, The Perch at Sutherland. Market Central’s new little sibling has many of the same characteristics: a sandwich station, a diner with burgers and grilled chicken and a station with daily changing cuisines. ‘ ‘ ‘ As similar as the two may be, I think The Perch has one-upped Market Central with better food, a lot of choices and better ice cream flavors. But don’t get too excited. The Perch has horrible hours. It’s only open from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays, and let’s be honest here: Most college students aren’t exactly going to bed at 10 p.m., so students on Upper Campus only have Sutherland’s Quick Zone for late night pangs of hunger. ‘ ‘ ‘ For dinner, I had the Freshno Pita Pocket from Matos. It had red pepper hummus, provolone cheese and vegetables inside a fresh pita. It was healthy and tasted like real food ‘mdash; not something you can always get from on-campus cafeterias. Noah Says: ‘ ‘ ‘ Sutherland really does have it better: nice, open rooms with a commanding view of Oakland, the basketball courts and swimming pool of Trees Hall right next door, big red roofs and steak fries. Yes, steak fries. The Perch at Sutherland has taken the best of Market Central and combined it into a smaller room with a smaller crowd. ‘ ‘ ‘ You can get whatever you want, usually without a 10 or 15 minute wait. You want a cheeseburger? Bam, you got it. Asian noodles? Whoosh, here they are. Steak fries? Not only are they ready for you, but they are just waiting to be taken in a bin sitting on the counter. No waiting for steak fries. It’s a dream come true. ‘ ‘ ‘ And though some of the Asian cuisine is so-so cafeteria food, if you’re willing to deal with Cardiac Hill, then go right ahead and treat yourself to everything it has to offer you. Market Central Location: Lobby of Litchfield Towers Hours: Varies by station, but most open past midnight What You Get: Anything you’d want from an all-you-can-eat, restaurant-style buffet/cafeteria … although anything can get old after a week or two Kelsey Says: ‘ ‘ ‘ MC, Market, Marke or whatever you call it, Market Central is the flagship of Sodexo’s facilities. It’s got plenty of options for everyone. The quality isn’t quite up to scratch with some other on-campus dining facilities, and it’s always freezing down there, but there are a lot of options to satisfy your craving until 2 a.m. when the Flying Star Diner closes. ‘ ‘ ‘ I went the healthy route and had stir-fry from the 360 Degrees Grill, my personal favorite, and a salad from Tutto Fresco. The veggies were fresh and tasty, but the texture of the rice was a bit odd. The salad bar had a nice selection, though they were trying to clean up as I was making my salad, which led to a mild scuffle over the dressing. Overall, however, my dinner was nice and healthy. Noah says: ‘ ‘ ‘ Ah, the cr’egrave;me dela cr’egrave;me, the place where they herd all the freshmen to graze: Market Central. You could practically survive off Market food for your entire life if you have no set standards. I mean, if you’re accustomed to an enormous home-cooked meal, Market Central will make you cry tears of sadness. But if you can’t even find non-expired milk at your real home, then step right up; Market’s for you. ‘ ‘ ‘ We’re all trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle, so there’s a salad bar in the back, but to get to the peas and cucumbers you have to go under the sneeze-guard and reach your way to the back. What also makes Market unique is the 360 Degrees Grill, where you can pick whatever you want from the grill, and it’ll be fried up for you. ‘ ‘ ‘ On the other hand, I chose to go all out and accept the fact that I am gaining 15 pounds this semester. You can stock up on cheeseburgers, pasta, pizza and french fries. That’s the way to stay in shape.