Fear of the Unknown

More than likely, as you have made your rounds about the Mabee Dining Hall, you have passed the Sushi Line once or twice, felt a tad bit daunted, and then turned the other way. Perhaps the idea of raw fish sliding down your throat had you slightly less than excited, or even slightly terrified. So you quickly ran to the safest food line you could find- the Home Zone perhaps with its lasagna or grilled chicken. However, next time before you bolt in the other direction, take a second glance at the Sushi line. There may be something more there than you think.
In fact, sushi is the least popular food item coming out of the Sushi line. Almost on a daily basis, this line serves up some sort of Asian meat entree with a side of white rice. In addition, you always have to option to add on as many eggrolls and crab rangoons as you would like. Meat entrées vary from Asian dishes as familiar as teriyaki chicken to dishes as foreign-sounding as “Yum-Yum” chicken. The best part is that you can watch it all being made by hand right behind the counter, so you know it’s fresh. On the day of my visit to the Sushi Line, they were serving up Sesame Chicken, sweet and tangy sauce-covered chicken on kabobs served over a bed of white rice and topped with sesame seeds. With the addition of one of my favorite egg roles, this dish sure did hit the spot. So next time you see the word Sushi and want to run in the other direction, give the good ‘ole Sushi Line a second chance. It may just be a little less scary than you think.

Finding Excitement in the Unexpected

The Sandwich Line. As we make our rounds about the dining hall, this line may seem slightly less than exciting at first glance. Thus, as we often times do, we may feel prompted to forgo this oh-so-familiar option for something more exciting- the Japanese style line, or the Bar-B-Q line perhaps. However, next time you’re making laps about the dining hall, look again. The Sandwich Line may have far more to offer than you’d expect.

The truth is, this line gives you so many options, you can make your meal as exciting as you want. The only problem you may encounter is having to deal with too many choices. The process starts out with your choice of bread, ranging from spinach and tomato tortilla wraps, to ciabatta bread or sourdough. Next you choose your meat and cheese, with options like simple sliced turkey as well as grilled chicken, and cheese as familiar as American to cheese that is completely foreign, such as feta. As I feel that I have perfected the perfect sandwich, I rarely drift away from my personal favorite. I start off with a spinach wrap, filled with grilled chicken and bacon, and topped with swiss and feta cheese. At this point, you have the option to toast your sandwich, which takes a bit longer, but I always highly recommend doing so. It can make the difference between an average sandwich a great sandwich. Once your meal comes out of the toaster, you can add a multitude of vegetables to it, like romaine and spinach, or corn and tomatoes. Personally I forgo this step, finding that vegetables rarely enhance the sandwich to my personal liking. And finally, you have a number of dressings to top you sandwich off with, my very favorite being the pesto mayonnaise. Regardless of the choices you make, you meal is sure to be anything but boring, leaving you far from being disappointed.