UPDATE 2007: This is basically not valid anymore.
As you may know from your bill, you are charged quite a bit for “board.” Board includes a meal plan that you HAVE TO BE ON and CAN’T GET OUT OF. As frosh, you either have 12 meals a week, 14 meals a week, or the brand-spanking-new block meal plan that I wish to high heaven was available when I was a freshman. The reason? Hardly anyone uses up all their meals for the week. (You can change to this new plan if you picked another, just be sure to do so in the first two weeks at the Wescard Office in North College when you get there).
When you become a sophomore, you will be given the same options you were given as a freshman, only with the addition of the All-Points plan. Since you can’t have that yet, we’ll discuss first which places accept meals:
Mocon: The giant spaceship between Nic 7 and Hewitt, it’s all-you-can-eat and actually pretty damn good for cafeteria food. Big round tables, giant salad bar, sandwiches, pizza, rotating menu of hot food and always-available ice cream. Most freshmen eat here. Most upperclassmen should keep eating here, but they are stubborn and set in their “I’m-just-going-to-live-on-nuked-egg-rolls-from-Weshop” ways.” Nice as it is, Mocon will be destroyed after your freshman year so enjoy it while you can.
- Mocon is the home of Señor WesShoppe.
- Mocon is also architecturally suited for shouting announcements at a large mass of people at one time. This ritual is started by someone standing at the top of the stairs while those eating below pound their hands on their tables. This means everyone should shut up and listen because sometimes they have important things to say like where a party is happening that night or where free chocolate can be found.
- Xue adds: Don’t drop your cups during the announcements. Only assholes and DKE members do that (see next post). It’s not funny. Neither are you.
- Summerfields: This is a more restaurant-style eating place in Butt C. The menu rotates and you order by the elements (i.e. Fire = meat, water = seafood, earth = vegetarian, wind = vegan).
It also serves diner-style food during late-night,which is the only place on campus you can get food after 8 p.m. not counting Weshop, but late-night doesn’t take meals and is fairly a fried, fatty affair.
- Wendy works here. Meet Wendy. Love Wendy. WENDY IS AWESOME.
Kosher Kitchen: It’s kosher, it’s tiny, it always smells like broccoli (it does). Located in Butt A.
These places only take points or cash (sorry froshlings, but you should be eating at Mocon and making lots of friends. Relying on these eating establishments can make one a social isolate in a matter of days.):
- Red and Black: A cafe of sorts that serves chiefly sandwiches (I highly recommend the Turkey panini) and soups. It is located in Wesleyan’s bookstore, Broad Street Books.
- Pi Cafe: The only place on campus open in the mornings (besides the campus center). Tucked away in the science tower, it sells juice, coffee, prepackaged deli salads/sandwiches and various breakfast foods.
- Weswings: At the intersection of Church and High. Their menu is based on fried chicken and is freakin’ delicious (and BAD FOR YOU, so very, very bad).
Campus center: The campus center is divided into three floors. The first floor is a grab-and-go variety show, the second floor is a deli, and the third floor is First Harvest, the vegan cafe. The Vegan Cafe is arguably one of the most popular and yummiest places to eat on campus, but it also is one of the most expensive.
- Weshop: Ye Olde Campus Grocery Store located in Westco 2. Basically a mini Whole Foods. If Whole Foods sold gushers.
Other:
- Chique Chaque: The dining brochure lists Chique Chaque but no one eats there except Psi U brothers.
- Star and Crescent: The restaurant in the back of Alpha Delt. Their menu changes all the time at the discretion of their chef, Jonathan–That’s right, they have a chef. The food is AMAZING; they even serve steak one night a week! They take points but the first two freshmen through the door every night eat for free, so go early and go often. Also, all ADP members serve meals, so you can make friends.
Make sure to ration your points carefully. Here’s a secret from Xue: If you’re on financial aid and you use at least 10 meals a week, you can get extra points for free! Just go talk to the nice administrators in North College and they’ll sort it out for you.
There are also two grocery stores in Middletown, A&P and Stop & Shop. Neither are in walking distance. Too bad. Reason #204812 to make friends with cars.