But there is a downside. It's a weekend, so there are no classes. If there are no classes, there are no kitchens. No kitchens means no food. At least that's what it would have meant if I wasn't super awesome and proactive. I did some research and asked my lovely RA where you can eat on campus on the weekends. I knew that the school's tuition included two meals for weekdays, and I knew you could get an extended meal plan. The meal plan could extend your meals to 30, 60, or 90 extra for the semester. It's not strictly set up for the semester. Theoretically you could swipe 90 times if you have the 90 meal upgrade and give 90 of your classmates a meal. Then you would simply have to sign up for another meal upgrade. Based on a 15-week semester schedule, the 30 upgrade is supposed to give you one meal each Saturday and Sunday. Getting 60 would be two each of those days, and so forth. You could also use your upgrade swipes for a breakfast during the week to give you three meals that day.
I went to the Dining Services Office the day before and signed out a form to give myself 30 extra meals. I wanted to make sure I did it before the weekend came. The next step would be figuring out where I can eat. I didn't know where I could go, so I found my RA and asked her. She said the only place you can go on weekends with your swipes is Courtside Café in the Rec Center. I hadn't been there yet, and so when Saturday rolled around, I went to get my lunch. I didn't really know how it worked, but I asked the people working there and they helped me out. Here's what I ate:
-- Korean Pork Sandwich with Braised Pork, Sweet Chili Sauce, Red Onion, Cilantro, Jalapenos, and Diced Red Peppers on a Toasted Bun
Sure, this picture doesn't look too great. Hell, it didn't look too great before I bit into the sandwich either. But as it turns out, the sandwich tasted just as it should. It was sweet, spicy, and juicy. The pork was nice and soft, and the bun was toasted just right. I wouldn't give it visual points, but I honestly don't care about that stuff. If it tastes good, that's all that matters. Just eat it.
The way it works at Courtside is that of a high-tech deli. There are four touch screen monitors where you place your order. They have "signature sandwiches" and options to create your own sandwich or salad. The signature sandwiches sound a bit more extravagant than they are, including the sandwich I got, something with tandoori chicken, croque-monsieur, and others. The customizable sandwiches let you pick up to two meats including corned beef, roast beef, turkey, chicken, and the other usual meats. Then you can add a cheese such as gouda, mozzarella, provolone and others, followed by choosing condiments. Once you build the sandwich, you can add fries, chips, and maybe a couple other things. When you've finished, it prints out a receipt with an order number, and you wait for the chefs to make your food. When they call out the number and give you the food, you take it over to the cashier and use your swipe card.
I had to ask about this too, but my natural curiosity made me wonder just what constitutes a swipe at this place. Can you make a sandwich with two meats, add fries, grab a side salad, a couple sodas, and a container of buffalo wings and use them all for one swipe? I obviously wanted to know so I could get the most of my swipe. I asked around and found out that one swipe is up to nine dollars. A sandwich costs around five dollars, I believe. Adding a second meat costs two dollars, and so does adding fries or chips. There are lots of drinks in refrigerators available here too, ranging from two to three dollars. Once I figured out the system, I asked around and got the answer that you'd pay the difference with cash, credit or debit, or school cash if you'd gotten more than nine dollars worth of stuff. Oh yeah, they also have a freezer with pints of Ben & Jerry's too. Pretty sick.
So that's how the system at Courtside works. And just so you know, right outside the restaurant is the Hudson River, and there's an elevated hill section right along the river where they set up some tables and benches. It's quite the muse. Here's a picture of what I mean:
Picture getting a pork sandwich and eating it with this view... any time you want. Pretty awesome perk of living here.
Until the next post,
Eat well, then eat more
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