Opinion: Be prepared to disagree
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As of the end of last term, all nine food options at the Denorval Unthank Jr. residence hall have opened. Steam is steaming, Drake’s is deli-ing and the PNW is market-ing. Us dorm-dwellers could not be more excited. However, with great excitement must come great scrutiny. It’s time for a food review.
I’ll be doing an overall ranking from worst to best option within the building and give each restaurant a rating out of 10. So, without further ado, I present an unlicensed, unprofessional and incredibly biased food ranking and review of all of the restaurants at Unthank.
Worst: Drake’s Deli
I don’t think I’ll lose many people yet with this ranking. Drake’s has a few good items such as the jojos and waffle fries, but it leaves much to be desired.
The chicken sandwich is a point of contention at Drake’s. For the first seven or so bites, it’s really good. The meat is cooked well, the aioli is flavorful and I’m always pro-pickle. However, on the eighth bite, something changes, and I can’t explain it. I have never gotten more than halfway through one of those sandwiches without hitting a point of no return of sorts: I must immediately stop eating and throw the rest away.
Because of this unexplainable mystery, I give Drake’s a 2/10.
Hearth and Soul
This one is a tough one to put so low on my list. I was at Hearth and Soul many a time during my first quarter. However, as more things opened up, I realized that it doesn’t really have much to offer. The Caesar salad is the same one you can get at Duck’s House, and even Track Town has better pizza. Its one redeeming — and underrated — product is definitely the sandwiches, which are often fairly good.
Hearth and Soul gets a 3/10 from me.
Tamarind
Tamarind is an enigma. Based purely on my experiences, it would be last on my list. Lukewarm rice and flavorless chicken just don’t do it for me. But I rarely go for a meal at Unthank without one of my friends ordering from the place. They love it there and swear by their orders.
Another factor to consider is the apparent upgrade from last quarter to this one. With the addition of Chicken Tikka Masala and other general improvements to taste (according to the Tamarind sympathizers), it seems as if the Indian food joint is ending out the year with a bang. So I guess one of these days if I feel like spending four or five points — it’s also one of the more expensive meals on campus — I’ll give it another try.
Reluctantly, I’ll give Tamarind a 5/10.
PNW Cafe
There’s not a ton to say here. The cafe has great drinks and desserts, and it’s relatively cheap — in terms of points, of course.
The biggest drawback to the PNW Cafe is that it’s not really that unique. You can get almost everything available there at either the Fresh Café at Global Scholars Hall or the Dux Bistro at the Living Learning Center.
With no ill will, I give PNW Cafe a 6/10.
And a quick note: If there’s a snickerdoodle muffin available, jump on that. Trust me.
Editor’s note: This is the first installation in a two-part series. Return tomorrow to read the rest of Isaac’s reviews.
