By Sophia Shin
The number one thing I was excited for as an incoming freshman was the Westmont kitchen. The polished, sophisticated-looking serving area was quite the contrast to the dingy, smelly middle school cafeteria I had come from. Not only does it advertise more than ten lunch options a day, the items sound like they’re straight off a restaurant’s menu. Plus, the meals are completely free! I was so excited to try everything out.
Throughout the first month of school, I made it my goal to try every option at least once. I realized that the kitchen generally keeps the menu the same for a week and goes through four weeks of different menus before cycling through them again. Eating everything they have has taught me two things: not every dish is as good as it sounds, but some of them actually exceed expectations. Below, I’ve compiled a list of my top three and bottom three school lunches, based on my personal opinion.
Note: I’m usually good at eating anything, but I am picky with cheese. I can’t stand subpar cheese, and that has affected my rankings a lot.
My top three:
The Caprese Sandwich
It’s a bread roll filled with slices of mozzarella cheese, fresh tomatoes, and pesto. A bag of potato chips, either plain or barbecue, is served on the side. The sandwich is usually slightly warm—not warm enough to fully melt the cheese, but enough to soften the tomato slices and give the cheese a slight stretch. The cheese is chewy and tastes very mild. The pesto is what makes this sandwich one of my favorites–-a decent pesto makes anything taste good. The cheese and the tomatoes, of course, complement pesto very well. This sandwich is a demonstration of why the combination of caprese flavors are a beloved classic.
One downside of this sandwich is that the bread can occasionally get soggy due to the tomato juices seeping into the bun. However, it’s usually not bad enough to be unpleasant. Plus, the top of the bread is usually crisp (or dry, depending on how you view it), offsetting the slight sogginess. And the addition of chips makes everything better. I personally like adding the barbecue chips into the sandwich. Please try it!
Frito bowl
This vegetarian lunch is a simple bowl of Fritos, or corn chips, with a scoop of warm chili on top. The bulk of the chili comes from beans, plus a few veggies. There’s nothing bad to say about the flavor of the chili—it’s amazing. It tastes like chili, and it tastes comforting. Please don’t let the mention of beans deter you; they take on the flavor of the chili rather than tasting bean-like.
Chicken tikka masala
Whether or not it’s authentic, I cannot say. But what I do know is that this chicken curry is rich, warmly spiced, and piping hot. The amount of chicken contained in the sauce is commendable as well. It is served atop a bed of rice—not the best rice in the world. I do not love this school’s rice; it has a paper-like taste and is never evenly cooked. But can you make out the flavor and texture of the rice underneath a huge glob of flavorful curry? I can put up with mediocre rice when it comes soaked with chicken tikka masala.
My bottom three:
The burger
It’s a basic beef patty burger, except every component is horrible (in my opinion). The bun is whole wheat and dry, the beef patty is terrible in terms of both texture and flavor, making me speculate what’s actually in it, and the cheese is a cold slice of American slapped on top. As I mentioned earlier, I’m picky with cheese, and fridge-cold cheese on an already mediocre burger is highly unpleasant.
Grilled cheese
The cheese in this sandwich is a no for me—it’s way too rich and has a soft texture with no chew, no cheese pull at all. It’s so off-putting. Additionally, the “buttered” bread just tastes soaked in fat.
The fries are a saving grace. The potato wedges served alongside the grilled cheese are some of the best things from the kitchen, but it’s not enough to make me forgive the grilled cheese sandwich’s flaws.
Pizza
As I said, I can’t stand bad cheeses, and to me, the school pizza’s cheese tastes awful. The sauce and the crust are mediocre as well. I might just be sensitive though, because pizza is a pretty popular lunch choice among most students.
Please take all my rankings with a grain of salt. I know a couple of people who aren’t fans of the caprese sandwich, and from my experience as a former student cafeteria worker, I’ve seen the grilled cheese sell out very quickly. So give everything a chance, and don’t knock anything until you try it!