One of my biggest concerns before starting Nazareth College as a residential transfer student, was about the food. I am a super picky eater, and I have a few different dietary restrictions, so I was worried I wouldn’t be able to find anything that I liked to eat! I made sure that I was stocked up on food from Wegmans that I could easily keep in my room and cook with minimal effort, but it’s not always enough to have a balanced meal. I was quickly forced to get out of my comfort zone and try out the dining options on campus, and I was pleasantly surprised! College food isn’t great, there’s no doubt, but I discovered menu items at every dining location on campus that I genuinely love, and make a part of my regular eating habits.
Nazareth has 6 different dining options on campus, including the dining hall. Before we get into the specifics, however, I’ll give a quick overview of how our campus meal plans work. Residential students are required to have a meal plan, unless they live in our upperclassmen apartments. Depending on which meal plan you choose, you receive a certain number of “swipes” as well as what we call “dining dollars.” One swipe gets you into the dining hall where you’re then free to eat as much as of whatever you want! Dining dollars can be used at any of the other retail dining locations on campus. In addition, students get one meal trade a day where they can use a “swipe” instead of dining dollars, to buy a meal at a retail dining location. Still with me? It’s a little complicated when it’s all laid out like this, but it’s pretty simple once you start using it.
Alright. Now that that’s out of the way, let’s get into the fun stuff: the food!
Sorelle’s
First stop? Cafe Sorelle! Cafe Sorelle is located in the basement of GAC, one of our main academic buildings, and it’s basically two and a half dining options in one! It’s perfect for a quick grab and go if you just have a minute between classes, or there’s comfy booths around to hang out with friends and eat if you have more time. Sorelle offers quick convenience items such as yogurt, fruit, bagels, prepared salads, and more. There are also two counter serve style restaurants here. The Pizza Spot serves personal pizzas that are totally customizable, as well as calzones. On the other side of the Pizza Spot is Tres Habaneros which serves tacos, quesadillas, rice bowls, burritos, and nachos. All of these items are totally customizable, and you can put whatever you want in them; it’s kind of like our very own Chipotle!
On Tuesdays I have a 2 hour gap between my afternoon class and my night class which are both located in GAC. Usually I take this time to grab some dinner from Sorelle’s and get work done. My go-to meal is a rice bowl from Tres Habaneros. I usually don’t even use my meal trade for this because a bowl without meat only costs about $1.50 in dining dollars!
Millie’s
Next up is Millie’s! Millie’s is our on-campus cafe that serves Starbucks products and grab and go breakfast items. Millie’s offers a sizable menu that compares with that at any full service Starbucks location, and you can use your dining dollars here. In addition to the drinks, you can also find parfaits, breakfast sandwiches, fruit cups, and other quick and healthy snack options. I could easily spend all my dining dollars here, but I save it for those days when I really need a pick-me-up, and my Keurig just isn’t going to cut it. Another reason I love Millie’s is that it’s located in the fishbowl, a lounge area just outside the library where comfy booths and chairs welcome students to an ideal study spot. Whether or not I’m getting something from Millie’s, I love spending my free time between classes here so I can be more productive without a ton of distractions.
The Cabaret & The Roost
The Cabaret, referred to by students as the CAB located in the Shults Center, is home to the Golden Flyers Grill and Deli, open until midnight every day. The Grill offers burgers, grilled cheese, chicken fingers, french fries, and loads more, while the Deli allows students to create their own made-to-order sandwiches and wraps. Both of these places offer gluten free and vegan options for people with dietary restrictions who still want this type of food. I’m a big fan of the new meatless Beyond Burger at the Grill! I love stopping by the CAB after my night class ends to grab a quick meal after the dining hall is closed. Here, an entree with a side of either chips, fries, or a fruit cup, and a fountain drink counts as a meal trade, so you don’t even have to spend dining dollars!
On the other side of the Cab is a dining option called the Roost. The Roost offers fresh, made to order salads, smoothies, and sushi for a lighter, healthier option. It’s super easy to order here, and you can create your own salads from scratch by picking exactly what you want in them, and choose from their existing smoothie menu to get a tried and true combination of flavors. I love their salads, and it’s such a nice, fresh alternative to the foods found in other dining locations.
Cafe Nine
Our most recent dining addition is the Cafe Nine, located in the brand new Golisano Training Center. Cafe Nine offers clean, healthy eating options including paninis, protein drinks, fruit, and smoothies. It’s a great option for anyone using the facilities to work out or practice for their sport, to get good energy from healthy foods to complement their workout.
Lourdes & Kearney
Now that we’ve been on a tour of all the retail dining options on campus, it’s time to hit the Dining Commons! Our dining hall has two different sides — that are completely connected — which is why we call it the Dining Hall. On the Lourdes side, there is a pizza station, a grill station, a broth and rice bowl station, as well as a pasta bar. This side is also home to our all-day breakfast area which has bagels and bread for toasting, as well as a waffle iron for fresh waffles at any time of the day. Right outside of the main Lourdes dining area is our newly installed self serve ice cream bar which has ice cream from Pittsford dairy, as well as soft serve ice cream and frozen yogurt with a variety of toppings.
The other side of the dining hall, the Kearney side, has stations that change based on time of day, and offer different menu items throughout the week. We have a hot meal station which serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day, as well as an Asian stir-fry station, and a vegan station. The Kearney side also has our salad bar and sandwich counter, and a new berry bar where you can make your own parfait.
If you’re concerned about food allergies, we have a MyZone area just for you! MyZone is a dedicated allergen free area that has a fridge stocked full of gluten, dairy, and nut free items. There is also a cupboard full of different snacks, and a toaster and microwave that are only used for allergen free foods, to reduce the risk of cross contact.
If you’re like me and you’re worried about what you’ll eat while at school, just know that Nazareth has you covered. With so many different options, you’re sure to find at least a few things you like, and you’ll quickly find your routine!