Though few current students may remember when Greylock Dining Hall started their midday deli tradition, it set in motion a lunch revolution that would sweep through the campus dining halls, giving rise to the short but very popular run of Baxter North Dining Hall, and culminating in today's Driscoll lunches -- to some, the defining lunch experience.
Today, Director of Dining Services Bob Volpi is our champion, and none will deny that he has brought Driscoll a long way from its Dirty D days. Even great men, however, stand on the shoulders of other great men, and Bob's work would not have been possible without his predecessor, John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich, the man popularly credited with inventing the convenient food assemlage that bears his name, so that he could eat cleanly while playing cribbage. [1]
Do you snub the speed of Grab 'n' Go because a good lunch just can't be rushed, even if it means being late to lab? Do you think the panini sandwich presses were an even better buy than the Schow chairs? This page is for you and for every sandwich connoisseur.
Eph originals
It's like a Choose Your Own Adventure between two (or more) slices of bread! Give the recipe for your masterpiece creations here, and note if it can only be made in certain dining halls. Be sure to give it a name!
Cassanova: A couple slices of turkey, some goat cheese, a little cranberry sauce, onion, and a slice or two of fresh tomato compose the fixins, but equally key is the onion potato roll spread with Thousand Island and paninied to browned goodness. Has won hearts. Greylock lunch only.
Humwich: Take a pita pocket, heat it up in a panini grill or toaster; fill with hummus, some goat cheese, cucumber, peppers, onions, and any other veggies you like. Fold, and serve with ranch dressing on the side for dipping. Can be made in most dining halls most of the time; can also be accomplished at the snackbar (order the Veggie Pocket with hummus, ask the nice lady at the counter for a container of salad dressing).
Mud and Leaves: Two pieces of thick multigrain bread, two spoonfuls of chunky natural peanut butter, raw spinach leaves, and a bit of honey. Beware of eating in front of culinarily conservative friends.
The Mills 3 Breakfast Delight Toasted English muffin, cream cheesed on both sides, a piece of ham, scrambled eggs. Some take it with a little ketchup on the side. It's delicious and well worth the effort.
The Nugwich: A hamburger bun, two fried chicken tenders (NOT buffalo tenders), a slice of tomato, and a dollop of ranch dressing. It will take you back to Tennessee.
Sorta Reuben: Spread Thousand Island on white bread; add cold roast beef from the deli bar, two slices of American cheese, and coleslaw. Delicious. Can definitely be made in Greylock during lunch; other places might not have the coleslaw.
Dining Services favorites
Sandwich lovers give props below to Dining Services successes in going the extra mile at lunch.
But to do this right, you'd have to take notes on Driscoll. Which is weird.
-- Allison Smith '07
Aunt Vicky's BBQ Beef Brisket: Making its first appearances at Driscoll in Fall 2004 (avilable there only?), this is a hot barbecued brisket sandwich distinguished by the fried onions topping that you can only get on a dining services hot line. Served on a roll, and guaranteed to put you to sleep in your 1:10 lecture.
The Rachel: This gooey vegetarian alternative to the Reuben is known only at Dodd or Mission Dining Hall. Instead of corned beef, there is a single large portabello mushroom cap. Everything else remains the same.
Egg McWilliams: A fried egg, a sausage patty, a slice of white American cheese and no regrets make this fairly greasy Williams classic, formerly served on an English muffin as a mainstay at the dearly departed and much beloved old Snack Bar. An occassional treat at brunch, where they let you build your own.
Tuna melt: Grilled and greasy at the Snacky B.
Grilled cheese and tomato The humble workhorse of the snack bar, where this favorite for the late study snack flies off the grill. The tomato is 30¢ extra over a plain grilled cheese, but so worth it. One of the semesterly Late Night Snacks hosted by dining services near finals time is based around this sandwich.
Grilled cheese with tomato, avocado, and bacon Adding bacon and avocado may be overpriced but the end result is so god damn good I can't deny it sometimes. Best sandwich I've ever had.
Scary ass hot dogs: Don't even think about it.
THE PUB BURGER: Prostrate yourself before the mighty Pub Burger. This colossus comes with steak fries and a set of fixins, some of which are never served with any other dish. Choose from sauteed onion, peppers, and mushrooms, bacon, and cheese sauce, in addition to anything else you can pile, and clear your evening for a tryst with indigestion -- she's been known to go all the way on the first date, fellas.