A Home Cooked Chase Meal

Home Made Chase Chicken Parm

We all have our own opinions on Chase food, some like it, some don't, others say it's getting better. I've generally had a pretty positive opinion of Chase, but one thing that I feel is lacking, particularly in the new Chase, is the independence of making your own meals with the various foods you want. Because of this, when I'm in the mood for my own take on what I want to eat, I'll have a home cooked chase meal.

Living in a theme house has given me a great resource of a kitchen, filled with pots and pans, stove and oven, and scatterings of the utensils and parts needed to cook a meal. I'll head over to chase with a big tupperware, and load up on the foods I'm in the mood for. I'll generally go for whatever meat is being offered with the main course, some rice, and then whichever veggies and toppings from the salad bar appeal to me. Depending on how I'm cooking, if I'm making a stir fry for example, I'll throw in some oil or butter as well.

Back at home, I'll take my collection of ingredients, plus whatever I might have from my own fridge, and throw together a meal. The advantages: free ingredients, food cooked to my own taste, a meal in my own living space without the business of the dining hall, and the joy of making my own food as a break from studying and the going-ons of the day.

What can the results be? Well check out this chicken parm dish I made with a friend when we had a craving for it. Other than the sauce and cheese, all the ingredients were Chase fresh!

Lobsters in Chase!!!

The rumors were true... there were real, whole lobsters waiting for Wheaton College students to crack open on the night of September 21st, 2016 in Chase dining hall. I first found out about Lobster night at chase dining hall when I saw the promotion on the schedule for special events. I never thought that they would actually provide enough whole lobsters for every student at Wheaton. I figured that they would probably just have food that had some lobster in it. Something like lobster rolls or maybe lobster mac and cheese. I was very surprised when I walked into Chase and saw the abundant number of Lobsters ready to be eaten. 

Even when I saw the Lobsters in front of my eyes I was still skeptical of whether they were actually going to be good. How good could they be if they were coming from our college dining hall? I asked around to some friends that were diving into their lobsters and they seemed to be enjoying them and said they approved! I decided to give it a shot. I got my plate and filled it with a lobster, some butter, a lemon, and went to see for myself how it was actually going to taste. I was impressed by how good the lobster actually was! 

Lobster served at Chase Dining Hall
Wheaton College, MA

I will say that last year I heard many complaints about the Wheaton College dining services and its head, John Bragle. I was surprised to come back to school this year to find that we had a new head of dining services, Scott O'Rourke. So far I, along with many of my peers, have seen a change and improvement in the everyday food, as well as the special events that we have had in our dining halls so far this semester. I think the dining services are doing a great job so far, and I hope it continues to get even better! I would never have thought there would be lobsters served in our dining halls. I wonder what they will think of next!

It's Nice to Get Out Sometimes

I am lucky enough that every now and then I can splurge on a meal that really makes me happy. Have you ever had a meal that was comforting, felt indulgent and healthy? The act of eating a good meal makes a huge difference in how we feel.

I love B. Good, I used to buy their burgers and when they introduced kale and grain bowls I started mainly eating those. I have to admit Chase has been improving but there are some days on the weekends when I really have to eat somewhere else or I get "hangry". So every now and then I go to B. Good when I get a Buy One Get One coupon or free meal because of being a part of their “family” and having the Family ID.

Eating at B.Good always fulfills the standards of meals that are comforting, indulgent and definitely healthier than other fast food options. If you get a Family ID on their app, you get deals on food which is great for being a college student. It is expensive, that is a fault, but you know where your food is coming from as they have a board when you walk in telling you which farm or source an ingredient came from and what town and state the farm or food source is in. I like to know where my food is coming from. There are times when I splurge on B. Good because I know that I have been working hard and feel lethargic. I need to refresh and feel better with delicious food where I can see the process of preparation of the meal to the end result of what I'm eating. I am a firm believer that food impacts how we feel, how we act during the day and towards one another. If you are willing to treat yourself and spend the money on a kale and grain bowl, take a chance, it may make you as happy as it has made me. 

 Local Apple and Bacon Kale and Grain Bowl (Source: Yelp)

                     
                        

Gluten Free at Wheaton

In the time I've been at Wheaton, I've been navigating the ups and downs of having Celiac disease and trying to safely eat at Chase. Three years ago, Chase had a small "gluten solutions" table with a microwave, a loaf of gluten free bread, and sometimes some muffins. Not a bad set-up, if you want toast. But since that's obviously not a meal on its own, I would read the signs above the hot meals, and take a chance on the things whose descriptions didn't mention any ingredients that would have gluten. This was a little risky, but it worked, at least most of the time. It turns out that old signs are sometimes re-used for similar but different meals.

A few bad experiences and I felt tired of what felt like complaining to a brick wall. Honestly, by sophomore year I stopped complaining when I got sick. But, as it turns out, something has been done. The tiny table has been upgraded to a whole fridge free of gluten, dairy, and peanuts. What's more, there's not just a microwave but a toaster and a waffle iron with gluten free batter in the fridge.

From the top down: soy and almond milk, gluten free muffins and tortillas, gluten free breads and cookies, sunbutter, Smart Balance, gluten free waffle batter, and cream cheese

The best of all, though, is the officially  allergen free hot meal. Now, it's not exactly award-winning food, but its flaws are no worse than Chase's standard fare, in my opinion. The fact that it's sometimes nonexistent on weekends is a little sad (a friend jokes that allergies must take the weekend off) but I can't help but feel grateful for the changes that have been made. I can only assume that with enough students' complaining, the message was eventually received. Hopefully this is an indication that someone in Dining Services is genuinely listening to our complaints. So, next time your chicken is undercooked- say something! Someone might listen.

A Year of Progress

As a Freshman in 2014, I had no idea what to expect from the Wheaton dining experience. It was a rollercoaster of a year with Chase and Emerson both being closed for renovations (at separate times) and the original "loft" transitioning into the Emerson from Balfour. I never personally had a problem with the food but it was pretty widely known that there were mumbles and grumbles about our services. To their credit, feeding so many students couldn't be an easy task especially with all of the major renovations .

After taking medical leave for unrelated health problems, coming back this fall has been a breathe of fresh air and I've personally become a big fan of our new dining service head, Scott O'Rourke. The class of 2020 will never appreciate the variety of healthy options that we have now comparatively to students who lived through the old Chase. Don't get me wrong, the old grill was fantastic- who didn't love getting omelets, burgers, or chicken patties made to your liking at any hour? That being said, I think Mr. O'Rourke and the dining services crew have taken great strides to provide more and healthier options that appeal to a larger variety of students. With a large stocked salad bar and a multitude of options ranging from sandwiches to Indian food it's hard to believe you cant find something to eat.

For students who do have requests, I've come to understand that Mr. O'Rourke is very open to suggestion. So if you're so inclined, shoot him an email and make your contribution to the progress of our dining services.