A Column from the FoodComm Chair

Opinion

As a Caltech student, I do tend to eat at least some of my meals on-campus. And, like any other living person, I have likes and dislikes. Being the chair of the Food Committee, I feel the urge to give some shout-outs to the best food on campus served recently, so I thought I’d write an article for the Tech doing so. Without further adieu, I’d like to present my foolproof one-hundred percent unbiased take on what I think the best foods at Caltech have been lately.

  • Red Door corn dogs
    • I love corn dogs so, so much. So much. They easily rank in my top three favorite foods, so, naturally, when I saw them being added to the Red Door menu after 10 PM, I was overjoyed. On average, I consume at least one Red Door corn dog a day. They are a pleasant change from the other options available at night, and are easily the most convenient food to eat when on the go. While many people like mustard on their corn dogs, I must say that I am a ketchup fan, and one corn dog can nicely be polished off with one and a half to two ketchup packets. The hot dogs inside are actually really nice, not too chewy and not too overpowering, and the breading on the outside cleanly rides the line between too hard and too soft. The only thing I can say is that I do wish that we could get more than one corn dog at a time, because I can inhale corn dogs faster than the seconds hand on a clock tick by, but I understand the fear of food waste and I can always just hop back in line.
  • Browne tuna melt
    • If you haven’t ordered the tuna melt at the grill station at Browne, you are sleeping on one of the best foods on this campus. I highly recommend adding avocado to this as well. Personally, I take the pesto off, because I don’t like pesto, but I feel like if you are a pesto fan, then you will enjoy its seamless inclusion into the dish. The tuna filling is just the right amount of salty and tuna-y, and the cheese adds a nice taste to the white I am pleased with the use of white bread in the tuna melt, as an unabashed fan of white bread, and I appreciate how the bread adds to but does not overpower the tuna mixture. For a nice side, I would also recommend ordering this with a side of chicken tenders, and getting two barbecue packets to go with the tenders. This combination is very filling and very good.
  • Broad chicken bacon sandwich
    • While Broad is definitely a jaunt from most of the undergraduate residences (besides Avery and Bechtel, you lucky ducks), and it’s out of the way unless you’re heading over to Broad or Chen, I would wholeheartedly recommend making the journey for the Broad chicken bacon sandwich. This sandwich is by far my favorite sandwich on campus. Every bite is a full experience; the roasted red peppers are earthy, the roasted garlic aioli adds some tanginess, and the bacon is a great salty addition. The chicken is a nice level of moisture, as well. Again, I would highly recommend adding avocado to this sandwich, but I am also a huge fan of avocado and my opinion likely cannot be trusted (as I would add avocado to anything). Pair this sandwich with a side of the Broad Caesar salad and a pomegranate lemonade and you’re promising yourself a tasty lunch.

Outside of these mainstays, I’d also like to give some shout-outs to some honorable mentions:

  • House dinner garlic bread
  • Red Door garlic bread
  • Browne barbecue chicken pizza
  • Taco night chicken
  • Grill night meat (now that student grillers are back)
  • Shrimp scampi (scramp)

All in all, there are some great options available on-campus. Take my recommendations, or don’t, I can’t control you. If you don’t like them, I do apologize, but I am sharing my opinion! If you have any favorite foods available through Caltech dining, please let me know! The Food Committee is always taking feedback.