Courtesy/CAInstagram)
You’ve orbited the Dining Hall four times, analyzed all the day’s offerings, and are still holding an empty plate. I, like many other CA students, am no stranger to this dilemma. There are some days when Sage Dining couldn’t have a tastier display, but other days when I’m left clueless about what I’m going to eat for lunch. But unlike the kid that’ll settle for a breadstick, indecisiveness means starvation, which is how I’ve managed to explore the frontier of almost every dish Sage Dining has to offer.
As shocking as it seems (Trust me, I was surprised too.), the gems of the Dining Hall don’t stop at General Tsao’s or pierogies, but exist in all the niche food stalls you wouldn’t think to look at. And if there were ever a better time to be audacious with your lunch choices, it’d be this week, because there are some seriously mouth-watering options that I bet you haven’t tried!
The week starts out strong with one of my favorite sweet and savory dishes tucked away at the Vegitas Bar, the bang bang tofu. If you go crazy for General Tso’s, you’ll be just as manic about this: delicate chunks of tofu, fried for a crisp exterior, and varnished with sweet chili and mayonnaise sauce that satisfies every time you’re teetering between a sweet and savory craving.
The next day, the Ladle and Co. Soup Bar serves up arguably the coziest meal Sage Dining makes, the beef noodle soup. Tender braised round beef bathes in a warm, spiced broth with a host of chopped vegetables and a surplus of egg noodles. Especially on those winter days when the walk from the Upper School to the Dining Hall feels like a trek through the Arctic, this soup truly feeds the soul.
On Thursday, the Crossroads Bar presents my favorite dish among the list of niche dining options: the chickpea Caesar salad wraps. I have always been a die hard Caesar salad girl, but these wraps, which balance the crispiness of the croutons, the tangy umami of the dressing, and the earthy flavor of the garbanzo beans, are next level.
A final favorite of mine hides in the Classic Cuts Deli Bar and is a step up from the everyday marinara rotini offered at the Pasta Bar. This underrated find is Sage Dining’s pesto pasta salad, a union of penne coated in a peppery basil sauce, embellished with chopped onions and halved tomatoes, and guaranteed to become a staple on your lunchtime rotation.
No more will your plate be empty at lunch or your mind undecided about what to eat. All four of these incredible dishes have been lunchtime saviors for me during my time at Academy, and will hopefully become yours, too. Just give them a try this week and don’t forget about the hidden treasures that Sage Dining has to offer.
