Eateries I Forgo My Meal Swipes and BRBs For
By: Taryn Chung
After my bi-weekly, 1-mile uphill trek, I sat in my 9am lecture as my professor tried wholeheartedly to engage his bleary-eyed students. He joked about the “Disneyfication” of Collegetown from its historic high-concentration of bars and spots for college students to hang around to its current phase of commercial development that seems to change monthly and the few, lifeless “clubs” among them. (Level B’s Fishbowl Wednesday is tired from carrying the “club” scene in Ithaca). My professor’s nostalgic reminiscing of what-once-was got me thinking about how Cornellians are connected by the same love (or hate) of Ithaca, but Ithaca’s infrastructure and culture has looked different to each class. As a temporary resident of Ithaca, I am approaching this rating as a personal “time-capsule” of my 2-years in Ithaca so far, so that the Cornellians and Ithacans before and after me can use it as a marker to gauge what Ithaca had become, and what it once was to one Cornellian at one point in time.
North Campus
— Louie’s Lunch
Louie’s Lunch has been a staple of the Cornellian diet for the past century. With a secret menu on top of their already glorious selections, there are options to satisfy any Cornellian on their 1am journey back to North from a disappointing frat party. My personal favorites are the cheese fries and Scarlet Harlot garlic bread, because while I could get similar foods from any dining hall, it just hits different when someone hands you a greasy brown bag after standing outside in the cold for what feels like two-hours.
Collegetown
— Pokelava
The unlimited toppings policy at Pokelava has me in a chokehold. While my friends’ customized bowls look like composed meals reflective of a balanced diet, my bowl looks like the inside of a piñata. The Pokelava employee looks at me with concern when I ask for all seven “crunches.” If I am forgoing my required, unlimited meal plan for an actual meal I need to pay for without Big Red Bucks (BRBs), you bet I am getting the bang for my buck.
— Collegetown Bagels (CTB)
A fixture of Ithaca, some have said that a CTB bagel is only good because it does not have any major bagel competitors. However, growing up in the bagel capital of the world, I stand bravely behind Collegetown’s Collegetown Bagels bagels. The plethora of options is astounding; if you go to the average bodega in the City for anything more complex than a Bacon-egg-and-cheese, you can expect judgment. Not for nothing, CTB does not have the authenticity to be considered a bodega, but I would not hold it against them either. (I do have a bone to pick with a “Long Island” bagel though, what is that?)
— So Poong
Though located squarely along the main part of Dryden, most of my friends do not know of this Korean eatery. The freshly rolled kimbaps are things of dreams. I actually have not tried any other item because the kimbaps have such a strong hold on me and my wallet. The credit card minimum always seems to be a few dollars more than the price of one kimbap. Twist my arm, I guess I’ll have to buy the kimbap in bulk.
The Commons
— Lev Kitchen
I am anti-soup. I can count on one hand the number of times I have made the decision to order a soup. The most recent of those times was at Lev Kitchen because it looked so good decorated with toppings and sauces that I had to try it. However, if I am in the Commons and looking for a meal, I usually gravitate towards Lev Kitchen’s signature malawachs. Buttery and freshly prepared by the kindest souls in a homey, warmly lit joint, do yourself a favor and try the self-proclaimed “best thing you’ve never had.”
— Dream Tea and Poke
One of the most hot topic, controversial debates that only I am invested in is: what is the best boba in Ithaca? The contenders include: Taichi, Sweet N’ Salty, Kung Fu Tea, Utea, and (unfortunately) the Cornell run Crossings Cafe and Jansen’s Market. Though I most frequent Utea because of its convenience, my heart yearns for Dream Tea and Poke in the Commons. The teas there are the most flavorful, most creative, and most strong, blowing the sickly sweet liquid at Kung Fung Tea out of the water. In spite of our warring boba tea shop allegiances, we Cornellians are bonded by our loyalties to the ever-changing Ithacan eateries that compose the landscape of our temporary home-away-from-home
Written after Eirian Huang’s “Snacks: Your Hangry Insurance Policy.”
Taryn Chung is a sophomore from New York City majoring in Environment and Sustainability, and minoring in Sustainable Business, Urban Studies, and Law and Society. One of her favorite travel destinations is Jiufen, Taiwan, because of its red paper lantern-lined alleyways.
