Thursday, Februarys, 1987
Daily Nebraskan
Page 7
i More than Mushrooms Johnny Marzetti Philly Steak S
ich Fiestad T h G HI 'S QOOd QdX in'! key Arneric
By Stew Magnuson
Diversions
The other day I dined at one of
students' most popular places to
eat. This establishment, along with
its affiliates, packs in the student
clientele three times a day. In fact,
lines form to get into these "restau
rants." I'm writing, of course, about
the residence-hall food services,
affectionately called "Valiswine" or
"Valislime" by thousands of UNL
students.
As I walked through the line at
Cather'-Pound-Neihardt, a wave of
nostalgia overswept me. There they
were, just as I had left them two
years ago, those Philly steak sand
wiches with curly fries. The kitchen
helper, one of those marvelous and
underpaid students who take all the
abuse about the food, carefully
measured out each mushroom and
strand of onion, ensuring I didn't
get one less or one more piece than I
was entitled to after shelling out
four bucks.
Oh, yummy. My mouth watered as
I walked down the self-service line.
Cather-Pound-Neihardt, where for
inexplicable reasons the plates are
always hotter than the food, is one
of the lew dorms where a patron can
serve up their own food. This means
picking up your own plate, burning
your fingers on the plate warmer,
then dishing up some food that
tastes like it was cooked about two
hours previously.
But it seems the staff at C-P-N is
addressing the cold-food problem. A
small, photocopied sign said that
the staff could warm the food for
you, but they couldn't microwave it
on your plate. They can transfer your
food onto a paper plate, take it in
the back, nuke it for a while, then
put it back on your fine china. Why
don't they just keep the food hot to
begin with?
"Is this new Coke or old Coke?" I
asked some resident at the drink
machine. -
"I don't know. It's always so
dead, I can never tell," he responded.
So I sat down at the table with my
dining companion.
"Look," she said, holding up her
lemonade, "Water came out of the
lemonade thing. This is the third
time this week!"
As I sat at the table, I really did
feel some nostalgia. Everything was
as I remembered it. Cold, flavorless.
I couldn't eat any of my favorite
dishes, though. I didn't have that
John BruceDaily Nebraskan
o
r"
V -
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famous Three-Mile-Island Chicken
born boneless. No Love Canal
Gar served with a helping of Martian
Balls (brussel sprouts).
OK. Maybe I'm being too mean.
But let's face it, one of the favorite
things to do at food service is make
fun of the food. It's an easy target. It
can't respond to anything you say.
The people who cook it up in back
are too busy making sure it's nice
and cold to respond. Besides, what
else are you going to talk about with
those guys who live on your floor
from Worms, Central City and North
Platte? The only thing you have in
common with them is your mutual
dislike of the food.
Of course, there's always some
one there to defend the food.
"It ain't easy cooking for 700
people, you know."
No, not for you and me, but I
figure if you do it for a living, you
should do a good job of it.
And what about the East Campus
food. It's great! It's the best institu
tional food I've ever had. And I've
had institutional food in France, the
BIKE SHOW
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LINCOLN NECR
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Paul VonderTagebaiiy Nebraskan
country of fine dining. Why can't all
the food in the residence halls be
that good? That all the home-economics
and food majors are on East
Campus is allegedly the reason.
Well, heck, let's have some of those
people shipped over to City Cam
pus, and quick.
Maybe they can explain to us
what Mulligatawny soup, Much More
Than Mushrooms, kielbasa, and
Johnny Marzetti are. (Johnny sup
posedly gave his life to the food
service so others can eat. And I bet
you thought it was hamburger in
that dish.)
Maybe they can think of some
thing new to call the mystery meat.
Aren't people tired of chicken fried,
Salisbury and swiss steak? Let's call
it La Viande Mysterieux or steak
surprise.
Ah, what a joy to return to my old
dining hall and complain about the
food. What a joy to bring my half
eaten food to the conveyor belt and
watch it slowly disappear into the
gaping hole. Memories flood my
soul.
ADMISSION
3.00 GENERAL
&
2.00 A DATE
Made plans for SPRING BREAK '87 yet?
Come to where the PADRE will be -
ISLABLANCA PARK
on
South Padre Island, TX
The park offers reasonably priced ACCOM
MODATIONS especially for Spring Breakers:
17 unit motel (with cable TV)
21 shelters (some with showers)
80 bed bunkhouse (with separate men's
and women's quarters)
150 tent sites (first come, first serve)
360 RV campsites (with full hookups)
DEPOSIT REQUIRED on most accommodations.
Call the Cameron County Parks office at (512)
761-5493 to make reservations and for further information.
WEOUTO
b tAN'lb HOWARD
TICKETS H00
$3
F
THE BATTLE TO BE
FIRST LADY
of hie mm
c&3' zoa vou:!G a
fej W EARlEf'E CcfJS
3 BIG IIIGIITSI DOIJT MISS IT!
Th-.TJ.-S:L Feb. 5-7 9-1:00 3
WteA by COMHjnCU
GENERTRifeLlf -
STUDENTbt 6EK1I0R
C.
136 N. 14th
7
