Junne Park, Photo Editor
On my tour of UR, my tour guide nonchalantly pointed out Douglass Dining Center and Danforth Dining Hall as the two main eating establishments on campus.
Little did I know that, upon matriculating this fall, I would become witness to the heated debate as to which dining hall reigns supreme.
To be honest, they both have their perks and drawbacks. However, in the end only one can claim the title of best dining hall on campus.
Since I am a freshman, my classes clearly all begin at 9 a.m. when 90 percent of the campus is still sleeping. At this hour, all I want to do is get some food quickly and not talk to anyone. While it would appear this would be convenient living in the Susan B. Anthony Residence Halls with Danforth only two floors away, this is not the case. Danforth doesn’t open until 11 a.m! Luckily, only a short walk across the road is a beacon of shining hope, also known as Douglass, offering breakfast at my command. Disregarding the molasses-paced line for omelettes and the limited amount of toasters for bagels, after a Douglass breakfast I’m all set for my first class. I’d have to say that disregarding brunch on the weekends in Danforth, Douglass takes the cake (or should I say Belgian waffle) for breakfast.
At the mid-day lunch rush, my favoritism is dependent on how much time I have between classes and how far I am willing to travel to eat. If I just need to recuperate in my room for a few minutes prior to class, I’ll grab a quick lunch in Danforth, sampling the offerings of a few stations. If I find myself on the Eastman Quadrangle dreading the walk back to Sue B., I’ll head over to Douglass. With the selections from the grill or my personal favorite, the Kosher Deli, there are many options from which I can choose. While for me my lunch preference is really a toss up, others revel in Douglass’ “Meatless Monday” and as a result have a clear winner in mind.
After a long and strenuous day of classes, Danforth is nothing short of a godsend. I have to admit my bias in this case but, many students living on the Residential Quad, agree that Danforth offers a more satisfying meal for dinner. Upon arrival, I usually take about two laps before settling on a dish (or three) to constitute my meal. (That is prior to dessert, which for some reason always involves one of three things: whipped cream, a waffle, or a brownie. But hey, who’s complaining?) Maybe it’s the lighting of Danforth, or the empowering pictures of the city of Rochester displayed so vividly on the wall, but either way, I’d say it’s the better choice for dinnertime.
Ultimately, I prefer Danforth over Douglass. It’s not necessarily a landslide victory, but it takes the title.
Although Douglass strives to offer sufficient options to UR students, Danforth has more of an eclectic array of dishes that consider many different fares from around the globe. In addition to a plethora of options, I always know walking into Danforth that if worst comes to worst, there will be something I can eat. With Douglass, on the other hand, I can’t always be assured a good meal.
In my first month at UR, Danforth is my dining hall of choice, but who says that my opinion can’t change over the next four years?
Lerner is a member of the class of 2016.
