Newcomer's Guide 2015: Dorm Food

Welcome, pre-frosh, to Princeton. You've taken the tours, and you've been to the info sessions. Now you'll be coming to visit and it's time to get real.This is the first of a series of Press Club guides to life on campus, an introduction to the dining options that you will have in your first two years at Princeton.Not all dining halls are created equal -- here's your definitive guide.OverviewThere are 6 on campus dining halls that anyone on a residential college meal plan can eat in.

Rocky/Mathey dining hall is the Harry Potter-esque one, with its dark wood paneling and gothic architecture.Forbes is probably too far away for anyone to eat there unless they are a Forbesian, but its hotel/country-club like dining hall is a nice place to grab Sunday brunch. Plus, thanks to its smaller crowd, it's able to spend more time on the food it does make. For example, the egg mix they use at brunch is actually freshly cracked eggs from the morning (whereas the other dining halls use carton eggs).Whitman is knock-off gothic, but somehow lacks the same Harry Potter-esque grandeur of Rocky/Mathey. The lighting in Whitman is also extremely dim. They're also the most exclusive with weekly College Dinners on Tuesdays that are only open to members of Whitman.Wu/Wilcox (Butler/Wilson) is the modern-looking one, and the most centrally located, so it tends to receives the most foot traffic per week. But high traffic can mean less attention paid to each dish.The CJL is Princeton's only kosher dining hall, which means that meat (not including fish) is not served the same meal as dairy. Monday,Wednesday and Friday are meat days, while Tuesday/Thursday are dairy days. They also have nice Shabbat dinners on Friday that are open to everyone -- and served with wine.The Grad College is like the Forbes of Forbes. It's quite the trek from central campus, and generally meant for the grad students that are banished to that corner of campus. But they do have very nice Thursday dinners where local chefs come in to make special dishes. You may eat there, like,  once or twice a semester. Maybe. If you're really trying.Don't trust our judgment? You can compare menus for each meal on Campus Dining's website.Best Breakfast (M-F)WilcoxFor the rare few that wake up in the morning for breakfast, Wilcox is the best place to start off your day. If you get there early enough, you can grab a copy of the New York Times or the Wall Street Journal on your way in, and there's always a good variety of fruit, muffins, bagels and sausage/eggs. If you happen to get the raisin bread in the morning, it's heavenly. Plus, they have a waffle maker for your own waffle-making pleasure.But the real winner is the omelet station, where you can get made-to-order omelets on the grill. If Joe is working in the morning, you're in for a treat. Joe has perfected the art of creating delicious, hefty and expertly constructed omelets on the grill (it's more difficult than it sounds), rolling up the thin layers of egg with the fillings to ensure that nothing falls out. Also, they have real eggs, so if you'd rather not get the carton egg/egg whites, ask for "two eggs scrambled with [items of choice]".The Others: Rocky/Mathey features a breakfast tofu scramble, a greater variety of Dunkin' Donuts, and decent quiches.Whitman has smoothies on Tuesday/Thursday mornings. Forbes.... to be honest, yours truly has never been to Forbes for breakfast.Best LunchCJLThe CJL can be a madhouse at lunch time, when engineering and science/math students descend upon the tiny house after their classes get out at 12:30. But if you can claw your way in, it's certainly worth it.

What makes the CJL the best? The stir fry bar. You get to fill up a plate with your desired veggies/meats/imitation crab and pair it with pasta/rice, and they'll cook it for you, with your choice of stir fry sauce, teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, along with condiments like garlic. Unfortunately, the stir fry bar is not always available, and the CJL pretty frequently does not follow the menu they post online, so it's hard to tell when it'll be available.

On dairy days, the CJL also features a yogurt bar with organic granola and FRESH blueberries.Finally, the desserts at the CJL are hands down the best on campus. They're the only dining hall that makes their baked goods on site (other dining halls get their baked goods from Mathey Bakery), and the difference is evident. Their cookies are amazing -- soft, chewy and delicious.As an added bonus, the staff is always SO happy. Marshall, pictured above, makes an expert stir-fry (ask for the special) and Edith's smile always brightens your day.The Others: Wu/Wilcox is a madhouse at lunch time as well, and the food is generally average. One highlight is a made-to-order panini station. If you can make the trek, Forbes lunch can be surprisingly good - the options on the grill are great (they have omelettes, make your own stir fry bowls) and they have good pre-made paninis. Rocky/Mathey usually features a sandwich for their main entree (plated for you). Whitman can be pretty good depending on the bar option (Asian Noodle Bar!) and the pasta station (see below).Best DinnerWhitmanWhitman features a rotating specialty bar, ranging from the Asian Noodle Bar to Burrito Bar, where you can construct your own noodle soup or burrito or gyro (or whatever). They also have a really good pasta/noodle station, with options like Chinese Egg Noodles with Chicken and Pasta with Clams/Mussels.The Others: As with lunch, Rocky/Mathey will pre-plate their main entree and sides onto a plate for you. They sometimes have really good entrees, but it can be hit or miss. Forbes is pretty good if you can make the trek out there, but let's be real, unless all your friends live there, it's not happening. Wu/Wilcox tends to have a lot of chicken, but if you don't like the entrees, there's always a plethora of other options (deli, the grill, vegan bar). The CJL is very limited at dinner since it's a smaller dining hall that doesn't see much traffic at dinner.Best Thursday DinnerGraduate CollegeThe only reason to ever trek out to the Grad College is for their Thursday night dinners. On Thursday night, the dining hall adds 4 made-to-order stations (one in each corner), with options like quesadillas, ravioli, and crepes. Made-to-order always = better. There's also usually an extensive spread of bread and desserts. Worth at least checking out once.Best Sunday BrunchForbes 

The renowned Forbes Sunday Brunch deserves its acclaim. Featuring delicious quiches, lox/shrimp, fruit, made-to-order omelets and waffles,  baked brie and a chocolate fountain, the options are endless. It's also a nice way to start your Sunday morning, with the view of the golf course and a lavish spread of food.

  

Best Saturday BrunchWu/WilcoxBrunch in Wu/Wilcox is a lavish affair. They bust out the pans for making omelets at brunch (not just on the grill), with two people making omelets on the pans, and a third person making omelets on the grills. There is also a variety of fruit, lunch entrees, muffins, pound cakes, raisin bread, and steelhead trout.The Others: Whitman features a breakfast burrito bar where you can make your own delicious and fresh breakfast burrito. Rocky/Mathey is like Wu/Wilcox with less variety.Best for VegetariansWu/WilcoxWu/Wilcox wins by the sheer number of options is has. There's a well-stocked deli bar (with panini press), vegan pizzas, and plentiful vegetarian mains (lots of tofu and seitan). To top it off, it has the best salad bar and vegan bar, with its extensive options ranging from kale salad to curried cauliflower.

 When it comes to dining at Princeton, it's all about knowing where to look. Check back for more Press Club guides to campus in the coming weeks.