Last weekend, I got an invite to head up to the University of Connecticut for some alcohol-fueled Halloween craziness, and I decided it would be good for a giggle or two. Besides the spine-twistingly long drive, during which I got pulled over twice on the God-awful New Jersey Turnpike, the trip was an overall success. After a few nights of lifespan-reducing decisions, however, I was aching for some comfort food to soothe my stomach woes. When I asked my friend where the local food hot spot was, I got this response: “Uh, Subway’s good.”
Subway? Really? I drove six hours for Subway?
Naturally, I wandered off alone and found myself a slamming Mediterranean place (Sara’s Pockets, if anyone is in that part of town) where I went to town on some delicious, greasy lamb kebabs.
Now if this were just a case of my friend being uncultured, I would keep it to myself, but this is a trend ingrained in American youth. I don’t think it’s an overstatement to say the free-burrito line at Chipotle on Halloween, which stretched to the third floor of a South Campus Commons building, was a little ridiculous. Too many of you are content with the same old fast food when there is a veritable army of hole-in-the-wall places just minutes away that offer a variety of food that are all kinds of awesome. Call it a pet peeve if you will, but I call it being open-minded.
When my friends come to town, they aren’t going to eat at Subway unless they wander off in the few hours before I wake up in the morning and figure out where I am. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against convenient, reprocessed meat and preservative sandwiches, but there’s just so much more out there. Go out and get yourself a pupusa from Irene’s Pupusas or some oxtail at Jungle Grille. Good Lord, people, most of you have never even sat and enjoyed a good bowl of pho, which I like to call Vietnamese ecstasy soup.
I was raised Sicilian and basically forced to try everything put in front of me. These days. I realize that is maybe the greatest thing my parents did for me. I am always down to try something new. Although I occasionally come across something that truly pushes me to the brink of yuck, more often than not, I’m glad I tried it.
So, fast-food children of our great nation, do yourselves a favor and go out and explore. Mac ‘n’ cheese is a beautiful thing, but so is a little variety, my friends.
Mike DiMarco is a senior English major. He can be reached at dimarco at umdbk dot com.
