The Long-Awaited Dining Hall Post

Good evening, class of 2018! Here, finally, is the long-awaited dining hall post. I’ve been putting it off, because I wanted to get super good photos for you, but I keep forgetting my camera when I go to the dining halls, so I’m just going to go for it.

So here’s the thing: eating in any dining hall, anywhere, is not going to be like eating at home. There is something unnatural about filing into a massive kitchen filled with people your own age and eating four bowls of cereal for dinner. It doesn’t feel the same as sitting down for a meal at home, so don’t make that comparison; instead it’s best to think of it as some totally different activity, Going To The Dining Hall. And in that light you will discover that the dining halls here are pretty great.

So here is the deal: the Barnard dining hall, Hewitt, is open more or less all day, until 11pm (with occasional closings to clean). But we can also eat at any of the Columbia dining halls for lunch or dinner between 11:30 am and 8pm. With that in mind, here is a quick description of each:

HEWITT: (At Barnard)

Highlight: Convenience. Hewitt has a great location (in the basement of Barnard Hall) and pretty amazing hours. As someone who went to a school with fewer dining options last year, I can tell you that being able to eat after 6:30 pm is a very, very good thing.

Food: The food at Hewitt is tasty and healthy, which really is a pretty good start. There is always a salad bar, pizza, a few entrees, and fruit/ dessert. Also, there is a great selection of coffee/ tea/ milk/ juice/ soda (pick your caffeinated poison!). Hewitt offers a full array of kosher, halal, vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options, and Barnard's dining services staff is really great about working with students who have dietary restrictions.

Seating: Though the dining rooms (there is one on each side of the kitchen area) are basic, they are also clean, well-lit (critical for that study-eating), and painted a delightful pale yellow. There are a variety of single person and group tables with regular chairs.

THE DIANA CENTER CAFE:
Highlights: It’s renowned for its thin-crusted pizzas, which they’ll make for you and bake in a big brick oven. It also has the potential to be a grab-and-go sort of place, which can be critical if you’re rushing between your third and fourth classes of the day after 7 hours of not having food.
Food: The Diana Café is basically a grill (think burgers, sandwiches, etc.), with a great salad bar (baby corn!) and breakfast yogurt bar. Also at breakfast, they have breakfast sandwiches and oatmeal.

Seating: The best! In my opinion this room is the highlight of the Diana because (nerd tendencies are becoming apparent) it is open nearly around the clock, it is well-lit, and it has nice big square red tables. In other words, it is an amazing study spot. But since we’re supposed to be talking about food here, it is also a solid place to eat!

JOHN JAY: (In John Jay Hall at Columbia)

Highlight: Variety. That says it all. John Jay is huge and offers a ton of options—from sushi to frozen yogurt, from crunchy peanut butter (yes!) to about four tables' worth of desserts.

Food: Some people claim it seems less healthy. Be that as it may, the food at John Jay is very good. One day last semester, they were hand carving pork roast for each student (what.), and it was actually really good. Who knew? Also, they have a ton of gluten-free and vegetarian options, the aforementioned epic dessert stations, and a digital soda machine that will make you such concoctions as diet vanilla root beer.

Seating: It’s always very loud and crowded, but the dining rooms (there is a small back one hiding behind the kitchen area) are attractive (classy wood paneling), and the tables and chairs match them (more classy wood). In addition to long communal tables, there are some round tables for groups who want some space to themselves, and some high bar-style tables for students doing work by themselves.

JJ’s PLACE: (Directly below John Jay)

Highlight: Awesome lounge-style seating. My friends and I have been known to camp out and do work there for hours.

Food: Fast food! Who even knew that was available on campus, eh? I haven’t gotten much there (I normally stick to the salad bar and frozen yogurt), but what I have had has been good. Also, there is a Jamba Juice machine and another one of those awesome soda machines.

Seating: As I said, there is basically a big lounge behind the kitchen area. It has a variety of regular tables, some high tables with stools (near TVs that you can control), and some big armchairs and couches around coffee tables. There is also a foosball game and an air hockey table, and an assortment of board games.

FERRIS BOOTH: (In Lerner Hall)

Highlight: Sandwich selection, salad bar, and apparently pasta station. Also, that espresso machine!

Food: The food at Ferris is solid, though not life-changing. It’s set up more like a deli: the sandwiches (everything from wraps to subs) are pre-made, and the nice people behind the counter serve them to you. This also goes for desserts and salads, which they will make for you. There are also a few serve-yourself options, a cereal bar, and a Nestle espresso machine that makes surprisingly good espressos (the other options are somewhat…less authentic).

Seating: Ferris has two levels with a spiral staircase between the two. This staircase is really Ferris’ biggest downfall and something of a school joke: there is a nonstop traffic jam on both ends. The seating arrangement is like JJs place, without the sofas: regular tables, high tables, and high seats at a bar sort of arrangement for the working types (read: me).

Also, all of our dining halls have Nutella and chocolate milk (and chocolate soy milk :) ). This, my friends, is a big deal.

Chloe