Coming back from abroad this semester, I was enthralled by New Summit. It has everything Outpost didn’t: a cool vibe, interesting food, and an atmosphere that makes me want to be a productive member of society. However, New Summit was severely lacking in the cheap, greasy food department that we as a community had grown dependent on. I heard numerous complaints specifically lamenting the lack of quesadillas on the menu. We all know that there was no better way to cap off a night of court party-hopping than a nice, greasy Outpost ‘dilla, shared with all of the new friends you had made while dancing, and New Summit simply didn’t have these. Well, fear not friends, because New Summit has recently added new items to its menu and yes, one of these additions is the quesadilla.
Even though I was partial to the Outpost mini corndogs, I could appreciate a great Outpost quesadilla. Arriving at New Summit on a Friday afternoon, I was excited to order a quesadilla, and as I waited patiently, I reminisced about all of the wonderful ‘dillas I had consumed over the past two years in that very building. My quesadilla arrived, beautifully arranged with some sour cream and salsa for my dipping needs, and I eagerly bit into it.
Now, I can appreciate everyone’s unique and individual takes on certain dishes of food, but, to be honest, it wasn’t great, but it wasn’t that bad. My biggest critique is that the bread-to-cheese ratio is off, because the main taste in my mouth was that of bread, instead of the cheesy taste that should have been overpowering my senses. The cheese used to construct the quesadilla was wonderful, but really just masked by the tortilla taste. My tasting committee (Abby Peoples and Caroline Zee) reached the same conclusion as I: the quesadillas are by no means bad, but they really do not live up to their full potential. The use of sour cream and salsa enhanced the deliciousness, but only because they disguised the bready taste. Honestly, these quesadillas reminded me of a grilled cheese, and if I wanted a grilled cheese I would just buy a grilled cheese.
Overall, I give these ‘dillas 3 out of 5, Wildcats, only because New Summit produces some truly delicious food and I know they can do better. Granted, I did not try the chicken or buffalo chicken, but I believe that the classic cheese quesadilla is a dish that every dining establishment should be able to do well. I would recommend that everyone try these quesadillas and reach their own conclusion, but if you’re looking for a slab of cheesy goodness that hearkens back to Outpost days, just go to the Union. A further disclaimer is that I was sober as I ate these quesadillas, so perhaps that skewed my perception of them when compared to the Outpost version.
Cheese quesadillas can be purchased at New Summit for $4.95, and chicken and buffalo chicken quesadillas can be purchased for $6.95, respectively.