Most students at St. Bonaventure know that the Hickey dining hall has quite the reputation and not in a good way. When living in the dorms it’s unavoidable to refuse eating there, so the best way to make the most out of it is by getting get creative. One of the most frustrating things is walking into the Hickey after class hungry, but being disappointed because nothing looks good to you. Since this is now my second year living in the dorms here at Bona’s, my friends and I have discovered several different creations that can make your dining experience at the Hickey much more enjoyable. Also, it’s very easy to get sick of eating the same things every night, so it’s important you occasionally switch things up.
1) Create your own wrap- People often overlook the station where wraps can be made. My personal favorite wrap is the spinach wrap, with turkey, provolone, lettuce, banana peppers and honey mustard. I also sometimes make a sandwich and found that toasting the bread makes it much better.
2) Vegetable Stir Fry- Pick out your favorite vegetables and bring them to the pasta station. Then, you can add the teriyaki sauce from the salad bar area to add some more flavor to it. Also, if there’s rice from the home zone station, use that to make the stir fry even better!
3) Peanut butter banana toast- I have found that toasting the whole wheat bread and putting peanut butter and sliced up banana on top is one of the best things to eat and can never go wrong.
4) English Muffin & Eggs- For breakfast, a very simple and quick thing to get is a fried egg at the omelet station (if you want to add cheese to it you can, I usually don’t). Then toast an English muffin, put the egg on top and you can even add hot sauce to give it more flavor.
5) Quinoa bowl- Usually the quinoa is at the grain station and not something that many people notice, but it’s actually not bad. Adding veggies like peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers and a sauce from the salad bar can make it taste really good.
6) Brownie/Cookie Sundae- A lot of people forget that there’s a microwave we can use in the Hickey. So, if you’re in the mood for dessert, heating up a brownie or cookie in the microwave and then adding a scoop of vanilla ice cream (or whatever flavor you’d like) is very delicious!
All of these ideas (minus the dessert) are fairly healthy options that may make you feel more satisfied about your meal. I hope some of these tips helped you decide what to eat in the Hickey a little easier!