I grew up in a super small town. We didn’t have many options for eating out, let alone the luxury of diverse restaurants. When I moved to Davis, I heard people talking about food that I’ve never tried (some I had never even heard of!) Over the years, I’ve attempted to explore as much as possible, and try everything that Davis has to offer! Here are ten things that I had for the first time during my time at Davis.
1.) Thai Tea: I’m a huge tea fan. I love any and all types of tea, but I had actually never known Thai tea was a thing (judge me, I know). When I heard people raving about it, I had to try it. I found it to be true, Thai tea is delicious! I absolutely love it. I’ve ordered it from Thai Canteen as well as KetMoRee (they have bottomless Thai tea!)
2.) Pho: When I was at my junior college, my accounting instructor always talked about pho. He joked that if he opened his own pho restaurant, he’d name it Pho King. When I came to Davis and saw a restaurant downtown with that same name, I had to try it. It’s possibly one of my favorite foods now, and literally the best thing ever on rainy or cloudy days.
3.) Crepes: I heard about crepes before I moved to Davis, but they were described to me as “kind of like a pancake, but different.” I had no idea there were savory crepes and sweet crepes; I thought they were all sweet. My first crepe was at Crepeville, which has an amazing selection! Plus, their orange juice is delicious.
4.) Falafel: I ordered falafel for the first time from Sam’s downtown. It was delicious and extremely filling. Shah’s food truck on campus is another great place to go if you’re dying for falafel!
5.) Boba: Boba has become so important in my life; I don’t even know how I functioned before 2013 (the year I transferred here). I order a vanilla green milk tea with boba from Teabo, rose tea with boba from Quickly’s, and almost everything from Snow Crave. They’re all amazing!
6.) Sushi: Many vegetarians want to try new food, but struggle to find non-meat options. Mikuni’s, as well as Ramen Hook, both offer vegetarian sushi. If you feel like making a road trip, there’s an amazing restaurant in Sacramento called Lou’s that has tons of vegetarian options!
7.) Dumplings: Much like my sushi struggle, I could never find vegetarian dumplings. Dumpling House has a wide selection to choose from, and they have never disappointed!
8.) Macarons: I know. I’m embarrassed to admit it too. I’m from the middle of nowhere; we don’t have macarons up there! Macarons have literally changed my life. I can see colors brighter, do math equations faster, and think more clearly. I tried macarons at Sugar Plum for the first time. Unfortunately, they closed down. Nowadays, I pick up a box (or 18) from Trader Joe’s.
9.) Non Starbucks Coffee: Don’t get me wrong, I love Starbucks and all the gold member perks. However, it wasn’t until I got to Davis that I saw how many different coffee shops were around. Temple Coffee is one of my favorites. Temple has a gorgeous interior and an amazing atmosphere. It’s a great place to study or hang out.
10.) Alcohol: I didn’t turn 21 until I got to Davis, so I’ve done a lot of exploring in this department. For all my 21+ homies out there, almost every restaurant downtown has an amazing happy hour. A couple of my personal favorites are KetMoRee and de Vere’s. Not only are the drinks great, but the food is delicious too. The mac and cheese and pub chips at de Vere’s are especially good. At KetMoRee, I absolutely love their lettuce wraps. They have a drink there called a flaming lemon drop that tastes super spicy.
I still have a lot to discover, but these are some of the foods I’ve come across during my time here that I absolutely love. I encourage everyone to try them :)