Many freshmen find the dining hall experience is a source of anxiety that frustrates smooth transitions to college life. Here at Georgetown, that anxiety manifests itself in a single institution: the Leo J. O’Donovan Dining Hall. Upon arriving, most freshmen flock to Leo’s with family in tow, nervous about the quality and diversity of the food available. For me at least, that first meal was delicious. Unfortunately, the more encounters I had with Leo’s, the worse my experience became. What at first seemed to be a cornucopia of choices quickly became mundane, and after two weeks, the griping and complaining set in. So to keep Leo’s from turning into a gastronomic nightmare, I decided to get creative and play Top Chef at Leo’s.
For breakfast, nothing cures my Georgetown-sized hangover better than a delicious fruit parfait. I pick a yogurt, slice up a banana, add my favorite cereal for texture to enjoy a breakfast that’s healthy and easy on my stomach. I don’t waste my money on breakfast sandwiches at Starbucks or Subway, either—I make my own. I use a bagel, croissant, or biscuit, fill it with eggs, bacon, sausage, and cheese, and heat it up in the panini press. As no breakfast is complete without coffee, I’ve discovered ways to make all of my favorite caffeinated beverages at Leo’s. With a little bit of creativity and flexibility I make milk teas, iced coffee, and even mochas, all in the confines of Leo’s seemingly minimal beverage selection.
At lunch, I don’t settle for the wrap of the day (which I got sick of by week three), I create my own. I ask for a tortilla, fill it with my favorite veggies from the salad bar, add a protein—I especially like to use chicken fingers or hardboiled eggs—and top it off with my favorite dressing. When I’m craving something hot, nachos are an easy solution—made with chips from the salad bar or the Mexican food station and cheese, then microwaved until the cheese melts. I top it off with sour cream, guacamole, and jalapeños for a taste from south of the border. Sometimes, I’ll go with a lunch staple and make a sandwich. This one may seem like a no-brainer, but I realized that there’s much more to create when I’m not afraid to think out of the box. For a more refined sandwich, I get two slices of Jewish Rye and put them through the toaster. Next I add a layer of spinach or arugula from the salad bar. Instead of using lunch meat, I fill my sandwich with grilled chicken from the Bistro on the first floor. Then I top it off with olive oil and vinegar and zap my creation for 25 seconds to complete a delectable Leo’s masterpiece.
Unfortunately, the “meat section” rarely satiates my end-of-the-day craving for a hearty meal, so again, I get creative. Instead of settling for a bowl of pesto pasta, I get some protein by adding shrimp from the stir-fry. When I crave pizza, I try to vary from your run-of-the-mill pepperoni pie. Instead of using marinara as a sauce, I switch things up with alfredo or pesto, both available upstairs in the pasta section. To venture away from simply adding onions or mushrooms, I put on some zucchini or broccoli florets. To enhance the flavor of the mozzarella, I supplement it with parmesan and provolone for a more complex pizza topping.
After I’ve enjoyed my restaurant-worthy creation, the fun continues with dessert. Whatever I’m craving, the microwave is my friend. Cookies take 20 seconds, cakes and pies take 30. For an American classic, I get apple pie, top it with nutmeg and cinnamon, which are available upstairs by the sweet potatoes, heat it in the microwave, and top it with ice cream for a deconstructed take on an Apple Pan Dowdy. I can also turn a boring chocolate cake into a lava cake by scraping off the frosting, adding chocolate syrup, and heating in the microwave until the cake is nice and gooey. And for a summer favorite, an ice cream float never disappoints.
Though I don’t have any formal culinary training, I do have a bold attitude when it comes to food. Much like Edison, I had to do a lot of experimentation before I found something great and I had a bunch of catastrophes along the way—fish tacos … bad idea. Nevertheless, food is an art, and it is possible to make Leo’s your canvas.
