Chartwells: Eat, Learn, Be Disappointed

When I found out that Zona Mexicana was disappearing for good, I got my hopes up that I might, once again, be able to eat at the Cave. Having given up on the sandwiches where deli meat is left to sit out all day and the salad bar which is utterly plain, my recent menu has consisted of cereal, occasional visits to Mather, and Builder Bars in my room. With the prospect of a variety of food however, I felt I might be able to find something edible.

Sadly, I was mistaken. My first foray into the Post-Zona Rotating Food Bar was this past Sunday. My roommate and I both ordered omelets made to order. In an effort to “speed up” the omelet process, one employee started pouring the egg mixture into the pan and adding the ingredients (before the egg was cooked). The result of this was that excess moisture caused the omelet to turn out like soup, and they had to throw mine away before starting again. My roommate had the same problem but instead of throwing hers out, they attempted to turn the whole omelet (now resembling a frittata) over and cook the other side. After mashing it down with the spatula, the Chartwells employee produced a flat, fried egg-mix with ingredients in it. It in no way resembled an omelet. I should also point out that we waited a good thirty minutes for these omelets because the two frying pan solution is nothing short of a disaster for a dining facility meant to service several hundreds a day.

My second attempt (fool me once, shame on you… fool me twice…) was to try the pasta made-to-order…

This was much faster because there was no one in line, but because the cooking system is clearly arbitrary, the Chartwells employee added way too much sauce to my pasta and then proceeded to try to fit it into one of the plastic clam containers. The container started to melt, the overly-saucy “pasta soup” started to spill out everywhere (all over me) and her solution was to try to drain some of the sauce out over the sink and then stick the whole thing in ANOTHER clam container (it didn’t fit but created a big huge, melting plastic mess) which she handed to me. Upon placing the whole things in a plastic bag, soupy sauce continued to run out and fill up the bottom of the bag. Needless to say, the pasta was awful.

I am disappointed with the lack of training and consistency demonstrated at this new post-Zona “solution” and I find that it is reflective not of the employees, who try hard and are clearly having to adjust to a rotating food station, but of Chartwells’ incompetence, and their clear attitude that Trinity students will put up with anything. I hope that these kinks will be worked out, but in the meantime I will return to my Builder Bars and my cold cereal.

2 Comments

• 
  Andrea Wise March 10, 2008 at 11:07 pm

  *applause*
• 
  James Kukstis March 10, 2008 at 11:26 pm

  I have had an incredibly different experience with the Zona replacement. The omelets have been a favorite of mine since last semester, and though they may not always resemble a “traditional” omelet, the ingredients are there, and it is a hot, fairly quick meal (usually) on a Sunday morning. I also tried the Pasta Bar today, and though I did experience similar melting with the clam bowl, I found the pasta very satisfying. I think that while Chartwells is attempting to find a permanent solution, I can definitely deal with what we have.