Food for thought

Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 07/09/2017 (2945 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

When I was an undergraduate, campus food was mostly about bad coffee, bad tea — it could be hard to tell which was which sometimes — and the occasional grilled cheese sandwich made from white bread, processed cheese and served with a flimsy pickle.

To mark the September return to school, I checked into some eating options in and around our university campuses.

Things have changed.

Take Pangea’s Kitchen at the University of Winnipeg, a cafeteria that offers gluten-free options, vegetarian options, vegan options, organic options, fair-trade options — a lot of options, period.

You can also get Pinot Grigio. (And yes, it’s in a can, but still.)

Along with pricier choices like the build-your-own stir-fry, you can try the cheap and cheerful “Student Loan Special,” a basic breakfast featuring one piece of toast, a couple of eggs and very good fried potatoes (a bargain at $4.75).

And while the cafeteria is convenient, the U of W’s downtown location means there are plenty more possibilities within easy walking distance.

For an upgrade on campus coffee, Thom Bargen (250 Kennedy St.) offers good java, good natural light and good Wi-Fi — all perks for the studious.

There’s Asian fusion at Chosabi (520 Portage Ave.), where the $12 poke bowl makes a perfect all-round meal, and fast-casual Vietnamese at Banh Mi King (510 Portage Ave.), where the pho ($9-$9.90) is a good bet. BMK also serves 16-ounce coffees, including Vietnamese style, which might come in handy when academic deadlines loom.

Shawarma Time, a modest little Lebanese place at 616 Ellice Ave., serves tasty shawarma (the wraps are $7.99-$8.99). Also recommended are the very rich, very lemony stuffed grape leaves, served warm, and the light and garlicky hummus.

Across town at the University of Manitoba, there are several student-friendly eateries along the Pembina Highway strip.

This stretch of Pembina is a hub for Chinese restaurants, and one of the best is Sun Fortune (15-2077 Pembina Hwy.), a big, busy place that offers a long menu of mostly Hong Kong-style dishes. If you’re looking for a lunchtime deal, the soups are good and inexpensive ($4.95-$7.95).

Five Guys (2425 Pembina Hwy.) is a franchise take on old-school burgers. There’s nothing fancied up or nouveau here, but what the Five Guys do, they do well. The burgers, all-beef and cooked to order, are paired with soft, old-timey buns, and you can pick your own fixings. (A good-sized single burger is $5.59, while a double patty goes for $7.59). Fries are good and crisp, and a serving of so-called “Little Fries” ($3.99) is actually pretty hefty.

Plus, you get free peanuts in the shell while you wait for your order, which is kind of fun.

Nicolino’s (4-2077 Pembina Hwy.), which recently marked it 30th anniversary, is a classical Italian joint. The Napoletana pizza ($17 for a 12-inch) combines a thin crust with toppings such as fior di latte and house-made sausage, and the calamari is some of the best in town, with a tender inside and a cracklingly light and crunchy outside. Nicolino’s might not be in the everyday student budget, but it would make a good place for an end-of-term celebration.

Folio (2299 Grant Ave.), a café on the Canadian Mennonite University campus, features an airy, open space with vast windows looking out onto the grounds. There is some serious coffee happening — you can specify V60, Chemex or Aeropress — and all sorts of teas, along with a small, fresh-food menu.

The soup-and-bread combo is a good deal at $4.50 for a small, and a sampled West African peanut and yam was satisfying and nicely spiced. There are also panini: a recent offering featured artisanal bread packed with good cheddar and homemade apple and raisin chutney. Let’s just say it was quite an improvement on the pallid grilled cheese sandwiches of my youth.

alison.gillmor@freepress.mb.ca