Education and Eats: Anything but Anchovies.
2009; Linguagem: Inglês
ISSN
0734-6670
Autores Tópico(s)Diverse Educational Innovations Studies
ResumoIs there anything that screams “College!” more than the local pizza joint? You know the place: the old wood booths and tables, sports memorabilia on the walls, faded pictures of generations of students, stains on the worn tile floors, discs of dough twirling through the air, and that lovely huge old charred oven churning out pizza after pizza to appreciative college students. There’s usually a jukebox in the corner playing everything from Sinatra classics to Springsteen, REM and U2 to current campus hits such as the Black Kids or Death Cab for Cutie. The place is always crowded with students, townies, professors, and local families who appreciate good handmade pizza, not the generic national chain delivery. Not too many tourists frequent these places, although occasionally you will find the current high school senior or prospective student visiting the school with mom and dad. Mom and dad of course reminisce about their college days at the local pizza joint, and the cycle begins anew. As a high school college counselor, I have been on too many campus tours and sat in on too many information sessions to keep count. Honestly, they all tend to morph together. All good colleges have passionate, engaged students immersed in learning, intramural sports, undergraduate research, small classes, financial aid, opportunities for faith, study abroad, and diversity. What always stands out, however, are the many wonderful restaurants I visit on my trips. This past summer I visited colleges in New England and based many of my meals around the local college town pizza place. I also had some parameters to follow regarding pizza selection. First, the pizza had to be recommended by a local, preferably a student. Second, the restaurant had to be within walking distance to campus (within reason). Finally, no chains. I began my college tour in Boston, a city not very famous for pizza (begin arguments here). Only one mile separates Harvard Square and Central Square on the map, yet they are worlds apart culturally, historically and gastronomically. In Harvard Square, Cambridge 1, which used to house the Cambridge Fire Department, was relatively new but still served a good pie. The crust was thin and crisp, and had obviously come from a charcoal-fired oven. Although the pizza had only a tiny bit of tomato sauce, the sausage had a bit of a spicy kick at the end. Cambridge 1 also had an attentive and friendly wait staff that night. This place was a little chi-chi for my tastes though—I should have been suspicious that pizza with arugula lettuce and Maine lobster was on the menu—I was looking for down home, old school, cheese-dripping slices. The clientele here was not singing along with “Sweet Caroline” during Red Sox games, but instead debating whether cabernet or chardonnay goes better with pizza. Despite this initial disappointment, Cambridge 1 was a good start to my trip, but I could not place just why I thought it was good. It was a little bit like Harvard itself: was it good because it was supposed to be good, or was it good in and of itself? Of course Harvard is an excellent school, but why? I’ll leave that zen-like question to the experts, like those guys at Newsweek or U.S. News and World Report. Colleges Visited Harvard University (MA) Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MA) Boston University (MA) Boston College (MA) Dartmouth University (NH) Yale University (CT) Columbia University (NY) New York University (NY) United States Military Academy at West Point (NY) Princeton University (NJ) University of Pennsylvania Pizza Restaurants Visited
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