Although surrounded by amazing restaurants, ice cream shops and food markets of all kinds, the one place I find myself at most frequently is the Dobbs Common Table. Don’t get me wrong, if I had my choice, I would never step foot into that dreaded dining hall, and I'd be at a different Atlanta hot spot every night. While my stomach tells me yes, my wallet forces me to say no. In order to make my meals as enjoyable as possible, I found the five best dining hall food items at the Emory DCT.
1. Paninis
The sandwich bar at the DCT is honestly what I look forward to most when hunting for some lunch. The sandwiches are completely customizable with various choices in bread, toppings and dressings to choose from. I like to make something different every day so I don't get tired of the same thing. Pro tip: ask for your dressing on the side so the sandwich doesn't get soggy when toasted.
2. Soft Serve
Okay, I know this is not a meal, but this list would be incomplete if I left out my most favorite thing from the DCT: the soft serve ice cream. While the machine is oftentimes out of order, I think the soft serve ultimately tastes better because it's such a treat - when the machine is not broken. The three flavors rotate between vanilla, chocolate and strawberry, with various toppings to supplement your sweet treat. I actually discovered that I like strawberry ice cream through my DCT dessert trials.
3. Cookies
Can you tell I have a sweet tooth? The cookies at the DCT are irresistible. Even the oatmeal raisin is one that you cannot skip over. The cookies are gooey and soft, and so perfect after a subpar dinner meal. I think I've tried every flavor of cookie offered at the DCT, and have not had a bad experience with any of them. Save yourself a trip to Ali’s Cookies and eat the cookies in the dining hall.
4. Grilled Chicken
Grilled chicken is a classic dining hall food item that is pretty hard to mess up. Offered at every single lunch and dinner, the grilled chicken is a safe bet to get when nothing else looks appealing to you. Grilled chicken is also a very versatile food item as it can be eaten in many ways. Add it to a salad, sandwich it between two slices of bread, or chop it up and put it on top of pasta, the list goes on. There are many ways to eat the DCT grilled chicken, so get creative.
5. French Fries
French Fries are my favorite food of all time, so needless to say I was very excited to learn that they were offered only a few yards away from my dorm. Although they do not come close to classic diner fries, the ones served at Emory do not disappoint. Fries pose as the perfect side for your lunch or dinner or even just a snack between classes. Dip it in the sauce of your choice, or no sauce at all, and enjoy.
While the DCT is definitely not anyones favorite place for a meal, these five items make venturing there a lot less painful. When you are in need for a quick sweet treat or an easy lunch, these dining hall foods will not disappoint.