<p>What exactly is the difference bretween</p>
<p>Cardinal - "All-you-can-eat meals in Everybody's Kitchen and Parkside Restaurant"</p>
<p>and Gold "A varied menu of international dining options"? Where would I eat these international dining options?</p>
<p>Similarities:
-10 meals/wk
-plus $510 dining dollars.
-You can use your meals for breakfast and lunch at either Parkside or EVK.</p>
<p>THE DIFFERENCE:
Cardinal: Dinner ONLY at EVK, if you want to use your meal.
Gold: Dinner ONLY at Parkside, if you want to use your meal.</p>
<p>so which is better, EVK or parkside?</p>
<p>Neither, imo. Many like to say Parkside is better, but I'm stuck with the Gold Plan (as I live there) and really am sick of the food. EVK's food quality is much poorer for lunch and dinner, at least. But EVK's breakfast is awesome, no doubt about that!</p>
<p>What's a cheap plan that i could live with? i heard trojan plans the best but it costs several more extra dollars + you get left over with money in the end (so you feed all ur friends) Can you have a plan where you refill your dining dollars or something as you go? =_= sigh</p>
<p>
[quote]
Can you have a plan where you refill your dining dollars or something as you go?
[/quote]
Not as a freshman, unfortunately. But you can do that through your debit account (known as discretionary) for your upper class years.</p>
<p>^i'm glad you can do it in the future though.. if you use your discretionary, could you eat anywhere you wanted with it? (within the campus i mean)</p>
<p>Yup. You can also use "discresh" to make purchases at the bookstore too. The great thing about it is that it never expires as long as you are a USC student. And if you still have any discresh dollars left when you graduate, they actually give it back to you in cash!</p>
<p>Parkside definitely has more varied selection, imho, so it's better for someone like me who likes different foods...but if you're a picky eater then maybe EVK is more preferable.</p>
<p>The best way to decide is to go on trojan hospitality site and look at this week's menus for both EVK/parksite, that'll give you an idea for what to go for.</p>
<p>Though one note...I don't have a meal plan so I pay through discresh...eating regularly at parkside or EVK can add up really fast. I like to go to downstairs commons for dinner.</p>
<p>Another note to people who are looking to save money...sodas and bottled drinks will sap your cash/dining dollars/discresh really quickly. If possible buy bulk (the grocery stores have them, if you can lug'em home) water bottles and carry those everywhere. You can buy cheap cups of ice at most locations on campus if you ask.</p>
<p>Reading Parkside's menu makes me drool...lunch and dinner look so good!</p>
<p>Chinese food! Ribs! Pizza! Burgers! :p</p>
<p>lol, in college you get tired of pizza and burgers pretty quick :) </p>
<p>that is, unless they're free :)</p>
<p>I like EVK more than Parkside. A majority of students feel the opposite. Luckily, I live in Marks Hall, and have the Cardinal plan - so it works out perfectly for me.</p>
<p>I want breakfast at EVK, but dinner at Parkside. I guess I'll be getting the Trojan Plan. I'll just have to load up on drinks and stuff or treat people at the end of the semester.</p>
<p>Let's say you have the Cardinal plan, but could you eat at Parkside if you pay in cash or something?</p>
<p>Of course. Keep in mind that with the Cardinal plan you get $510 of Dining Dollars, which probably can be used at Parkside with the Cardinal Plan. I think redski said that Parkside is $10 though.</p>
<p>Yep. For example, I'm not on any meal plan (since I don't live on-campus) but I still eat at parkside sometimes and I pay through the discresh account on my USCard. I don't know if you can pay with real physical dollars or dining dollars, but you definitely can't pay by credit card.</p>
<p>Beware, though, dinner at parkside is something like $12 paid in cash. Get really hungry beforehand and eat up, otherwise it gets expensive :)</p>
<p>You can pay with cash, or dining dollars. EVK is a little less at around $11</p>
<p>Why so expensive...;;</p>
<p>^I've been trying to figure that out too the entire year :confused:</p>
<p>I'm so glad that I only have 2 weeks left on the blasted meal plan! :D</p>
<p>What did you find particularly bad about the meal plan, Redski? I thought earlier you said it was OK & you still had about $60 in dining $ left. In any case, it sounds like you need to accept it as part of the housing package, for better or for worse. Do appreciate your insights so we can better prepare & choose the right meal plan.</p>