<p>All right, guys, the New Orleans boys have some serious questions.</p>
<p>What dorms have the barbecue pits, and what dorms have the regular ovens?</p>
<p>I know Riverside has got the convection oven in the big kitchen, but does it have barbecue pits?</p>
<p>I believe Ridgecrest and Lakeside have regular ovens in the big kitchen, but do they have barbecue pits outside for the kids to use?</p>
<p>I’m trying to think if I’ve seen a barbecue pit at any of the dorms. I know Ridgecrest East/West have the little charcoal grills you see at the beach and was thinking south had propane grills, but I haven’t seen a barbecue pit. You are correct about which dorms have ovens and which ones have a convection oven.</p>
<p>I don’t know if these boys are picky about the type of grill. They just said they like to grill and wanted to know where they’d be able to do it. </p>
<p>So, the little beach charcoal grills are at Ridgecrest East/West.</p>
<p>What about Lakeside or Riverside, do they have any type of grills?</p>
<p>Riverside has (or at least had) grills by the gazebos. They are the stand up type on poles.</p>
<p>That said, my son’s suitemate brought his own Weber grill with him and would often use that. If someone doesn’t want to lug one across the country, then a cheap one can be bought at Target or Walmart…it will be the end of season, so likely gotten cheaply.</p>
<p>BTW…cooking with a convection oven is very easy…just reduce temp by 25 degrees and expect food to cook about 25%-33% faster. The first few times, you have to keep a close eye, but after you get the hang of it, no problem. Convection ovens often also have convection broiling…don’t know if these ones do.</p>
<p>i can’t get past all of this cooking and cleaning. when i went to school we had to sneak in a hot plate for ramman noodles and we must have had cleaning people who did everything else because our suite was clean and we did not do a thing. 
d will have to grow up very quickly, at least this should set her up for when she is truly on her own.</p>
<p>You actually still can’t officially put in a hot plate (or, to be more contemporary, a Georgial Foreman grill) in the kitchenettes, right?</p>
<p>Approved… Not Approved
blender… air conditioner (personal)
can opener …ceiling fan
food processor …deep fat fryer
coffee maker… electric crepe maker
crock pot… electric fry pan
electric mixer… electric griddle
toaster… electric grill
small refrigerators* …electric hamburger cooker
(2’ x 3’ x 1’-6 cubic feet)… electric space heater</p>
<p>*all rooms & suites are provided a microwave & a refrigerator.</p>
<p>The rest are also not allowed.
electric waffle iron
electric wok
fog and smoke machines
halogen bulbs and lamps
hot oil popcorn popper
hot plate
indoor grill or broiler
slow cooker/grill convertible
space heaters
toaster oven
George Foreman Grills</p>
<p>I was unclear that you were provided a microwave. I’m assuming they are a smaller model.</p>
<p>I was wondering if the kids would be able to bring an additional microwave, maybe a little bit bigger, perhaps the kind they’re used to using?</p>
<p>The microwave we saw in Ridgecrest South looks big enough to do anything you could need. Can’t imagine with your son being smart enough to get NMF he couldn’t adjust to a new kind of microwave ;)</p>
<p>I plan on being a bad, neglectful mom and letting DS figure out what he just HAS to have after he gets there. Overstock.com delivers for $2.95. I live on that site!</p>
<p>just picking on you monte!</p>
<p>(though as I said earlier - the inability of DS to have a fog machine may just be a dealbreaker!)</p>
<p>Ha, ha, AL. Yea, not worried about him being able to operate it.</p>
<p>He has some particular dishes he likes to cook in the microwave, but they require good size pyrex and corningware.</p>
<p>Since I have some experience with hotels with the mini fridge and microwave, I know there are microwaves out there that would not accommodate his dishware.</p>
<p>Worse comes to worse, and if his roommates are okay with it, he can pick up an extra Sharp Carousel at Walmart. Costs about 40 bucks, and what he uses at home to make his dishes.</p>
<p>I know the kids have meal plans, but since our boys are going to be taking labs or have other scheduling conflicts, I’m sure there are going to be occasions where they’ll have to fix themselves something to eat before heading to class. </p>
<p>Thanks for the tip on the Weber grill. Will pass that on to our grilling friend.</p>
<p>Currently, the only hours when all the dining halls are closed are 8:30PM-10:00PM Sun,M,T,W,R, 8:30PM-Breakfast F,SAT, and 1am-Breakfast after late night closes (this may change by next year. The microwaves in Ridgecrest and presumable the other honors dorms are quite large and roughly the same size I would use to cook everything at home. The times listed above are no indication of a person wanting to go out and eat at those times, but just to say that food is available.</p>
<p>One thing to remember is that Lunch ends at 4:00PM. If you are still planning on going to dinner later that night, show up before 4. This also has the side benefit of being able to get both the lunch and dinner entrees. My record so far is getting there at 3:56 PM, IIRC.</p>
<p>If you look at the pics of the honors dorms, the microwave ovens appear to be full-size.</p>
<p>Does your son use the full 9x13 pyrex pans? I don’t know if they’ll fit…maybe. Can he use a 9X9 pans?</p>