<p>PBK - I think my son would like that meal plan because he wouldn't have to think about the cost of what he's eating. As I read it, the student can go to either cafeteria any time they're open, just to grab a quick bite - 4 or 5 times a day if they want. Is that true? My only concern is that dorm mates or friends would prefer to eat in a variety of places - since it seems like all the posters here emphasize the dining dollars aspect of the meal plans. Does your D ever have trouble finding people to eat with in the 2 main dining halls?</p>
<p>I think the best deal really is the Cardinal Fast Pass. My son (a great teenage negotiator) convinced me he was losing weight because he couldn't eat the dorm food. We switched plans to the Trojan plan (an extra $480 per semester) so he could have more variety, but I really don't think it is necessary. I'm actually going to eat with him this afternoon on campus. I'll let you know what I think! </p>
<p>I once asked him how he finds people to eat with and he said he figures out where he wants to go then walks around the dorm asking around until he finds someone who wants to go there too. He says it is not difficult to find someone, especially boys.</p>
<p>We ate at the EVK place. I think I would get sick of this kind of food after a week, it's a lot worse than my company's cafeteria. My daughter joking said, it's good for her because she won't overeat. So I think the meal plan with the $510 dinning dollar is the best plan for her. Besides she likes Jamba Juice and sushi in the Common dining place.</p>
<p>Speaking of the Common, is there going to be a replacement in the temporary tent set up?
Is the demolition actually taking place this summer?
And does anyone know if that corner building is also going to be demolished? I like the appearance of it, the brick detail etc, pity it will go if it does, but wondering if they will incorporate the facade into the new design.</p>
<p>"PBK - I think my son would like that meal plan because he wouldn't have to think about the cost of what he's eating. As I read it, the student can go to either cafeteria any time they're open, just to grab a quick bite - 4 or 5 times a day if they want. Is that true?"</p>
<p>Yes. He can walk in and grab an apple or whatever. My daughter sometimes pops in for a frozen yogurt after a football game, that kind of thing. She has found it much less stressful than trying to juggle whether or not she's used up her 10 meals each week and then worrying about whether to use up the dining dollars for a meal at roughly $10 a meal. </p>
<p>She hasn't found it any problem at all finding people to eat with her. And if the student has a little extra cash on their Spirit card, they can just swipe the Spirit card as an easy way to pay cash if they want to eat somewhere else on campus. My daughter likes to eat at La Salsa and Carl's but she wouldn't want to eat there more than occasionally, anyway.</p>
<p>I've eaten at EVK several times and my own perspective is that it is light years above the food my university served in the '80s. :) My daughter does really wish EVK would bring back the grill where they made chicken breasts and burgers, which disappeared about a year ago.</p>
<p>I think students should also taking into account of what dorms they are going to live in when they choosing a particular meal plan. It makes a lot of sense to get the fast pass for students that live near EVK, ie New/North and Birnkrant. For those that live near Fluor/Web tower, it's not a short walk to go to EVK. There is less likely that one would stop for a quick swipe for an icecream. Most likely students that live near Fluor would go to the Common area or the Jamba Juice place. I have no idea where the rest of the eating places are, so I'm just speculating.</p>
<p>PBK Mom, thanks for bringing up the Cardinal Fast Pass. This might work very well for my s, who is pretty easygoing. He had a meal at EVK during Explore and actually liked the pizza and thought the Mexican Food bar looked pretty good, too. The ease of just stopping in and grabbing whatever you want without the pressure of counting $$ and feeling you wasted $10 on one slice of pizza sounds pretty good, too.</p>
<p>One question: do kids ever stop in at EVK and bring the food back to their dorm rooms?</p>
<p>I think it would be helpful to consolidate a list of plans with their features. I'm still trying to understand.</p>
<p>Cardinal Plan: 10 meals a week + $510. Students eat where they want, EVK, Parkside, Commons, the cafe in the Viterbi complex, but whatever they eat (eg only coffee with banana) costs $10. (or $12 for dinners) so money runs out?
$510 is for anywhere + also applies to some eateries/shops outside campus? and Radisson too?
(Also, I heard they are doing away with Gold Plan (same as Cardinal) but only applies to A/H and IRC? That is Cardinal good for all cafeterias?)</p>
<p>Trojan Plan: more expensive but more options, unlimited # of meals? Does this mean it includes everywhere and no "dining dollars"?
What are the "more options", if Cardinal allows you to eat anywhere too? Is it just that meals are unlimited?</p>
<p>Cardinal Fast Plan: same cost as Cardinal. Eat anywhere. Based on the actual value of what's ordered? So if you get an ice cream, it doesn't cost $10.</p>
<p>Are these the basic differences?</p>
<p>Nope! Sorry, I know this is very confusing, but that list is wrong. Here is a more accurate version:</p>
<p>Cardinal Plan: Ten meals in either EVK or Parkside a week. $510 dining dollars that can be used at any on campus eating establishment, be it Carl's Junior or Cafe 84. For all of those places you pay for what you get- you can just buy a soda. Cardinal and Gold are exactly the same things, so don't worry about that.</p>
<p>Trojan Plan: More expensive, but more flexibility. $2000 something (not the accurate number...) that can be used anywhere on campus. They can be used at a la carte places, or to buy meals at EVK and Parkside, which cost about $10 each. NOT unlimited meals. </p>
<p>Cardinal Fast Plan: You can eat an unlimited number of meals at EVK or Parkside, but can't eat anywhere else on campus.</p>
<p>Sorry, I just read Lindsey's first post again.
The tour guide in Parkside told us that there weren't going to be restrictions on where you live anymore. That you can eat anywhere on the Cardinal Plan.
Is that mistaken?</p>
<p>And now I understand that Trojan Plan is only dining dollars. And with that you can eat anywhere, and the breakfast muffin is paid with "dollars" rather than with the $10.</p>
<p>Cross posted with Nikara.</p>
<p>Thanks Nikara for clearing this up!</p>
<p>I have heard that USG is working on releasing another meal plan option that has more dining dollars, but less meals at the cafeteria. I'm not sure if that will be an option as soon as next year though.</p>
<p>I almost got the fast past option, but changed my mind at the last minute. I'm glad I stuck with the standard 10 meals/wk and $510 dining dollars. With rollover meals, I never had a problem with the 10 meal limit. It was also nice to take breaks from eating at the dining hall and go to other places.</p>
<p>Is it just me, or does anyone else just gag at the thought of their child eating every meal at a fast food restaurant? Give me a good old fashioned cafeteria any time - there's probably less grease and more green stuff even if the food isn't fantastic. </p>
<p>Does anyone know if EVK or Parkside offer any organic options?</p>
<p>Rainmama, my D is a vegetarian and was concerned about that. Strictly organic I don't know, but the selection at Parkside looked fine.</p>
<p>EVK and Parkside are traditional cafeterias, but that doesn't mean that the other places are all fast food. Cafe 84 has lots of great options. My personal favorite is the pasta area, where you get to choose your pasta, sauce, and any extras (veggies, chicken etc.), and they make it right there for you. They also have a large salad bar there.</p>
<p>EVK and Parkside have tons of vegetarian options, but I'm not sure about the organic ones. I know that recently they have had lots of locally produced fruits for the offering!</p>
<p>EVK has a salad bar, a taco bar, apple, pasta bar, ice cream, wafles with fresh fruits, etc.. I did not see any pizza nor burger station.</p>
<p>Nikara, where is Cafe 84? Is that the one in Viterbi?</p>
<p>Cafe 84 is separate from Viterbi. Here is the link to all of the places that you can use dining dollars.</p>
<p>Thanks Nikara for the link. There are more eateries than I thought.
(I must have been thinking of the Tutor Hall one, which is off the plaza in the engineering area.)
Cafe 84 sounds good with those pasta dishes.</p>
<p>Most places are closed SAT and SUN except residential dining, starbucks, jamba juice, trojan grounds, and mainstreet. So save the meals for weekends because those are the only places that are opened for food. You can also eat outside of campus but that's not part of the meal plan.</p>