<p>LurkerDad, I “attended” a couple of those conference calls with the deans too. In one of them, at least, the deans claimed that they also eat in Val and that they like it fine. (Not sure if either of those things is true.)</p>
<p>In any case, one year there was a disgruntled dad who was pretty worked up about the food based on his child’s reports. He had that quality of insistence that some people have who are used to getting what they want. It culminated in this very dramatically-delivered question, “Why can’t they have halibut?! Why can’t they have steak?!”</p>
<p>My husband and I just loved the theater of it all. We were laughing so hard. To this day (a couple years after that call) we still chant “Why can’t they have halibut?! Why can’t they have steak?!” when we’re in a Marie Antoinette kind of mood. ;)</p>
<p>BTW, totally agree with you about the need for extended hours.</p>
<p>@'rentof2: I’ve eaten at Carleton and two other places that use Bon Appetit . . . and it was interesting how different they all were. St. Olaf had WAY more desserts (a nod to their Scandinavian heritage, I’m sure) and good food, Macalester had great food and wonderful vegetarian options, and Carleton was the worst of the three (adequate, but not amazing).</p>
<p>I think the student that told me people were sick all time from the food at Carleton was exaggerating for dramatic effect. (Not that we never see that anywhere else, right?)</p>
<p>Out of interest, what alternatives are to Val for when one’s schedule rules out going during normal dinner hours? It looks like I might be dealing with that twice a week :/</p>
<p>There’s Schwemm’s Coffee House in the campus center which serves a nice variety of delicious deli sandwiches, chips, drinks, burgers, fries, bagels, pastries, etc. You can also find cheap takeout, dine-in, or delivery at almost all hours of the day and night.</p>
<p>Don’t forget that some of the dorms (Cohan, Moore, Newport, Marsh, others?) also have kitchens. Most of them also have utensils–pots, pans, etc.–available for use.</p>
<p>When my son visited the campus in 2007, there were places off campus where one could apply the meal plan. As I recall, commercial establishments had a small sign in their windows indicating that they participated. </p>
<p>Near the campus, on the north side, possibly on Main St., I remember buying light fare, like sandwiches, salads, desserts, coffee, etc. at a decent place. My son thought its ambiance was much better than the campus cafeteria. I think that restaurant-cafe participated. I believe its name was some type of animal.</p>
<p>Perhaps, a current student or a recent visitor could verify about the meal plan options.</p>
<p>Tuppence, you’re thinking of the signs that read “OCMP”–“Off Campus Meal Plan.” UMass-Amherst has an off-campus meal plan that is honored at many restaurants in town. At present, Amherst does not offer such a plan. It’s worth noting that the town of Amherst offers a variety of eateries at relatively affordable prices. (Of course, there are a few restaurants that we only go to when parents visit, but otherwise, most places are within a student’s budget for an occasional meal out.) </p>
<p>As for the restaurant you visited, it sounds like the Black Sheep. An excellent place I would recommend to anyone looking for lunch or coffee in Amherst.</p>
<p>To the students currently at Amherst, I have a question. I don’t mind as much about the quality of the food, but for someone with a gluten intolerance, how much of a range of food is there?</p>
<p>As a student who had to go gluten free for a period, I was pretty satisfied with the dining hall’s accommodation—and, they’ve really expanded the gluten-free options in the last few years. They are careful to label everything to alert students to all allergens (peanuts, lactose, gluten and the like), and have even designated one of the microwaves a gluten-free only microwave.</p>
<p>@ackb12
Ahh, thanks! From what I’ve been sensing, some schools are horrible at accomodating to gluten-intolerant/Celiac students while others schools are pretty decent. And since that’s going to be a pretty big factor for me in deciding schools, that’s a relief to hear…</p>
<p>Well, if you go to Pomona, you get access to 8 dining halls with decent food and variety (that are actually within walking distance) and the LA chinese/asian food, which is pretty much the best food ever. :)</p>
<p>I have only ate at Val twice, as an admitted student. I had dinner the first night, and by the next morning I was already not looking forward to breakfast.</p>
<p>I am not trying to be arrogant, but at Pomona and the other 4 colleges in the Claremont Consortium, our dining halls’ food quality is taken very seriously. I can honestly say the food at the Claremont colleges is excellent due to the variety of options and its quality. Not only are there 6 dining halls to eat lunch in (5 for dinner), but there are also 7 cafe’s to choose from among the campuses. This is excluding the several great options in the town of Claremont itself, which honestly, I rarely ever visit because the dining halls are always great.</p>
<p>The larger and more pressing issue is- how has change not come to Val? With a school filled with some of the brightest students in America, you would think students would have pressured the administration for the best food possible. I do not think it is unreasonable to demand the highest quality food for the price Amherst students are paying. Moreover, one should look forward to meals, not wince! I understand Val is above military quality, but even CMC, which started as a school for returning GI’s, has great chow! I support you OP! I also hope the food at Amherst undergoes substantial improvement.</p>
<p>I’m a student at Amherst, and I completely agree with the OP. The OP doesn’t sound spoiled to me, just a little angry, because let me tell you, on Mondays and Wednesdays, I have class from 10-4, with an hour long break from 12-1, and nothing makes me more upset then being unable to eat because of the Val situation (long lines).</p>
<p>There’s this running joke around campus that involves going to the bathroom 15 minutes after you eat Val. I won’t go into detail, but I assure you it is true. As someone with stomach problems, I find it very hard to eat at Val. Oftentimes, it makes me ill.</p>
<p>Schwemm’s has questionable hours, so it is never a reliable option. Once, I went on a Sunday at 2pm, and it wasn’t open. Neither was Val. So, I went hungry.</p>
<p>I could go on and on, but I just wanted to post and make sure people knew that the OP is telling the truth.</p>
<p>I feel that the bad quality of food at Val has been exaggerated by the OP. Val has some pretty lame dishes, I agree, and I still can’t get myself to eat Val eggs (I hear they’re fine, but I just can’t do it) but they have made an effort to get better this semester. They have World Cuisine options (there was a fondue night!), gluten-free options, stir fry, panini makers, and waffle makers if you’re unhappy with the offered meals. Val grilled cheese sandwiches are pretty delicious, and General Tso’s is definitely a good one. A lot of money has been put into making Val better. I personally believe that the food is alright, the hours just need to be lengthened. Another problem was lack of workers during the snow storms. As for overall food quality, I really think that if you’re not a picky eater you’ll be fine.</p>
<p>Also, I don’t know of anyone who has had stomach problems after eating at Val, so…</p>
<p>Howie is a good guy. I participated in one of his workshops my first year at the college, and he spoke about his life experiences in the food service industry–all sorts of colorful characters–and we made chicken fajitas, and flaming crepes with ice cream, brandy and rum. All of the ingredients were fresh, and we prepared everything–a huge meal–with our own hands.</p>
<p>I suppose I can better appreciate Val for that reason, that I know how much the College invests on quality ingredients and caring labor.</p>
<p>The food isn’t that bad. It isn’t bad at all, really.</p>
(Not that we never see that anywhere else, right?)</p>