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Portland Community College. The quality o f food, diner style ambiance and reasonable cost is what keeps the students coming back fo r more.
Decent prices, simple selection
Mt. Hood campus ‘diner’ delivers
BreannaCraine
& Brittany Horne
Arts & Culture Editor
and News Editor
We started off our second
adventure by driving into the
Mt. Hood Community College
parking lot, and had to flag down
a lady who was walking around
campus to ask w here tire cafete-
that it is know n casually as ‘the
diner’ by the students, formally
called Vista Dining Room and
is in the College Center Room
2002. Mt. Hood uses Chartwells
Dining Services, which is a
company that provides food to
schools and tries to operate sus
tainably.
We found a free parking spot
fairly close and started heading
toward Vista Dining. On our
way down the path to the second
floor cafeteria, we noticed some
balcony chairs where students
were eating lunch. It was such
a beautiful day to eat outside.
There were also tables set out
side in the grass where people
tt
Your ranch smells
really good, ”
Breanna Craine
The Clackamas Print
were munching and reading
books.
We walked into the small
cafeteria where we were sur
rounded by several beverages
coolers. They offered Naked
juice, energy drinks, sodas and
many other types of drinks. We
walked around looking at what
they offered. They had wraps,
soups and barbeque type foods.
Along some of the wallspace
were coolers with lunch a la
carte which offered pre-made
dessert like items. Cabinets in
the center of the diner offered
bagels, muffins, cookies and
other pastry items.
We decided on choosing
combo meals which included a
24-ounce fountain soda, fries
and a selection of barbequed
foods like burgers and chicken
strips all for a decent price. The
grilled food, wraps and burritos
are all cooked fresh in front of
you at the time you order, with
your choice of cheese.
Breanna Craine: I think
I want a cheeseburger combo
because I really want some fries.
And I am so thirsty!
Brittany Horne: I am going
to get the chicken strip combo. I
wonder if they will let me get a
Naked juice instead of the foun
tain soda.
BC: I was thinking about
getting the chicken strips too but
we should each get something
different.
The cashier looked at his
menu when you walk up to fig
ure out the price for your meal.
We had the choice of either pay
ing in cash or using a card. After
paying for our food, we decided
to sit outside on the balcony
chairs and tables. We picked a
small red table and watched the
students absorb the sun.
The view from the balcony
was so beautiful and was filled
with trees. We started eating our
food and enjoyed the sunshine.
Cosmetology students were sit
ting a few tables over eating
their lunch during a break.
BC: It’s really cool that they
give you real plates. It feels
like we are eating dinner in our
own homes. I have never seen
a school offer ceramic plates to
students.
BH: Woah, are you serious?
BC: I wonder how much
work it is to clean all the dishes.
And what if you want it to go?
BH: There were to go boxes
by the grill, the sign said 25
cents due to the price increase of
biodegradable products.
BC: Well it’s neat that they
offer biodegradable. It makes
you feel good about what you’re
throwing away.
BH: Yeah, and feel better
about spending money on a box.
Some places charge for unsus
tainable containers. Wow these
chicken strips are actually really
good.
BC: Your chicken looks
really crispy. My burger patty
looks so thin! But it still tastes
pretty good.
BH: It does look really
good. Look at that cheese.
THAT’S how cheese is sup
posed to melt on a burger!
BC: Your ranch smells real
ly good! I am really picky about
ranch. How much was your
meal? Mine was only $5.59
which is cheap for a school. I
can not even eat all of my fries
because they gave me so many.
BH: Mine was the same
price, and they only charged me
$1 extra to upgrade to a Naked
juice and didn’t charge anything
for the two sides of ranch. I
definitely got a good deal.
After finishing our meals, we
walked back into the cafeteria
to drop off the burger plate. We
both decided that their food was
pretty good. They did not have
a lot of selection but it gave us a
piece of mind. It made it easier
for us to choose what we want
ed, unlike the PCC Sylvania’s
campus which had so many
choices it was overwhelming
at first.
The selection was not
the monstrosity of PCC, but
offered a larger variety than
at Clackamas. The grill menu
items were also tastier and more
interesting, such as a burrito
with beans, rice, meat, chipotle,
salsa, cilantro and guacamole.
We haven’t found gourmet food
in a college cafeteria yet, but we
won’t stop looking!