There is only one restaurant in Fairfield County where tacos, fried cod and dessert pizza are included on the same menu – the restaurant my former Zagat-employed housemate would give four stars for ambiance and service: the Barone Campus Center dining hall.
Just being swiped in by Mary brightens anyone’s worst day. And who doesn’t love the slow jams and ’80s hits that play over the sound system during the 6:15 dinner rush?
Just make sure you can find a table quick enough to thoroughly enjoy the musical selections. They create the perfect background noise at the place to see and be seen on campus, which also happens to be the epicenter of gossip and rumors.
Are Tommy and Sara having breakfast together after a Thursday night at Bravo? Then, check your News Feed because they’re obviously on their way to a Facebook relationship status upgrade. A sober meal together at Barone is the college equivalent of date No. 5 in the real world. After that it’s only a matter of time before they go on an actual date, which is pretty much the college equivalent of marriage.
Barone is also the place where your friendship with the girls next door becomes solidified. We all know that Sunday brunches during freshman year lasted about two hours with three trips through the buffet (after trying to perfect the “I-just-rolled-out-of-bed-but-still-want-to-look-hot-in-case-Joey-is-there” look in your dorm room).
Squeezing 15 chairs around a table built for eight is a standard practice – you need all those brains to successfully piece together the weekend’s events. And what could be a better way to bond with your new friends than to remind them of the 17 different embarrassing things they did the night before?
While we all love a long brunch on a lazy Sunday, they can be sneakily dangerous. That chocolate chip waffle might look good on your plate (and do wonders for your hangover) next to the egg and cheese sandwich you so skillfully put together, but it won’t look so good when it’s converted into 10 extra pounds hanging over the top of your jeans. It’s a simple mathematical equation, really: three Barone meals a day + 12 Natural Lights per weekend = the Freshman 15. It’s no wonder you never spot upperclassmen anywhere else but the salad bar. Hey, live and learn kids, live and learn.
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