Chris Simmons/ The Mirror
Located only minutes from campus, Wild Rice is a great spot for a weekend bite with friends. With seating outside along Post Road in addition to a sushi bar and regular tables inside, there’s plenty of space to accommodate the crowd that usually fills the restaurant.
As Erika Gjesteby ’12 described, “almost all of the tables were full, and people were still coming in to eat — it was definitely busy” for a weekend night.
The interior of Wild Rice is also very contemporary and appealing.
“The atmosphere is very modern and chic,” said Nicole Fogliano ’12.
Wild Rice offers a wealth of variety to diners — as a restaurant featuring Pan-Asian cuisine, it not only has Chinese dishes, but also Thai and Japanese meals, including sushi. There is a dish that will appeal to everyone’s taste buds, making it a great spot to go with a diverse group of friends. The pad thai was authentic and balanced all of the different flavors of the dish well. The sesame chicken was light and appetizing, and not at all overly-fried and unappealing like what usually arrives at your dorm door from the usual Chinese food takeout.
“It’s delicious!” Bridgette Sliva ’12 exclaimed.
There are also plenty of vegetarian options as well, including the healthy broccoli with soy-ginger sauce dish, the edamame appetizer, and the mixed vegetable dish with a variety of sauce choices, including ginger glaze, thai coconut curry sauce, or fresh mango spiced sauce.
Finally, the sushi bar prepares more than fifty different kinds of rolls, each unique and fresh. The variety ranges from basic cucumber rolls (for those too timid to try raw seafood) to “Tex Mex,” a spicy tuna roll with scallions and Mexican seasoning or the more outrageous “Carribbean,” with shrimp tempura and fried banana, topped with spicy tuna, crushed peanut, and coconut flakes.
The prices at Wild Rice range depending on the dish, but are generally in the $3-4 range for sushi, $6 dollar range for appetizers, and $13-16 range for entrées.
“You get what you pay for,” Fogliano said. “It’s slightly more expensive than most [local restaurants], but it’s really high quality, and it all tastes amazing.”
“It’s a little more expensive, but it’s definitely worth it, and we’ll definitely be going back,” Gjesteby agreed.
Entrée portions are the perfect size for sharing between two people, which can help cut down on the total cost of a meal. Most dishes come with a serving of rice, a side salad or soup, which means you usually don’t have to pay for sides that you would normally pay more for to accompany your meal.
One secret to a cheaper meal: go at lunchtime. Instead of dinner out, consider going out to lunch on a day you don’t have mid-morning classes. The prices are lower, and the crowd is smaller — it’s your best bet for a great meal at Wild Rice.
Despite all of the great qualities of Wild Rice, one problem still lingers.
“It’s really good food,” said Rebecca Patrick ’12, “But I would appreciate if they would deliver it.” While dining in the restaurant is fun, some students would rather get a quick bite to eat without sitting down. Though take-out is available, students still need cars to drive into town or to time their take-out with the evening town shuttle schedule in order to pick up their food.
Overall, Wild Rice is a great place to go out to a nice meal with a group of friends. It’s not overly dressy, but not a boring run-of-the-mill college restaurant either. With affordable and appetizing food, it’s a great place to have so close to campus, and would definitely be recommended.
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