After three years of being a part of The Mirror, I was finally given the opportunity to write for my favorite section of the paper (Don’t tell Alfredo), Wine and Dine with the Vine. Growing up in the restaurant business, I’ve become quite the foodie and have definitely seen my fair share of the good and the bad. After a long three years of absolutely despising the food served on campus, I’ve discovered, what I believe to be, the best eats in Fairfield.
- Geronimo’s
The best part about turning 21 is that every restaurant just got 100 times better, especially Geronimo’s. As a lover of all margaritas, Geronimo’s has an extensive tequila selection and the best part about the menu has to be the $40 pitchers (that I do not keep all for myself). However, for all you underage newbies, their food is even better than the drinks. Their braised short rib tacos are everything you could ever want in life, served with guac, pico de gallo, Cotija cheese and topped with the best kick: fried onions and jalapeno straws. The three taco’s are the perfect serving, but if you’re looking for just a little more, I recommend the chicken tortilla soup. It’s light and tasty, served with slices of fresh avocado for the perfect addition to your meal.
- Firehouse Deli
Better call 911 cause the New Yorker from Firehouse Deli is totally smokin’ and I’m totally corny, but let’s not get away from what’s important here. My mom, who is a Stag alumna, first introduced me to the deli back in freshman year. Her favorite is the chicken salad with grapes served on a hard roll, but I have found my own go-to that I cannot wait to tell my future Stags about. The New Yorker is served on a fresh made hard roll with medium rare roast beef, mozzarella, tomato and mayo. The roast beef melts in your mouth and the combination of fresh flavors can turn any bad day full of endless papers and projects into a great day. And you cannot forget an order of the parmesan truffle fries — our news editor’s favorite.
- Centro
Centro has the cutest outside dining area, so it’s a great place to go to with mom and dad a couple weeks into the semester when they finally feel they you can handle seeing them again. It’s where my family first took me and found out that I was taking part in college life, like partying, and although they weren’t happy, our unanimous enjoyment of the food was the only thing that kept us together that day. Centro serves up classic Italian dishes like spaghetti and meatballs, chicken parm and always a favorite, thin-crust Italian pizza. The linguine gamberi is the ideal summer dish; light and flavorful served with shrimp, pancetta, cherry tomatoes and tossed in a garlic butter sauce and parmesan cheese.
- Local Kitchen and Craft Beer Bar
My favorite thing about this place has to be the atmosphere. It’s the perfect feel for all college students with high-level ceilings, low lighting and the bar that sits in the center of the restaurant. Unlike a lot of places in Fairfield, the food is affordable and offers a wide variety of different foods that can appeal to all restaurant go-ers from those who enjoy a meaty burger to those who like to tango with tofu (like my roommate). Local has to take the award for being the only restaurant where I will willingly order and enjoy a salad and eat the entire thing, even the green stuff. The Local Cobb Salad is served with roasted turkey, bacon, apple, farm egg, onion, tomato, crumbled bleu cheese, craisins, avocado and chipotle ranch. So, maybe it’s not that healthy, but it sure makes your heart smile and like I said, it has some green stuff.
- Colony Grill
If all else fails and I don’t find a husband at Fairfield, I know that Colony Grill will always be there for me when life is just too much for me to handle. Colony serves up a kind of pizza that you will never find anywhere else. Their one-of-a-kind thin-crust pizza served with hot oil and melted perfectly with a blend of cheese brings tears to my eyes every time. They only serve pizza and they have made it their mission to perfect it. Even though I can single handedly blame this place for my freshman 15, I do not regret it and I do recommend one thing: never ever share a pizza with someone. It’s shameful and always finish it the first time. You will never have friends at Fairfield if you cannot finish your pizza alone.
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