Juniatians and People of Huntingdon,
As mentioned in the first part of this series, I’m trying to share (and gather) alternate eating options to Baker Refectory. There are many options that I have yet to provide – all unhealthy – but hopefully in the coming weeks, I might have some “community recipes” to share with everyone from your suggestions.
But for now, let’s get started where we left off. We last talked about Domino’s and Sheetz. Duh. No brainer. But let’s get into the more niche options.
Jumbo China Buffet – $$
Awesome Kung Pao Chicken. Terrible Pork Loin fried rice. I’m not sure how this happened but it has. Always get the Kung Pao with the white rice (why would you turn down free rice). It also heats up nicely.
Great Dragon Chinese Restaurant – $$
Awesome Pork Loin fried rice. Terrible Kung Pao Chicken. I’m not sure how this happened but it has. One of my all-time go to favorites. The Pork Loin fried rice is an absolute godsend and I usually get two to three cartons to carry me through a particularly tough Baker week. They do run at about $9.00 a pop for a large container, but order in bulk if you do the delivery. The delivery driver is also extremely nice.
DoorDash – $-$$ (potential hidden fees)
DoorDash opened up in Huntingdon this semester and delivery has been FREE and I have been loving it. You have your bold choice of four fast food chains: McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Subway, and Taco Bell. I will say that the tax on some of these orders is a bit high so that might be compensating for the lack of a delivery fee (hidden fees).
All of the drivers are pretty nice too! I would say this is a great option if you are ordering food for just yourself since you don’t have to split the delivery cost with anybody.
Weis Frozen Meals – $
Oh baby. We have a few things to cover here so bear with me. For some of these, it helps to cook in the kitchen. Living in Cloister, the kitchen is so easily accessible (the TNT kitchen is way nicer but less accessible) that I can go down any time of day and throw something in the oven, on the stove, or in the microwave.
First, the frozen chicken nuggets. Banquet Chicken nuggets are $5.00 for 50 chicken nuggets at Weis. At Walmart they are $4.00. My roommate and I heat these up in the oven to get them nice and crispy but when we get desperate we also opt for the microwave version. It goes really nice with some Mac N’Cheese (either the microwave cups or the box version with milk taken from Baker) and some Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo sauce.
Second, Weis Chili. Surprisingly, it’s as good as any other canned item out there. Running at about 97 cents, I’ve been known to cook two cans at a time in one of the Cloister kitchen pots. A good appetizer for this “quick meal” is a $1.00 loaf of bread (pre-sliced, of course) for dipping. While I don’t normally dip my bread into chili, it soaks up the chili really nicely and makes for a great eating experience.
Third, olive oil + bread. $1.00 loaf of sliced bread. $8.00 bottle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (will last a long time). $4.00 tube of McCormick Basil, Oregano, Garlic, and Sea Salt seasoning (will last even longer). Combine these three together for a true makeshift restaurant dipping experience. In pre-COVID times, this was my most favorite cheap snack to serve to guests because it’s quick, easy, and a fan favorite.
Finally, all of the boxed pastas. If you pick up one of the 69 cent packs of Weis Margarine, you can get the milk in Baker (the cereal station is the only place with Whole Milk). My roommate and I have discovered that picking up a bag of pre-sliced chicken goes very nicely with certain Alfredo meals. We will usually pan-fry on low heat (since the Cloister fire alarm is a literal nightmare) beforehand and then add it in right near the end to soak up the flavor.
There you have it folks. If you have anything you think I have missed, PLEASE contact me at muleads18@juniata.edu. I am an avid food lover and I’m always looking for other eating options.
