A Trip to French Meadow

When I met Sarah in the journalism office, she was reading an issue of Saveur magazine. So in realizing that she was a fellow foodie, I knew exactly where I should take a girl who had never been to the Campus Center before.

In the midst of all the crappy food offered at the Bluewall and other locations in the Campus Center, it's nice to finally have a healthier and really delicious option. This is why I decided to take Sarah to the new French Meadow Bakery stand.

I discovered this new line of sandwiches and salads one day early last year when I was desperate for nourishment. I caved and went into Bluewall, which I am typically not a fan of. I noticed that there was a new station with panini sandwiches. "Chicken and goat cheese," one sign read. Let's just say I'm obsessed with goat cheese, so I was immediately sold. And to my pleasant surprise, it was actually pretty good; a nice warm ciabatta roll spread with creamy goat cheese and filled with a grilled chicken breast, roasted red peppers and spinach. It was a win in my book, not the best I've ever had, but still good, especially for where it came from.

Then, in the later months, I noticed new sandwiches and salads in the refrigerated section, with French Meadow Bakery labels on them. "Hmm, this could be good," I thought. There were sprouted wraps with roasted veggies and chicken, a white cheddar and cranberry sandwich on multigrain bread, and even a turkey club on a fresh, buttery croissant. Each sandwich came with a small salad of organic mixed field greens and a side of white balsamic vinaigrette. The best part: they were all only between $5 and $7. There were also salads like the cranberry, walnut and gorgonzola salad, the grilled salmon salad, and the spa salad. Also all delicious.

From that point on I decided this was going to be my new emergency lunch option, and I applauded Bluewall for remembering that there are people out there who do not enjoy having fried food, pizza, or burritos the size of a small child every day for lunch.

So imagine my excitement when I saw the "coming soon" sign in the main area of the campus center that said "FRENCH MEADOW BAKERY." Since then it's opened, and the word has obviously gotten out that the food is good, because during peak hours the place is packed, and people still choose to wait in the line. I know I do...
-Alex

Not every culinary experience at UMass needs to happen in a crowded dining hall that reeks of prepackaged, deep fried chicken patties, pizza that has become stale under orange heating lamps, and sweet, syrupy soft drinks squirting endlessly into the plastic cups of college students. No, the Campus Center offers a quicker, smaller, albeit healthier option for the college student on the go. French Meadow Bakery and Cafe located right in the middle of the campus center offers a wide varieties of gourmet salads, sandwiches, bagels, and desserts that are freshly made and organic. Alex showed me this not so hidden treasure earlier today, right after lunch time. I followed her down the winding, dimly lit tunnel that runs between the Student Union and the Campus Center. We passed students hurrying along to classes, the brightly lit windows of the barber shop, and even surprisingly, a student dressed in a gorilla suit, until we turned the corner into the main hall of the Campus Center. Sitting against the wall in the middle of the hall sat the brightly colored French Meadow Cafe stand. Its display case filled with hemp brownies, cheesecake squares, bagels, muffins, and large salads beckoned to me as Alex told me about the stand. Alex explained that French Meadow is a fairly new business on campus. It was, she said, a nicer, healthier alternative to the food offered at other on campus food stops like the Bluewall. The food looked fresh and tasty. The drinks menu had a wide variety of caffeinated and juice options. And the people working seemed pretty happy to be there. Indeed the short trip to the Campus Center seems well worth it. Alex’s only complaint, it’s too popular! -Sarah C.