I know what you’re thinking. “Has someone other than Zach Schiffman had the audacity to write a food-related post?”…”Should I even read it?”…”Wait now I’m hungry. What should I eat for lunch?”
First, don’t hate me, Zach fans. While I definitely won’t promise that this post will be as entertaining as one of his, I really needed to steal his beat for a sec. I’ve had something on my chest for a while now that I just need to set free in the blogosphere. And then give you ideas for what to eat for lunch, of course.
So here’s MY question, people. Why oh WHY are Rize and Bread Winners so underrated???!!!!??! I like to think I’m a pretty forgiving person, but I have trouble looking past the shade constantly thrown at two of BU’s finest gems. I actually take personal offense when people tell me they don’t spend a good amount of dining points at either of those places. For my emotional well-being’s sake, I won’t dare comment on people who have never eaten at either. The bottomline is I think a majority of my peers are not living their Terrier lives to the fullest, and I really want to save your souls before it’s too late and you’re holding a diploma with no knowledge of Rize’s assortment of smoothies.
Let’s start with the basics. For all of you who don’t even recognize the names I’ve given you *sheds single tear*, Rize is BU’s own adorable little café/bakery located in the basement of Yawkey Center. That’s right, Marciano Commons isn’t the only thing putting the bae in Baestate. And no, it is not the same as Late Night Kitchen (which I also highly recommend but doesn’t need me vouching for it.) Rize is only open from 7 am to 5 pm on weekdays. Its menu therefore ranges from staple breakfast foods like bagels and muffins to signature salads and sandwiches that hit the spot come lunchtime. Not to mention, their international coffee is always a delicious pick-me-up. What truly makes a trip to Rize worthwhile, though, is the plethora of fresh baked pastries available each day, along with special stuffed breads called RiZers. I wish I could describe to you how I felt the first time I ate one of those things. Maybe one day I’ll have the right words, but until then here are my Rize recommendations:
Best smoothie: Mango Mantra (Just trust me.)
Best RiZer: Italian (Three words: pesto, chicken, cheese. Oh and pure happiness.)
Best pastry: Nutella banana pop-tart (In the words of the ever-wise Lizzie McGuire, THIS is what dreams are made of.)
Now that I have your attention and appetite, let’s discuss Bread Winners, another tragically unappreciated BU Dining option. Any business student, or anyone (me) who pretends to be every time she/he goes to Questrom for coffee, has surely seen the little corner shop next to Starbs on the second floor. Skeptical of a name you are unfamiliar with, however, you routinely join the mile-long line between you and a Pumpkin Spice. And I am physically shaking my head right now at the mere thought, people! If just one of these mornings you instead decided to give Bread Winners a shot, you would discover that a) their line is far shorter, if not inexistent most days, 2) they have some mighty tasty breakfast options, and their STARBUCKS brand coffee and Tazo teas are CHEAPER. I’d also like to throw out there that the two women who work at Bread Winners on Tuesday and Thursday mornings put a smile on my face every visit. If less expensive yet high quality coffee and kind human beings are not pleasing enough, though, here’s are my best tips for being a Bread Winner:
1) If you ever take advantage of the oatmeal bar, which you should, add chocolate chips or you’re doing it all wrong.
2) If you ever know you have a busy a day ahead of you, stock up on snacks or snag one of the convenient, on-the-go lunch options. There are especially some great microwavable choices. Panera soup, anyone?!
3) If you ever find yourself painfully unsure of which kind of croissant to get (a dilemma we all must face at some point), I swear on my final project for Intro to Ad that spinach-feta is the way to go. There is no room for questions or debate.
Phew. It truly feels glorious putting my adoration for Rize and Bread Winners out in the open. I can only hope that from here I will inspire you masses to join my movement. These last few weeks of the semester can especially be rough, so at least nourish yourselves with all the delicacies dining points have to offer!
