Campus Dining has tried to make a push for better on-campus options this year, and their first big “improvement” was with the new West Side Dining that opened this fall. But the food did not live up to the standards of Old Kelly, and the student body has not been that impressed with it. In fact, FSA has received several complaints from students regarding the quantity and price of food on campus, noting that the prices have increased, but the portion sizes have gotten significantly smaller.
Last Monday, FSA opened up Roth Market Fresh at the Roth Food Court. This new facility replaces the home market from previous years, which served an array of different foods from mashed potatoes and chicken to burritos and kabobs. Instead of those offerings, Roth Fresh contains a variety of raw meat and fish. The options vary from day to day, but there is always chicken, different cuts of steak and one or two different types of fish. Students can choose from these options and have their cut of meat be grilled, baked, or sautéed, and then choose up to two sides to go along with it.
After missing Old Kelly’s Fish Market, I was excited to see this option come into play and bring in different types of food, though apprehensive after my disappointment with West Side. But Roth Fresh lived up to all of the hype FSA pushed through advertisement. The food is served to you warm, and the serving size of the meat or fish is filling. The quality of the food is fantastic – the grilled salmon I ate tasted like it came from a real restaurant. The sides change daily, ranging from green beans and potatoes to brown rice and sweet potato fries, and they taste really good. What surprised me the most is that this meal is not only the best I have had on campus, but probably the healthiest option next to eating just a plain salad. Roth Market Fresh also bumped it up to a whole new level by serving the food on a reusable glass plate. Students technically purchase the plate for $2 when they pay for their meal, but once the plate is returned to the “redeeming center,” those two dollars are returned back to the students on their meal plan. I appreciate the first step that FSA is making to be more environmentally friendly, and I hope that they make that a more widespread movement among all the cafeterias on campus.
The only real drawback to all of this is the price. A combo meal roughly averages between $11 and $13 for dinner, and about $7 to $9 for lunch. So, realistically, this might not be something that students can afford to eat every day and still keep on budget with their meal plan. The food also takes a bit of time to be prepared – about fifteen to twenty minutes – so it is not an option for students to grab and go. But here is my argument – if you have ever stood in the line for Wendy’s at the height of the dinner rush, you can wait for some grilled chicken.
I personally loved eating a warm, satiating and healthy meal on an actual plate instead of a white cardboard box. I enjoyed it, as did my friends. Roth Market Fresh is now, hands-down, the best place to eat on campus.
