Tag: Chipotle

Spring Break Part Dos: London!

Spring Break Part Dos: London!

After my Polish adventures, a friend and I ventured to London! I was really excited because it was somewhere I have always wanted to go. It was a ton of fun, and very American. It actually felt a lot like New York City.

When we first got to London, we literally ran to our hostel, threw our stuff down and explored. We just wandered around until we found something we wanted to do or see.  We went shopping down a big shopping street called Picadilly, and that led us to CHIPOTLE!  We felt so American, but we haven’t had Chipotle since we were back in the States.  It was delicious, and we were lucky we  randomly ran into it!

After we wandered around, we headed up to North London.  t was like a whole different world.  There were very cheap shops everywhere and you could bargain for the right price. I got an originally priced thirty dollar dress for ten dollars!  It was nice that the sellers would bargain, but bad for my bank account seeing as I may have bought one too many things…

The highlight of the London trip was the double decker bus tour.  It was the cliche and touristy thing to do, so clearly, we had to do it.  The double decker bus tour went everywhere! It went to Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, The London Eye (giant ferris wheel overlooking London), Trafalgar Square, London Bridge, Kensington Gardens… and so much more.  Last April, I was competely royal wedding obsessed, so of course I circled Buckingham Palace several times trying to catch a glimpse inside.  No such luck. 🙁

On our last day, we relaxed and took in all London has to offer.  We went to the main shopping street, and went to the world famous Harrod’s.  Then, we got lunch and just relaxed in Kensington Gardens.  It was so nice.  People were playing hockey on the sidewalks (one of the guys had a Blackhawks jersey on!), families were having picnics  and people were riding bikes.  It was a beautiful day and it really made me realize how lucky I am to be able to see such beautiful places.

That night, we saw a play at Her Majesty’s theater.  I was very excited since I love plays and going to the theater; it’s something I would always do with my dad when I was little.  We saw The Phantom of the Opera, a play I hadn’t yet seen.  It was great!

London was amazing.  The people are so nice and everything is just as beautiful as I imagined it to be.  Once I’m not a poor college student, I better make it back there!

Top 5 Places to Eat Around Campus

Top 5 Places to Eat Around Campus

One of the things people forget about when they move out of their house is the fact that they’ll have to start making their own meals 3 times a day. That said, there’s plenty of help around if somebody isn’t up to the task–or, more likely, is too lazy– of cooking for themselves. Around Loyola is a range of places from bottom dollar to gourmet.

My favorite place to eat at Loyola

Uncommon Ground – $$$

This is the place you ask your parents to take you when they come to visit. The food is exquisite, local, and fresh. They grow their own herbs on their rooftop garden and purchase their meats from a local farm. The gourmet chefs modify the menu each month with new culinary creations. To top it off, the atmosphere is classic Chicago: exposed brick walls and wooden furniture.

2 for 1 meals if you pace yourself

Chipotle – $$

Everybody knows Chipotle, there isn’t much to be said that hasn’t been said before. This place is great for a college student because everything you buy is really two separate meals. I always get the feeling like I ended up spending more than I meant to when I come here, but then I walk away with tomorrow’s lunch. Those burritos go far and are very delicious.

The only on-campus restaurant

Subway- $$

Three words: 5 dollar footlong. I’m a pretty big fan of the Italian BMT myself, but whatever you want you’re guaranteed to get it fast. The biggest benefit of this place is that it’s the only restaurant on the campus side of Sheridan Road, so you don’t even have to cross the street to get fed.

Quick and Dirty meals

McDonalds – $

Let’s be honest. Nobody likes to admit that they eat at McDonalds, but it happens to the best of us. Sure, it’s unhealthy and there’s probably no nutritional value in anything they sell, but sometimes you catch of whiff of those fries and you just can’t help yourself. Call it comfort food.

It's better than you think

Campus Dining – __(meal plan baby!)__

You know what? I actually liked Loyola’s dining. I remember when I came here Freshman year and I couldn’t believe how good the food was. After a while people started to complain about the quality of food at Simpson or Mertz, but I just couldn’t agree with them. And I’m not just saying this. I think people forget how bad food is at other schools and take for granted how lucky they are that Loyola’s dining is so good.

The trouble, in my opinion, is simply this: If you eat the same thing every day, you’re going to get sick of it no matter how good it is. It’s not that Loyola’s food ever got worse, it’s that people just ate the same thing over and over. The trick is twofold: Go out to eat now and then so that your meals are varied, and keep in mind how much worse cafeteria food could be.