A Rare But Fair Thank You to Ray

It’s almost cool to sit around and make fun of how bad the food is at Ray. You walk in everyday and survey the land. “Okay, we have some tofu tacos in Theme Cuisine—no thanks. Classics has chicken nuggets and mac’n’cheese—we’ll see. The Grill has Texas-style grilled cheese—that’s an option. But alas, the Deli has the caprese special on focaccia. Today is a good day.”

Ray is very inconsistent though. You either have an AMAZING spread, or an absolute disaster and your only resort is cereal or pizza. On those absolute gems of days there is always something delicious at every station. You may even have such a difficult time deciding that you eat more than one meal. I will give Ray credit for one thing: it has improved from last year. I also love the new wall color scheme that was done over winter break. It has really brightened the place up! Another area in which Ray has shown profound improvement is the Deli.

The Deli has introduced new breads such as focaccia and flat bread. Though they are not available everyday, they are certainly a treat. I have to give Amanda and Co. over at the Deli a lot of credit. At the 12:30 rush, they serve a long line, and they really do the best that they can. Some people think that the Deli crew is intimidating because they don’t take any crap, but once you become a regular, they take good care of you. Fresh baguettes appear out of thin air!

Everyone at PC appreciates a good Ray brunch. After a night out, there is nothing better than waking up at noon and heading over to Ray for some scrambled eggs and maybe pancakes or a bagel. Sometimes, my friends and I sit at brunch for hours and discuss the events of the night and all the work that we have to go back and do.

However, on those days when the Ray food is sub-par, or you are feeling a little guilty about the massive quantities of Domino’s you consumed the night before, the salad bar is always available and has a decent spread of options. I also get pretty excited when there is a good soup of the day. My personal favorite is the broccoli cheddar. Unfortunately, it is not available very often and is not nearly as tasty as it was last year…I’m not really sure what happened. Another rare treasure in Ray is the zucchini or corn fritters. They do not come out very often, and when they do, they are somewhat hidden over in the sides option area next to Classics. But let me tell you, they are delicious!

Another area where Ray has really stepped it up this year is in its gluten-free and vegan meals. There are always vegetarian meals available, and I often find myself intrigued and willing to try some of the gluten-free food. And yes, you would think these alternate meals would be gross, but you would be wrong. Ray has also done a great job improving its boxed lunch program. Flo does a great job over there in the new and improved boxed lunch station. Instead of putting your meal in just a plastic bag, Sodexho has invested in those nifty little take-out boxes. Boxed lunches are great for people with busy schedules, people who might not be able to make it to dinner that night, or for those poor souls who would be eating alone. We have all been there, and nothing makes us feel like a bigger loser at PC. Walk on, my friend.

So, Ray cafeteria staff, I would like to thank you on behalf of the PC community for all of your hard work and dedication to our student body. Quite frankly, it is praise that you do not often get. As students, we must also realize that it is not the workers’ fault when the food in Ray is terrible. Blame Sodexho, the ultimate scapegoat. Things seem to be improving with the coming of each semester at Ray, and I am looking forward to seeing more improvements in the fall semester.