Editor’s Note
When it comes to college, there are always a few important concerns students take into account: Where to eat, which events to attend and what to wear. Each year, the Huntington News holds an online poll for Northeastern students – to get the scoop on their absolute favorite restaurants, student groups, fashion statements and more. For new (and returning) students, here are two stories from last April’s Best of NU, to give students an introduction and a guide to where to eat this school year and what bars to visit this coming fall.
Best Campus Eatery
By Emily Huizenga
News Staff
Whether students have 10, 15 or 19 meal swipes a week (or, God forbid, actually pay cash for food), the dining halls on campus all offer the same general fare: Burgers and fries, some fancy Italian, salads, sandwiches and, of course, the token cereal, toast and waffle station.
It’s not surprising that many students head out of the dorms for food, frequenting on-campus eateries like Qdoba, Au Bon Pain and Panera.
But this year’s best campus eatery was Rebecca’s Café, the meal-swipe alternative in the basement of Churchill Hall, which scored 31 percent of students’ votes and beat out Chicken Lou’s, which had earned the honor for the past 12 years.
“Rebecca’s is great – definitely better than the dining halls,” then-freshman engineering major Mary Costigan said. “Plus you can use meal swipes.”
From breakfast sandwiches to apple streusel french toast, taco pizza to turkey burgers, and chicken ceasar wraps to London broil, Rebecca’s offers both daily standards and changing menus, often accompanied by a bag of chips and a drink.
Rebecca’s, ranked No. 1 caterer by the Boston Business Journal and Best Caterer by Lawyers Weekly, is open from 7 a.m. until 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and is known for having long lines during peak lunch hours.
“The California chicken sandwich is the best,” then-freshman engineering major Sakura Dallaire said. “Definitely worth the wait.”
Best Bar
By Jon Palmer
News Staff
Since 2002, Conor Larkin’s Grill & Tap has kept the beer flowing on Huntington Avenue, and caters largely to Northeastern students due to its prime location diagonally across from Krentzman Quadrangle. The bar’s entrance is a door below street-level, under a small black awning and old-school “lovely day for a Guinness” sign. Wooden floors and tables add to a cozy atmosphere, one that then-senior sociology major Logan Kirkpatrick said made it her favorite campus-area bar for the past two years.
“It’s the environment that makes it great,” said Kirkpatrick. “It’s laid-back – you can go dressed up or you can go in sweatpants, and you know that you’re still dressed for the occasion.”
Conor’s serves large food portions, and offers a daily happy hour from 3 to 6 p.m., with pub fare favorites for $4.95. Tuesday night trivia and weekend brunch are highlights of the week. The bar is also the home of the Husky Burger Challenge: four Cajun-style, eight-ounce patties topped with eight slices of bacon and a basket of cajun fries. Finish it in 30 minutes to win a t-shirt and koozie. They also offer their “shot of the week” on a shot ski – a ski with four shot glasses attached. Four people tilt the ski back, with sometimes humorous results.
“What’s funny is when you get one really tall person and one really short person doing it,” Kirkpatrick said. “When everyone is [drunk], the shortest person is usually the one that ends up pouring the shot all over themselves.”
Kirkpatrick said it is tradition among many students to go to Conor’s after class, difficult tests or final exams. She said the main reason she keeps coming back is the friendly staff who, along with the food menu, put the bar above other campus watering holes.
“At Punters, your feet stick to the floor, and there’s no staff to talk to,” she said, “and people only go to Our House because they are open an hour later. Conor’s is a place you feel you can go any time of day. It’s close, the food is great and the staff makes you feel welcome.”
