By: Wei Qing Lim
Nobody asked, but we thought it would be fun to do a recap of our top favorite food and drinks in college. Our criteria was that it should be a consistent favorite or life-changing. It was incredibly hard narrowing down my list of favorite foods and drinks, but here it is!
1. Black Bear Diner - This was a short-lived romance that started and ended my freshman year. I was experiencing living in the U.S. for the first time as an 18-year-old, and the one thing I was most psyched about was the breakfast food. I loved the insane portion sizes and would devour an entire plate in one sitting. Every weekend, I would eagerly head to the diner and order my go-to meal: a California Bacon Eggs Benedict. It came with a heaping portion of potatoes, fruit, and even a side of huge and fluffy pancakes! If I was craving something sweet, I would order their waffles. They were adorable, and had a cute bear printed in the middle!
2. Philz Coffee - I’m going to keep this short and sweet because I might cry if I think about this place any more. Unbeknownst to me, lining up at Philz during their opening weekend would change my life. I can define each stage in my college career with my favorite Philz drink at the time. My favorites range from Silken Splendor, New Manhattan, Jacob’s, Julie’s, and most recently, a Philtered Soul Cold Brew. All with medium sugar and medium oat milk, of course!
3. Yeti - The Veggie tikka masala (mild plus spice level) has been my go-to meal since I discovered the place early sophomore year, and was my last meal in Davis before moving back to Malaysia. (I have Doordashed this exact meal every week since quarantine began-- and yes, this means March!)
4. Brunch food - I have so many favorite brunch places but Delta of Venus is my favorite in Davis! It’s easy to miss because it’s nestled in a corner downtown. This house-turned-restaurant is a popular place to go to on the weekends, especially after the Farmers Market on Saturday-- the line is always out the door! I always get Maureen’s omelet: it’s packed with cheese, mushrooms, spinach, bacon, and more cheese! It also comes with perfectly roasted potatoes (my all-time favorite) and gluten-free bread that is toasted with butter. I love to sit on the patio and enjoy the sunshine along with my food.
5. Thai Canteen - A classic restaurant in Davis! I have always played it safe with Pad Thai and Pad Kee Mao for ages, but quickly decided the gluten-free Pad See Ew was my all-time favorite after Bri introduced it to me during quarantine (Thank you, it has been a game-changer!).
6. Woodstock’s Pizza - A better-late-than-never favorite. I never understood the hype around Woodstock’s. I had it once my freshman year and the experience never stuck with me. However, after trying a piece of the gluten-free Garlic Bird pizza in October, I was HOOKED. I had Woodstock’s twice more after that (I also tried their Kickin’ Carnitas pizza, and it was DELICIOUS. Ilona and I devoured a large pizza meant for 3-4 people in one sitting). I have never loved a pizza as much as this one.
7. Mariposa Bakery & Pushkin’s - These two places have been lifesavers. Mariposa Bakery is an amazing Bay Area bakery that sells every baked good known to man, but they’re all gluten-free! I have enjoyed so many croissants (if you know me, you know how important this is) from this place. Pushkin’s (now known as Sibling) is a cute brunch place in Sacramento that is both aesthetically pleasing and yummy. Their Pork Belly Benedict is to DIE for and I think about it a lot! They also have a bakery and a doughnut/ice cream shop that sells amazing cupcakes, bread, and doughnuts! My friends gifted me a box of their doughnuts for my birthday and you best BET they were gone the following morning.
Well, there you have it! I had so much fun writing this-- thanks for taking a trip down memory lane with me!