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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 12, 1987)
6 When your homeworK's done, or even when it's not... when you have time on your hands, but no place to go... when you just need to get away from it all... choose your favorite club or eating establishment, relax, kick back and just Hang out o Tempting ideas by Melisa Hohlt Hungry? No? Well, never fear because you will be sooner or later. That’s one thing we can actually depend on in life. As hard-working, fast-growing college students, we seem to eat more often than most other people. We also eat at some pretty weird times. Of course if you’re up late studying or you’ve just gotten home from a football game and the hunger bug bites, you can dial up one of the many fast-food places that delivers. However, if dining out only seems real to you if you actually leave the house, you can pretty much pick and choose the restaurant at which you’d like to eat. For instance, if you like plain old American food, you could try one of the steak houses in the area, such as Ken Martin’s Steak House, Interurban Eating House or the Texan Restaurant. Of course these places don’t serve only steaks, contrary to what many people think. Interurban also offers hamburgers, seafood, salads, sandwiches and Mexican food. Likewise, the Texan also serves anything from escargot to quail to seafood, and has a long list of fine wines. Also within the realm of American food is the country style that some of you may equate with home cooking. If this is what you like, you could try the Red Bandana or Mom’s Diner. Mom’s offers “all you can eat” for its home style meals and the Bandana has chicken fried steak, fried catfish and homemade cinnamon rolls also in the form of “all you can eat. ” Mexican food is usually high on the list of student favorites, and one student said that Zarape’s in Bryan is the place to go for great Mexican food. The waiters are courteous, he said, and they never let your tea or water glass get more than half empty. He added that the prices are reasonable and you get just the right amount of food — not too much and not too little. Debbie Bailey, a senior political science major from Arlington, said that she eats at Fajita Rita’s the most because she thinks they have the best food. She also said that since she loves Mexican food, La Taqueria is the spot to go for lunch. The location and food are good and the prices are cheap, she said. She added that she went to Casa Tomas on Halloween and had a lot of fun. Another student also sang praises for La Taqueria. “The food is good and the atmosphere is fun,” said Elizabeth Hudson, a junior speech for eating out communication major from Montgomery. She added that she eats there a lot and that when the weather is nice, she eats outside at the tables by the take-out window. This is probably wise, since finding a table inside is not always as simple as you might think. If Italian cuisine is your favorite, Hudson said Cenare is the perfect Italian restaurant. “It’s kind of plain (decor), but it’s a real restaurant,” she said. “It’s a ‘grown-up’ place where you can go to get away from the college scene. ” You can assume that this means it’s a great place to go for dates, but be warned that according to Hudson, the prices are moderately high. Since Hudson lives on campus and she isn’t on board plan, she said that she eats out quite a bit at places that are nearby. She said that she really likes The Deluxe. Like Cenare, more “grown-up” and formal restaurants call our names occasionally and when they do, we’d like to know what our options are. Pam Carpenter, a senior journalism major, said that The Grapevine is a great place for dates because it’s quiet and romantic and allows for good conversation. She recommends their twice-baked potatoes, salads and steaks. She added that although the prices are a little high for every-day dining, they’re not too bad when you’re with that special someone. Carpenter said that since she can’t always afford places like The Grapevine, she will go almost anywhere she can get a coupon. (Calm down fellas —she’s thrifty, not cheap.) Therefore, she eats at Casa Ole a lot, she said. Other nice restaurants we all know and love include Red Lobster for good seafood, and Steak and Ale for thick and juicy steaks. Then there are places such as the Black Forest Inn, that are less known and different, but very good. The authentic European food is homemade by A&M graduate Trudy Adams, who also owns the restaurant, said an employee who wished to remain anonymous. You can choose from all kinds of veal, shrimp or trout dishes, she said, or you can stick with a thick, juicy steak. She said that the Black Forest Inn doesn’t specialize in anything in particular, but everything in general. In other words, everything is great, including the fantastic desserts. (That means trouble for some of us!) She said that the clothing style most people follow is casual, but nice, and the clientele includes University faculty and students. If you decide to drive out there, be sure to call for your required reservation first. If any of these places sound good, try them out. If none sound interesting, look through the yellow pages and find something for yourself. And to coin a phrase — “Bon Appetit!”