Back in the 1940s, all of America lived in fear of Joe McCarthy and his monstrous pet, HUAC. Get caught buying a book of Russian poetry? Must be a Red spy. Profess your love for cute Siberian tigers? Must be a Red spy. Wear a lovely red sun dress out on the town? Enjoy your treason trial, shithead.

Say hi to Alger Hiss in the mess hall, Timmy

McCarthy saw a Soviet mole in every man, woman, and unborn child. In his mind, America was overrun with hidden agents, its airwaves filled with the insidious murmurs of foreign operatives disguised as blue-blooded Yanks. During the Cold War, these moles were largely figments of Old Joe’s hyperactive loyalty to the Stars and Stripes. He persevered, though, and at one hearing famously shouted, “I have here in my hand a list of two hundred and five people that were known to the Secretary of State as being members of the Communist Party!”

The import of this may be lost on modern students, so I’ve worked out an easy translation into 21st century terms: “I’m holding a raisin-filled Blue Room cinnamon roll!” [Read more →]

My first Geoff’s experience was four years ago when my family and I made the trek up I-95 for my older sister’s college visits. While I wish the instant I sunk my teeth into that superlative sandwich was the moment I knew Brunonia held a spot in my future, I remember being unimpressed by its flavor and only semi-appreciated the giant barrel of free pickles. Then again, I made the rookie mistake of creating my own boring sandwich. I now know that the extensive sandwich board serves to work in your favor — don’t mess with it. Four years later and over three months into my freshman year, I ventured down Meeting Street for a second taste — and, as my friend’s Instagram caption reveals, a meal that is truly “heaven between two slices of bread.”  Although the making of these sandwiches is debatably art, and the vibe of the establishment certainly plays into its deliciousness factor, here are some ways to recreate a Geoff’s original with the simple swipe of your ID: [Read more →]

The only remark I’ve heard among my friends more than “I have like noo points left” is “I am in love with my TA.”

First, the reasoning behind this how-to post not only comes from my friends’ whining, excessive Facebook stalking, and primping before section, but also a(n) pathetic inspirational post from a certain New Haven school’s blog. The writer of the column confessed that he professed his love for his TA with the timeless “Hi, I love you, sushi tastes good with me” pick-up line.

Side note: You want to know the real difference between us and Yalies? We have social skills and they don’t. (If you don’t get that reference, please cancel your next Wednesday night debauchery-filled plans and watch the late current train wreck Lindsay Lohan’s masterpiece.)

While we don’t suggest you use the aforementioned Yalie’s pick-up line, here are a few tips on how to woo your TA into bed this Valentine’s Day: [Read more →]

Nom-worthy? I’d say yes.

There are some exciting specials coming to the Blue Room to celebrate the new year! Aaron Fitzsenry can always be trusted to keep our tastebuds guessing, and this semester is no exception.

The Blue Room has a new hot entree for Tuesday and Friday nights, the Naked Burrito. Those of you who were lucky enough might have caught a preview of this tasty dish at the end of last semester. Fortunately for those of us who missed it, it’s here to stay! According to Aaron, the culinary team at the Blue Room “will be making a few salsas and guacamole ourselves, will have some really nice new all-natural protein choices (no processing means no extra salt), and will eliminate the tortilla wrapper which saves around 220 calories and 450mg sodium!” Just think: a healthy, delicious Chipotle meal for just a Meal Credit! No frigid walk down Thayer necessary. (More updates after the jump.)

On a related note, the entree rotation is a little bit different at the Blue Room this semester. Kabob and Curry will be featured Monday, Thursday, and Saturday, and Shanghai will be avaiable on Wednesday and Sunday. Unfortunately Mama Kim’s will have to take the semester off, but we’re told that a new restaurant of her own might be in the works. Something else to look forward to? Warm naan bread as an optional extra for Kabob nights.

Stay tuned for updates from Jo’s and the Gate. Meanwhile, go grab a naked burrito and say thanks to Aaron on your stomach’s behalf.

The Blue Room — home to no shortage of desert specials — will feature cookie sandwiches today starting at 4 p.m. What exactly is a cookie sandwich, you ask? Aaron Fitzsenry, culinary manager for retail dining, explained in an email to us:

— You pick a couple fresh cookies, like choc chip, oatmeal, cranberry and white choc, or double choc mint. This is chocolate heavy.
— You pick either Espresso Fudge Ripple or Caramel Caribou (with choc cups) ice cream and we make an ice cream cookie sandwich. Really chocolate heavy.
— You get to enjoy this monster with a cup of Mocho, my cappuccino/cocoa mix.  And marshmallows.  Lots of mini marshmallows.

So, Cookie Monster some Slate writer ate every single variety of Pepperidge Farm cookie.  While I was mildly disgusted, the piece inspired me to repeat this experiment at Brown — with Blue Room muffins, a collection as diverse as and somewhat carbier than the student population.

My sister, the ragamuffin Tanya Nguyen ‘13 (whose favorite joke is, incidentally, the one with the talking muffins), had independently developed a desire to test each one, so I enlisted her consumptive (I actually don’t think that’s the right word, but you know what I mean) and photographic ­aid in this totally self-indulgent project of great journalistic importance. Any excuse to nosh on a bunch of baked goods, amirite? Pro tips: Muffins are best warm, so nab them freshly baked or microwave them. Most are pretty sweet, especially as you keep stuffin’ your face with them, so have some water or other beverage (recommended pairings listed below). A gajillion couple thousand calories and 16 x 1.95 points later, here are our highly scientific results (in chronological order of sampling, which, don’t worry, was not in one sitting).

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Just when you thought he had outdone himself, Brown auxiliary dining guru Aaron Fitzsenry is back with more innovative specials to satisfy our cravings over next few weeks:

Tomorrow night, October 16^th, it’s Oktoberfest at the Gate. That means braised pork shanks over apples, beer-braised bratwurst, soft pretzels, and apple strudel…all that can be purchased with meal credits.  (Ed.- Take that study abroad peeps!)

Sunday, the 21^st, you’ll be able to head to the Blue Room with your parents to dazzle them grab an Apple Pie Float!

Finally, on Tuesday the 23^rd, Aaron himself will be in the Ivy Room in the afternoon promoting the new tossed salad bar. Promised delicacies include: warm pears and figs over spinach with a raspberry vinaigrette, or sautéed mushrooms and crumbled bacon with a warm balsamic dressing.

Is your mouth watering yet? Good.

Stumbling into the Blue Room Tuesday morning, half asleep and desperate for coffee, I happened to run into Aaron Fitzsenry, Brown’s culinary manager of retail dining. You know him; he’s that smiling guy in the white chef’s coat that often greets you from behind the alluring display of butter rum muffins and blueberry scones. With experience in the fine dining and hotel businesses, Aaron’s definitely someone we can trust with our taste buds, and he’s proven this time and time again since assuming his role at Brown just over a year ago. He’s responsible for bringing us so many items we’ve grown to love, from Kabob and Curry in the Blue Room, to risotto in the Gate, and even gourmet tacos in Jo’s.

We got to chatting a little bit about food here at Brown, a frequent topic of conversation for me, and specifically what kinds of things the Blue Room offers that we as students might not be aware of. Yes, the Blue Room Lowdown. Some (hopefully) enlightening tips to satisfy your culinary cravings after the jump. (We know, we’ve changed your world.)

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As yet another school year slowly winds to a close, you most likely have your daily Blue Room routine down to a science. Look for an empty booth, preferably one with an outlet. Put your bag down. Take a lap to find friends. Check to see if your favorite Shanghai sushi roll is still left. Eye the bakery/coffee line and gauge how much time you’ll have to spend waiting on it. Make a decision about what you’ll eat, pay, and hope that you have enough points left so you don’t hold up the line of impatient and hungry people behind you.

Of course, some inevitable external condition is bound take you out of your usual Blue Room rhythm. The 4 p.m. meal credit rush is definitely a game-changer and a royal pain in the ass. There’s only Sabra Red Pepper Hummus left. There are no more ciabatta rolls. The only fresh veggies on the  bottom refrigerated shelf are those monstrous (and weirdly phallic) whole English cucumbers. And where did all the Nime Chow go?! Equilibrium has been disturbed.

If you’re seeking consistency above all else in your Blue Room dining experience, look no further than the Blue Room Salad. No, I’m not talking about those tiny boxes of spinach or field greens that come with a measly side of balsamic vinaigrette. I’m talking customization and options at your fingertips. Tastes and flavors like you’d never believe. Dreamy greens. The only thing that stands in your way is the pesky glass partition of the sandwich line. No more ciabatta rolls? No problem.

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If you did last night, then this post is useless. If not, you are in for a serious treat. The venerable, ORIGINAL Thayer Street food truck is coming to the Blue Room. That’s right, the Blue Room will be serving Mama Kim’s starting tomorrow, THURSDAY, at 4:00 p.m., according to Morning Mail. The move to the Blue Room is, according to Hyun Kim ’01, all part of a plan to “bring Korean cuisine one step closer to the Brown community.”

The Hazeltine abides.

Now, the intensity with which one believes in the absolute truth of Morning Mail may vary from student to student, but I suggest you all heed this warning: If you really love Korean barbecue and can’t wait for the truck to get here, RUN — don’t walk, this is supposedly a “trial run” with a “limited amount of food available” — to the Blue Room Thursday afternoon. Adding Mama Kim’s to the 4:00 p.m. Blue Room rush is sure to cause a near riot in Faunce, so if you don’t like crowds or really good-smelling food, you might want to find another place to hang out tomorrow afternoon.

Image via.