Freshman year of college is one that can best be characterized by change. The size of your room changes (to the size of a shoe box), your friends change, your workload definitely changes, and ultimately, you change.
But through all of the ups and the downs that come with the transition into college, there is one thing that stays constant: FOOD. At Michigan, especially, we’re #blessed with limitless food options to keep us sane. I can honestly say that my freshman year at Michigan would not have been the same without the foods that accompanied me through it, so I thought that they deserved a thank you.
1. Espresso Royale Iced Coffee
I always strayed away from coffee because of my Mom’s three cup a day coffee addiction that constantly reminded me that caffeine is in fact a drug (don’t do drugs kids), but my mindset quickly began to change when I started running on four hours of sleep and could barely get myself out of bed in the morning. Nothing says freshman year like poor time management skills.
Thank you, Espresso Royale iced coffee, for getting me through my first all-nighter and for keeping me awake during early Friday morning section discussions with all of the other freshmen who were the last ones to register for classes.
2. Pizza House Feta Bread
Pizza House feta bread is a household (dormhold?) name for Michigan freshman – and with good reason. Every freshman remembers their first feta bread, and if they don’t, they definitely do the next morning when their dorm room suddenly smells like a pizza oven.
Ordering feta bread as a freshman can also be super social. It’s pretty simple math: order feta bread to your dorm lobby = making new friends. The only downside is that your new “friends” probably won’t pay for it. Thank you, Pizza House feta bread, for turning bad nights into good nights and for being the center of many great dorm memories. The only thing I can’t thank you for is your solid contribution to the freshman 15.
3. Cookies from Insomnia Cookies
I remember, while touring Michigan, the concept of Insomnia Cookies blew my mind. Cookie delivery? Until 3 am? I thought ordering fresh cookies would surely be a weekly ritual. To my surprise (and happiness), ordering Insomnia was saved for only the most special occasions, especially birthdays. Thank you, Insomnia, for making amazing cookie cakes that made dorm room birthday parties infinitely better.
4. Mojo Cookies
Even if you didn’t live on the hill, the fame of Mojo cookies was known across campus. Whenever there was a bad day/ great day/ long day.. (really any day), there were always fresh Mojo cookies. Thank you Mojo cookies for being unlimited, warm, and delicious. Like a good friend, you were always there, and I truly wouldn’t have made it through freshman year without your undying love and support.
5. Snacks from Bert’s Cafe
As a freshman, I don’t think I could even begin to anticipate the amount of hours I would spend in the library. Once I got to college, I also realized that what I considered studying in high school wasn’t really going to work in college. Typically, two hours turned into five hours, and before I knew it, I was tired, malnourished, and not even close to finishing the paper I was working on.
That’s where Bert’s came in and saved my hopeless freshman self. Thank you, Berts, for giving me snacks when I forgot to pack some in my backpack, coffee when I could barely keep my eyes open, and even for the occasional wrap when I couldn’t leave the library to go eat a meal.
6. Pizza House Chipati
Chipatis are also famous on the Michigan campus, but they proved to be a freshman year staple. Bad food at the dining hall? Order a chipati. Hungry after game day? Order a chipati. Studying until 3 am in your dorm? Order a chipati.
Thank you, Chipatis, for being a (sort of) nutritious meal when I forgot to eat dinner because the dining hall always seemed to close too early. Thank you for also allowing me to stay “healthy” while late night eating (even though I most likely ate you with several pieces of feta bread anyway).
7. Angelo’s Famous Toast
Angelo’s proximity to the Hill makes it a freshman hot spot, and the ability to make your own avocado toast attracts every freshman foodie across campus. If you ask anyone what the staple of any brunch at Angelo’s is, they will, without a doubt, say their bread. I truly do believe that Angelo’s homemade toast saves lives.
Truly nothing felt more right about freshman year than spending Sunday morning recapping the nights events with friends while stuffing pieces of homemade toast into my mouth, and for that, I thank you, Angelo’s toast.
8. Sushi Delivery
Sushi delivery seemed to be the only thing that made a small dorm room seem cozy, instead of claustrophobic. Rugs often became tables, and most freshman can admit to eating sushi while sitting on their floor at least more than once. Sushi in Ann Arbor isn’t the greatest, but by the end of freshman year I had convinced myself that Sadako and Totoro have the best sushi in the country.
So, thank you, sushi delivery, for saving me from many bad dining hall meals and missed dinners. Thanks for also helping me further appreciate what actual good sushi tastes like.
9. Zingerman’s Sandwiches
The final shout out goes to Zingerman’s because in Ann Arbor, Zingerman’s is THE place. It’s where freshmen bring their parents, visiting friends, future and past wolverines to further prove that Ann Arbor is the best. Plus, their sandwiches are so good that even Obama approves. With Freshman year comes parent’s weekend, move in day, and move out day, and Zingerman’s proved to be a great accompaniment to all of those milestones.
Thank you Zingerman’s for being amazing and for making me even more confident in my decision to come to Michigan. I know that freshman year won’t be the last time I see you.
Although there are many other foods that helped me survive freshman year in AA, these key players deserve the most praise. I can only hope that I can a find a freshman to swipe me into Mojo next year, so that I can relive this incredible year all over again.