On March 10th, Binghamton University’s Food Co-Op unleashed a new type of event. Once every other month, the Roots Cafe transforms itself into the ‘World Beat Cafe’, an international extravaganza featuring one cuisine from anywhere in the world.
From foods you may have come to love to dishes you’ve never heard of, the World Beat Cafe is your opportunity to experience it all.
For the grand opening of the cafe, the event centered around Middle-Eastern food. The dishes were planned weeks prior to the event, and they were prepared by some of the best cooks the Co-Op has come to know.
Photo by Christina Millan
The dining experience was well varied, and full of different flavors from countries throughout the Middle East. The menu included hummus, babaganoush, zucchini and quinoa stuffed peppers, baklava, tabbouleh, falafel with tzatziki sauce, and my personal favorite, shashuka.
Photo by Christina Millan
The food was not only delicious and diverse, but it was mostly vegan and gluten-free as well. Such a great opportunity to experience food, some of which are not too easy to come by dining out, let alone on campus, was sure to attract a large crowd. So make sure you get here on time because the line grows fast!
Photo by Christina Millan
Fear not, even the poor souls in the back were able to try it all as multiple trays per dish were prepared for the event. While the Co-Op is usually open during the day, serving hot food from 12pm to 4pm, the World Beat Cafe is a dinner event, beginning at 7pm and running for several hours.
Though many came for the food, most stayed for the fun. The World Beat Cafe is as much an international restaurant as it is a social space. The Co-Op was filled with smiling faces of different students not only enjoying their dinners, but also enjoying each other’s company.
The space was filled with Middle Eastern music and the voices of old friends chatting away and new friends being made. There was even some low key dancing going on for a while.
Photo by Christina Millan
The World Beat Cafe is not just an opportunity for tasting new and exciting home cooked food right on campus, it is also an opportunity to try something different with others, and to meet like minded individuals with a passion for food much like your own.
If you made it to the first event, then you know what it means to leave no stone unturned.
Photo by Christina Millan
The Cafe is already looking forward to its next event, so if you missed the first one, do not worry, you have time to prepare yourself for the flavor experience you don’t want to miss.