History has had its eyes on James Madison since he signed, sealed, and delivered our Constitution. He stood mightily at 5’4″ and rocked the post-revolutionary world of American politics with his authorship of our Bill of Rights before he became the Fourth President. As the Dukes of JMU, we know these basic facts, but what about the fun ones?
What did this small powerhouse of a leader eat for breakfast? Late night snack? Would he like the JMU tradition that is peanut butter pie or would he be more appreciative of the random stalls in the bathrooms that match his stature after a meal at D Hub?
As a firm believer in freedom, I’m sure Mr. Madison would appreciate the endless amount of options to choose from when dining in. Let’s find out what this founding father would choose to chow down on at our present day university of learning and culinary goodness.
1. E Hall: Ice Cream
Homemade and delicious, J Maddy would hit that E Hall ice cream bar first and foremost upon his entrance, most likely returning for refill after refill. We love the JMU dining staff for whipping up a fresh batch of ice cream as much as Madison loved Dolley for personally churning this sweet treat that happened to be his favorite food of all time.
2. Dunkin’: Chocolate Frosted Donut
We all know that Madison and the War Hawks only wanted to invade Canada in the War of 1812 for one thing and one thing only: their revolutionary donut recipes. People may joke about Canada’s identity as a country, but Tim Horton’s is no laughing matter.
3. Bistro 1908: Southwest Turkey Burger
As a Virginia native, we can’t deny that James Madison would be a fan of anything on the Chophouse menu since the burgers and steaks are locally sourced from Grayson Farms.
4. Fueled: Ramen
Honestly, Mr. Madison only weighed in at about 100 pounds and didn’t eat much. He was a soft spoken person who preferred simple meals to heartier meats. The ramen available at Fueled, one of JMU’s new food trucks, would be his kind of heaven.
5. D Hub: Most Bang for Punch
There are a large supply of options available when dining in at D Hub. Madison once said, “power, lodged as it must be in human hands, will ever be liable to abuse.” And in this case, when one punches at D Hub, one must abuse that power lodged in the swipe of a JAC card.
That being said, it’s hard to choose a dish for J Maddy when he would most definitely seize the power of that $12 value. Here are 6 genius hacks to get the most out of your D Hub punch.
6. Festival: Ham and Cheese Skillet
Jimmy Madison was an avid fan of Virginia ham, so one would expect to find him in the little line, tucked away for a ham and cheese omelet. Madison and the Skillet station are similar in that both are typically overshadowed by dominant forces.
When walking through the Festival food court, it’s hard not to be immediately drawn to the aura of crepes that dominates the overwhelming variety of scents, just as Thomas Jefferson ruled the political sphere and attention of people, while Madison stood, shortly, by his side.
7. Madison Grille: Cookie Skillet
A bromance for the ages, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison would thoroughly enjoy this JMU fine dining hall option. There would have been no better way to discuss the future of the newly founded United States than with some dim lighting and a warm, oversized M&M cookie drizzled with chocolate and dreams.
8. Top Dog: Dumplings with Wonton Soup
James Madison goes big or goes home, hence the reason he wrote 29 of the 85 Federalist Paper published anonymously in New York newspapers under the codename Publius during the late 1780s to defend the US Constitution. This double punch move by J Maddy for dumplings and soup will most definitely have him feeling satisfied, unlike his Federalist Paper sidekick Alexander Hamilton.
9. If D Hall was still around: Peanut Butter Pie
He and Dolley would have saved every last ounce of peanut butter pie ingredients from the crashing walls of D Hall, just as they savagely saved valuables from the White House as it crashed and burned. All in the name of tradition and preservation.