This past summer, I had brunch with an incoming Vanderbilt first-year from my hometown. She asked me to outline my dream “day in the life” in terms of food on campus. I, of course, began with breakfast at Alumni Hall’s Local Java and rattled off my go-to order — an iced americano with oat milk and caramel, an egg bagel breakfast sandwich and a chocolate croissant, all for one meal swipe.
As a first-year myself just last August, I lived on campus for a while, fairly oblivious of any dining hall outside of Commons. It was overwhelming for everything to be new, so I stuck to what was familiar until I was ready to explore elsewhere. That being said, the more comfortable I became with Vanderbilt’s campus, the more I branched out. By the time I wrapped up my spring exams, I had checked each and every dining hall off my bucket list, figured out which foods were my favorite, and calculated what times were best to eat at each location depending on general student traffic.
Returning to Vanderbilt as a sophomore, I was excited to be a dining hall near-expert. I received a pamphlet in the mail over the summer describing the newest details of the meal plan for this new semester, but I passed it off to my parents, thinking that they cared more about the specifics than I did. I hadn’t realized until arriving on campus that, with additions to dining, there came changes and subtractions as well.
We all knew Café Carmichael was coming, which was explained to me as a meal option similar to Local Java, simply with more seating. What Vanderbilt Dining failed to prepare students for was that this freshly built, residential college-housed “grand European café” would practically replace our beloved breakfast spot beside the lawn and cut the amount of choices in half for the same price as before.
In terms of the actual menu, I do have to admit that Carmichael offers more choices overall, and a great deal of them have not only larger portions but richer flavors. Rather than having roughly half a dozen sandwiches offered all day long, there are four or five options available during breakfast, then four or five different items available during lunch. Even with this expansion of choices, I miss nothing more than the ability to swipe for an egg bagel breakfast sandwich after a 10 a.m. — or even 1 p.m. — class.
The expansion of choices for entrees doesn’t just include new menu items; several sides have also been promoted to entrees. While I feel this reclassification is understandable for danishes and, perhaps, other protein-packed treats, my biggest complaint comes from the chocolate croissant — a sweet so near and dear to my heart that I splurged on the Pain Au Chocolat Jellycat to adorn my apartment kitchen. This delicacy — previously a side enjoyable with any savory entree at Local Java — has now earned the status of a meal itself at Café Carmichael, only able to be paired with another sweet, though less showy, pastry.
Even with this rebrand, I appreciate that the partnership with Frothy Monkey, a local espresso brand, has held strong from Local Java to Café Carmichael. Keeping Frothy Monkey at Carmichael brings a more tasteful option compared to the Munchie Mart or other dining hall brews. What I don’t appreciate is that the only choices on the meal plan for a drink include a hot americano or a shot of espresso, as compared to the seven-word coffee order I was able to place in the spring. I have come to discover that I can make my own iced latte by ordering espresso, pouring it over ice and adding milk — still, I yearn for the fresh-from-the-carton nondairy milk and syrup options that I was previously presented with.
To be completely transparent, I was unaware that Café Carmichael was even open past late afternoon until I stumbled upon the menu via NetNutrition. Upon learning that they boast flatbreads as their signature dinner item, I’m curious to taste these in comparison to those from Zeppos in previous years.
Even as a first-year all the way on Commons, I made the trek last year to Zeppos College nearly weekly just for the famous flatbreads. I was initially excited this year to live closer to Zeppos, and I was, of course, disappointed to learn that the previously available make-your-own flatbreads with entire bars of vegetables and toppings to choose from were nowhere to be seen. I can’t imagine applying to live in a residential college, where the supposed perks include access to a favorite dining hall, only to return and find that the dining hall has been flipped upside down, making something completely different than before.
I don’t want to send the wrong message: I don’t dislike Carmichael. The vast array of seating as compared to the ever-stuffed Local Java is a tremendous improvement, and the dining staff has been as friendly as ever. With everything from the branded cup sleeves to the sparkling water on tap, it truly does feel like an abroad experience. I am an especially big fan of the fact that Carmichael, seemingly too far for freshmen, has not yet gotten too packed — even with lines out the door of several other dining halls and establishments.
All in all, I could most definitely get used to Café Carmichael, but I still hold my grievances with both the entree qualifications and general dining inconsistencies. I hope that Local Java in Alumni Hall is doing okay, depleted of everything but yogurts and bagels, and that Vanderbilt Dining can steady itself out to better serve students in the future.
