Caleb P., New England Conservatory

Nestled in a crowded strip of restaurants on Boylston Street right off of Massachusetts Avenue lies a gem of Asian cuisine for college students, both in quality of food and speedy delivery. At first glance, the menu at Teriyaki House may seem like a Sino-Japanese identity crisis, but upon further exploration, the well-staffed kitchen capably presents a a variety of distinct dishes, from fresh tuna sushi to Szechuan beef lo mein. All sushi is made fresh to order, and the seafood selection is both extensive and high quality. Exquisitely presented dishes like the Rainbow Roll (tuna, salmon, and whitefish topped with avocado, cucumber, and crab) entice the student to splurge, while carryout specials (one free California Roll with an order greater than $25) seem to reward the hungry sushi-lover. Steaming udon noodle soups make any wintry Boston evening seem almost cheery, and tender soba noodles complete the Japanese portion of the menu.

Equally as impressive is Teriyaki House’s ability to serve satisfying Chinese meals while staying competitively priced with any of the several fast food chains within walking distance. Whether craving lo mein, steamed rice, or egg noodles, the extensive menu accommodates a variety of dishes with ease while staying in the single digits. With a full-time phone staff taking orders, the chefs post an impressively fast turnaround for carry-out and delivery, the latter of which is available to most colleges in the Boston area; sadly, service to Cambridge ceased as of spring 2010.

Terikyaki House falters somewhat with sluggish service for those opting to dine in. The waiters make a strong attempt to serve milk teas (with boba, of course) as soon as possible, but tend to require flagging down to deliver the check or meet any new requests, especially if the small handful of indoor tables are filled. The wait is usually enjoyable, however, as the sidewalk constantly bustles with pedestrians from Fenway Park, Berklee School of Music, or shoppers headed for the Prudential Center. Do not take offense if  hurriedly tossed paper takeout menus brushed away to an outdoor table. Rather, humbly accept the restaurant’s established role in delivering to dorm-bound students across Boston, as well as the fortunate diner who walks through the door.

While there are certainly pricier locations in Boston for more authentic Chinese and Japanese food, Teriyaki House provides budget-friendly and palette-pleasing options with reliable delivery and a menu large enough to guarantee a return visit.

Teriyaki House

1110 Boylston Street

Boston, MA 02215

(617) 236-1008

Caleb P., New England Conservatory

To a cash-strapped student in the Northeast, making each dollar stretch as far as possible evolves from a budgeting strategy into a daily bargain-hunting experience. In Boston, Cappy’s Pizza’s and Subs near the Back Bay Fens serves a competitive bargain to all students looking for a filling meal at a low price. With single slices of pizza larger than the size of one’s face, Cappy’s, as locals call it, definitely delivers the illusion of value, regardless of one’s lunch budget.

The menu consists of most standard pizza toppings, and while the slices aren’t loaded to the brim, the sausage, pepperoni, and mushroom are heartily sliced and of larger than average size. In typical thin-crust fashion, each slice is coated in a shiny layer of grease, hot out of the oven. The first couple of bites are the trickiest, with most people unsure of how to begin a 12”-long slice that droops off the edge of a paper plate in three places. Before folding the entire slice with both hands and diving in, first-timers will find the initial nibbles at the corner quite unsatisfying. At this point, the cheese, toppings, and grease all congealed together resemble something more of a calzone, and self-control must be exhibited to save a generous portion of cheese to accompany the crust—otherwise a dry, brittle end awaits after the gooey mess is defeated. (Maybe that’s where the overpriced cans of soda come in handy.) A single slice of this cheesy monstrosity doesn’t exceed three dollars, and while one slice is probably enough to satisfy even the hungriest college male, sometimes picking up two slices for five dollars seems like a better decision.

Since Cappy’s pre-cooks its most popular pizzas, the turnaround time for each customer rarely exceeds two or three minutes. During a typical weekday lunchtime bustle, the line crowds up to the door of the pizzeria, but never stands still. Each worker behind the high counter shovels slices of pizza into the giant oven as quickly as orders are shouted, returning to the register to yell, with unconcealed impatience, “Who’s next?” Open late, Cappy’s is equally as satisfying for those early-AM munchies, though expect a more unruly crowd of belligerent frat boys as the night progresses. For some, the pain of finishing just one whole slice would be enough to swear off Cappy’s for the semester. With time, however, the allure of a cheap meal, or perhaps the challenge of having the largest slice of pizza in Boston handed over the counter, wins over the conscience of any hungry student.

Cappy’s Pizza and Subs

82 Westland Ave

Boston MA 02115

(617) 247-8801

Caleb P., New England Conservatory

In previous posts, this blog has mentioned many excellent restaurants that deliver satisfying food while still keeping prices low. In today’s economy, students should be prudent and save money wherever they can—except, that is, when a certain restaurant serves food so exceptional, so well-presented, and so mind-engaging that to not experience it once would be a truly poor use of funds. L.A. Burdick, a chocolate boutique in Harvard Square, is such an example.

Any weekend during the nippy Boston winter, one can expect a line of die-hard chocolate lovers and gawking tourists neatly filed in front of L.A. Burdick’s shop front, just down the block from Harvard Yard. Even during the shortened hours of Columbus Day, empty rope lines guard the front entrance, in preparation for a possible surge. The interior looks deceptively cramped, probably because seating and table space have been compromised in favor of display shelves for wooden boxed assortments, chocolate penguins and rabbits, and of course, a whole shelf of instant-powdered versions of their famous hot chocolate.

Every low stool in the room is taken, and every table is graced with a rapidly emptying cup of L.A. Burdick’s fresh hot chocolate. The true reason for the ridiculously long line reveals itself: the hot chocolate at L.A. Burdick carries such a reputation—and backs it so well—that the curious flock from all over Boston come to savor it just once. The mix of flavors in one mug makes it impossible to drink less than a generous sip, for fear of possibly missing a note. The sweet but complex dark chocolate blends with steamed milk, then finishes with a rich aftertaste of cocoa beans that sends warmth all over the body. One almost requires a glass of water to accompany the residue of real chocolate still coating the tongue afterward.

L.A. Burdick also offers a wide selection of pastries to accompany the drinks, and these too are exquisite in taste as well as preparation. The Harvard Square—their rich square of chocolate cake—has walnuts densely baked into the bottom layer with a velvety layer of ganache on top. A carefully-placed walnut garnishes the fresh layer of cacao powder to complete the small corner of cake. L.A. Burdick’s neatly-presented pastries complement their rich hot chocolate well, but any one of them could also stand alone as a sufficient desert, with perhaps a glass of warm milk to cleanse the palate.

For the intense chocolate experience offered, L.A. Burdick’s prices justify themselves while still staying in students’ dessert budget. A single generous mug of hot chocolate costs three dollars, while a large mug to share did not exceed five dollars. Pastries and confections were a little pricier, but still make excellent gift ideas for a chocolate-loving friend, or an unforgettable birthday cake for the family. Whether to celebrate a special event, or just to pamper the sweet tooth on a cold afternoon, L.A. Burdick has the decisively best cup of hot chocolate a student can, and really should, buy.

Caleb P., New England Conservatory

As the second semester settles into a familiar groove, many college underclassmen find themselves facing the daunting task of deciding where they want to live next year. Most schools require at least one year of on-campus housing, and the dorms excel at fully immersing freshmen in the culture of the school. At New England Conservatory, undergraduates are only required to spend one year in the dorms, and after crunching some numbers last year, I realized I could save a lot of money living off campus. While dorm meal plans can be expensive, simply moving into an apartment and eating out every meal saves little to no money in comparison. I’m paying rent for the kitchen, so I might as well use it. Cooking while in college poses unique challenges to the novice chef, and hopefully the handful of strategies and recipes that I’ve picked up so far will shed some light for those considering cooking in an apartment or even in their dorm.

Stocking the kitchen with the correct cooking tools is very important. Don’t be afraid to go for a larger-sized pan; smaller ones don’t save that much space, and it’s much easier to cook dishes in bulk with a  dinner-plate sized pan. Larger pots can become cumbersome, however, so have a smaller sized one for single-meal uses. (A single square package of ramen noodles serves as a good size measuring guide.) Various sizes of air-tight containers to store smaller portions of large batches are also extremely useful. A few sandwiched-sized containers are very handy for, well, packing sandwiches. When filled, they also hold about enough for a single meal. A couple of larger containers are great for storing big batches of pasta, sealing cereal or coffee grounds for freshness, or even to mix a salad in. Other kitchen essentials include a spatula and wooden spoon, but stay away from meltable plastic utensils and glassware, unless you plan on doing a fair amount of entertaining, in which case having a couple of glasses around never hurts.

While it’s possible to get by without a microwave, I would recommend investing in a low-powered one for the year. They usually run around $40-$50, and the lower wattage will also save on energy bills. Microwaves are reliable meal-savers when things aren’t cooked quite well enough, and who doesn’t like microwave popcorn? Rice cookers are priced even lower, and make for easy multitasking in the kitchen during dinner time; you simply throw in rice and water, turn it on, and it automatically shuts off when all of the water is boiled off. In future posts I hope to experiment with the extended capabilities of a rice cooker beyond steaming rice, but for the moment I’m perfectly content with a fresh batch of whole grain rice.

And as with all cooking, use common sense when dealing with open flames, glassware, hot surfaces, and steam. In short, don’t do anything your high school chemistry teacher wouldn’t approve of (I hope). In my next post, I’ll be exploring some of my favorite breakfast dishes, cooked within enough time to still make it to class on time, too.