Lunch Ladies: Cougareat
The Lunch Ladies enjoyed eating at the Cougareat Food Court at the Wilkinson Center on the BYU campus.
Sylvia chose to eat an Asian Salad from Chick-fil-A and a Dark Chocolate Turtle from the BYU Bookstore.
Lyndsi had a Cheese Pizza Combo from Freschetta as well as Mint Cookies & Cream ice cream from the Cougar Cafe.
Jennette chose to go with a Chicken Teriyaki sandwich from Subway, washed down with a delicious Diet Coke.
Gabby tried out a tasty Turkey Bacon Avocado Salad from L&T Salad & Soup, followed by some Peanut Butter Trails BYU Creamery ice cream.
“At the Wilky, Wilkinson Center. The hottest spot you’ll ever enter. Here at the Wilky, Wilkinson Center. RM’s and freshmen are making connections, at the Wilky!!” John Bytheway taught me the virtues of the Wilkinson Student Center long before I attended BYU. However he forgot to mention the great Cougareat!
With the Fall Semester starting back up, BYU football under way, and students flocking back to Provo, it only seemed fitting for me to take my fellow Lunch Ladies back to my alma mater, Brigham Young University, and give them a small glimpse and taste … yes, pun intended, of why I am Cougarblue through and through!
You see, I am not naïve enough to think that everything is perfect at BYU or any other university, but I definitely loved my time there, loved the enthusiasm, sports, arts, clubs, student life, and values strived for. So, yes, I’ll stand on my soapbox, just long enough to sing the Cougar fight song and rise as a loyal Cougar in this intro.
But enough of my fanaticism. Let’s talk about lunch! So we headed on over to the BYU campus, and parked outside the Wilkinson Center. I, of course, made some commentary to my cohorts, in perfect alumni fashion, and they were good enough to humor me. I made sure they saw the stuffed Cougars on the way in, the Wilkinson Ballroom, Terrace, Lounge, Bookstore, etc; so much in one building!
Then we took in the array of restaurants. Quite a variety of foods offered to students, businessmen and women there for seminars, faculty and staff, as well as what appeared to be patrons of the popular BYU Bookstore. We each made our selections and were ready to get dining!
Here is what each Lunch Lady chose:
Sylvia — Chick-fil-A: Asian Salad $7.65 BYU Bookstore: Dark Chocolate Turtle $2.69
I have to admit I was a bit starstruck at lunch today. You see, I’m not an alumni of BYU so hadn’t taken the opportunity to venture into the Wilkinson Center; it was awesome, and I can’t wait to go back. Today I chose a favorite of mine — Chick-fil-A’s Asian Salad which has chicken nuggets, served on fresh, chopped Romaine lettuce and greens, topped with shredded red and green cabbage, carrots and Mandarin orange segments. It came with a generous packet of Thai almonds, Chinese garlic & ginger wontons and I chose the Zesty Apple Cider Vinaigrette to top it all off. For dessert, while the others opted for ice cream, I dashed down to the Bookstore for something chocolate, and though I was like a deer in the headlights staring at all the yummy items, the turtle I chose was delish; full of almonds and caramel covered in dark chocolate!
Lyndsi — Freschetta: Cheese Pizza Combo $7.59. Cougar Café: Single Scoop $2.30
College campuses have a special feel to them, they always seem alive. It was great being on a campus again, even if it wasn’t my alma mater. Another thing all campuses have in common is the food court area in the student union building. This trip I chose to dine at Freschetta and grab a pizza and bread sticks for lunch. It was pretty good pizza, nothing too special, but tasty and satisfying. I really only ate lunch so the other ladies wouldn’t judge me for eating ice cream for lunch. I was really in the mood for some BYU Creamery ice cream and the mint cookies and cream did not disappoint. It was the perfect combination of mint chocolate chip and cookies and cream, so pretty much pure heaven. Next time you are in the mood for variety or just looking for that college feeling again, stop in at the Cougareat.
Jennette — Subway: Chicken Teriyaki 6-inch Sandwich Combo $7.55
From the many choices at the Cougareat, I chose to go with Subway. I love the way that you get to choose everything from the bread, meat and many veggies to make the perfect sandwich. I usually choose the Italian sandwich but today I went with something new, the Chicken Teriyaki sandwich. I took the opportunity to load it up with a ton of fresh vegetables. Cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, yellow peppers, lettuce, green peppers all added to the taste of the teriyaki chicken. I added a bag of Baked Lays and a giant Diet Coke! It was a very delicious lunch.
Gabby — L&T Salad & Soup: Turkey Bacon Avocado Salad $6.59 Cougar Café: Single Scoop $2.30
This bold salad has cold-roasted turkey, real bacon, fresh avocado, cream cheese, mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, pickled red onions, cucumbers, and a tangy pesto vinaigrette all on a Romaine, iceberg mix. It was full of flavor, filling, and delicious! I had never been to L&T before, but I will happily go back! And since we were on campus, our trip wouldn’t have been complete without some delicious BYU Creamery ice cream! Luckily you can conveniently get a scoop at the Cougareat now in the Cougar Café. So, I opted for a choice off their gluten-free list, Peanut Butter Trails. It was AMAZING!! Creamy perfection; chocolaty goodness! Loved it!
A successful trip down memory lane, a tasty lunch, even tastier desserts, and some fun chit chat about why I love BYU! It was a great lunch hour for the Lunch Ladies.
Cougareat: Located at the Wilkinson Student Center on the BYU Campus. 2170 WSC BYU, Provo. Hours vary by station; for a complete listing, go to dining.byu.edu/cougareat/hours.html