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Kate Peck | Feeling Peckish - Features

Kate Peck | Feeling Peckish
Foodie faves, Part II

All right fellow foodies, here's part two of my must-have list for college epicureans seeking to round out their bored, uninspired palates.

It's every foodie's duty to seek out the best of the best, and last week I encouraged you to leave campus and check out the local neighborhoods for coffee, pizza and ice cream. I know you're probably thinking I've already covered the basic food groups: caffeine, tasty carbs and even tastier carbs. What else could be left?

That's why I'm here to remind you never to settle when it comes to your food.

The perfect inside-out roll. The packaged stuff is convenient and quick, but come on, you're eating raw fish. Sushi that's going to sit around for a while needs to be refrigerated (duh). But the rice in sushi rolls is vinegary, and when it comes in contact with the fish for too long, it affects the flavor. By the time you get around to eating your sushi, it's not going to taste the way the dish was originally intended. I'm all for convenience, but in this case, fresh is always best.

It's a no-brainer - at an actual restaurant, you can assume you're getting the highest quality fish available. We're in a coastal location, which makes a difference in what you can expect, so take advantage of it! I worked to make my list veggie friendly, and a sushi restaurant doesn't have to be off-limits to those who eschew seafood. I love the options that a great sushi place can provide for vegetarians, especially if they have an additional menu of other Japanese dishes.

The perfect french fries. Two words: no ketchup. Those are my standards for really great fries, and that's coming from a certified lover of Heinz and its 57 varieties. If you can enjoy them without slathering them in some sort of condiment, you've got a good fry. That doesn't mean you have to give up the old ketchup. It's just great to know what you're eating underneath all that tomato sauce.

The question is where to get them. That all depends on what kind of fries you want. Belgian? Waffle cut? Sweet potato? Maybe you don't care except that it should be smothered in cheese? I don't know a single soul who doesn't like French fries, and some reports claim that many American babies' first solid food is a French fry. Nutritionally, that's terrifying, but maybe French fries are the great common denominator for humanity. Think about it: peace talks over pomme frites. Now that's an appetizing thought.

The perfect brew. Last, but most certainly not least, is beer. I know you can only get about one drink per millennium from Hotung, but it still needs to be on the list. Perhaps it's because I lived in Prague last year, a nation which boasts more beer consumption per capita than any other country in the world. Maybe I'm fixated on connecting food to globalization. Or maybe it's just that good.

Why-oh-why are college students fixated on the bane to breweries everywhere, the travesty to beer known as the 30-rack? It's cheap, for mass consumption, et cetera, but there is a world beyond Natty Light and PBR. Boston is full of knowledgeable bartenders who are happy to talk to you about their massive collections. If you find the right wait staff you can even get pairings for your pub food.

So get off campus and seek out some wicked maki, deep-fried potatoes and fermented beverages (for those of age, of course). Just don't do it all in one night.

Unless it's a sweet potato roll with a cold Sapporo. And then you should call me.

Kate Peck is a senior majoring in English. She can be reached at katherine.peck@tufts.edu.