I had some business on campus so I decided to hit The 5 instead of the kiosk food court in the Union. I’m always going to take memory lane to where I want to go, so the stroll through the Enchanted Forest and the peek into the Pentagon dorm courtyard brought back all those Friday afternoons where the stereo wars would fill the courtyard with Janice and Jimi, Stones and Led Zep and The Who. Fine times.
So the view is pretty similar, but the Enchanted Forest is a lot brighter and more open since they eliminated the surrounding fencing and hedges. Probably not even spooky at night. The Pentagon cafeteria has been changed quite a bit inside though. Now called The Five, the old chow line is long gone. Instead, serve yourself stations are scattered throughout the dining hall. Not quite Hogwarts, but a whole lot of good food to choose from. Staples like the salad and deli and fruit bars. Cereals and beverages. The pizza counter. And hot stations throughout were the menu rotates. Here’s a few photos of what was available on my visit.
Like I said, a whole lot of options. And that, to me, is the true beauty of The Five. It will speak directly to the you of your late teen years, coming home and raiding the pantry and fridge for monster meals–except The Five has a whole lot more food than your mom could ever keep on hand. You can put together any number of plates to fit your mood and your needs. I immediately saw the possibility of an Italian plate with a slice of pizza, a wedge of muffaletto, some surprisingly good meatballs (not really all that surprising, all the food was very good, well above average) and a bit of pasta salad along with some strawberry lemon iced tea.
And then I pushed myself because I thought it would be neat to make my own ham and turkey sandwich, dressed how I like it, with some house made chips. And chocolate pudding. And fruit infused agua.
And you know how I go on and on about art and ambiance, but when you’ve got a view like this, what else do you need?
I shall return.
