After a full semester of eating in the Nest, my friends and I have figured out some hacks to make our dining experience a bit better by adding sugar, spice, and everything nice. Unlike the Tampa campus, St. Pete does not have Chick-Fil-A, Panera, Bento, etc. But we do have one food spot: the Nest. As we do not have the largest selection of food options, there is a need to figure out some concoctions to make your meal stellar.
There are eight available stations to get food from including Central Garden, the Deli, the Grill, Home, Pete-za, True Balance, Vegetabull, and the Dessert bar. Each station has different foods to allow everyone an option based on their diet. Central Garden is a salad bar that has many different vegetable and protein options to add to your salad with multiple dressing options. The Deli does sandwiches and wraps, with your bread, wrap, veggies protein, cheese, and choice of spread, there are a million and one different variations you can make. The Grill usually has french fries, burgers, grilled chicken, and a special of the day. In the past, those specials have been sweet potato fries, chicken tenders or nuggets, mozzarella sticks, etc. Home is a station that includes an everyday normal meal, starring spaghetti and meatballs, mac n’ cheese, and the works. They usually have themed days like Taco Tuesday or Wing Wednesday. True Balance is the allergen-free zone. They do not cook with the most common allergens: wheat or gluten, dairy, fish, shellfish, nuts, soy, sesame, and eggs. The last station, Vegetabull, is the station for those who are vegan or vegetarian. Each one of these stations offers its own meal and is open for anyone to eat at.
The first hack I have found is going to different stations around the Nest and putting together different parts of what is being served. Most of the time, there is one thing that seems interesting at one station, but then something else at the other. In this situation, I usually get a plate of one item, go to another station and get another item from there. For example, one night for dinner, there was diced chicken at True Balance, and rice with taco toppings at Vegetabull. So, I got a bowl of chicken from True Balance, then went to Vegetabull to get the rice with all the toppings and mixed them together to make a burrito bowl.
Sweet Concoctions
Usually, the interesting concoctions that my friends and I make are in the dessert section and nine times out of ten, ice cream is involved. Calling all honey lovers, my next concoction is honey ice cream. By the coffee stand, there are honey packets that we put into a cup, add in vanilla ice cream, then top with more honey.
If you like fruit juices or are a fan of Disney sweet treats, this next one is for you since the item we have come to create is the dole whip; pineapple juice, and ice cream. If pineapple juice is not your cup of, well, pineapple juice, then fret not, there are many different combinations that you can make between the soda and ice cream machine by adding a different type of juice or putting soda over ice cream to make an ice cream float.
If the downfall of the beloved Choco-Taco was taken to heart, the waffle makers may become your best friend. By the waffle maker station, you can make waffle tacos if you miss the beloved Choco-Taco. If you make these in the morning, there are chocolate chips over in the dessert bar that you can add to your waffles. A waffle taco is a waffle with ice cream on top and normally, my friends and I could add additional toppings such as Nutella (which can be found at the Deli) or cut fruit to add to the makeshift ice cream sandwich. These are fun to make because there is a good variety of what you can add on top.
The last hack for desserts that we have come across is strawberry and Nutella croissants. This is the one item that is not found in the desert area and is actually found at the Deli. They have Nutella and strawberries hidden away, and if you ask for a croissant, they will usually give one to you. Not only is this hack good for dessert, but also for breakfast.
My favorite is the waffle taco because it is so versatile. For breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert, this sweet treat can still be enjoyed. Take the opportunity to try and make your own fun concoction in the Nest.