By Taylor Ellinghaus
Whether you’re a freshman, sophomore, or upperclassman, you’ve probably experienced either Toni Morrison or North Star Dining Hall. The real question that needs to be answered once and for all is: which is better? While I firmly believe in the philosophy that “West is best,” West is not a convenient walk from North Campus. I find the choice between these dining halls controversial among North Campus dwellers, so I will attempt to lay out the options and settle this debate.
Atmosphere
Toni Morrison is often described as overwhelming by those who first enter. The size of Morrison Dining Hall can make it feel like an immense collection of food choices to be discovered by Cornell diners. Navigating the different sections and avoiding people walking with a purpose in your direction can be stressful.
The natural light in Morrison makes for a pleasant atmosphere, and it is easy to find seating even when it’s busy. The obvious only issue is the udon noodle line. You know the game where one places dice under a cup and proceeds to shuffle it among other cups until you lose track of where it is? This is the experience of trying to acquire udon noodles at Morrison. In addition, there is a crowd of people in front of you waiting for the same dinner: you typically have to peer over their shoulders to make sure you take your order rather than stealing someone else’s.
North Star, typically also called Appel Dining, can also be overwhelming depending on the time you go, and it is difficult to find seating during the popular dinner dining hours. North Star does not have as modern of an interior as Morrison. Nonetheless, it does have outdoor seating and a beautiful view of campus. The atmosphere in North Star is also great for a late-night meal as it closes at 10 p.m., 2 hours after Morrison.
Breakfast/Brunch
Morrison leads strongly in this category with its waffle makers. Nothing is more disappointing than seeing there is no waffle line just to discover that all of the waffle makers are gone (supposedly broken). Morrison made an extreme comeback, now having three waffle makers, expediting the morning waffle wait.
There is a good selection of waffle toppings, such as butter, chocolate syrup, and blueberries. The smoothies for breakfast are delicious but are often snatched up and not always available during the entirety of breakfast time. Meanwhile, the yogurt station’s convenience arguably makes up for a quick breakfast for when you don’t have time to sit and eat. If you’re waking up a little too late for your 9 a.m. class, this might be your best option.
While North Star is not open for weekday breakfast, North Star brunch on a Sunday is a masterpiece. There is a plentiful bounty of baked goods: bagels, muffins, cinnamon twists, and more. The highlight of my Sunday morning is the impeccable chocolate bread pudding. Also coming in strong is the smoothie bowl station, which provides a refreshing addition to a weekend brunch with diverse toppings, from chia seeds to coconut flakes.
A qualm I have against both of these establishments is the lack of breakfast foods on Saturday mornings. Personally, I take breakfast very seriously. The selection on Saturday mornings is very heavy on the “lunch” side of “brunch.” Upon my visit to these dining halls, the only options were potatoes, eggs, and yogurt, which nourished my body but did not nourish my foodie soul.
Lunch
North Star automatically loses in this category since they are only open for dinner. Morrison has had good lunch options, with its astounding loaded baked potato soup. If you have not tried this incredible Cornell dining delicacy, I would highly encourage you to do so. The experience is enhanced when you eat it after trekking through the cold all the way to Morrison after using up almost all of your BRBs.
Dinner
Both Morrison and North Star offer pizza. I would venture to say that North Star’s thick-crust pizza is superior to Morrison’s thin-crust pizza. As a New Yorker, I am hesitant to award undue praise upon a slice of pizza, however, North Star has my seal of approval.
The crowning achievement for North Star, in my opinion, is the bibimbap at the “Create” station. Before coming to Cornell, I had never had bibimbap before, but immediately fell in love with it upon first taste in North Star. The bibimbap is not as repeated of an option at this station as the pho, but this is also a good dinner choice. However, I personally have a problem with the baked potato bar that takes the place of these other options. I can assume that other North Campus dwellers share this opinion from the seemingly short line on potato days.
Morrison usually has selections of East Asian and American Southern cuisine. North Star has broader American comfort food with its grill station, which provides grilled cheese, French fries, and its copycat Chipotle station.
Overall, I would say that both dining halls are good options for a tasty meal. Wherever your heart (or stomach) takes you, we are very lucky to have access to the expansive Cornell Dining system.
Taylor Ellinghaus is a freshman in the College of Agricultural & Life Sciences. She can be reached at [email protected].