Dining

CTB Sells Nostalgia, Not Bagels

By |

Every Cornell applicant is guided around our campus and force-fed endless stories about the institution that is Collegetown Bagels. CTB has a pervasive presence throughout the entire Ithaca area and is undoubtedly a part of Cornell’s culture. I can’t blame students for loving the restaurant where they have fond memories of late nights and early mornings, but the worship of this shop’s bagels has gotten out of hand. Students will often rave about their food, so I’ve written this article to analyze CTB separate from our collective nostalgia and bring us back to reality. You may think I’m just a grumpy New Jersyian that is just looking to be a contrarian, while I sulk and dream of a grease-laden taylor ham egg and cheese, and you may be right.

brunch

Coltivare: Brooklyn Vibes in Downtown Ithaca

By |

Brunch is the most exciting part of any weekend because a fresh cup of steaming coffee, sweet, flaky pastries and some beautifully runny eggs are the perfect remedy to the Sunday scaries. I especially love taking an hour on the weekends to try new restaurants in Ithaca with friends, where we can relax and enjoy good food before heading back up the hill to the library. I was excited to find Coltivare, a New American restaurant located in the Commons. Its chic atmosphere was the perfect getaway from campus.

Arts & Culture

Guest Room | Some Last Minute Best Picture Reflections

By |

If you were to ask last November which movie was poised to win the 2015 Best Picture at this year’s Academy Awards, a strong majority would subscribe to Carol as first-in-line for Oscar gold, as Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara crafted a dynamically real and voyeuristic affair. The queer-centric film was heavily lauded by critics not only for those performances, but also for its message that is breaking ground for gay rights and equality. As a result, I was left scrambling for clarification when the nominees were announced and Carol was surprisingly omitted. Thus, the question remains: who will win the ultimate award of Best Picture? If the past is indicative of anything, it is that unpredictability is inevitable.

Arts & Culture

Romance and the American Dream in Brooklyn

By |

In the midst of a controversial Oscar season, one that is plagued by criticism for its lack of diversity, we can assure ourselves of one thing — Saoirse Ronan deserves her place as an Academy Nominee for Best Actress in a Lead Role, for her gripping performance as timid Irish immigrant Eilis (AY-lish) Lacey in John Crowley’s Brooklyn. The film, based off Colm Tóibín’s novel of the same name, centers on Eilis and her voyage to the gilded United States — specifically Brooklyn — during the 1950s. Eilis lives in an Irish boarding house, shared with other immigrants and owned by the cheerfully senile Mrs. Kehoe (Barbara Walters) and works at a high-end department store. As she settles in, emotional turmoil ensues and the transition of leaving her sister, Rose, and her mother proves to be almost unbearable. It’s at this point of weakness that she’s intercepted by charismatic and stereotypically Italian Tony (Emory Cohen), who inevitably becomes her cross-cultured love interest.