Dining

The Tale of the Marvelous “Gay Little Monkey Latte” at Green Dragon

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After plenty of all-nighters, I walked up to the ordering window in Green Dragon Cafe, located on the basement level of Sibley Hall, craving a drink with caffeine and warmth. Excitedly, I read over the menu board, wanting to get something new. I ended up trying a mysterious new drink called  the “gay little monkey latte.” I have no regrets. 

This “mystery” drink was created by AAP student and Green Dragon barista Hamza Ayad ‘26. Although Ayad emphasized that the ingredients would not be publicly known until the drink was no longer being offered, I found the creative recipe behind the drink oddly exciting. The concept is equally unique, fun and empowering.

Dining

How to Safely Spend Your BRB’s 

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I really thought that Cornell students would have greater control over the way they spend their BRB’s. BRB’s, formally known as “Big Red Bucks” are the currency that lets Cornell students purchase food and drinks from cafes like Libe Cafe, Cafe Jennie, Mac’s Cafe etc., around campus. Spending your BRB’s differs from using a meal swipe, and each meal plan at Cornell differs in the amount of swipes and BRB’s a student is able to use. Time and time again, Cornell students either hoard their bucks or spend them all halfway through the semester. But what is the correct (and best) way to spend your BRB’s?

coffee

Tea: The Key to a Healthy Brain & Healthy Body

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There are a few things humans need for survival: food, water, air and shelter. As college students, we need one extra component: caffeine. Keeping up with the rigorous environment and demanding workload, sleep seems a luxurious activity to partake in. With students spending more nights at the library than in their own rooms, Cornell’s campus is bustling with students day and night. At any study space on campus, you can find scores of students with airpods in, eyes glued to laptop screens and giant cups to drink from.

Dining

Beans and Greens at Ithaca’s Newest Cafe, Botanist Coffeehouse

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Successful modern restaurants are those which evoke pleasure through both their food and atmosphere. The more “instagrammable” the interior and décor, the more business it will attract — especially from millennials and Gen Z-ers. And in Ithaca, which has more restaurants per capita than NYC, the competition is fierce. There are at least a dozen coffee shops, each small, with high-quality beans and different spirits. The newest is Botanist Coffeehouse, a combination café and flower shop in Fall Creek.

Dining

Nothing Nowhere: A “Hidden” Café Worth the Search

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Nothing Nowhere’s Facebook page describes itself as a “secret café,” but it is very much hidden in plain sight. As soon as you enter the newly-relocated Home Green Home, in the center of the Ithaca Commons and attached to Petrune, the coffee counter is clear. But the sign in the window is subtle. Who would think of having a café in a home goods store?  

The café’s sign in the Home Green Home storefront window. (Melanie Metz / Sun Staff Writer)

According to a post on their Facebook wall, Nothing Nowhere has existed since December 2019, though it didn’t appear on my radar until October.

Dining

Food Trends Taking over TikTok

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TikTok is taking over the food world. TikTok everywhere have come up with many creative ways to spice up the mundane quarantine life, and among them, viral food videos top the list. The best thing about many of TikTok’s emerging food trends is that most of them only require a handful of ingredients you’re likely to have at home. Below are a few popular trends that you should definitely check out. 1.

Dining

Coffee in Ithaca: Top Picks at Local Cafes

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For a town that boasts more restaurants per capita than New York City, Ithaca does not provide many options of coffee shops. There are only three spots where the main output is coffee, and around six other locations that serve a variety of coffee drinks. Interestingly enough, there are many upstate New York coffee roasteries, whose beans are used in Ithaca though few have their own cafes. College students generally require coffee to function, and especially as it gets colder and greyer, caffeine becomes even more necessary. Over my two years in Ithaca, I have tried the coffee at almost every cafe, breakfast spot and farmers market stand.

Cafe Grumpy

(Coffee) Love in the Time of Corona: The Pandemic’s Effects on New York Coffee Culture

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Coffee has long been a New York City staple and a treasured morning ritual for many of the city’s inhabitants. Aside from the usual chains—Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts, among others—the city is famous for its plethora of hipster, local coffee shops. In the height of COVID-19, however, many of the city’s beloved spots have been forced to temporarily close. A recent New York Times article titled “Coffee Is One Routine New Yorkers Won’t Give Up” describes how customers and baristas alike have dealt with the crisis. Even with stay-at-home orders firmly in place, New Yorkers have clung onto their caffeine rituals in order to maintain a sense of normalcy in their daily lives.