Books AND BAGELS: REVIEW
Bobby Osterhoff M'07The long awaited library renovations have ushered in a welcome change on the fourth floor of the Sackler Building. The grand opening of the Books and Bagels Café in late February marked the beginning of a new era of restful procrastination and study inefficiency at Tufts. I have had numerous chances to visit the café over the last few weeks. I have sampled its fare, poured its coffee, and chatted with fellow classmates about their impressions of the new addition. While my thoughts reflect only personal opinions and general impressions, I’ll try to offer some insights into the café’s humble beginnings and its future as a Tufts mainstay.
Without a doubt, the atmosphere of the new café is its greatest asset.
The hardwood floors, comfortable seating, and modern style have, in less
than a month, threatened to make the third floor student lounge obsolete.
Add a ping-pong table and consider it a victory. Although the plethora of
windows have at times made me feel like the “nerdy kid” exhibit
at the Boston Zoo, the clean, crisp look is a step in the right direction.
Accompanying the modern décor is a staff that cannot be matched for
its friendliness. It must be that extra $1.50 of a $3.00 coffee that buys
the service with a smile. If you ask me, its worth it. Everyone behind the
counter is helpful and cheerful and that goes a long way in my book (even
if nobody reads my book).
When it comes to the food at the café, there are
very few surprises. The limited menu consists of various pre-packaged sushi
dishes, bagels, muffins, salads, and other light lunch fare that ends up
being exactly what you would expect from a small, kitchenless café
at a private graduate school. It’s slightly overpriced, very convenient,
and tastes like it was made yesterday. But speaking as a student whose GI
tract has been bombarded by Harrison Café one too many times, I have
learned my lesson. If the extra two bucks keep the food down long enough
to be digested then it is money well spent. The café may be looking
to expand its menu in the future based on student feedback. I also foresee
the intense competition in the coffee market pushing Starbucks to pursue
new product lines to out-sell Au Bon Pain and Dunkin Donuts. Pending administrative
approval you can look for them to capitalize on the proximity to the hospital
with pre-exam flavors like “Ritalin Roast” and “Vienna
Valium Blend”. I think it was Gary Busey who once said “if caffeine
is the only drug in your coffee then you’re drinkin the wrong coffee”.
Having provided a favorable picture of the café
thus far I should also add a few words of caution. First of all, despite
its clever name, the Books and Bagels café does not sell books, so
we are still stuck with our not-so-great bookstore. Secondly, if you are
a caffeine junkie and plan to “score” some “stuff”
at the new café in between classes beware of the language barrier.
You must speak Starbucks. Today the woman in front of me in line ordered
a doubleshot venti skim no foam late with two Equals. I have no idea what
that is but I’m pretty sure it took 4 people to make it. As for me,
I ordered a small coffee, and since small is not a size option and coffee
refers to any number of hot beverages with no less than three names a piece,
I had to order two more times before we understood each other. Look for
courses on remedial Starbucks language for the fall semester.
I guess the bottom line is that overall I like the café.
It is a comfortable place to sit and read. It is a great place to grab a
snack without drudging through the entire hospital or braving the Boston
weather. It is as close as we will get to “where everybody knows your
name”. There is no doubt that it has a few kinks to work out but after
all, Rome wasn’t built in a day. Not that I think we’ll ever
get to Rome. Actually I think when all is said and done our café
will be something more like Waltham. But hey, I’m sure people have
had some pretty good times in Waltham.