A pleasant surprise on the first day of classes....

Homeplate's dinner menu this evening was a quite a delight!

The citrus garlic scallops were harmoniously paired with a delicate coconut rice. The cashews in the rice added a nuttiness that complimented the flavor of the coconut and did well to contrast the tender texture of the scallops, which were cooked to perfection in a sweet and light sauce. I couldn't have asked for more on my first day of classes. . .

For the first time in many terms at Dartmouth, I decided to try Homeplate's famous white bean cakes with pineapple salsa, and was very pleased with the many layers of flavor that I tasted with every bite. The flavor of the tangy pineapple salsa paired nicely with the smoky peppers in the white bean cake. 5 stars

For the first day of the term, Homeplate set the bar very high--will they be able to maintain this standard for the rest of the term???

(picture of citrus garlic scallops with coconut rice and green beans; picture of white bean cakes with pineapple salsa)

The Lobster Dinner

Quality: 2
Presentation: 2
Creativity: NA

First year students were officially iniated into the wonderful world of DDS with the presentation of the Lobster Dinner, which features steamed Maine lobster, herbed yellow potatoes, corn on the cob, roasted chicken and a soy bean and sundried tomato salad.

Why all the hype for this meal every year, when all it does is disappoint? Tradition, perhaps?

Many first years complained about the overcooked and inedible lobster. Those who were vegetarians sat overlooking a measly slice of poorly presented cheese lasagna, while their table mates feasted on their bountiful losbster meal. And those whose pre-Dartmouth experience never exposed them to this type of delicacy sat cluelessy picking at the lobster. Certainly not a crowd pleaser.

Perhaps the best part of the meal was the yellow sheet cake with vanilla buttercream icing served for dessert.

Overall, the lobster dinner serves as a first lesson in Dartmouth taste for first year students...and this is where the question of tradition and privilege quickly enter the picture....