Not everywhere makes the grade
A review of student-friendly food at and around College of Marin
Andrew Mathau
Issue date: 3/15/10 Section: Features
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Kin Wah
Were you to walk about half a block down Sir Francis Drake, away from campus, you'd end up in front of another stellar eatery. Kin Wah serves Chinese food for fairly standard prices and huge portions. Upon entering the establishment I was briskly whisked away to a table, and received my food not five minutes after ordering it. Around seven dollars netted me a huge plate of Mongolian beef with fried rice and stir fried vegetables. Aforementioned huge portions in mind, Kin Wah has the best value for your money. The only real issue is its location, further from the school than any other food locale so far discussed.
Grade: A-
The Cafeteria
The college cafeteria is the easiest place to get to, being located within the college itself, and offers a variety of foodstuffs. Sandwiches, pizza, burgers, wraps, and more are sold along with a decent selection of beverages. Though rarely empty, the cafeteria almost always has ample seating available, an especially large plus on cold or rainy days. Unfortunately, for as many upsides as the cafeteria has, it's far from perfect. Though rarely truly terrible, the food is often mediocre and definitely not too healthy. It's also not too cheap, at around seven or eight dollars including something to drink. Fortunately, the portions are fairly large, but overall the cafeteria isn't great.
Grade: C-
Woodlands Market
Just down the street there is a healthier, bigger, and altogether much more expensive alternative. In fact, the defining characteristics of Woodlands market are pretty much exactly that, healthy, high quality food for awful prices. This is probably due to the main clientele of Woodlands, well off grocery shoppers and their middle school aged children. The average meal costs about eight dollars, at least six, for a medium sized sandwich or equivalent main portion. Although the food is by and large healthy and good quality, the cost is still somewhat prohibitive. Though there are a few deals to be found, overall Woodlands market is too pricey for students.
Grade: C+
The Taqueria
Up the Street in the other direction is the Taqueria Mexican Grill De Marin, a staple for many COM students. It's a modest establishment that's been around many years. The food is delicious, with the carne asada (barbecued steak) and carnitas (roast pork) burritos as the most popular choices. For five twenty five, you could do much worse, but there are a few things that tarnish the otherwise stellar establishment. Of late the chips have been known to be a bit stale sometimes, and the shrimp burrito special is definitely best avoided. All in all though, the Taqueria is a solid choice for anyone with about six bucks who appreciates a good burrito.
Grade: B+
Other establishments
Unfortunately, one of the much closer to campus offerings has exactly the opposite of this, with a ratio approaching all your money for no food. The Half Day Cafe seems to be about twice as expensive as Woodlands market for an equivalent meal. Don't get me wrong, the smell of food from inside made my mouth water, but it's simply not practical on the average student's budget.
Finally, there is the gas station, slightly further down the road for the road from Woodlands market. What to say? It's a gas station. The food is highly processed, packaged, and cheap. Buying a full meal from there is inadvisable, but having somewhere to grab a quick snack on the cheap has its advantages.
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