As all college students are wont to do, during my time at Swarthmore, I have begun to look for ways to spice up the food around campus. While it is delicious, even the ambrosia of Mount Olympus would get old if one were to eat it every single day. So here is a review and ranking of every “secret menu” item I have tried so far. These are a mix of recommendations given to me by other students and my own discoveries.
Number one is the caprese sandwich, with the addition of bacon or chicken. It’s delicious on its own, but the meat adds both protein and another layer of flavor. I prefer bacon because chicken would make the sandwich a little too thick, and I prefer the straight saltiness mixed with the pesto and balsamic. It’s similar to prosciutto, just crispier.
Number two on the list is the frozen fruit cup. Don’t get me wrong, the smoothies at Crumb are great. However, occasionally you just want something different and something a little healthier. Well, just order a smoothie with only fruit (unblended and without milk). Don’t knock it until you try it: they’re refreshing, sweet, little bursts of frozen flavor.
The Italian sodas were one of the best things to happen to Crumb, specifically the flavored syrups. There’s so much that you can do with them, and there are so many flavors for different seasons or occasions.
This brings us to the third item: flavored milkshakes. You can mix and match flavors as you wish: strawberry syrup with chocolate ice cream, peppermint with chocolate, or my personal favorite, mango with vanilla ice cream. It’s always a shame when they don’t have specific flavors in store, but there are so many that at this point, I have around three that I’ll just choose from.
The reason why I only ranked them number three is because milkshakes are a very mood-specific item. One might always be down to eat some fruit or destroy a sandwich, but drinking something so cold and rich just loses its spark unless consumed on occasion.
Coming in just after the milkshakes at number four are matcha floats or Italian soda floats. We’ve all heard of the Sharples root beer floats that someone can make (combine root beer and ice cream in a glass; it’s easy and delicious). Crumb just has a more expansive range of flavors, which allows for more culinary experimentation. Just get whatever (cold) drink you’d like with a scoop of ice cream on top or on the side. I’ve heard from a friend that matcha with oatmilk and lavender lemon syrup is always a nice, refreshing drink (with or without ice cream).
For those who like to eat earlier, here is a dining hall hack. While not formally ranked, I felt it ought to make the list as a way to spice up a meal. You can grab some fries from Grillin’ Out, then go downstairs to the popcorn station. There’s a nice array of seasonings that you can sprinkle on and enjoy.
I hope you enjoy this list and perhaps try one or two of these dishes. This is certainly a non-exhaustive list, but it’s just a couple of ideas to help break up the monotony of “just another meal.”
