tasting on tuesday.

thanks again patrice! I had the opportunity to partake in a food tasting today, as part of the student panel. it was a nice free lunch. we tasted several delicious dishes prepared by a chef named stephanie. she was helping showcase the products advance foods was marketing. a little embarrassing to be the only one taking pics, but who cares.

the main products consisted of sliced chicken breast, sliced sirloin, breaded chicken, sliders, and turkey burger patties.

first up was some teriyaki chicken, made with the breast meat. a little salty but good! definitely better than the bowls they serve at ramona's on campus. a rather pretentious someone asked about the garnish of italian parsley atop the bowls. he said it was unnecessary, and didn't go with the asian flavor profile. a little ridiculous in my opinion. (they're trying their best, geez!) we weren't there to criticize the plating and the flavor profile, just the chicken and the different preparations you could do with it! this ain't top chef. of course I shared my hatred of cilantro and appreciated the parsley garnish.

next were the sandwiches. philly cheese-steaks, chicken and beef. and some breaded chicken sandwiches seasoned with italian seasoning. I loved the cheeseteaks. with sweet peppers and onions. so good! and the sandwiches were also delicious. the chicken paillard was not too salty and was lightly breaded. also not greasy (like the spicy ones currently served at crossroads), which was a plus. the hoagie roll and the ciabatta were also really tasty. I love bread.

there was bacon in the chicken sandwiches, which only made it better.

these sliders were really delicious. some said they were nothing special. pssh. I love all burgers. and I was really excited when he said that there were sliders coming up next. with grilled onions. oh yeah. the only thing missing was cheese. these would be a perfect addition to the late night menu.

the alfredo pasta was also good! the bacon was just as good in here. I ate the whole bowl.

lastly were the turkey burgers. so juicy! they were served with avocado and a caeser-esq dressing. according to stephanie, avocados are 10 for $1 right now. I need to get on that. yum.

people grabbed them before I could get a shot of the full plate unfortunately...

patrice made sure to get the table's general consensus of the food:

• teriyaki chicken: good use of the chicken, very moist.

• philly cheese-steaks: the chicken was better than the beef. the beef was so-so. the peppers and bread were also good.
  

• chicken sandwich: this was a hit all around. everyone loved it. great seasoning and perfect in a sandwich, atop a salad, or by itself. not greasy nor salty. cal dining better get this! best item served. not to mention the good ciabatta once more...
  

• penne alfredo with chicken: tasty. nothing too outrageous. the sauce and bacon really made the dish shine. but good versatility of the breast again.

• sliders: delicious with the grilled onions. people didn't think it was too spectacular, but I thought it was awesome. and the versatility to customize them...endless possibilities.

• turkey burger: everyone loved it. good use of the avocado. nice sauce. definitely one of the best turkey burgers I've ever had. much better than the ones cal dining currently serves.
  

nothing like a fruit cup and a small brownie to seal the deal. (unfortunately, no pics of those). free lunches are the best. can't wait for the next tasting :)