Students Enjoy Free Food at Restaurant Expo
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Rebecca A. Ruskin '13, president of the Harvard Culinary Society, enjoys bite-sized cupcakes from Kickass Cupcakes with her blockmates, Scott J. Yim '13 and Lina Lavitsky '13. The biannual food expo featured food samples and coupons from different restaurants in the Cambridge area, including Berryline, Tamarind Bay, Qdoba, and Finale's.
For the student on a budget, attending The Harvard Culinary Society's Biannual Restaurant Expo is a worthwhile investment.
This semester's Restaurant Expo, held on Oct. 15, featured classic Harvard hangouts like BerryLine as well as more exotic eateries like Tamarind Bay. Cuisine ranged from Qdoba's naked burritos to Vegetable Planet's Reuben sandwiches, and portions ranged from bite-sized to meal-worthy. The upscale Finale Bakery proffered bite-sized tiramisu and chocolate mousse samples meanwhile Upper Crust and Crazy Dough's Pizza left whole slices up for grabs.
"This is the first time we've gotten Qdoba food and guac wasn't extra," Jonathan H. Choi '13 said. "I would love to see more events like this."
In addition to a providing a free, non-HUDS dinner, the Restaurant Expo gave thrift-seekers ample opportunity to score some deals. Tamarind Bay handed out 15 percent off coupons, and BerryLine doled out half-filled stamp cards, leaving students five rather than ten purchases away from a free medium-sized, 1 topping frozen yogurt.
"Every semester, we e-mail about forty restaurants about participating in the Expo and get about nine responses saying 'yes,'" said Rebecca A. Ruskin '13, President of The Harvard Culinary Society.
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The group has also reached out to the pricier restaurants in the area, but these restaurants usually decline the offer.
The Harvard Culinary Society staged its first Restaurant Expo only last fall, and so far the group has focused on connecting with eateries in and around Harvard Square. For next semester, however, the group is considering a "Quad Food Expo" to highlight the culinary options beyond the Square.