Sage Dining- Amanda Treston 

Every year, Archmere students gather excitedly on the first day of school to get a peek at  the new editions to the Archmere cafeteria, run by Sage Dining Services. Whether it’s the dippin’ dots or just a new drink that’s been added to the refrigerator, Sage and the amazing kitchen staff at Archmere have always found a way to add a fun, delicious surprise to us students’ days. As a Sage Dining connoisseur with four years of lunch-and-snack-eating experience, I consider myself a Sage food critic, and I’m ready to assess the newest (and some old) additions to the menu on a scale of 1-5. 

The French Toast Breakfast: 4.5/5: I may be a bit biased on this rating since French toast is my favorite breakfast food, but I simply love this new addition to Sage Dining. I was never the biggest fan of the breakfast sandwiches personally, and every morning after rushing out the door with no food from home, I found myself craving something filling enough to get me through the morning. I’ve only had the French toast once so far, but the powdered sugar is my personal favorite part! I’d take off some credit since I don’t love the bacon, but this is overall a welcome addition. 

The Cereal Bars: 4/5: These bars are made from some of our favorite breakfast cereals, such as Cocoa Puffs, Trix and Cinnamon Toast Crunch. While they are small, they pack a lot of energy (and sugar) into your morning, getting your brain pumped for whatever tests or assignments you have to complete in the day ahead. 

Mash Drinks: 5/5: Last year, my favorite part of Sage Dining was the Izzie sodas that were added to the refrigerator. This year, the Mash sodas take the cake (or soda…maybe). These colorful, low-calorie drinks come in flavors such as pomegranate blueberry, ripe mango blood orange, grapefruit citrus zing, lemon peel ginger root and watermelon lemon lime. Each soda is a combination of two delicious, fruity flavors that are sure to brighten your day no matter the circumstances. I am always sad when I don’t see any Mash in the fridge at lunch time, which is how I know that Mash is the best addition to Sage Dining this year so far. 

Dippin’ Dots: 3/5: While I do enjoy ice cream, I never hopped on the Dippin’ Dots fan club train when the treat arrived my sophomore year. The Dippin’ Dots are just too expensive and don’t provide anything special that I couldn’t buy at a lower price from the other ice cream machine. Nonetheless, I have moderately enjoyed the Dippin’ Dots I have tried such as bubblegum and cookies and cream despite knowing the high price I paid for the treat. Espresso Machine (Big Coffee Machine) 5/5: Of course I give the coffee machine a 5/5! It’s the coffee machine that pumps out my morning fuel that gets me through my first classes of the day. I didn’t try coffee until my junior year, and I honestly don’t know how I survived school until that point having never sipped coffee. Since then, I’ve tried so many different flavors and styles of coffee thanks to the Sage Dining Espresso Machine. That machine undoubtedly got me through some tough mornings here at Archmere, and although Mash is my favorite new addition to Sage, the Espresso Machine will always hold a place in my heart as my favorite part of Sage Dining.