The Ultimate Dining Marketplace is Finally Living Up to Its Name!

When I think about the Marketplace a few things come to mind: wilted lettuce, weird meat dishes involving olives and cold, stale pizza. When I was living on campus and forced to go to the cafeteria everyday I spent a lot of nights eating bland pasta, loading up on tons of frozen yogurt and complaining. Thankfully, I live off campus now and can enjoy culinary delights from my own kitchen AKA Whole Foods burritos and lots of Annie's Mac and Cheese. Regardless, I have found myself missing the caf in the past few weeks as my senior friends and I have been reminiscing about all the time we spent "people-watching" (read: gossiping) and just overrall being carefree freshmen and sophomores with nowhere better to be.

After taking a trip down memory lane, my friend Erin and I decided to take Lauren, our Australian friend, to experience the Ultimate Dining Marketplace. Imagine my surprise when I discovered not only a burger bar stocked with a wide variety of breads, rolls, wraps and cheeses (blue cheese is my favorite!) but also a take-out area (no more stealing greasy grilled cheeses for a late night study session only to find them hard as a rock hours later). The vegetarian station has a million more options and baked potatoes are always available with a ton of garnishing options. I'm not going to lie, I was not only impressed but jealous of all of the people that get to eat there every day.

Maybe I'm just impressed because I haven't been there in a year and everything seemed new and exciting. Maybe it's because the novelty of having my own kitchen has worn off and I can better appreciate the luxury of a wide variety of prepared food and someone to clean my dishes. Whatever the reason, I thoroughly enjoyed my pilgrimage to the Ultimate Dining Marketplace. The only downfall: We barely knew anyone to gossip about.

Best of the Bronx

Best Laundromat

Doing laundry is every college student’s least favorite chore. Fortunately, Arthur Avenue Clean House washes and folds my laundry to perfection so I don’t need to worry about turning my whites pink. There is nothing more satisfying than dropping my massive laundry bag off in the morning and picking up the same bag filled with freshly smelling and perfectly folded laundry the next night. The staff is super friendly and you can’t beat the price at 85 cents a pound. Best of all, Fordham students receive a 10% discount if they pay when they drop off their laundry.

Best Bodega

With bodegas on every corner in the Bronx, it seems as though everyone has a favorite. My favorite is Castillo on Arthur and 189^th. While it is not as “high-end” as the bodegas that serve sandwiches and it isn’t open 24 hours, Castillo never disappoints.  Always fully stocked with the best Ben and Jerry’s flavors and some surprisingly exotic beers, Castillo answers all of my late-night grocery needs. Another perk is the fact that the ATM distributes $10 bills, something I never knew I wanted until I realized how convenient it is.

Best Shopping

Fordham Road has long been regarded as the best shopping area in the Bronx. Shopping on Fordham Road is part marathon, part circus and part party. From metallic gold shorts to designer-esque over the knee boots and costume jewelry, anything a person could ever want can be found for unbeatable prices on Fordham Road. The street vendors also offer one of a kind merchandise like unique jewelry, scarves and I heart BX shirts in rainbow shades. With music blasting, cars honking, street food sizzling and people crowding the sidewalks, shopping on Fordham Road is definitely an experience.

Best Restaurant

With so much great Italian food on Arthur Avenue, it’s easy to forget that there are a ton of other delicious restaurants in the area.  Estrellita Poblano III serves hands down the most delicious Mexican food I’ve ever tasted. My friends and I always start our meal with a big bowl of EP3’s fresh, slightly spicy guacamole. After that there are tons of authentic dishes to indulge in. I try to order something new every time I go, but sometimes find myself reverting back to the delicious cheese quesadillas served with rice and beans. Perhaps the best part of EP3 (besides the guac, of course) is their $2 Corona deal for Fordham students.

St. Patrick's Day in February

I enjoy Fordham’s tri-bar area as much as the next person but after almost four years my friends and I were eager to find something new. We had heard good things about Woodlawn and finally decided to try it out. Woodlawn is a neighborhood in the northern part of the Bronx known for its Irish population. After studying in Ireland last year and frequenting our fair share of Irish pubs, my friends and I were eager to check it out. We got a few recommendations from friends who live in the area and were on our way. 

We went to Rambling House and Rory Dolan’s. With Magner’s Cider on tap and Irish bartenders behind the bar it was a pretty authentic experience! I have to admit that I was not expecting Woodlawn to be as authentic as it was, but I found myself thinking I was back in Dublin. I had no idea that there was such a lively Irish population just minutes away from my front door and I had almost forgotten how much fun Irish people can be after a Guinness or two. My friends and I had a great time reminiscing about Ireland, pretending we were back in Dublin and making new friends and then hopped in a gypsy cab and were back in our neighborhood in fifteen minutes. 

Woodlawn was so different from the Belmont area that I am used to that it is hard to believe it’s only a few miles away. It's a great alternative for people bored with the Fordham bar scene but not in the mood to trek all the way to Manhattan. Plus, it's a great way to see a new part of the Bronx! 

Best Kept Secrets in Belmont Dining

After living in the Bronx for almost four years I have found my favorite dishes at almost all of the local Bronx eating establishments. While many of my favorites are pretty standard and loved by all (Simon’s salads yum), I think I have also found some dishes and snacks that are a bit “off the beaten path.” Below I have laid out the Belmont Community’s Best Kept Dining Secrets.

Simon’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

I’ve always been a bit weary to try one of the chocolate chip cookies that are often displayed by the register at Simon’s. Maybe it’s because Simon’s was busted for health code violations my freshman year and I usually try to steer clear of anything that requires too much preparation, or maybe it’s because I’ve never seen anyone else order one so I figured they were the same cookies sitting on the tray visit after visit. Whatever the reason, one day I bucked it up and ordered a cookie. Fresh, gooey, chocolate-y and cooked to perfection, this cookie was fantastic and I regret not trying one sooner.

Munchiez Mac and Cheese Bites

Even though they specialize in massive sandwiches containing enough food for a week, Munchiez’s Mac and Cheese Bites are definitely the way to go. Essentially fried macaroni and cheese, I cannot get enough of these bite-sized balls of perfection. Even better, they are served with a side of ranch, which sounds weird but compliments the fried cheesiness perfectly.

Webster’s Nachos Supreme

Many people may be surprised to find a diner specializing in Mexican fare, but in the Bronx, anything is possible especially when it comes to food.  Smothered in at least three types of cheese, red AND black beans and topped with a ton of fresh and slightly spicy delicious guacamole, plus tons of onions, peppers and tomatoes, Webster’s nachos are perfect for a late night snack or even a midday meal. Even better, Webster’s is almost always open and willing to deliver.

Gian Tina’s Gnocchi

Even after living in the Bronx for four years, it is difficult to try every single Italian restaurant on Arthur Avenue. Technically on 187^th Street off of Arthur Avenue, Gian Tina’s is one of the Bronx’s best kept secrets for Italian dining. While almost all of the restaurants on Arthur serve delicious gnocchi, Gian Tinas Gnocchi Alla Jerry is by far the best I have ever tasted. Cooked to perfection and covered in some sort of mysterious cheesy yet tomato-y sauce, this is the dish I dreamed about and longed for when I was abroad in Ireland last year.

Of course there are plenty more delicious secrets hiding in the Bronx but these are my personal favorites. Even with only a few months left in the Bronx, I'm sure there will be more to come.