A Culinary Arts student works the counter at Bistro-To-Go. Patrons can buy gourmet food to take with them.
Staff Writer
“Bistro-To-Go” is the best place to go for food on campus.
Located in the Workforce Careers Center, it’sjust a hop, skip and a jump from both Sangamon and Menard Halls. It offers casual bistro faire, soups, salads and sandwiches, which are prepared by the students of the culinary program.
But you never know what’s on the menu, as it changes every time the Bistro opens.
On my first visit, I felt welcomed. And all the service counters are run by kind and helpful culinary students. Plus, everything on the menu sounded delightful.
I tried four out of the six items offered on the day I visited. I also bought one of each kind of bakery good.
My meal consisted of herbed tomato soup, a Greek salad, a roasted turkey sandwich and an Italian hoagie. The sandwiches come with house-made potato chips that are absolutely worth the trip on their own.
Every single thing I ordered was truly delicious. The soup was creamy with a hint of spice that kept me interested. The Greek salad was perfectly balanced, crisp and light. The Italian hoagie came with a deliciously marinated onion and tomato. It also came with red wine vinaigrette, which was a refreshing twist on a familiar sandwich. The roasted turkey sandwich was absolutely divine with creamy avocado, bacon and a roasted tomato aioli on toasted house-made bread.
There are also baked goods available for sale, including muffins, cookies and loaves of bread made in the Bistro’s own ovens. The muffins and cookies are two for a dollar, and the bread is $3.
The main menu is reasonably priced ay $5 for soup, $6 for a salad or sandwich. There is also the option to pick a half soup, salad or sandwich for only $7, which I would highly recommend. It’s a great deal.
A great part of the experience is sitting inside a dining room area and watching the students prepare the food in the kitchen. Even if you order half the menu — like I did — your wait isn’t very long. The students really make sure you feel the hospitality.
Sadly, though, the Bistro’s hours are limited. It is open on Mondays from 4 to 6 p.m. and Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. But it is definitely worth taking a few minutes out of the day to visit.
The menu is always changing. What will they have when you visit? That’s up to you to find out.
