When I scroll through memories of Harvard on my camera roll, one thing dominates it all: food.

Honestly, you can sum up my freshman year with a montage of meals and snacks. Living in Cambridge, the options are endless; whether you choose to eat in the dining hall, at a restaurant in Harvard Square, nearby Porter Square, or go into Boston, you really cannot go wrong. I was enthralled by the variety of options – would I order from the grill, eat some bread from Annenberg, find food that a club was offering, or try something new in the Square? The possibilities were truly endless. 

Below, I’ve chronicled seven of my favorite meals at Harvard during my first year! 

1.    Zinneken’s Belgian Waffles. This was such a fun day! The first-year social committee, a group of first-year students that organize events for fellow first years, had a Zinneken’s truck set up on campus to give out free waffles to first years. If you have not had the immense pleasure of tasting a waffle from Zinneken’s, it tastes like heaven pressed down into a rectangular waffle. I remember getting up that day and going straight to the Zinneken’s truck, waiting in line with friends and meeting new first-years who shared my love for Zinneken’s and free food. 

2.    When I first heard of L.A. Burdick, I wondered how a restaurant that primarily sold hot chocolate could exist and survive. Then, I tried their hot chocolate, and I understood. L.A. Burdick is a quaint chocolate specialty restaurant that has what is truly the best hot chocolate in the world. My bible course group (part of Harvard College Faith and Action) took a trip here in the last few days before fall semester ended. Coming from California, where our “winter” is not really winter, having a nice cup of rich, hot chocolate while the snow fell around us made me feel like I was living real-life Polar Express movie. I absolutely loved it! 

3.    J.P Licks is one of Harvard Square’s well-known ice cream spots, especially as all J.P. Licks locations are in Massachusetts. One of the first times that I went to J.P Licks was with my first-year advisor (a faculty member that Harvard places students with to help with picking classes, concentrations, etc.). We discussed my transition into college, classes I was interested in taking, how great the ice cream was, and what flavor we should try next time we went. 

4.    How could I mention food at Harvard without also mentioning our beloved freshman dining hall, Annenberg? While I had tons of great meals and conversations in Annenberg, one of my favorites was with my parents during First-Year Family Weekend. First-Year Family weekend is a time, typically during the middle of the semester, where family members can visit campus, learn more about how their respective first years are adjusting to campus. My parents flew in from Los Angeles to visit me, and it was their first time on campus! They had heard a lot about Annenberg from me, but now they could actually experience it with me. I took them to my favorite meal – breakfast – and my mom absolutely loved the meal options. It was so great to see them, as they couldn’t come to move-in with me, and I definitely missed them. 

5.    &Pizza is definitely one that will stay with me for a long time. Although I passed &Pizza a million times my first semester, I didn’t enter its hallowed halls until my second semester on campus. But once I was in, I never left again. &Pizza allows you to choose your own toppings, cheese, sauce, and anything else that could possibly be involved with a pizza, to make your own specialty pizza. The pizza is also in a fun rectangular shape (which I think makes it taste better), and it’s the perfect meal for the end of a week. 

6.     Border Café is one of the best restaurants in the Square. They have great food and large servings, plus a warm atmosphere that makes you feel at home. They also give never-ending chips and salsa, which I may or may not have accidentally filled up the first time I went. There was an unfortunate fire in Border Café earlier this year, so here’s hoping they are able to get through it and reopen safely!

7.    Last but not least, Bonchon Chicken. I went to Bonchon Chicken for the first time with a friend who promised I would just love it, and they were right! Bonchon Chicken is a Korean restaurant that is known for their fried chicken. And while their chicken is absolutely delicious, so is just about everything else on their menu. What I really loved about Bonchon Chicken was that it made me feel at home, like something I would be eating at home with friends in SoCal. I later found out that Bonchon means “My Hometown.”

And… that’s all for now. While I’m currently not on campus, I know it is only a matter of time until I have a new list of restaurants to add to my repertoire, and new memories to go with them.