Not in Kansas Anymore: Dining experiences at Marciano Commons

When walking into Marciano Commons Fresh Food Dining Hall at 100 Bay State Road, you’ll think you’ve stumbled into the Oz of college dining.

With a spacious layout, seating for 920 students and a number of menu options, it’s nothing like the on-campus dining facilities you have come to know. The fancy, if not temperamental, ID and fingerprint scanners allow entrance into a culinary wonderland that is just a meal swipe away.

If you’re planning to enjoy a feast around dinner, expect a long wait at many of the stations. Lines can form 20 people deep for stations serving up delicious choices, including a Cuban chicken sandwich with shoestring French fries, Afghani-inspired chicken kabobs, a hearty lamb ragu served over freshly made rigatoni pasta, a slab of moist beef topped with fresh onions, tomatoes and parsley, an all-vegetarian spinach and Italian vegetable risotto.

The wait is even understandable, considering that all entrees are prepared fresh, before your very eyes, with the raw ingredients displayed in plain view.

The atmosphere is very social, with a lot of open space and round tables situated on both floors. The beautiful displays of fresh fruit are both enticing and aesthetically pleasing.

While the staff is friendly and accommodating, they have yet to nail down a steady pace in which to prepare and present the food to the eager mouths waiting.

Even with such delicious specialty entrees being changed daily, there are still the classics for the less adventurous eater. There is a salad bar with a various array of fresh vegetables and various other toppings, and there is also a do-it-yourself waffle iron and a grill serving up classic cheeseburgers.

My dining companion, a Boston University alumnus, was shocked at the transformation of the usually mundane and repetitive dining halls located around campus. With the French fries being served in mini deep-fryer baskets and an eclectic display of fruit-infused water, it was unrecognizable to the avid eater.

He was more than jealous that this new “cafeteria” was acquired after he had finished his time here at BU.

For those residing in West Campus, Marciano Commons is a bit of a hike, but the end result is worth it. Sharing little resemblance to the West Campus and Warren Towers dining halls, it is a good alternative when things seem to be a little routine.

Even though you cannot procure that day’s menu online, there will undoubtedly be something served up to be excited about. If you’re looking for the gourmet experience close to campus, Marciano Commons has you covered.