Wright Quad Food Court

Wright quad is more than just a residence hall at IU.  Located at 10th and Jordan in Bloomington, its curious food court is a wonder near and dear to the hearts of all students currently or formerly living in the central neighborhood of IU.

On the surface, this cafeteria is no different from any other mall food court / buffet fusion eatery, but a deeper look reveals an oddity replete with idiosyncratic character on almost every level.  Let's start with the food.  Walking into Wright from the north entrance and going clockwise you first encounter the pastry humidor, then Crimson Creations (bagels, coffee, and smoothies), then the Mexican place as it is colloquially known which is a sometimes omelette bar, then Sbarro an american appropriation of Italian food, then Charlie bigs which specializes in fried and rotisserie chicken, then Flamingo grill a multipurpose range with multiple types of burgers and fast food - which doubles as the primary hot breakfast provider in the mornings, then stacks a subway knockoff, then pacific rim (american chinese stir-fry), and lastly eat-right, which typically serves a meat product doused in gravy and served with buttery green beans.

For all the variety the very long aforementioned list suggests, the food typically stimulates two components of the flavor palette.  This is to say that no matter how much you load up your tray, you will taste sweet and salt.  At Wright it's all about the textures.  For example the hamburgers from flamingo grill will start out chewy and the pasta from Sbarro soupy from the abundant white sauce.  Both will hit your mouth with a salty impact, and then procede to transmogrify into a mealy mushy texter that is indistinguishable from any other foodstuff resting in your stomach.  Actually I don't take issue with the food, except for when it's not real food - remember request real eggs on all of your omelettes.

The service at Wright will not be stellar your first time around.  The Wright staff may even meet you with seeming hostility.  Know that as you frequent this unique establishment, you will build a relationship of trust with the staff that one day will bud into decent service.  In their defense, the unpredictable environment of food service calls for a guarded approach.

The price range is a grey area.  If you are a student with a meal plan then you can rely on your monopoly money to cut the price of a normal meal into a third, but if you are not in this position, a meal that covers all the food groups will cost approximately $12.  Note that the healthier your meal choice the more expensive.  For example a salad will be weighed and charged by the ounce, whereas a slice of pizza that leaves you equally sated costs only $2.

The atmosphere is more variable than the price.  At regular meal times every square millimeter will be piled with squirming students, and the volume in the dinning room will approach concert levels.  But, if you can avoid these stampedes by even 10 minutes then you will find a library-esque quiet pervading the space, which with good company makes for a pretty good dining experience.

In total I like Wright.  This morning I ordered an omelette from flamingo grill before my first class.  The people working behind the counter greeted me familiarly and I had a pleasant conversation with the cashier.  The veggies were sautéed all the way through and I could tell the white from the yolk.  The cheese was melty and the meal was hardy.  Afterwords, I felt ready for my day.