Hundreds of students pass through the Caf every day to eat, meet up with friends and form opinions on the food. Six students have recently begun to share these opinions with the world by creating an Instagram account called @dsonfoodreviews, where they film themselves tasting and rating food in the Caf. The Instagram account is run by first-years Gwen Price, Eva Hartley, Zoe Hiller, Simone Giannosa, Sadie Dussault and Isabella Gehron.

The six students all sit together at most meals and talk about what they are eating, so they found that it was easy for them to begin filming their conversations and sharing them online.

They “think there’s too much Caf hate,” says Hiller. The group expresses that the Caf’s variety of food options has encouraged them to eat healthier and become less picky. “I never eat tofu at home, and I eat tofu almost every day now,” Dussault says. 

The Caf has undergone major renovations to its seating and menu in the past year , so the group considers now to be an ideal time for food reviews. They approve of the new foods that have been introduced at Island 3 this semester, particularly the pesto chicken sandwiches and the overnight oats.

Most of the videos on the @dsonfoodreviews Instagram page rate lunches or dinners in the Caf. The whole group rarely meets for breakfast and according to Giannosa, “if you’re up … early in the morning, there [are] not lots of options.” This is particularly exacerbated on the weekends, when the Biblio and the Juice Bar are closed.

“We just love talking about food,” says Price. Eating together in the Caf has become a bonding experience for the six students, as it provides a setting for them to share their opinions, eat things they enjoy and spend time together without feeling pressured to do homework or be on their phones. “People need to value eating with friends,” Giannosa says.