Collins College serves up ‘super’ meals

By Sasha Ramazani

This week, my dining endeavors steered me close to campus to
dine at the Restaurant at Kellogg Ranch. The Super Heroes-themed
manager’s special of the week was one of the best meals I have
enjoyed in awhile.

This was my third time dining at the RKR and as usual, the whole
experience from the staff, to the service was outstanding. What
makes this dining experience so unique from other restaurants is
that there is a chance to be served by a different student each
time you visit because they rotate weekly in their positions.
Working at the RKR is part of the course curriculum for students in
the Collins College.

James York, a fifth-year hotel and restaurant management
student, also my server, explained it best when he said, “Its such
a different dining experience from lunch to dinner. During lunch,
its like you are at Mimi’s Cafe, and during dinner, it turns into a
fine steakhouse.”

My meal began with a drink called the Marvel Mist, which
included Prosecco, a sparking wine, with a hint of cranberry juice
and a slice of lime as the garnish. The best way to describe this
drink: light, crisp, sweet and sparkling. The perfect drink to
begin any meal.

Next came the Kryptonite Broccoli Soup with shaken heavy cream
foam in the design of a spider web with two small broccoli florets
in the middle of the web. This bowl of green soup was a perfect
mixture of warm, creamy goodness. Each ingredient complimented each
other and there was no overpowering flavor of too much broccoli or
cream. The soup was well blended so no lumps were present. If the
manager’s special did not include a main dish and dessert, I could
have probably had two more bowls of this kryptonite concoction.

The main dish of my lunch was the Aquaman Surf-N-Turf Burger
accompanied by a generous portion of potato wedge fries. The
burger, cooked medium, was on a Kaiser roll and spread with a blend
of capered-mayonnaise. The shrimp-style scampi, perfectly cooked
and seasoned, sat on top of the burger and was sprinkled with a
good amount of shredded Parmesan cheese.

This was my first time tasting such a combination and did not
know what to expect. There was a flavor explosion in my mouth after
the first bite from the combination of bread, meat, shrimp, cheese
and the mayonnaise. Even after a few bites, the burger still tasted
amazing.

My only complaint would be there was a bit too much cheese on
top of the shrimp. Although cheese on a burger is usually a must,
I’m not sure if the Parmesan was even necessary since the taste
overpowers some of the other flavors.

The potato wedges could have used more seasoning, but that
flavor enhancement can vary from person to person.

It was definitely an interesting burger to try as a whole, and
even when testing the components of the burger separately, they
tasted just as flavorful.

Dessert is always my favorite part of the meal and the Gotham
City Chocolate Souffle with raspberry sauce was the ideal ending.
Even though the mixture of chocolate and fruit is not usually
appealing to me, I was quite surprised by the sauce, as it did not
over power the chocolate flavor at all. The souffle was light,
fluffy, not too chocolatey and not too sweet.

The manager’s special was a well worth the price. I enjoyed the
atmosphere of watching servers walk around in capes with their
initials sown on, the scores of Batman, Spider-man and The
Incredibles playing in the background and the exceptional service
from James and the rest of the RKR staff. Even though the Super
Heroes-themed special is over, the upcoming manager’s special
sounds just as enticing.

This week’s theme is Mediterranean and includes specials such as
hummus with pita bread, beef kabobs with roasted vegetables and
Basmati rice, and Baklava as dessert. Next week’s Halloween theme
will include butternut squash and polenta salad, spiced apple
glazed pork chops, and maple pumpkin mousse with brittle.

Conveniently located up on the hill at the Collins College, I
would recommend all students dine at the RKR at least once during
their college years.

Reach Sasha Ramazani at: lifestyle@thepolypost.com

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Collins College serves up ‘super’ meals

Paul Rosales/Poly Post

Collins College serves up ‘super’ meals