This past month, our friends at Dartmouth Dining Services have offered the student population two totally new, totally scrumptious dining experiences: the Midnight Express, and the Big Green Bean. Open from 9:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m., the new eateries are perfect for those late night munchies when you can't bear to order EBAs one more time. The Midnight Express and the Big Green Bean offer some of the best food and drink I've eaten in my month-long Dartmouth career, and are definitely not to be missed.
The Big Green Bean, as the ever-so-catchy title insinuates, is Dartmouth's very own late-night coffeehouse. Located in Collis's main dining room, the Big Green Bean provides patrons with not only warm drinks and snacks, but also a warm atmosphere. I was pleasantly surprised by the theme lighting, consisting of a candle on each table and other little lamps around the room.
To add to this already mellow, un-cafeteria setting, there is table service with waiters and menus, jazz playing in the background and a giant wall hanging, separating the dining room from the kitchen in Collis. Even if they served leftovers from Mexican Night at Westside (which they didn't), just the whole ambiance of the Big Green Bean would make me want to go back for more stale enchiladas.
But the real fun began when I sat down and looked at the surprisingly extensive menu of drinks and desserts. Aside from the regular coffeehouse fare of a variety of coffees, teas and juices, The Big Green Bean boasts the already famous "Hot Chocolate in a Bowl," along with many specialty drinks. The "Nighty-Night," with decaf coffee, hot milk, whipped cream and cinnamon sugar, is great if you're stopping by on the way to bed.
The "Up All Night," with coffee, hot chocolate and whipped cream, is perfect for a late study break. Finally, the "Big Green Float," with iced coffee, coffee ice cream and whipped cream, is perfect for those sweltering New Hampshire nights.
The dessert menu was just as thorough. I had a hard decision choosing the cranberry almond coffee cake from a choice of a variety of cakes, coffee cakes, cookies, chips, pie and ice cream. The coffee cake was excellent, and my friends all gave rave reviews to their desserts as well.
Overall, it looks like the Big Green Bean is going to be a success. The student body seems to agree. One sophomore said, "I loved the atmosphere, especially when they started playing music. And I think it is good that the College sponsors a late-night place like this because there is nothing like it open in Hanover."
The other new dining facility, the Midnight Express, is a fast-food take out window in the basement of Collis. This eatery doesn't have much in the way of atmosphere or decor -- it's just a little window across the way from the pool room -- but some of the food there is outstanding.
The menu features hamburgers, portobello mushroom sandwiches, grilled chicken, roast beef sandwiches, fries, onion rings, brownies and the biggest selection of grilled cheeses I have ever seen. I ordered the grilled chicken and the fries which were rumored to be spectacular. The grilled chicken was perfect: it was nice and tender, and it came with fresh lettuce and tomato on a warm roll. The fries, while they were very good, were not as brilliant as they were hyped up to be. In my book, they're a close second to the fries at the Hop.
Also, there's another little thing we should clear up about the portobello mushroom sandwich. My friend ordered one, and it turns out that it is not actually a portobello mushroom, but rather a grilled mushroom patty, suspiciously similar to a veggie burger. It was still a very good sandwich, but don't read this and run over to the Midnight Express expecting a thick whole mushroom sandwich. You'll be destined for disappointment.
Altogether, though, the Midnight Express was very good. The service was fast, and the take-out window was very convenient. Once more people know about it, it will be very popular. One freshman eating there thinks that it is "a great alternative to getting pizza delivered to the room. It's much more social and probably healthier too."
