By Marrissa Ballard | Managing Editor
This fall Salve students came back to many changes, but the most pivotal of these changes was not the O’Hare renovations or the new faculty. Instead, the most startling change was the introduction of the Chicken Pesto panini on an alternating meal plan.
The new meal plan means that Chicken Pesto is no longer just a four dollar treat that depletes students’ Seahawk Bucks. No, now it can be a regular part of any student’s meal plan. The warm, crunchy bread and scents of cheese and chicken can now be experienced three times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.
Any change of the Salve meal plan directly affects almost every student, especially on-campus undergraduates. When it comes to college kids, food is usually the most important and anticipated part of the day. An addition like the Chicken Pesto — whose fame has long preceded its presence on the meal plan — gives every student something to look forward to.
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Pictured: various Salve Pesto devotees enjoying their sandwich.
Some students may wonder, why the Chicken Pesto? Why now? How did this happen? According to SGA President Andy Cirioli, SGA made the suggestion to Sodexo last year, and the company must have implemented it themselves over the summer.
Employees of Sodexo are certainly feeling the effects of this change. Michelle Baptista, a Social Work major and a seasoned employee at Global Café, guessed that they serve about one to two hundred sandwiches on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
The busyness of the café during lunchtime certainly echoes this statement, with a line that runs almost out of the café door. As students step up to the counter, a refrain of “I’ll have the Chicken Pesto” can be heard throughout the room.
The new addition also has the endorsement and envy of recent Salve grads, such as Lauren Kane. Kane is now studying for her graduate degree at Yale University, but took time to comment on the arrival of the Pesto. However, she only endorsed it once she was reassured that the sandwich did in fact come with a complimentary pickle.
Carly Perini, a junior English Literature major, recently sat down to have her first taste of this delicacy. Upon her first bite, she sat back in her chair with a surprised look on her face. “Wow,” she said, taking a moment to gather her thoughts. She could only encompass the sandwich in four simple words: “This is really good.” This is the usual statement that comes from any first-time Pesto consumer.
Perini continued to describe her experience as she made her way through the panini. She noted that the sandwich was oily, but this did not detract from her enjoyment. Even though Perini is not a fan of pesto, she still sang the sandwich’s praises.
After she finished, she considered how often she would indulge in this tasty meal. “I would make it a treat,” said Perini. “Maybe for every Tuesday. It would be a reward to prove that I got through my Monday.”
Not all is well in Pesto-Land, however. Some common complaints from other students are that they would have preferred to see the Buffalo Chicken Panini, the Pesto’s staunch and spicy rival. Other students, like sophomore Caroline Kelley, discussed their gripes with the sandwich. Kelley dislikes when the chicken is ground up, because it looks strange to her.
“I like when it looks like chicken,” Kelley stated. “When it’s all mashed up, it doesn’t look like chicken.” Kelley, like Perini, also commented on the panini’s oiliness.
The Chicken Pesto could not be reached for a response to these allegations.
Whether the arrival of this illustrious meal has added a bright spot to students’ weeks or created a grudge in honor of other sandwiches, the Pesto has certainly inspired a frenzy. Ellena Sweet, a senior Communications major, encapsulated this fervor with a hashtag: “#PestoIsBesto.”
