Tag Archives: coffee

college, Food, New Experience, USC

The Best Food Spots Only a Walk Away from USC

By Luke Reshwan

Edited by Natalie Grace Sipula

Being located in Los Angeles, USC has many local food spots to choose from. In this article, I want to focus on just a few (my favorite few), that are all within walking distance from campus. All of these locations are also within the Free Lyft zone, so if you do not want to walk, you can get to them using the Lyft app and the USC pass that allows free Lyfts near campus. The three locations I will be talking about today are Spud Nuts, Cava, and Tacos Listo (better known as Taco Zone) . Each of these eateries is quite different: Spud Nuts is a smaller breakfast place that is open all hours of the day, Cava is a large chain restaurant serving Mediterranean food that consistently draws a long line in the village, and Tacos Listo is a food truck that doesn’t open until 5 PM (perfect for dinner and the infamous midnight snack).

I’ll begin with Spud Nuts, the best comfort food around USC hands down. Nothing makes a person feel more at home than breakfast sandwiches, doughnuts, smoothies, and some of the best iced coffee I have ever tried. My go-to order is the bacon, egg, and cheese on toast with a cronut and a mint chip milkshake. If you are wondering what the cronut is, it is a croissant glazed like a donut. It is a Spud Nuts delicacy that tastes phenomenal. Nothing starts the day off better than a breakfast sandwich that tastes just like it was cooked in my mother’s kitchen, a sugary croissant, and a nice milkshake to truly create that feeling of being stuffed to the brim with good food. If those things do not suit you, I highly recommend trying the HUGE cinnamon rolls (yes, huge had to be capitalized, they are massive) or one of the croissant sandwiches. Regardless of what you order, Spud Nuts is sure to remind you of a nice home-cooked breakfast that starts the morning off correctly.

Photo by DESIGNECOLOGIST on Unsplash

When it comes time for lunch and you are hungry again, I highly recommend Cava in the USC Village as your next stop. Cava is like a Mediterranean Chipotle–you go along the line and choose a base like rice or pita or lettuce, then you choose dips and spreads you would like to add, followed by a protein, toppings, and dressings. I normally go with rice for my base, red pepper hummus, tzatziki, and harissa for my dips, lamb as my protein with assorted toppings depending on what I am feeling for the day, and then hot vinaigrette as the dressing. However, if this does not sound appealing, there are options for everyone to try. I have not met a single individual who does not like Cava, and I think they do a great job of making Mediterranean food more popular in the United States. I myself am Mediterranean, and very rarely do I find flavors of my grandma’s cooking in restaurants, let alone chain restaurants. Also, the portion sizes are quite large which allows for one to feel full after eating their lunch as opposed to many other restaurants that I have tried in which I am still looking for more after I finish eating.

Photo by Kao Rodriguez on Unsplash

Lastly, for dinner or a midnight snack, Tacos Listo is the place to go. It is known by many as Taco Zone because it used to be a taco truck in the AutoZone parking lot. However, they have now relocated onto Vermont Street. Everything on their menu is phenomenal, whether it is a burrito, taco, or quesadilla. I highly recommend getting al pastor as the choice of protein; however, I know many people who get many different proteins and they all seem to be more than satisfied. Of all the different taco trucks or taco places around the USC area, Tacos Listo is my top choice. It has numerous different sauces and salsas to choose from that only add to the experience. It is also open until 2 AM, allowing for that midnight snack that we all crave from time to time.

Photo by Frank Zhang on Unsplash

These locations are my top picks for a day of eating around USC. I highly recommend giving these places a try if you have not yet as they are some of the most consistent restaurants that I have tried in my two years down living in the area. Each of them is special and phenomenal in a different way and I truly think my experience at USC would be worse without them here.

Featured Image by Jason Leung on Unsplash

Luke is a junior studying Computer Science/Business Administration in Dornsife. He was born in the San Francisco Bay Area and has lived there his whole life before coming to USC. Having a father who immigrated from Lebanon, Luke knows a little Arabic, and he is proficient in Spanish after taking Spanish classes in school for seven years. He loves learning about all kinds of cultures and has met close friends from many cultures during his time at USC. He also enjoys sharing his Lebanese culture, whether it be food recipes, his grandparents’ and father’s teachings, or even just the social and conversational norms in Lebanese culture. He likes following fashion trends, especially in relation to shoes (of which he has over 20 pairs). He likes to keep up with basketball, soccer, football, and even F1. Outside of sports, however, he is constantly learning more about the tech world and the different things an individual can do with technology.

culture, Food, L.A. Life, lifestyle, New Experience, seasonal

Pumpkin Spiced Fall

By Emiko Akama-Garren

Edited by Natalie Grace Sipula

[3 minute read]

The American fall time consists of many traditions and holidays, and those who are not familiar with them may find the traditions amusing and sometimes odd. This time of year is heavily centered around food, with the most important item being the pumpkin. Pumpkins play a role in Thanksgiving, Halloween and essential fall activities like going to a pumpkin patch. So, it is no surprise that pumpkin spice has become an essential part of the season. I always feel more festive and start to get into the fall mood when I see all of the seasonal pumpkin-flavored items available.

Pumpkin spice products are continuing to spread and major brands continue to introduce new pumpkin fused items for the fall time. The limited availability of the flavor has been a key selling point for the products. Some of the most popular items include candles, soap, cookies, drinks, baked goods, snacks, and even pet products. The most quintessential pumpkin spice item to try is most definitely the pumpkin spice latte. Social media, especially Instagram, has created a large following and obsession for pumpkin spice latte fans of all ages.

Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash

It is already a shock to many non Americans how many different products that feature pumpkins are available, so it is even more surprising when people find out that pumpkin flavored coffee is such a sought after trend. Pumpkin spice lattes have become quite the commodity and bring in huge profits for coffee companies. Pumpkin spice lattes are typically made from milk, pumpkin puree or flavoring, pumpkin spice seasoning, a sweetener, and coffee.

Starbucks is the main party responsible for starting the pumpkin spice latte craze and turning the name of their drink into an acronym and widespread hashtag (PSL). Since Starbucks has launched their drink, over 200 million drinks have been sold and it has quickly become their most popular beverage. Now many other coffee chains offer their own versions of pumpkin spice coffees. Starbucks starts to offer the PSL in the beginning of September and it is only available “while supplies last”. This period is usually right up until when they bring back their holiday drinks.

Photo by Maddy Baker on Unsplash

Pumpkin spice no longer just creates a flavorful sensation but it also creates an emotional one. The widely loved trend admired by many Americans is slowly starting to spread, but understandably has not been picked up as quickly in foreign markets. There is no better place to try pumpkin spice food than in America as a way to celebrate the beginning of the fall holidays. Trying out and tasting this fall trend is the best way to understand the American obsession, and might just help you feel some of the holiday spirit.

Featured Image by Chris Hardy on Unsplash

Emiko is a recent graduate from the Sol Price School of Public Policy and Marshall School of Business. She was born and raised in the Bay Area, California up until high school, when she moved to Switzerland and then France. Emiko lived in Switzerland and Germany all throughout high school and then studied abroad her first year of university in Paris. While living abroad, she was involved with Model United Nations and was a figure skating coach for international students and local students looking to work on their English. She loves meeting new people, traveling, dancing, figure skating and entrepreneurship.

Advice, college, fall, friends, health, lifestyle, Sight Seeing, student life, USC

Hidden gems on campus 

By Tiffany Hsia

Edited by Natalie Grace Sipula

[3 minute read]

Many of us are preparing to return to USC for the upcoming school year with excitement and anticipation. However, attending class and studying for exams can become routine as the school year progresses, but there are places around campus that can help spice up your routine or become a new study spot. Studying day and night at Leavey Library can become boring, and after living on campus for a year, I have found a couple of different study spots to help change up your scenery while studying, especially during finals. 

  • LiteraTea

For all of the people who love boba but don’t like having to walk off campus to get it, there is actually a hidden boba place on campus! LiteraTea is located behind Doheny Library and is a little cafe where you can study. They serve a variety of healthy, quick items you can take on the go (and boba!). It is also the perfect place to study, as there is an outdoor courtyard to do work right across from the cafe. This courtyard allows you to enjoy the sunshine and take in the rays of Southern California while getting work done.  

  • Balcony of the School of Cinematic Arts 
Photo by Alexis Brown on Unsplash

If you are looking for a quiet yet scenic place to study, the balconies in the School of Cinematic Arts are the perfect place. The balconies are not restricted to Cinematic Arts students and are open from 7-11 PM. You can access the balconies by entering in one of their buildings and taking the elevator to the second or third floor. Once you enter, the balconies overlook the beautiful courtyard of SCA and have outdoor patio seating. This is perfect for quiet studying with a view or hanging out with friends. I have had many late-night chats and group studying sessions here!

  • Café 84

Café 84 is conveniently located between Fluor Tower and Webb Tower. While the hours of Café 84 fluctuate (they close anytime from 11-2 AM on weekdays), this is the perfect place to get work done or have group meetings. Café 84 also has a Starbucks, which is convenient to help kick start studying. If you like doing work surrounded by some noise, this is the place to study. I especially enjoy doing group work here, as it is a very casual atmosphere.

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