#BonHacks: Spice it up with these five hot tips

By Celeste Kurnik

Fields Dining Room, or more candidly, the Bon, serves as not only the primary dining option on campus, but as a social hub for friends to hang out, take a break and have a meal together in the midst of their busy schedules. As much as we love the Bon, there comes a time when one simply cannot have another chicken wrap for lunch, or plate of stir fry (mostly onions) for dinner. So how do you keep that spark alive between you and the Bon? Here’s is a list of #BonHacks, compiled by myself and other Lewis & Clark Students, to help you spice things up.

1. Become your own Barista: Coffee is ubiquitous at LC, and the Bon is no exception. It’s easy to get tired of the same old cup of joe. “We’ve got slim pickings here,” Satya Austin-Opper ’22 said. “It’s dark roast or decaf.” There are plenty of ways to get creative with your coffee at the Bon. If you are looking for a sweet treat, pour your coffee over a bit of vanilla ice cream to make yourself an affogato. In addition, you can make a mocha using the Bon’s supply of chocolate milk or spice things up by mixing a bit of cinnamon into your morning coffee.  
2. Fine Dining: Dining isn’t just about the food, it’s about the experience. Don’t let your time in the Bon be any different. “Come dressed up so you feel like you’re eating a fancy dinner,” Max Neville ’22 said. “That way your mind thinks you’re eating good food.”  You can also take it upon yourself to create some campus jobs. “Hire a friend to be your waiter,” Sophia Green ’22 said.
3. When you put it on  bread it’s different, right? Tired of having the same sausage and eggs every morning? Try mixing it up with an open face breakfast sandwich. Start with a piece of toast. Spread some cheese (I suggest cottage or cream cheese) on the toast. Add a layer of eggs, a layer of breakfast sausage, and top it off with some salt, pepper, and hot sauce.  
4. Shopping for Toppings: To be frank, all day ice cream is the best part about the Bon. The great news is, it can be even better! “Trying putting the coconut flakes from the salad bar on your ice cream,”  Michael Pierce ’22 said. And why stop there? Stop by the toaster and grab some peanut butter or jam to swirl into your ice cream. If it is brunch, sprinkle some cinnamon from the oatmeal bar on your chocolate ice cream too. A personal favorite of mine is vanilla ice cream topped with olive oil (from the salad bar), and lots of salt.  
5. “Put Cholula on literally everything.” – Jinju Hurley ’22