This November, I visited Dijon, France. About 180 miles southeast of Paris, the city seems like a quaint village compared to the French capital’s cosmic size. For lunch, we stopped by a popular restaurant called L’AbenFant. This restaurant specializes in vegetarian cuisine and changes its menu every day, so we were in for a real delicious treat.

Sssss, schwoop! I gazed down as the pastry chef finished preparing my strawberry tart and moved over to package it in a pretty, blue box with a ribbon. However, this dessert shop is not like a typical pâtisserie you would find in Paris—in fact, my little tart is completely inedible! This weekend, I visited the JellyCat Pâtisserie, a pop-up shop in the Galeries Lafayette that sells exclusive French pastries in a plush format. You can choose from six options for the Pâtisserie Experience: Collette the tarte au citron, Brigitte the brioche, Fleurette the tarte aux fraises, and three multi-colored macarons: Mia, Max, and Mona. Aside from the Paris-exclusive designs, you can also find hundreds of plush éclairs, mille-feuilles, and madeleines for sale in the store, each one sporting a cute smile and a pair of miniature, animated legs.

Hidden in the maze of Anabel Taylor Hall lies the key to celebrating Earth Day on campus—Anabel’s Grocery. As I walked the dim halls, encouraging signs guided me toward the back of the building. I knew I was nearing the store when I heard the hustle and bustle of students shopping for groceries after class.

Earth Day is upon us, but focusing on the health of our planet is undoubtedly a year-round affair. Food choices are an excellent avenue for change-making on an individual level, and research shows that vegan and vegetarian diets have a smaller carbon footprint than those that are animal-based. In the spirit of preserving our home and its livelihood, here’s a list of six of my favorite Ithaca restaurants serving up vegan and vegetarian options for Earth Day and beyond.

The formula for a successful game day event is simple: an exciting game, an abundance of drinks, and an amazing spread of delicious, though not always the healthiest, foods. Game day foods being such a crucial aspect of American culture means that there are dishes that are considered necessary staples at any tailgate or friends watch party. However, a downside to such a firm tradition means that it can be all too easy to remain complacent and never explore beyond the same old classics. 

Best Collegetown restaurants, most delicious coffee, #1 hidden gem, best value, and other opinions about the best eats in Ithaca!

While adventuring through grastronomy scene in Ithaca, you can find a surprisingly wide range of different cuisines with a solid number of Asian restaurants, a couple of Tex-Mex establishments, and even a popular Ethiopian restaurant. Nonetheless, aside from the few dine-in Mexican restaurants and burrito spots, there seems to be a complete void of representation when it comes to other Hispanic foods.

For any Francophiles who are hankering for a sweet taste of Paris, try Veronika's Pastries and Crêpes, which can be found immediately to the right of the main entrance in the Farmer’s Market. The wooden counter of their booth displays assorted wrapped baked goods.