Campus Cuisine
Life on campus brings interesting surprises sometimes...
mostly in the form of cuisine that becomes "unique" to its
institutions and academic palaces. Some of these I've
experienced first-hand. Some of these have been contributed
by others wanting to contribute to this growing list. So,
if you're reading this and have a unique campus culinary
creation, let me know about it by E-mailing me!
MIAMI UNIVERSITY
Oxford, OH
Tuffy's Toasted Roll
http://www.hdg.muohio.edu/shriver/?showme=tuffy.htm
Visitors to the campus quickly become aware that Miami is a
University with many traditions. And one of those
traditions is known as Tuffy's! Tuffy was the nickname of
Myron Timothy Potter, who came to Miami in 1921 as a
freshman and never left. Working his way as a soda jerk in
a local drug store and as a sandwich peddler on the street,
Tuffy also decided to open up his own business. Tuffy's
Place opened in 1929 in a ground-floor nook of the nearby
three-story Tallawanda Apartments, and Myron Timothy Potter
soon became too busy to graduate. Despite the Great
Depression and beyond, Tuffy's Place was a popular campus
gathering spot where generations of Miami students met for
refreshment and socializing. This habit turned into
nostalgia as Tuffy's became a mecca for returning alumni
until it closed in 1973. The standard fare included the
usual Coke, coffee, hamburger and ice cream; but there was
a mystique about Tuffy's specialty: Toasted Rolls.
Thousands agreed that nobody else knew just how to make
rolls so tasty. To old and proven friends, Tuffy might
confide that it was a combination of sugared rolls from a
secret source, flavored with a special spread and warmed on
a unique grill. Yet everyone still suspected he kept some
secret in reserve because no home-toasted roll was quite as
good, and few restaurants even tried. The Tuffy's tradition
is kept alive in Shriver Center's specialty shop of the
same name where dozens of Tuffy's Toasted Rolls are still
prepared and sold daily. The demand for Toasted Rolls
during the annual Alumni Weekend keeps our in-house bakery
busy around the clock!
Cheesy Clinton returns to Tuffy's as late-night
snack
Ben Garbarek
http://www.miamistudent.net/media/storage/paper776/news/2006/12/05/Campus/Cheesy.Clinton.Returns.To.Tuffys.As.LateNight.Snack-2521667.shtml?norewrite200612302102&sourcedomain=www.miamistudent.net
The rumors are true: the Cheesy Clinton is back at Tuffy's.
After a brief hiatus, the renowned Cheesy Clinton is once
again featured on the Tuffy's menu for those looking for a
late-night snack. The Cheesy Clinton disappeared after
Tuffy's closed as a late-night venue. According to Tina
Rotundo, executive manager at Tuffy's and Haines Food
Court, the Cheesy Clinton was only offered as a "third
shift item" and was a victim of the earlier closing times.
For those unfamiliar with this Miami culinary tradition, a
Cheesy Clinton consists of a slice of pizza placed in the
middle of a grilled cheese sandwich. The Cheesy Clinton was
created by a late-night manager at Tuffy's in 2003.
According to Ian Ballard and Dush Ratnayake, both student
managers at Tuffy's, an extremely intoxicated student,
named John Clinton, attempted to order "a slice of sausage
pizza and a grilled cheese," however this student was
slurring his words so badly that Vicky Curler, the manager
that night, heard "a slice of sausage pizza in a grilled
cheese." Puzzled by this request, the manager gave the
student his order and placed the slice of sausage pizza in
between a grilled cheese sandwich. The student enjoyed this
new creation so much that he continued to come to Tuffy's
and order this unique item. Gradually Clinton and his
friends ordered this culinary masterpiece until it was
dubbed the "Cheesy Clinton" and became a fixed item on the
Tuffy's menu. According to Ballard, the return of the
Cheesy Clinton was spurred by comments during the past year
of its departure and the number of students purchasing
pizza and grilled cheese sandwiches in order to make a
Cheesy Clinton on their own. "I completely stopped going to
Shriver after they stopped making them," said Pat Deignan,
a Miami junior. "But now that it's back, I'll probably go
back because it's a good alternative to Bell Tower." Other
students shared the same sentiments. "I quit going to
Tuffy's to protest their earlier closing times," said Josh
Poling, a Miami junior, "but now that the Cheesy Clinton is
back, there's a good chance I'll go more." However the
Cheesy Clinton isn't the only new item at Tuffy's. New this
year at Tuffy's are calzones, new cappuccino flavors and
patty melts. The Cheesy Clinton is only served after 10:30
p.m. at Tuffy's and Haines Food Court in the Shriver
Center. Tuffy's is now open from 7 a.m. until midnight
daily and Haines Food Court is now open until 3 a.m.
Wednesday through Sunday. Cheesy Clintons are priced
starting at $3.16 for a slice of cheese pizza in a grilled
cheese. For those seeking other pizza toppings, a Cheesy
Clinton with these extra toppings will be priced at the
cost that slice of pizza plus a grilled cheese sandwich.
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Lansing, MI
Sesquicentennial ice cream at Dairy Store
By Jennifer Toland
The State News
http://www.statenews.com/article.phtml?pk=29282
The MSU Dairy Store has found its own way to celebrate the
150th birthday of MSU - by creating a new sesquicentennial
flavor of ice cream. MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon came
up with the idea for the ice cream and said that Sue
Carter, secretary to the MSU Board of Trustees, identified
the specific flavor of cake batter ice cream with a
frosting swirl. "We wanted something that people could use
when they came to campus through the (MSU) Dairy Store,
that was affordable and could be used in a lot of events,"
Simon said. "The (MSU) Dairy Store being an important part
of what people remember when they come back to Michigan
State, it seemed like ice cream was a good choice." The
Kellogg Center and the MSU Dairy Store will be selling the
ice cream for the next year. John Engstrom, dairy plant
manager, said the ice cream has been a big hit so far and
is unique to MSU. "Everyone has cake batter ice cream, that
is nothing unusual," Engstrom said. "But the green frosting
is ours." The ice cream has been used by various student
groups in residence halls, the Kellogg Center and the Union
for a variety of events, Simon said. She said that ice
cream can be easily served, which is one of the reasons
they chose to commemorate the anniversary with the dessert.
Since the flavor's debut in the MSU Dairy Store about one
month ago, many students have come in looking for it, said
Becky Ryan, an animal science junior who has worked at the
MSU Dairy Store for a year and a half. Lauren Dean, an
elementary education senior and employee coordinator of the
store, said a lot of students have been talking about the
ice cream and word about it has gotten around. "We had been
talking about it for a while and thought it would be fun,"
Dean said.