Top 5 Eateries in Gainesville

I know I usually review good restaurants in their own, separate posts, but in honor of all the freshmen rolling into town I thought I'd do a quick post detailing some of the best food in Gville, most of which won't break the bank.

In no particular order, here are five of my loves.

1. Relish
   Get to know it. Relish has some fantastic burgers; beef, veggie, even salmon! They have a topping bar that puts all others to shame (think sriracha, peanut butter, and pineapple). They also have some wonderfully salty fries which you can dip in curry ketchup (try it). It's also very conveniently located across from the Murphree area (holla atcha gurl. {does anyone actually say that?}) in midtown.
   Average meal cost: $9
2. Midnight Cookies

   

   Lin twins as hand models again

   If that picture alone didn't convince you, let's talk about Midnight Cookies for a hot second. These lovely people will DELIVER fresh baked, hot cookies to you IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. Yes, really. It's what you need and deserve in the middle of a long night of studying (or watching movies). They have funky flavors like chicken & waffles or red velvet. So, so good.
   Cost: $1.30 per cookie but they have deals on dozens or half dozens.
3. Peach Valley
   Two words: Sunday. Brunch. This place is the place to go. Let me just tell you, they have such good food. They have the best chicken & waffles EVER. So good. Wow. They also have lunch food, but honestly, it's the breakfast stuff you want. There's usually a long wait, especially on Sundays though, so be ready for that.
   Average meal cost: $9
4. Vello's
   This place actually is pretty expensive. However, if you need a place to go to dinner with your parents (to celebrate straight A's, or an A, or straight B's, or ANYTHING), this place is incredible. They have a grill and let me just tell you, the food coming off that grill is spectacular.
   Average meal cost: $30
5. The Flying Biscuit
   I couldn't resist putting another brunch place on here, sorry. Everything this place makes is homemade and oh so good. Have the grits and a biscuit. And other stuff, but those are must-tries. Their shrimp and grits is flawless too. Eat up.
   Average meal cost: $10

College Cooking Tips

So you're all moved in at school, you don't have a meal plan, and you also aren't 100% sure how to cook. Let's chat for a sec about how to avoid a) burning your kitchen down, b) making food that doesn't taste good, and c) living on Lean Cuisine and Chikfila for a year.

1. Plan your meals in advance.
   I'm not saying you need to schedule them down to the minute or anything, but at least have some idea of which days you want to eat out and which days you want to cook. If you leave it all up to chance, it's easy to get to December without ever cooking a meal.
   
2. Pick simple recipes at first.
   It's tempting, but don't make the first meal you cook by yourself fancy. Start out with something simpler, like spaghetti or burgers. Making familiar food is comforting, and also harder to mess up. As you learn your way around in the kitchen, you can make crazier stuff.
   
3. Find a friend to cook with.
   If you find someone who loves cooking AND knows what they're doing, you're golden. They'll teach you. If you find someone who also doesn't know what they're doing, that's okay too. You'll have an extra pair of hands, and a new friend. You can learn together.
   
4. Make a grocery list and STICK TO IT.
   This goes back to the meal planning thing. You should pick a recipe, and then figure out what you'll need to buy for it. Then make a list and buy those things....instead of five bags of chips that will go stale before you can get to them.
   
5. Get everything ready before you even turn on the stove.
   In my residence hall, the kitchen is on a different floor from my room. When I cook, I carry everything up before I start. You don't want to realize halfway through a recipe that you left the spatula in your room. It's inconvenient and unsafe.
   
6. Scale down recipes or make food for one.
   Your room isn't that big, so your mini fridge probably isn't either. You don't want to use that precious space for leftovers that you probably won't even eat. Either scale down your recipes or make ones that only have a serving or two.
   
7. Don't let it intimidate you.
   You've got this. I believe in you.

College Kitchen Essentials

So. You're all set to go to college, and you think you want to try your hand at the whole cooking thing. But you don't want to buy stuff you don't need, and you don't want to be halfway through a recipe and realize you don't have a piece of equipment you need. Let me help you figure out what to buy.

You simply must have mixing bowls. This is the Pyrex 8 Piece Mixing Bowl Set. They are $21.95 at Target. I like them because they come with little lids, which is helpful if you make something that needs to be refrigerated. The lids also tell you how much each bowl can hold, and that's nice to know when you're trying to pick which one to use.

Everyone needs a frying pan. I don't think you need a whole set, though. One is plenty and typically all you'll need for a recipe. I like this one, again from Target, for $15.

Measuring cups and spoons are also essential, and this set has everything you need. It's only $10 from Macy's, and I'm in love with the space saving design (dorms are not roomy) and the colors.

There are some kitchen utensils that you might not think of, but you almost definitely will need at some point. This set has all of them, including measuring cups and spoons. So if you weren't a fan of the ones above, here's another option. The whole set is $40 from (you guessed it...) Target.

You'll also want to have a pot set, or at least one "all purpose" pot. They come in handy for everything from pasta to hard boiled eggs.

You need at least one sharp knife and a cutting board, but I'm loving these which I've seen priced anywhere from $30-$60 online. THE COLORS THOUGH.

Those are all of your absolutely essential items. Good luck with your classes and your cooking!