We talked to three Ryerson members about food on campus.
Pegah Abhari
Pegah Abhari, a second-year masters of urban development student, said that she enjoys the Pitman Hall cafeteria at Ryerson the most. Abhari has a dietary restraint towards gluten, called celiac disease. She said that it can be difficult for her to find places to eat because of her intolerance, but Ryerson’s accommodations make it easy for her to eat on campus.
“The cafe has a lot of homemade, fresh food so I feel comfortable eating there,” said Abhari. “Oakham Cafe is also great for me because the breakfast menu is gluten-free.”
She said that she would like to see more Ryerson fast-food places as opposed to the restaurant sit-down places, because it is more convenient and less time consuming.
“I probably eat at the Ryerson cafeterias once every two weeks because it’s easier to grab something at a fast food joint and just go, so that could be an improvement,” said Abhari.
Aidan Oliver
Aidan Oliver, a fifth-year professional communication student, started working at Ram in the Rye at the end of September. Oliver said he enjoys working there because of the positive working environment.
“It’s a lot better than other bars because everyone’s very supportive and encouraging and it feels like a really nice space,” said Oliver.
He said that because the café and pub is student run and situated in an academic environment, the experience is more positive.
Oliver said the pub food is fantastic and mostly enjoys the salads, specifically the Oakham salad, which changes every week.
“The [salad] that we just had was kale, apple, and it had this really nice dressing with a lot of sesame seeds and raisins. [The Ram in the Rye] has a lot of variety,” said Oliver.
Rita Ortino
Rita Ortino began working for Ryerson Eats in 1983 as a young mother who wanted summers off. After more than 30 years of experience of serving food at Ryerson, Ortino says she feels Ryerson offers a wide variety of food.
Ortino recommends purchasing the full breakfast at Pitman Hall because it is a “good price for the amount of food you get.” She also recommends the soup because it is fresh and made daily.
“My favourite part about working here is seeing young kids all the time. They’re nice! I’ve never had a problem with any of them. I like my job,” said Ortino.
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