Colgate, and the surrounding village of Hamilton, is home to diverse and plentiful food options.

On campus, Curtiss E. Frank Dining Hall is the primary source of food for incoming first-year students. Frank, located between Curtis Hall and Stillman Hall, is the main dining hall for Colgate University, and the first-year dining plan allows unlimited access there. According to junior Susan Anderson, the diversity and convenience of Frank make it extremely popular for dining between classes and other activities on the hill.

The O’Connor Campus Center (Coop) offers diverse food options a la carte, ranging from wraps to Mongolian barbeque. The Coop offers dining in a relaxed and comfortable environment. Dining there is permitted up to 45 times per semester with the first-year dining plan. The Coop’s location, between Andrews Hall and Gate House, lends itself to convenient dining, although there is also a downside to this fact.

“The Coop has really long lines and you can never get out of there on time,” Anderson said.

A new and promising dining option for this year is the renovated and transformed Cutting Edge Bistro – formerly the Edge Caf?e. Part of Bryan Hall, the Edge has become a restaurant completely different from its former self, complete with a wait staff, an electronic ordering system, extensive sound system and those vibrating coasters that are restaurant staples.

“The Edge before was a dining hall,” Operations Director for Sodhexo Food Services Phil Sweeney, who designed the rebirth of the Edge, said. “The Edge now is a restaurant. It’s as good as any restaurant in the area…Everybody’s been wowed by it [in trial reviews].”

The menu features fine dishes such as Thai Cucumber Salad, Chicken Breast Sorrento, and raspberry cream puffs.

“Right now, [the menu is] eclectic,” Sweeney said. Menu items are expected to change periodically.

In the town of Hamilton, dining options range from subs to sushi, and more than ten restaurants are well within walking distance.

New York Pizzeria, popularly known as “Slices,” Oliveri’s Pizzeria and Pizza Place, all of which take ‘Gate Card, are three local pizza options in Hamilton. At New York Pizzeria, where “Slices come plain only,” cheese is the most popular option. A Colgate staple since 1977, the restaurant delivers from 8:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. daily, but is most popular around midnight on weekends.

At Oliveri’s, employee Bill Pond estimates that they sell students more pepperoni pizza than anything else.

A newcomer to the Hamilton pizza business, Pizza Place opened last April and specializes in “Super Pies,” 24-inch pizzas that exceed the typical 12 to 16 inch pizza size. Pizza Place’s late hours begin this Friday, under which deliveries are made until 1:30 a.m. on weeknights and 2:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday nights.

“The new pizza place – fascinatingly named the Pizza Place – is actually good,” Anderson said.

Local breakfast options include Bagel Grove, which shares a building with Subway, and Hideaway Caf?e, located in the back of Parry’s Hardware Store. Bagel Grove opens at 7:00 a.m. and usually closes between 7:00 and 8:00 p.m. Bagel Grove features locally made bagels that are delivered each morning. Hideaway is open from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, but is closed on Monday. Hideaway is also open early Saturday mornings, from 1:00 a.m. to 4:00 a.m., offering a rare and appreciated late-night option for Friday nights.

The Colgate-owned Barge Canal Coffee Co. offers a typical coffee shop menu, accompanied by weeknight entertainment. Creative sweets such as vegan half-moon cookies and Melica Mocha Crunch Cookies are especially popular. The Barge also frequently hosts live music on Saturday evenings and accepts ‘Gate Cards.

More traditional dining options are available at restaurants such as Nichols & Beal and Numero Uno’s Fine Italian and Greek Dining.

“We’re American cuisine,” Nichols & Beal General Manger Tucker Ray said. Especially popular are the appetizers such as chicken wings in signature Raider Sauce.

The Colgate Inn offers three dining rooms during the school year. The Green Room serves traditional fare in a quiet and elegant setting. The Tap Room serves similar food in a more casual environment. Lastly, The Rathskellar, located in the Inn’s basement, provides entertainment on weekday nights in addition to appetizers and basket meals. The Inn hosts the Mark Shiner Jazz Trio, headed by University Chaplain and Catholic Campus Minister Mark Shiner, on Tuesdays, trivia contests on Wednesdays and open mic nights on Thursdays.

“[The Colgate Inn] has awesome choices that change daily,” Anderson said. “For example, a few weeks ago I tried antelope.”