By Paula Paredes
Another year at McDaniel has started, but this time in collective dread as the terrible news of Find Food’s closure hit students hard. The beloved (hole in the wall) window restaurant left inexplicably with, as the only explanation, a red and sad ‘Kiadó’ (to rent) sign on its façade. As students texted each other frantically, I soon discovered the queue standing outside a, usually abandoned, vitrine.
The two typical options in front of the veterinary school have always been the organic, British, Goat Herder café or the window canteen, FindFood. Whereas the Goat Herder always had food of fantastic quality, their choice was never near as broad as FindFood’s daily/weekly menu filled with warm, fresh, and healthy food options. Having to find a new place to have lunch between classes, I ventured past FindFood’s deserted shop, never thinking I would find a new opening in this 7th district street!
To our pleasant surprise, Dolce Fantasia Gelateria Italiana is trying to pick up FindFood’s loyal and neglected customers. Some students had detected a new ice-cream shop developing at the end of last semester, not thinking they would have flourished into a fully-grown café by September. The vibes coming out of this new window are unbelievably vivid as the Italian voices, mixed with the mouth-watering smell of tomato sauce and freshly baked bread, fill the surrounding of their ever full door.
I curiously tried to make my way inside Dolce Fantasia in order to check what all the commotion was about; only finding myself even more welcomed by the physical warmth of the Italian place. Students were frantically trying to buy the little stock they had left, pushing each other and eyeing the two last sandwiches behind the glass window. The shop’s supply, being relatively new, was not ready for the first day of McDaniel and Vet students; a problem they have now remedied.
The selection of food they have is rather limited and does not change every day, for now. Their most prised items are their fantastic sandwiches that can be found with a variety of Italian inspired garnishes. What pleasantly surprised me was the fact that their bread is freshly taken out of the oven in order to be garnished with a selection of Italian products such as ham, tomatoes, pesto or even mozzarella. It is very rare to find cafes that make their own bread but I can definitely assure you that it makes all the difference! The crunchy part of the top knows how to go hand in hand with the fresh softness of the inside, coupled with the homemade garnish, the whole forming a colossal sandwich for half the price than those at the Goat Herder.
The prices of Dolce Fantasia is what surprised me the most, as for just a little over HUF 1000, one can buy an extremely big sandwich that will take him/her at least 15 minutes to eat. The Goat Herder on the other hand, has over priced rolls and sandwiches that do not satisfy your hungry stomach. The selection of this new Italian Café is based on daily and freshly homemade pasta and lasagne, a variety of vegetarian and meat sandwiches, as well as a broad selection of Italian cakes and homemade ice-creams.
FindFood having to be replaced, I do not doubt that in the very near future they will be able to find ways to provide more gluten-free, vegetarian, or lactose-free options as well as broaden their menu or make it possible for people who come later in the lunch break to enjoy their prised warm food options.
Address:
Budapest, István u. 5, 1078
06 20 919 3509
