Which dining hall on campus is best remains a contentious question for many students at Brown. A new challenge by Beli, a social restaurant recommendation platform, may provide insight into which dining hall can take the title of most-loved on College Hill.
The Beli Dining Hall of Fame allows students to rank four of the University’s main dining halls: the Sharpe Refectory, Andrews Commons, Josiah’s and Verney-Woolley Dining Hall. So far, 53 students have ranked the dining halls, putting Andrews in the lead.
Co-founders Elliot Frost and Judy Thelen created Beli in part to build a space for college students to explore nearby restaurants and appreciate communal dining.
“One of the first communities we saw (Beli) resonate with was college communities,” Thelen said. According to Frost, the joy of a shared meal is at the core of Beli.
According to current rankings on the app, Andrews holds first place among Brown dining halls, followed by Jo’s, V-Dub and the Ratty. This list leaves out three of the University’s seven dining options: the Ivy Room, Blue Room and the School of Engineering cafe.
George Barboza, vice president for dining programs at Brown, wrote in an email to The Herald that the University had no role in adding these four dining halls to Beli’s challenge, but emphasized that Brown Dining Services is always taking student feedback into consideration.
“We now have a dedicated member of the team who will review the rankings and meet with the larger team to share the results,” Barboza added.
Beli’s co-founders were pleasantly surprised with Brown students’ presence on Beli and insight into Providence’s local food scene. The University ranks among the top 20 nationally for student engagement on Beli, according to Thelen. New York University ranks first.
“Brown crushes it, like absolutely crushes it,” Thelen said.
Anne Antonietti ’27 was first introduced to Beli by Maya Varma-Wilson ’27. As a pair of self-proclaimed foodies, Antonietti and Varma-Wilson frequently used Beli while studying abroad, Antonietti said.
Varma-Wilson added that meals at the University’s dining halls are “such a good place for community,” serving as a consistent avenue to foster new friendships.
Antonietti, who chose Andrews as her favorite dining hall, said she considered how frequently she would visit each dining hall and how much she enjoyed its food when completing the rankings.
“I feel like I can pretty consistently go there for lunch if I want a salad or sandwich or any of their weekly lunch bowls,” she said.
Derrick Han ’29, whose favorite dining hall is Jo’s, said he loves it because he loves their grilled cheese.
“Personally, I hate V-Dub’s aesthetic,” Han said. “Ratty, I think the old tables were nice. Andrews, they got to get more in the rotation. And Jo’s is chill.”
Ivan Outkine ’29 ranked the Ratty number one because of the fun events it hosts, he said.
Antonietti reflected fondly on the role of dining halls during her time as an underclassman, as she would often “end up having an unexpected or unplanned dinner” with new people at the Ratty.
Now a senior, Antonietti has to be more deliberate when dining with friends, but she noted that using Beli to explore new spots in Providence and Rhode Island in general is an upside to being off of the meal plan. Antonietti often consults her friends’ reviews on the app prior to choosing a restaurant.
Beli has many new features currently in the works, Frost and Thelen shared. These new additions to Beli’s platform will create more opportunities for students at Brown to share their opinions on nearby food, coffee, desserts and more, further cultivating a food-centered community.
