By: Julie Woodson and Abby Truitt, Contributing Writers; Kelsey Aylor, Co-Editor-in-Chief

Students, both returning and new, anticipated the changes made to Wofford’s food services with the introduction of AVI over the summer. Burwell, a buffet-style cafeteria, has changed significantly. Frequently referred to as “Burhell” by students in the past, many refused to eat there for the lack of fresh, healthy and good food. However, AVI has introduced major changes that have greatly improved the food quality at Burwell, making us want to eat there. Below are some of the dishes we’ve had so far that we would recommend to others.

Black Bean Tostada

Made in the Fusion bar, the black bean tostada provides a tasty and healthy meal for both meat-lovers and vegetarians alike. It featured black beans, salsa, cheese and a cilantro drizzle all layered on top of a crispy corn tortilla. The ingredients were fresh and flavorful and it was a very filling meal that I never would have been able to have at the old Burwell.

Shrimp Alfredo Pasta

At the old Burwell, we would have never touched any sort of shrimp dish. But this time around, we watched the chef cook the shrimp, check the temperature and change gloves in between preparation. The increased transparency in the food preparation is very reassuring and we love knowing that the food has been made fresh and will be warm when we eat it. The pasta was also delicious!

Cupcakes

After five minutes of arguing over the appropriate terminology of what to call these cupcakes, we still could not decide what was a more accurate description. You’ll have to try the cupcakes yourselves and let us know whether the fluffiness is more like a cloud or a pillow. Plus they’re more Instagram-worthy. Rumor has it one of the new chefs with AVI won Cupcake Wars, and we believe it.

Pizza

AVI has been advertising that they make their own pizza dough and pizza sauce, and the homemade efforts have made vast improvements. There’s so much more variety in pizzas—it’s no longer just cheese or pepperoni, but now buffalo chicken, steak and even dessert pizzas. Like the other items mentioned in this list, the pizza tastes fresh and more authentic, not just like a frozen meal.

All in all, we are ecstatic with the changes that offer fresher, healthier and more diverse options. Eat well. Live well. B-well.