Julia Garrison
News Editor
Every year, I find myself more excited than ever for Lowry’s culinary lollapalooza: the Harvest Feast, where Lowry Dining Center serves a Thanksgiving meal the Thursday before actual Thanksgiving. I rallied the troops, made sure my friends knew that the Globe and the Kitchen Table stations were serving the same exact meal and came early to get a table.
My only question was: where was the cranberry sauce? I searched high and low and there was none. While I was not personally devastated, I know others who were. I expect a formal response—in the form of a letter to the editor to the Voice staff—to address this issue.
The ambiance: Lowry ambience is shoddy at best, but I enjoyed the decor at the feast—which included full decorative roasted turkeys. The assortment of rolls, shaped into a ‘mountain,’ always makes me feel like I’m living lavishly. I cannot help but mention the absolute horror of the sun setting at 5 p.m. and having the fluorescent lights at full blast in the seating areas, though. I wish they were on a timer to dim as the day progresses and we lose natural light.
The turkey and ham: If you love sodium, this is the meal for you. I should start with the fact that I thought the turkey and ham were delicious and I am grateful that this meal exists. I just felt that the turkey and ham were very salty when paired with the gravy.
The classic sides: Lowry had all the classic sides—stuffing (or dressing), candied yams, cornbread, gravy, macaroni and cheese and mashed potatoes. The mashed potatoes and stuffing really went above and beyond, but the macaroni and cheese fell short of my expectations. I am a big yam and sweet potato fiend, which makes Thanksgiving a no-brainer for being one of my all-time favorite holidays. I felt like these candied yams were super sweet but when forked with a bit of stuffing or turkey, it all balanced out. Overall, I felt like the sides were very impressive, especially the stuffing.
Bread: I really enjoy the bread rolls that have been offered at Soup and Bread, but overall it is hard to beat a warm dinner roll fresh from the oven. I felt like the bread met the mark but did not exceed expectations.
Vegetarian options: My friend Aliza Sosin ’25 sat with me and offered her thoughts on the mushroom stuffed with stuffing. While I am not vegetarian, I do agree with her assessment of the mushroom: you really have to be in the mood for a mushroom to want to eat a mushroom filled with stuffing.
Desserts: I had never had sweet potato pie before I came to Wooster and my world has been changed. I remember when I ate my first slice of sweet potato pie in old Lowry—I was hooked. I’ve always enjoyed their sweet potato pie, but the crust leaves something to be desired. Viewpoints editor Zach Perrier ’25 and my fellow news editor Gianna Hayes ’26 gave glowing reviews of the pumpkin pie—and Perrier said that the abundance of whipped cream should occur more often in the dining hall.
With all of this in mind, here are my final scores:
- Turkey: 4.5/5
- Ham: 4/5
- Stuffing: 5/5
- Candied yams: 4/5
- Green bean casserole: 2/5
- Macaroni and cheese: 3/5
- Mashed potatoes: 5/5
- Cornbread: 3/5
- Winter root vegetables: 3/5
- Gravy: 4/5 (it’s gravy)
- Bread: 3.5/5
- Sweet potato pie: 4/5
- Pumpkin pie: 4/5
