The destination eatery

W henever someone asks me if whether I go to Penn or Penn State, I always tell them that I go to the school without the Creamery I have never been to Penn State. In fact, I really don't ever plan to venture to State College, Pa. But I know about the University Creamery just the same.

Every time someone talks to me about Penn State, they inevitably bring up the famous campus ice cream shop. Founded in 1896, the Creamery is known for its long list of ice cream flavors (110 to be exact) and its even longer lines of hungry patrons.

It seems that every school has one of these tradition-filled campus eateries -- a place that students go to on a regular basis. Every school, that is, except Penn.

Traditional eateries are more than just cheap places to eat. They are a vital part of the branding of a college campus. Universities want prospective students and faculty members to step into these restaurants and immediately get a sense of what that particular school is like, as opposed to any other college campus. Universities want alumni to come back to campus, return to the traditional hangout and, due to the great sense of nostalgia, give money to the school.

It seems bizarre that a school as old as Penn lacks a place where generations of students have gone for a late-night snack or a quick lunch. Our Ivy League peers definitely have their own destination eateries. Yale has the Educated Burgher. With colonial maps and old books gracing its walls, you can't help but feel the burger joint's great sense of tradition. Any Princeton student will tell you to eat at Hoagie Haven when visiting. You'll probably see George and Emily Roussos behind the counter -- they started working there in 1976.

The closest Penn comes to such a hangout is Smokey Joe's, which has been around since 1933 -- starting on 36th Street and finally winding up on 40th Street. Indeed, this place is full of tradition. "This is the University of Pennsylvania, known for the Wharton School, Franklin Field, and the Palestra ... and Smokey Joe's, not necessarily in order of importance," wrote The New York Times in 1979. "There are 16 institutions of higher learning at the University of Pennsylvania -- 17 if you include Smokey Joe's," President Gerald Ford said at commencement in 1975. But while Smoke's is open for lunch, today it is known to students as simply a bar -- only frequented by those over 21 or with a good fake ID.

At least the University has allowed Smoke's to stay on campus. They weren't as friendly to another campus hangout, the Palladium, which was kicked off of Locust Walk in 2003. The sight of Penn students eating and drinking outside on a warm spring day provided all who walked by the Gothic building with a sense of tradition and school pride. But, hey, the school has made excellent use of the space. You can't argue with a big, empty room.

Sure, Penn has brought other unique restaurants to campus. Pod is an eating experience unlike any other, with its Pokemon-meets-Andy Warhol interior. White Dog is also a top-rated on-campus restaurant. Its quaint rowhouse decor makes it unique, as does its organic-friendly menu. But both of these restaurants are just too expensive for students to visit frequently. They are more appropriate for special occasions than frequent dining.

And the University seems unwilling to develop a destination eatery, as it brings more and more dime-a-dozen chain restaurants to campus. A trip to Qdoba or Au Bon Pain at Penn feels no different than a trip to the same stores at my local mall. Cereality has been getting a lot of attention, but it won't be that special once it pops up on every other college campus in the country. For a school like Penn that lacks dining options, franchises are quick and easy answers.

What the school should be doing is encouraging independent retail to open stores on campus. The Greek Lady, which made the move from food truck to restaurant this fall, is one place that is well on its way to becoming Penn's destination eatery. It's affordable, open late, delicious, clean and -- most importantly -- unique to Penn. While independent restaurants take more work than chains, the return is well worth the effort. In just its first year, the Greek Lady is already the campus eatery of choice for the majority of students.

Penn should continue to pursue independent places to eat. Then maybe one day, I'll be able to tell people that I go to the school with the Greek Lady.

David Burrick is a junior urban studies major from Short Hills, N.J., and executive editor of The Daily Pennsylvanian. Camp David appears on alternate Thursdays.

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