Prom Food Review
Aside from picking out the perfect dress to wear, one of the hardest parts of Prom season is figuring out where to go for dinner.
Students traditionally frequent establishments like Blue Agave, The Cheesecake Factory, Hibachi, and Austin’s on Prom night.
But, what if there were other, less crowded restaurants that offered similar foods?
The Bacon and Angst crew went in search of such restaurants, trying some of the offerings from The Boot Grill and The Chocolate Cafe. Both are different than the normal Prom places, but offer similar foods, similar prices, and a unique atmosphere.
The Boot Grill
Of the two restaurants, The Boot Grill seemed like less of a “Prom place” from an outside perspective–and rightly so.
The Boot offers American-style food coupled with plenty of CSU paraphernalia and a Western, country feel.
The Boot Grill is not right for Prom as soon as you walk in the door. Everything downstairs is CSU-oriented, which makes sense, given the fact that it shares an entrance with the CSU Bookstore. The seating area is better, but still has too much of a sports bar/ Western vibe to be a formal enough place to spend Prom night.
The menu also does not offer foods that would generally be eaten before Prom. Don’t get me wrong, the Zesty Parmesan Chicken Sandwich was pretty good, but that was one of the lighter choices on the menu. On the other hand, the nachos didn’t live up to what the chicken sandwich delivered. Cheese sprinkled on some burnt tortilla chips with weird toppings are not my kind of nacho.
Money-wise, the restaurant sits on more of the average side. The majority of the menu was around $8-$10. For a sit-down place, the prices were decent; but the smaller menu and inconsistent flavors make cheap dining difficult here. While some of the menu items were definitely worth their price, others, like the nachos, were too expensive based on the quality of the food.
Overall, The Boot Grill is not a place I would recommend for Prom or other fancy occasions. However, knowing that The Boot often offers special country-music nights sort of redeems the restaurant–for other occasions. You just have to enjoy country music and American food to appreciate the restaurant.
The Chocolate Cafe
The Chocolate Cafe offers the perfect Prom atmosphere, if there is such a thing.
With a lighter–and more dessert-focused–menu, French decor, and relatively expensive pricing, it definitely takes the win over The Boot.
The Chocolate Cafe offers a more sophisticated setting, with classical music and intimate seating. The location can border on the “feeling like you have to whisper otherwise it’s disruptive” side, but that’s more Prom appropriate.
Seating arrangements do not help the feeling either; the storefront is pretty small yet manages to fit 44 seats inside. Still, it offers an atmosphere that is closely associated with Prom.
The menu is what really distinguishes The Chocolate Cafe. Although it is more dessert-oriented, entree and appetizers are still offered–and are delicious. The tomato soup and spinach artichoke dip, along with being lighter fare, were very good. The serving sizes on both were also relatively large. The panini, on the other hand, was smaller than expected and tasted a little more average.
In terms of dessert, there’s a reason it’s called The Chocolate Cafe. The Black and White Cheesecake was good, and the Chocolate Creme Brulee made me want to eat creme brulee more often.
Price-wise, The Chocolate Cafe is a fairly expensive restaurant. Three meals and three desserts cost the Bacon and Angst crew just under $50. Considering the quality of the food, that’s an amount I’d willingly dish out again.
The Chocolate Cafe is a restaurant that should top the go-to list for Prom night. With the right atmosphere, a light and delicious meal, and close proximity to the Lincoln Center, it’s not too hard to see why. It is also a place that offers good meals outside of Prom night, like brunches or birthday desserts.
Callin Naddy is a senior at Rocky. She runs on the cross country and track teams and is involved in Student Council. Callin also enjoys eating desserts,...
Elizabeth Miller is a junior this year. She enjoys creating short films, writing, and being creative. She wishes to pursue a career in film and fashion....
