Every year the question around school is “what’s the best place for lunch?” and that’s what we are going to be finding out today. As there are many varieties of lunch places around Cresskill like Rays, CuLatte, Jersey Mikes, and many more. There are also strong competitors to consider around us in Closter, Demarest, Dumont, Bergenfield, and more. Since our school allows all grades in the highschool to have an open campus, today I will be interviewing 4 students from each grade at the highschool and rank each place. 

DANTES:

First, I interviewed freshman Hannah Herman, and her favorite place to go to lunch is Dantes in Cresskill.Dantes is an Italian place in town which has foods like pizza, pasta, salad, and more. Hannah says “It has a variety of food that you can choose from and you don’t have to wait that long to get it” which is a big part in the decision our cresskill students have to make on where to go to lunch everyday. Will we have enough time to get to this place, eat our food and come back before the bell rings? A restaurant like Dantes is very convenient with a variety of food and fast service. “A lot of people usually go there, usually freshman or sophomore. It’s not the best place but it’s the most efficient and affordable” Hannah says as she talks about the usual audience at Dantes. While Dantes may not be the best place to go to, it gets points for its convenience and affordability and its overall ranking is 6.5/10. 

CuLatte:

Next, I interviewed sophomore Elaine Kim. Her favorite place to go to lunch is CuLatte. CuLatte is a cafe in Cresskill which serves crepes, panines, frappes, and more. Elaine says “I think this place sells food that other places don’t sell like crepes. It’s also a comforting place to be.” While other places in Cresskill are more savory, selling pizza and bagels, you can always have CuLatte as an option when you want something sweet. “While CuLatte is a bit on the pricey side which can be the cause to a smaller audience” Elaine says. On the other hand, CuLatte is always consistent with their food which gives them bonus points. The homelike feeling CuLatte brings, the crepes, service, and convenience brings their overall rating and 7/10. 

Chipotle :

For my third interview, I interviewed junior Aya Catran. Her favorite place to go to lunch is Chipotle in Closter Plaza. Closter Plaza is about a 5 min drive from the highschool and has a variety of chain food options like Chipotle, Starbucks, Burger King, Rudys, and many more. “I like Chipotle because the workers give a lot of food and I love Mexican food” Aya says. Her order is “a bowl with white rice, no beans , chicken, corn, sour cream cheese, guacamole, lettuce, vinaigrette, and a tortilla on the side” so be sure to try that if you wanna go! Usually the people who go to chipotle are upperclassmen since it’s harder to get to when you do not know kids who drive. However, it’s easily accessible to the older kids and a good place for a lot of them. On the other hand, Chipotle isn’t always consistent “the chicken isn’t always juicy and sometimes it’s burnt, and sometimes the guac is brown,” these concerns along with the high price makes Chipotle overall a 7/10. 

Whole Foods:

For my final interview, I interviewed Class Vice President Erin Park. Her favorite place to go to lunch is Whole foods. Whole Foods is located in the Closter plaza along with Chipotle. “Some people see Whole Foods as just a grocery store,” Erin says, “so it doesn’t attract a very big audience from Cresskill but from surrounding towns there’s a lot of people.” “There’s a huge variety of food, for example the hot bar, soup bar, sushi, pizza, sandwiches, ramen, salad bar, and many sweet treats you can buy. Maybe you will even see Ms. Dacey.” she says. There are many things that Whole Foods has to offer and they are ALWAYS consistent. Every time you go you know you will enjoy! The cost at Whole Foods is based on weight but on average you spend around 10 dollars. Erin says “I don’t think that they have any flaws.” All things considered whole foods are 9/10.

In conclusion, the search for the best lunch spot in Cresskill and surrounding areas reveal a diverse amount of options each catering to different tastes and preferences. From the convenience of Dantes for quick service and CuLatte offering a comforting atmosphere and sweet treats. It’s clear that students appreciate a variety of lunch choices. Upperclassmen lead towards the Closter plaza. Juniors lead towards Chipotle for the flavorful Mexican food despite inconsistencies. Whole Foods stands out for its amazing variety of food. Overall the best lunch spot varies from student to student shaped on their budget, taste, and time schedule. With the open campus privileges Cresskill High School offers, students are allowed to have exposure to all the restaurants surrounding towns have to offer!