I began writing food reviews in August of 2022 as a picky eater. I’m still a picky eater, but I’ve expanded my palette a little bit. The past four years have gone quickly, like so many have said, and something I know I’ll miss 50 years in the future will be my stint as an unqualified food reviewer. Often, as I look back at the past two years, I timeline my life based on the restaurants I went to. Significant milestones of my high school career have surrounded my visits to the various restaurants I reviewed. For my last review, I’ve known what I wanted to do for some time. The great Luke “Lou” Eriksen, who preceded me as the food columnist, chose to review his mother’s food as his final review. I love my mom and her food, but I choose to continue the theme of sentimentality and review the food of our great school, Upper Arlington High School.

Before I talk about anything, I believe I need to thank three women whom we all interact with every day at lunch: Denise Mora, Amy Anderson, and Sarah Crommers. Each of the three of them successfully foster a welcoming community both in the sub shop upstairs and the main cafeteria downstairs. Whenever I see any of the three of them, I know not only that I am guaranteed great food, but that I will walk away from our interaction with a smile on my face and hopefully one on theirs as well. So thank you.

We genuinely have great food at our school, and we are fortunate to have fresh, different options served daily. It pains me a little when people hate on the school food because it is crucial for us to understand how fortunate we are in this community. There’s so much to choose from at our school that I can’t narrow my favorite meal down to just one; I have two. The first is the “Asian Bowl” served at the International Bar in the downstairs Bear Hub. Rice, steak, and carrots all drowning in hot yum yum sauce with a side of potato wedges, a green apple, and two fruit punch juice boxes. I believe it’s only offered once or twice a month. The second is a full, 12-inch sub from the upstairs Bear Bites Deli (subs) with turkey, provolone cheese, spinach, onions, and the fabled UA sauce. This sub is my signature food. My first day of sophomore year, which was the first day at the new school building, I got this exact sub. Other than a few freak occurrences, I haven’t changed since. I don’t go every day, but when I do, this is what I get. Among the gracious women who work the sub shop, this sandwich has a name: the “Aretha Franklin.” If you don’t know who she is, you need to learn a bit of respect for the Queen of Soul.

The pizza downstairs, run by the great Amy Anderson, is great every day. I especially like the barbecue chicken pizza or the cheese with a bit of garlic seasoning. The Mexican bar is also a daily favorite, as well as the salads and sandwiches in the fridges to the left. The chicken sandwiches and burgers that are wrapped in the colored foil is always a safe option, as well as the paninis and different selection of entrees to the right. I love the rotating selection of sides like the potato wedges, tater tots, waffle fries, and, of course, the baked potato. The baked potato, wrapped cleanly in foil, is one of the most underrated food items offered at the school. Unwrap it, cut it in half, and put a little cup of butter that is offered next to it and you are in for the ride of your life. That being said, one of the most overrated food items are the soggy Bosco sticks. No hate to those who like them, but if you are getting a Bosco stick as your main entree, there is something wrong with you. The rotating selection at the International Bar at the right side in the back is also great food. The Asian bowl and Mediterranean Bowl are, in my opinion, rivals for first place. The mac and cheese bowl, breakfast bowl, and chicken wings are all great options. The day before Thanksgiving break, there were mashed potatoes, gravy, and a hefty amount of turkey. 

This is what I mean when I say that we are fortunate and we are lucky to be living the lives that we are. I’ve written a full-length story about the food options at our school, and yet I know that I’ve left out quite a few. But I ask all of us, definitely myself included, to take this mindset of appreciating what we have as we go on with our lives. Whether you’re a senior graduating this year or a baby-faced freshman, we can all lead better lives if we’re grateful for what we have. The past four years at this school have been interesting. Of course, there have been bad times, but there certainly were amazing times and amazing people that I will continue to cherish for the rest of my life. The memories I made writing these reviews are one of them. I had some fun, and I hope that whoever continues writing these reviews will bring their own personal spin to it and make it theirs. So, for my final decision, Upper Arlington High School is Ali Approved. Thank you.