If you asked me to name the best thing to happen to Bucknell’s dining last year, I’d answer without hesitation: Bada Basil. This pop-up pasta stand in the Bison was such a good food experience, especially for college dining standards. The joy of watching your pasta cooked right in front of you, the freedom to customize with fresh ingredients and the rotating selection of vegetables and sauces made it one of the best options at the Bison, even worth the long wait at times. Bada Basil offered a rare blend of quality, variety and personalization, standing out from the usual campus options. Yet, with the arrival of a new dining vendor, Bada Basil has disappeared, leaving me wondering—why, and how can we bring it back?
The allure of Bada Basil was simple but effective: it gave students control over their meals in a way that was fresh, fast and delicious. Every day, you could choose from an assortment of vegetables and pair them with one of four unique sauces, including the much-missed spicy diavolo and creamy Alfredo. Watching it all come together right in front of you added a layer of transparency and freshness, setting it apart from other campus food options that, let’s face it, sometimes feel a little too prepackaged or uninspired.
This semester, however, the new pasta option is Ciao Bella, an Italian-style option that, while promising in name, falls short in execution. Ciao Bella’s pasta offerings lack the customization that made Bada Basil so popular, with only basic sauce options and no daily variety. The pasta itself feels a bit, well, meh. It’s frustrating to go from having an interactive, customizable meal to one that feels like a mass-produced compromise. For students used to Bada Basil’s choice, Ciao Bella feels less like a meal and more like a missed opportunity. I will say, however, their customizable flatbreads are delicious and really make it so that students can mix and match new combinations of ingredients.
This switch isn’t just about pasta—it hints at a larger issue in Bucknell’s current dining setup. The Bison no longer offers daily specials, which means the menu remains static day after day. Sure, a few of the items are solid, but when it’s the same selection week in and week out, even the best options get old fast. The predictability makes it harder for students to look forward to meals and the lack of change has led many of us to fall into a state of repetition, ordering the same thing until even our favorites feel bland.
The elimination of Bada Basil might be a sign that our new dining vendor doesn’t fully understand what students value most in campus food—freshness, variety and choice. This change could have been an opportunity to evolve the pop-up into something even better, with more ingredients, new sauces or extended hours. Instead, it feels like we’ve taken a step backward in terms of quality and innovation.
Food shouldn’t just be about sustenance. It’s one of the central parts of student life, impacting both our daily routines and social interactions. Having unique, customizable options like Bada Basil was always great for my routine and it encouraged me to interact with the food I was eating. Plus, it set a standard that Bucknell could proudly showcase as a step above your average college dining experience.
So, here’s my ask to Bucknell Dining: bring back Bada Basil. Whether it’s through a pop-up or a permanent place in the Bison, we need customizable pasta with fresh options and rotating sauces back in our lives. And while you’re at it, consider introducing more daily specials. Break up the routine, surprise us with new items and let us experience the best of what campus dining can offer. There’s no reason to settle for a repetitive menu, although it’s understandable that dining may still be working things out and adjusting to the menu.
Food should be exciting, not just functional. Bringing back Bada Basil would show that Bucknell Dining is listening to students and is committed to creating an environment where we’re happy to eat on campus. After all, the best memories are made over a meal worth remembering.
