A must for dining at Mi Tierra are the batidos, or fruit shakes. Tropical fruits such as papaya, passion fruit or guava are blended with milk or water and served up in fountain glasses. The cold, slightly acidic tang of a passion fruit shake is the perfect foil to a platter of crunchy fried pork chops and starchy yucca.

Finally, I have not found a more substantial breakfast than the desayuno montanero at Mi Tierra. After this "mountaineer's breakfast" of rice and beans, plantains and a steak topped with a fried egg, the only place I'm ready to climb is back into bed-in a good way.

At New College, if pizza wasn't the free lure of choice at a student function, there was a good chance that Sahara's food was-and for good reason. If you're a vegetarian, or if blood sausage just isn't your thing, this Middle Eastern deli might be more your speed. Meatless staples such as hummus, tabbouleh, stuffed grape leaves and falafel are favorites. The vegetarian sampler includes all of these, plus Sahara's freshly baked pita bread, for around $5. If you want to pick and choose, each of these items, as well as sides such as baba ghanouj, Kalamata olives, and labneh (drained yogurt with spices) are available à la carte for $2 to $3.

There are also plenty of options for the omnivorous, such as gyros (pita bread wrapped around shaved beef and lamb, crisp vegetables, yogurt sauce, and creamy, salty feta cheese) and kibbeh-Lebanese-style croquettes of ground beef, cracked wheat, pine nuts and spices. If you're hungry, most items at Sahara are available as part of a platter, which comes with hummus or baba ghanouj, tabbouleh or Greek salad, and pita. All are roughly $5 to $7.

For dessert, there's baklava-flaky phyllo dough layered with pistachios and honey. At $1 each, why not?

For those looking to do some Middle Eastern cooking at home, Sahara has a small deli case with a variety of olives and cheeses. You'll also find bulk spices and teas, plus other flavorings such as pomegranate syrup and rose water.

As with Yoder's, Sahara closes early; so, if you're looking to get your falafel on, you'd better get there before 8 p.m.

Just down the road from Sahara, sharing a plaza with a post office and a wig shop, is Kazu's, a sushi restaurant and "Asian bistro." If you blink, you might miss it; in fact, the first time I tried to go there, I did. While the term "Asian bistro" may conjure images of completely fusion-based fare, traditional Japanese cuisine seems to be at the heart of Kazu's menu. Large glasses of fragrant green tea, plump, crispy dumplings (gyoza) and warm soybeans (edamame) are all excellent and inexpensive ways to begin a meal. If you have to choose one appetizer, though, it should be Kazu's agedashi tofu. Large cubes of locally produced tofu are lightly deep fried, dressed with a soy and sesame sauce and topped with slivered scallions. The deep-frying leaves only a whisper of a crust, and the tofu yields easily to the pressure of a chopstick. The texture is light and custard-like, with distinct curds that resemble very tender scrambled eggs.

While cheap sushi doesn't always have the greatest connotations, Kazu's sushi is fresh tasting, skillfully prepared and inexpensive. There are over 20 rolls for under $5, as well as several pieces of sushi and sashimi ranging from $1.50 to $4.

Another Kazu's dish that's not to be missed is the miso soup noodle bowl-a gentle broth of miso, spiked with ginger, and rich with buckwheat noodles, fresh vegetables, tofu and crispy tempura chips. For around $9, this ample bowl makes a light yet satisfying dinner.

One final thing to keep in mind: Kazu's has fewer than 10 tables. This makes for both an intimate setting and a good chance of waiting for a table. Ultimately, the small space is a plus, as the attentive staff is never too far away; as a result, patrons are well taken care of. Still, if you don't want to wait, Kazu's encourages people to call or fax in advance and simply pick up their orders.

When we wanted to get out for a bite and still feel like we hadn't left the campus, we'd head to the Brownstone Café. Incense wafts around the ceiling, the lava lamp gurgles behind the bar and the black lights are just bright enough to read the menu or study. What the Brownstone has that our dorm certainly didn't is half a dozen imported beers and domestic micro-brews on tap, plus more than 80 bottled beers to choose from. Prices vary, but there's a good chance of finding a beer special if you're drinking on the cheap. If you're not, then you'll be delighted to find a solid selection of boutique brews from producers such as Rogue, Chimay, and Unibroue, as well as a changing variety of ciders, lambics and barley wines. Seasonal selections are worth checking in on, too. On a final beverage note, I have to salute the Brownstone for its diligence in trying to keep RC Cola on tap. It's a battle worth fighting.