Aidan Ragan is a UF computer science senior.
Freshman year of college is a mountain to climb. Many obstacles lie in the wake of the best times most college students will experience. With that in mind, I wanted to give my top five restaurants in Gainesville and some must-order options.
Just across from UF and squeezed into Midtown is The Spot. It’s the kind of place you walk past dozens of times until that first bite of gyro hits and the homemade tzatziki cements itself to the inside of your skull.
Indian food is a constant craving of mine. It’s wired into my circadian rhythm to the point where some mornings I wake up thinking about naan and a good curry. I go to Tikka Express to satisfy it.
If I had to choose one word to describe Germain’s, it’d be wholesome. The whole vibe mirrors the food: unexpectedly elegant and deeply satisfying.
Tup Tim Thai is tucked between a McDonald’s and a Marriott, and flanked by Hass Kitchen and the rebranded Biscuits & Burgers, formerly known as Bagels & Noodles. From the decor to the ambiance, this place doesn’t just serve Thai food, it drops you into it.
The Paper Bag is a temple. Each bite feels like a spiritual awakening and a revelation wrapped in wax paper. The flavors are so profound they could convert even the proudest sandwich skeptics.
Downtown Gainesville is home to a museum for the Mexican palate: Burrito Factory & Cantina. With two-for-one draft and margaritas, free salsa and chips and a plethora of handhelds and fork-and-knife plates, visitors are left with a rumble in their stomachs and salivating mouths.
The Florida Room nails the three core ingredients of a restaurant: service, environment and food, and also offers a fourth secret ingredient: originality.
Solutions by The State News
