On a spur of hunger, after visiting Burlington on opening day, my Editor-in-Chief Erin Yudt and I decided to go get lunch together. On this adventure, we went to Market Square to visit Noodles and Company. Upon entry, there is a beautiful piece of glass directing your attention towards their massive digital menu on the right. Since I had never eaten there before, Erin and I looked at the menu and we decided that I should try the newest item: the chicken parmesan. We walked past the entrance and went to the counter to order. The metal counters and cabinets of the kitchen can be seen behind the cashier, so we watched as our orders were relayed to the back. To the right there are massive bags of noodles, displayed like how some restaurants display their peanuts.

As well as the chicken parmesan, I also decided to get an order of potstickers and garlic bread. After paying, Erin and I sat in the smallest booth I have ever been in. It was cute and perfect for just two people, but it was not so plus-size friendly. 

The food was taken out to us at our table in separate plastic containers. I thought the plastic looked pretty until Erin pointed out that they looked somewhat like school cafeteria containers.

I grabbed a piece of cheesy bread first, but I couldn’t tell if what I was tasting was garlic or just massive amounts of cheese. The flavors just mixed together in my mouth until each was indiscernible. I think that this was the only thing that I enjoyed, although, as the bread progressively grew colder, it did not taste good at all. I thought that the chicken parmesan had to taste better, so I decided to eat that next.

As a disclaimer, I realize that this item is something new on the menu. Still, when a business adds something new, the customer expects it to taste good. 

The combination of chicken, cheese and sauce was only placed in the middle of the dish, so some noodles laid on the edges naked. I took a bite of the chicken on top and it was really crispy and flavorful. My mouth filled with sodium, so I dug my fork deeper to grab some noodles and sauce to hopefully even out the flavor. 

I told Erin about how, recently, I’ve begun eating food for flavor rather than to satisfy hunger. Honestly, to enjoy this lunch, I had to stop eating for taste and only eat to fill my stomach. It was way too salty and the noodles reminded me of those from my school cafeteria. Next, I stabbed the sauceless noodles on the edge to see if they would taste better alone. I was wrong. I could barely continue eating. 

Only enjoying the crispy tenderness of the chicken so far, I reached forward to grab a potsticker. I bit down into the flavorless outer skin, which felt like wet paper, and began munching on the vegetable insides. I looked across the table to Erin, who said she thought they were flavorless. I couldn’t agree more.

I thought maybe dipping it into the soy sauce would improve it, but it did not help at all. I tried one more, if only to get some nourishment from the vegetables and, after we left, threw away the rest. I will never order the potstickers again, let alone consider coming here to spend my money.

I went back to my pasta and began eating only the chicken, which was again crispy but very salty, and remained disappointed. Only somebody who hates themselves would purchase this chicken parmesan.

Defending her poor choice of lunch, Erin let me try her buffalo mac and cheese. So I picked up a clean fork to get a stab full of noodles. It was spicier than what I expected, but she reminded me that it was a buffalo mac & cheese, so I suppose that it was appropriate. 

I’m sorry Erin; I also didn’t like the mac very much, but if you think it tastes good, that’s all that matters. At least it was better than my chicken Parmesan.