Budget-Friendly Bites: On Campus, Episode 4

This morning, I enjoyed a very cozy breakfast in HUB to start my day, and opted for a panini from La Pasta and tea from Bar Teca. I like the tea from Bar Teca, as well as their frozen yogurt. It's so smooth, and they top it with a dark chocolate squiggly thing that I usually give to someone else, but it's cute. I've heard that they have bubble tea, but I haven't given it a try just yet.

From La Pasta, I got the Italian Breakfast panini. It has a thin slice of soppressatta (a type of Italian sausage), a slice of tomato, some artichoke, and a slice of provolone cheese. I believe that they get most of their ingredients from Spinelli's Italian Centre. From Bar Teca, I got the Mango Black Tea. I ordered a small, but she gave me a large by accident. No complaints here!

La Pasta, on the other hand, is one of my favourite go-tos for something quick, but not necessarily drenched in grease. The staff (like Stan, the guy with a receding hair line and dark curlyish hair!) are so friendly and welcoming, and the food is pretty decent too. Prices vary, but they do have some good deals to offer!

The upper/main level is where you can get your coffee/tea fixes, cookies, biscottis, banana bread, and the like, as well as your paninis. Typically, paninis are priced at $5-6, but there are some at La Pasta that are less than $5. I like the Italian Breakfast panini, and not necessarily just for breakfast. To me, it is the best deal for a panini priced at $3.50. Today, they had these hazelnut toffee cookies, which Stan said were going like hotcakes!

La Pasta!

La Pasta also has a lower level down the stairs. There was a guy delivering bread and buns whose cart was in the way, but there's a small set of stairs that lead down to the area where they serve pasta and such. I forgot to take a picture of the whiteboard, but it's normally on the main level to the left side, and features their specials of the day as well as their combos. 

La Pasta (feat. bread delivery man).

They have something called "The Combo" which consists of essentially salad and pasta. First, you choose between house dressing (which is like a runny ranch) or a homemade vinaigrette. Next, your choice of pasta. It varies daily, but usually some sort of noodle, some sort of dumpling type, some small type, and the baked one. The baked pasta is a mass of layers of cheese, tomato sauce, and random pastas. Lastly, you get to choose what sauce goes on top of the pasta - alfredo, tomato, or meat. Parmesan cheese and chili flakes are also available for your final topping. The Combo is now $6, but for student groups such as the Chinese Students Club, you can get $1 off a $6 purchase. Fresh white or whole wheat buns are also available for $0.50 each, I believe, but usually if you order pasta, it's free of charge.

For whatever reason, I haven't been able to find the rest of my photos from past visits to La Pasta (and it frustrates me to no end). But here is an example of "The Combo". Here, I opted for the vinaigrette dressing on my salad, fettuccine noodles, tomato sauce, and a whole wheat bun. This was from last summer, when La Pasta only charged $5 for The Combo. Still, not a bad deal for wholesome food found among a line of fast food chains. :)

The Combo!

If I ever find my missing photos, I will be sure to put them up here :)

Long story short, go to La Pasta in HUB!

-M