A Michelin Star Review of C4

By Charles Forman

As the lead reviewer for the Michelin Star guide, the restaurant review guide put out by the tire company, I have been around the world to eat food at the world’s most exotic locations. Now, my journey has taken me to Binghamton University, where I will be hosted by the world-renowned meal service, Sodexo. I want to take our readers on a tour of this acclaimed cafeteria, where I will be overviewing the different foods they have available, as well as the scenery and service provided.

My first stop on my journey brought me to what the locals call C4. Oddly, enough, they took the liberty of naming the building after plastic explosives. The exterior of it just makes you know that delicious food is waiting on the inside. When I was walking in, I could tell by the professional lighting and the combination of the indoor and outdoor lighting that this was going to be an experience to remember; it brought me back to the time I was in Waffle House with the power out.

As I walked into the eating area, I noticed the peculiar modern architecture that lies within this dining room. The contrast between the outside of the building and the inside of the building makes it feel like you are walking forward into time by one hundred years.

After walking for about a minute, I found myself in the main dining room. The first thing I noticed is how many options they have available. It is no wonder why this is regarded as one of the best places to eat by the locals. With so many stations to go to, I was not sure which station I should approach first. I highly doubt they can make all this food taste so good, so we will have to see which station is best.

Walking in a straight line ahead, I passed the exotic salads, which I heard were fresh-cut every day. Behind the salads, I saw a variety of sandwiches and wraps, which make for a good snack or addition to a meal. However, upon taking a closer look at the tomatoes, I could tell they were more than a few days old, and the cut up meat in the salad looks like it has been left out for a few days. Nevertheless, I kept walking until I hit a dead end, where a short line of locals were standing in line to get some food ahead of me. Elegant desserts to my right presented me with a whiff of sweetness that reminded me of a summer at the beach. To my left was an assortment of dairy products.

After waiting in a short line, I went to get my food, where I was presented with a smorgasbord of freshly cut meats, vegetables, and other local starches. It seemed that everything here was delicately handled all the way from farm to table, and then left out on that table for a while to then be put back into a fridge and served the next day on the meal line. In a place where they serve food as delightful as C4, you can really tell that this is luxury.

I returned back to the salad bar where an Italian cuisine station catches my attention. There, they are serving pasta and an assortment of chefschoice pizza. It really made me feel like I was back in Italy eating pasta; however, I cannot understand why they would put that thick creamy sauce all over it. Sodexo knows how to make a perfect pizza, and I could tell from just one look. I picked up a slice to test it out. I then returned to something a little more nutritious: salad. There were so many options, and I did not know what to pick. Seems like they are pretty international here. However, it almost feels native with how good some of the stuff here looks.

After picking up a salad, I went back to where I started from, where they offer the utmost important station in the entire room: The American cuisine station. Here, they have a wide variety of meats and starches cooked in oil, which are locally sourced. From this station I picked up some artificial meat, otherwise known as a Beyond Burger. When I saw this American cuisine, I was taken back by its magnificence. I have rarely seen such an international offering, let alone the level of variety they have here in C4.

Now it was time to try the food. As I sat down with all of my various food, I do not know what to try first. These options were all so exquisite, and it was hard to decide which one is best.

When I began to eat the food, I felt like I was being transported to a new world, where food is some kind of magical mystery ride. I could tell from the first bite that this food was delicately cooked with care. This food may have been the best thing I had ever tried. Having eaten in multiple countries and hailing from the hub-ofall-restaurants, New York City, I was shocked by how filling and delicious everything at C4 was. I could not believe the wide selection they had, and how they were able to offer it so well.

It almost felt like this was the best 2-day old food that I had ever had. The stomach pains that would accompany me for a few hours were probably the most worthy pains I ever had after eating places. Food poisoning is not a match to C4, and no people should be grateful for the opportunity to eat in such a wonderful place.

While I may never have the pleasure of having another meal as pleasant as my meal was at C4, I will always cherish this meal, and will remember it on my adventures as a food-reviewer. The disgustingly wide selection and perfectly cooked fruits, vegetables, and meats made this experience one of my favorite experiences, and that is why I am happy to be adding C4 to the Michelin Star guide of restaurants around the world.