After two weeks of writing and discussing wines, I've developed a little bit of a hangover! So, I thought I'd shift gears and discuss another topic: Valentine. No, not another article about Valentine's Day-I meant our very own Valentine Dining Hall, where many of us eat. As someone who's attended four different campuses-two colleges and two high schools-I feel that I'm pretty well-versed in the cafeteria dining experience. How does the College's "award-winning" dining service rank? Here's my personal comment card to Valentine.

Amherst's dining service is solidly good overall, with a nice variety of selections. With vegan and vegetarian options always available, it's a pretty equal-opportunity environment. A meal at Valentine always guarantees salad and deli bars, soup, a home-style dish and sides, a grill and pasta and/or pizza. The variety is not as big as Vassar's, but this is a smaller school. As for taste, the food fares pretty well against other cafeterias, but stay away from the fish.

Amherst's cuisine isn't the best cafeteria food I've ever tasted, but the service at Valentine is exemplary. From the moment I swipe my card at the entrance, I am greeted with smiles, friendly chitchat and a helping hand by almost all of the staff behind the counter. I also find that most of the staff, particularly those who work the salad bar, are quite receptive to any requests that I might have. With such a helpful and amiable staff, it is no wonder that Valentine has "award-winning" status.

Valentine serves many delicious dishes that I cannot refuse. Grandma's Meat Sauce has become a favorite that I return to, especially when no other dish strikes my fancy. Though it tastes more like the product of a Jewish grandma than that of an Italian one, its meaty taste always soothes my soul on rough days. I am also a big fan of their macaroni and cheese, which features a crunchy, crumb crust on top and creamy macaroni on the bottom. Season it with a little salt, pepper and Parmesan, and you've got a taste of cafeteria heaven.

Some other cafeteria favorites include Val's yummy pierogis, the delightful pesto chicken salad and the amusing wing bar that appears every so often. The cafeteria's best handiwork, however, is often found in the desserts. I am particularly fond of the delicious bar cookies, wholesome bran muffins and Miriam's Coffee Cake, a sinfully rich combination of melted chocolate, roasted pecans and moist, golden cake.

After giving Valentine due credit, I will end this comment card with a list of suggestions that appear in no particular order.

1) Fried eggs (unlike scrambled) should be cooked to order. I appreciate that the staff goes to great lengths to make different styles of fried eggs for everybody, but these eggs should not be sitting under a heat lamp waiting for salmonella. The essence of a good fried egg is that it is served hot and fresh!

2) The olive oil at the salad bar is a little harsh tasting for salad. Is it extra virgin? Or just plain "olive oil" that is meant for frying and the like?

3) Although it is a tad expensive, why not offer an omelet bar every Sunday for brunch? I think it would be a great crowd pleaser-I know it is at Vassar.

4) We need more fresh fruit! Winter is a hard season for local fruit, but I feel that it is easy to offer more citrus fruits that are in season during the winter months. In particular, I feel that grapefruit would be a welcome addition to the cornucopia of fruits available.

5) As a Jewish boy from Jersey, I cannot live without having a bagel consistently within reach. Though Massachusetts bagels seem more like donuts, they are better than nothing at all.

These are but a few of my suggestions. You can make your own in Val's suggestions box.