Maybe you fear the silence of the A-stacks. Or perhaps you want to eat a delicious chocolate-chip scone without worrying about your noisy chewing or that crackling noise of the paper bag. Maybe you just want to do some people-watching while attempting to read a chapter from your psychology textbook. Whatever the situation, you find yourself in Whispers Cafe.

[rating stars="3.5"] Featuring a sushi bar along with a varied menu of pizzas, pastas and other entrees, Central Table, located in the Central West End, offers something for everyone. This upscale restaurant with valet parking has a modern vibe and advertises an excellent dining experience. The latter claim, however, is quite debatable.

Located on the Delmar Loop just past the well-known Pi Pizzeria, Tavolo V is a casual Italian restaurant with a varied menu and friendly service. It is the ideal restaurant for those nights out when you are seeking pasta or pizza and don’t feel like driving to the Pastaria or the Hill.

Tuesday morning not only signaled the beginning of the fall semester but also the introduction of a frozen yogurt machine to Whispers Cafe. The addition of this succulent snack is one that students already love.

[rating stars=4.5] Students with dietary restrictions will be glad to know that Pi Pizza offers a variety of options that are as delicious as they are safe and healthy. The restaurant, whose closest location is at 6144 Delmar Boulevard, has four locations in the St. Louis area. However, its multiple locations don’t deprive it of its independent and local feeling.

If your new semester resolution is to try out more great St. Louis restaurants, you don’t need to look any further than the Delmar Loop’s Aug. 1 addition, Corner 17. Nestled between Starbucks and Qdoba, Corner 17 offers up a fresh new selection of Chinese fare, focusing on staples like noodle dishes, barbecued skewers and fresh tea drinks.

St. Louis means Budweiser products, Cardinals baseball, the Arch, the Delmar Loop, Nelly, crime and the question, “Where did you go to high school?” And the food— oh, the food: toasted ravioli, St. Louis-style pizza with the notorious Provel cheese, slingers, gooey butter cake.

“We have to kick it in full gear here,” Jenna Seibert urged. “I came here to win.” Silver industrial stand mixers blended runny milk into a thicker mixture, creating a sticky white batter. Lids flew off canisters, and ingredients were carefully measured. A huge batch of bacon crackled in a silver skillet.

I admit that in the six months I’ve been at Wash. U., I have remained relatively ensconced inside the Bear bubble, only leaving campus for a few Cardinals games and late-night apple fritter runs to John’s Donuts.

When I heard that the new Dynasty Hibachi Buffet now open one storefront down from the AMC Esquire had figured out a way to do all-you-can eat sushi, hibachi and Chinese food for about the same cost as a Domino’s pizza, I’ll admit I was a bit skeptical.