5

Feature

money? No problem!
5 Meals Under $5
A
burger, fries, and
milkshake can go for $12
these days. Who in high school can
afford to pay that much for one meal?
Food is a central part of everyones lives. So
is money. Life for the average high schooler
is often about finding a balance between the
desire to go out and the realization that there
is no money to be spent. To keep you from
spending all of your money on one meal,
we have tracked down the perfect
food at the perfect price for any
craving.

Pizza My Heart
Salad + drink $5
Cheese, mushroom or pepperoni
slice + drink $5
Pizzas migration from Italy has
brought so much joy and so much
obesity. How could you pass up the
chance to be a part of one of the
longest lasting food dynasties?

&

Tacos el Grullense
Bean & cheese burrito
+ soft drink $4.75
Regular quesadilla + soft drink $4.25
Who knew that directly across from Sequoia
lay a magical land where tacos go for $1.25
and fountain drinks sell for just $1.65?
Tacos el Grullense nurtures your wallet
and your soul with authentic Mexican
food. Plus, two tacos and two soft drinks go
for under $5, making it the ideal spot for
impressing your high school sweetheart. Has
anyone ever looked better than when eating
a taco?

Subway
$4 lunch combo (6-inch sub,
21 ounce drink)
From Spicy Italian to classic B.L.T.
indulge your saving tastebuds with
basic starch and a dash of mayo. You
can also throw in a 69-cent cookie to
balance the meal.

Safeway
Meals by Weight
Entrees $3.99 with club card
At Safeways deli section, you
can order sandwiches off the

menu, or you can just create

your own right there. You can
also get great food per pound that
will satisfy even the hungriest
high schooler.

3 drinks under $3
Refreshe $0.99
Tons of flavors and tons of
savings, located at Safeway
Smoothie $2.99
Swipe a Razzmatazz or Peach Pleasure Jamba
Juice for under $3 for October only
Aguas Fresca $1.65
Stop by Tacos el Grullense and feel like youre
sitting on Mexicos white sand beaches

Noahs bagels
Original bagels $1.05
Signature bagels $1.15
Golden brown discs of wonder smothered in fluffy goodness titillate your
sense and start your morning, afternoon
or midnight cram session off right. Go
the extra mile with eggs or sausage.

Alternatively, look for a drinking

fountain near you.

GLENN BILLMAN

AND EVAN ISENSTEIN-BRAND

Battle of the bubble teas

Move over Starbucks Frappuccinos,
bubble tea is the latest drink craze to tantalize the taste buds and empty the pockets of high schoolers.
Bubble tea has been a major subject
of discussion and consumption recently,
so we decided it was time to figure out
where the best bubble tea in the area is
found. We evaluated two bubble tea places, Tpumps and Quickly, in four different
categories: drinks, service and ambiance,
location and price.
Drinks:
Tpumps drinks are very customizable.
You choose your tea type, flavors of tea,
boba type, sweetness and whether you
want milk or not.
I love the boba, and I like how you
can mix fruit flavors, sophomore Zelly
Rosa said.
Both the peach and pomegranate tea
with passion fruit boba and the peach,
mango and strawberry milk tea with honey boba were thirst-quenching, refreshing
and light. The flavors of tea are subtle and
the boba (both honey and popping) were
sweet and smooth. It became clear addiction to bubble tea is an easy feat.
The Quickly menu also features a wide
variety of options, although not as much
opportunity for customization. They also
dont offer flavored boba. Unfortunately,
when we tasted our bubble milk and mango milk teas with tapioca, we werent impressed.The tea was somewhat chalky and
watery at the same time and the tapioca
was gluey. First impressions are important, and Quickly disappointed us.
That being said, knowing the menu
may have be crucial to enjoying Quickly.
Its really refreshing, said Quickly
consumer, junior Tyler Ikeda. The tapioca was really sweet...and theres nothing

Quickly and Tpumps face off

Bubble tea noun: An exotic flavored tea drink with either

small, chewy tapioca balls (also called honey boba) or popping

bubbles full of flavored juice called boba. You suck up the boba with a
big straw and chew them while you drink.
not to like.
Overall, Tpumps ability to customize
your tea, freshness and smoother tapioca
made it a clear winner for us in this category.
Service and Ambiance:
Unfortunately, Tpumps is always
crowded, deflating its appeal. Its not unusual for the line to spill out the door and
onto the sidewalk. We waited in line for

a little under half an hour. The inside of

the store is small and offers no places to
sit. It can get hot, stuffy and frustrating
on a packed day, but the staff was efficient
and friendly and handed out two delectable samples, making the experience more
bearable.
Some people arent as fond of the long
lines and prefer to get their bubble tea
Quickly.

When we visited there after school, the

store was mostly empty, and the staff was
quiet but helpful. Additionally, there are
a number of small tables to sit down, chat
and drink tea at a definite bonus. The
store also has a modern Taiwanese edge
and a cool relaxed vibe, which adds to its
sit-in appeal.
Because of the ease and speed of getting tea and the availability of seating,
Quickly beats Tpumps when it comes to
service and ambiance.
Location:
Unfortunately for Tpumps addicts,
its located in downtown San Mateo. If
you drive, finding a parking spot can be
even more difficult than doing Multivariable Calculus, and taking public transport only adds more time to the already
lengthy pilgrimage.
I love to go at least once a week, but
the thing is that its in San Mateo, Rosa
said. Its really far away, so its hard to go
as much as I want to.
We couldnt help but agree that
Tpumps location is less than ideal.
Conversely, Quickly is only a five minute drive or fifteen minute walk from
school, proving that it lives up to its name.
Thanks to its convenient loction,
Quickly trumped Tpumps in this category.
Price:
Both bubble tea stores had fairly similar pricing. At Tpumps, teas cost $2.70$3.80, and at Quickly, teas range from
$2.75-$3.25; however, you pay extra for
boba, and at Tpumps it is included.These
low prices made us stingy teenagers very
satisfied. The difference in price is so small
we called it a tie.

CARMEN VESCIA

AND