I have had bad cafeteria food. When I was a freshman in college, the food was so bad that my then boyfriend, now husband and I would walk down to the local hospital and buy our lunch there. I would say that was the highlight of bad food. Or, maybe the hospital food was just that good. So, when I headed over to the newly-opened, remodeled cafeteria at Joliet Junior College, I probably should have been concerned. But, here is the thing. This is no ordinary college - at least not when it comes to culinary arts.

We have written about the Joliet Junior College Chef's Table, the Friday Night Dinners and the special event fundraisers. I don't think I have ever had a bad meal. And while the cafeteria was no exception, it was different.

The first thing that bothered me a bit was that after the recent campus expansion, the cafeteria moved to the new building. In doing so, though, those dining lost the beautiful view of the pond that existed in the former space. The new space is also slightly smaller. But, how was the food?

I went to lunch on this particular day with about four other writers from Patch. Without talking about what we would select, we all did the same thing. We entered the cafeteria, and headed straight for the salad bar. The cafeteria also serves soup. But I wanted to try the food too. So I got a small salad and then ordered off the grill. This was where JJC exceeded my expectations. I, as is to be expected, asked for the pita without the pita. Instead of just throwing the grilled veggies on a plate without any order, the cook took the time to make my dish look pretty.

Overall, this is a great place to stop for a quick bite. I am told parking in front of the new building isn't so bad either. I wouldn't know, I parked near J building.