There are so many Bryn Mawr traditions… You might be wondering: why do you need another one?

I came to Bryn Mawr College to find community and most importantly, to build community. What I saw as a unique feature of the school was the alumni network it would allow me to interact with. Thousands of alumni who love the school and their fellow Mawrters. Soon, I will be one of them too.

Bryn Mawr helped me build community through the amazing friendships I found on campus. One of my best friends, Antonia Caffrey ’21 graduated last spring and moved to Philadelphia to work at a neuroscience lab at UPenn. We both love food, so we decided to keep our connection and start our own tradition – a tour of Philly’s best food spots.

We meet every two weeks and decide on a spot to try great food and talk. Going back to in-person work and school has been challenging, we all get caught up in the routine and making time for each other is hard. That is why we created our own tradition, based around food and connecting with each other.

This week, we tried Suraya – hands down the best restaurant in Philadelphia (in my opinion, of course). It’s located in the Fishtown neighborhood and serves Lebanese food. With plenty of outdoor space in the backyard and a beautiful dinning room, Suraya’s ambiance is hard to beat. On Fridays and Saturdays, the ‘taste of Suraya’ menu is required. It is important to note that while this restaurant is on the pricer side, it’s meant to be food for the table and gives you unbeatable experience that can make any date so special. I typically go here for end-of-semester celebrations with my parents.

Any restaurant and any food would not be as special without great company. Making the time to keep friendships alive is so important, especially as we move from campus into the ‘real world’. Doing so with food, or walking, or a music concerts can be a fun tradition between you and your friends!

At dinner with my friend Antonia. You can see the food we ordered. Baba ganoush, Hummus, fresh baked Pita bread…