The Reynolds Club

OK food, cafeteria style. Great outdoor courtyard!

«It’s just like Harry Potter,» they told me, but I had only seen one Harry Potter movie and read none of the books. The truth of the statement revealed itself as vaunted ceilings gave this cavernous room an aura of grandeur and the feeling of tradition. There were beings engaged in erudite studies with an inflexible concentration on laptops, notebooks, and in the back were old men going back and forth on the chessboards. It was still and had the eerie silence of a church chapel and sunbeams flowed in from the windows above.
What an alien universe and there I was with a large foil tin carrying thirty of the best chicken wings Chicago had to offer. After the religious pilgrimage to Wings Around the World, Reuben H and Aurore L had the good sense to take us all to Reynolds where we wouldn’t be bothered and be allowed to worship our wings in peace. For the moment, Reuben went to fetch pop while Aurore went off as well.
I was alone and a heretic — a trespasser sneaking in and using up space that I had no right to, but the chess players were very old and had no business being there either. Then it came to me that everyone was allowed in and Reynolds was there for all to share, no identification required!
Lined on the walls are large portraits showing various trustees of the University of Chicago. Lists of past Presidents line the wall and the fashion progression from long beards and robes to finely made designer suits and shaved faces led us to mock one portrait — he definitely wanted some of our chicken wings!
We cracked open our wings and uncapped our pops only to find that the Cherry Pepsi was expired! While we munched and crunched on our chicken wings, nary a soul turned their heads nor noticed what fine dining we were helping ourselves to. The unbending concentration of the other people in the hall sustained itself except for the old chess players who all got up and went out for a smoke.
We ate undisturbed and worked to get rid of the evidence. On our way out a young college student declared that he was going to have to retake high school chemistry. We laughed about it and then I thought that they were right — It really was just like Harry Potter!

Basically the lower level is a standard campus food court where everything smells better than it tastes:
–sushi (pretty cheap, cold rice sushi :/​)
–chinese fast food
–indian fast food
–subway
–pizza etc
There are great meeting and study rooms in Reynold’s, and it is always bustling with Uchicago students.
But the real treat of Reynold’s club is…
Hallowed grounds!! – The student-​run café on the second floor with much better food options from local restaurants (My favorite being Soul Veg meals!) It has a pool table and plenty of tables to study at. So make like a hipster and check out hallowed grounds~

Classic building on an already beautiful campus– the Reynold’s Club is home to quite a few places of interest– even for a guy like me who’s only affiliation to the U of C is his lovely wife (and some friends).
The highlight of this building, which is on the North East corner of the quadrangle, is clearly Huthinson Commons– the large hall with tall ceilings built in the old Oxford-​style that so much of the campus follows. It is like a walk-​of-​fame, but only instead of seeing famous stars– you see the ex-​Presidents of the University, looking regal and brilliant in their academic garb. It is a very inspiring room and one that while coming across as pretentious is actually quite comfortable. Food can be brought in (with even an entrance into the Einstein Bagels next door) and is a nice place to read, write, study, or any other quiet activity.
The other aspect of this building that I love is the fact that this place has many fireplaces tucked away in different common rooms. Typically there is one that is left open with seating close by– and with Einstein, as well as Hallowed Grounds upstairs offering Coffey (and other food options throughout the building), it is a great place to take a break anywhere in the building.
I have heard there are many other places within this building that are worth checking out. I will try to build an excuse to have my PhD student wife go to campus with me, despite her wishes to enjoy life away from there. I guess I selfishly like the feel and the ambiance of this place!

Pretty much the only haven of sanity in Hyde Park. The club features a food court with pizza, made-​to-​order sushi (pretty decent, considering it’s Hyde Park), and middle eastern food. The cashiers are really mean, but that’s the only downer. Students can put money on their IDs get 10% off purchases, but it’s open to the public too (and you can always pay cash). There’s also two coffee shops (Einstein and a student-​run one upstairs), bathrooms, outlets, and U of C wireless (you have to have a U of C log-​in to use it), and lots of fun study spaces (including one that looks like the dining area in Hogwarts).

The home of WHPK 88.5 FM!
Don’t be fooled by the irresistable smell of pizza when you walk in. The pizza they have here is crap. But the rest of the building is all gothic and oldskool college cool.