I was sure I would do a lot of cooking after moving into an apartment for the first time. After years of having food prepared for me, in the residence halls and my sorority house, not to mention by my loving parents, I was ready to be responsible and healthy. I intended to save money and brought cook books and dreams of lavish pasta dishes that would make my grandma proud.

While I do some cooking, it’s safe to say that my location on Green Street did me in. Frankly, it’s just easy to run downstairs and buy food. With little time between classes and long hours at work, getting home to cook is not always feasible.

While there are many great food choices on Green Street and Internet menus make it easy to track calories, I tend to find myself at the same gourmet restaurant. My coworkers took a notice to my eating habits and I received a gift card to this location in a secret Santa this past holiday season. Sure I love Geovanti’s fries and honey mustard. I definitely enjoy Noodles and Co.’s macaroni and cheese. I can often be spotted at Qdoba after the bars close waiting for a quesadilla. However, there is only one eatery that has all of my love. This is the place I go when I’ve had a rough day. This is the location I feel at home in. Yes, this column is my ode to Subway.

While I have always loved the world’s greatest sandwich shop, I never ate there as much as I do now. If I go two days without setting food in the Green Street stop, I feel disorientated. Some days I eat there twice. Some weeks I eat there four or five days. The week before school started I was eating at Subway twice a day, every day. My mom helped feed my habit by sending me down with several gift cards. When my friends all went out to eat, I met them at the restaurant, with a Subway sandwich in hand.

When some of the Green Street location’s employees memorized my order, I realized I should take stock in the company. I know I’m not alone and my roommates certainly eat their fair share of Subway. I’m not sure what it is. I love a good sandwich, but it’s not like Potbelly and Jimmy Johns are far away.

Last year, Subway introduced their wrap. I was in heaven. For months I visited the location off of Nevada Street, as that was close to my house and not all the stores had the wrap option. The day I arrived to find the wrap option gone was rough. I was devastated. How could the company I had been so faithful to take my favorite option away? In a lesson in dedication, I stayed loyal and was rewarded. Subway introduced their greatest creation to date, flatbread.

There is nothing better than this tasty treat heated up. I used to order ham and sometimes salami, and there was a time when tuna was my protein component of choice. These days, I tend to just order turkey. I rotate between American and Provolone cheese, but everything else is the same. I top lettuce, tomato, banana peppers, green peppers and pickles on top of the turkey, cheese and flatbread. As I sit here now, I can think of little better than this wondrous creation. My Italian-born grandma will fly to Champaign from Phoenix to hit me if she reads this so let me make something clear: a good home cooked Italian meal beats anything.

However, I do not really have the time to prepare gnocchi and breaded shrimp every day.

When it comes to quick locales and feel-good food, I rarely turn my back on Subway. To the Green Street location workers, I’ll see you soon … unless you’re reading this after 11 a.m. You’ve probably already seen me today.

Alissa Groeninger is a junior in Media.