The UC Davis Transportation and Parking Services (TAPS) auctions off over 800 bikes each year, the United States Bicycling Hall of Fame is right next to campus and the City of Davis town logo is even modeled after a mid-nineteenth century bicycle. It is no secret that Davis is known for its bicycling culture, so it should come as no surprise that, yet again, students have voted biking as the best mode of transportation.

Bikes are not only a means of transportation, but they are also a part of Davis’ culture. Students, including third-year comparative literature major Christine Chung, ride bikes partially because it is such an ingrained part of being a UC Davis student.

“We’re known for our cows and our bikes,” Chung said. “The haphazard bike roundabouts will always be something someone from Davis has a story about.”

Davis is the largest University of California school in terms of acreage, and because everything is so spread out, having a bike is often seen as a necessity. Sometimes — when there are only 10 minute breaks between classes — being without a bike would make getting to a class in the Medical Science building from a class in the Death Star nearly impossible.

Bikes and bike amenities, such as bike paths and abundant parkings spots, are everywhere on campus. For students who don’t yet have a bike but want to get in on the craze, the UC Davis Bike Barn is the perfect place to start.

Written by: Anna Nestel — features@theaggie.org

The bars are one of the many factors that make nightlife in Davis so fun. Davis is known to have some of the most entertaining bars, but one rises above the rest: Froggy’s Bar and Grill.

On a Thursday night, Froggy’s can be seen with a long line of people just itching to get inside. As one of the most popular bars in Davis, Froggy’s has created many memories for students.

“I went for my 21st birthday; I don’t remember much,” said Andrew Vieira, a third-year sociology major. “But I think the bartender gave my friends a Sharpie to draw on me.”

Not only is the environment fun and casual, but the staff sets Froggy’s apart from other bars. Froggy’s has some of the more interesting drinks in Davis, like the “Right Hook” and the “Blow Job shot.”

“The ‘Blow Job shot’ at Froggy’s is a classic,” said Niket Karode, a third-year biomedical engineering. “It was an amazing time. I try to make it to Froggy’s every time I go out.”

Froggy’s has all the qualities of a great bar, making it a go-to weekend night destination in Davis. If you get a chance, hop on down to Froggy’s and try one of the specialty drinks — you won’t be disappointed.

Written by: Michael Martinez — features@theaggie.org

For students craving classic salads and sandwiches in between classes, Pluto’s is the place to go. Located on First Street, Pluto’s is this year’s winner of best sandwich in Davis.

“We’re most popularly known because […] our food is fresh — it’s cooked everyday and the portions are very good for the cost,” Pluto’s manager Antonio Robles said.

According to Robles, the most popular sandwich is “The Big Bang Lunar Dip,” a half-pound steak sandwich served with barbecue sauce and provolone cheese.

The restaurant is vegetarian friendly and is home to the “Mozzarella Moon” sandwich and various salads. Customers also have the option to build their own salads and sandwiches.

Pluto’s is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., convenient for hungry students. However, Robles said the restaurant is most busy in both the afternoon and dinner time, so make sure to plan ahead if you’re feeling a sandwich craving coming on!

Written by: Fatima Siddiqui — features@theaggie.org

For the fourth consecutive year, Woodstock’s Pizza has won “Best Pizza” in Davis.

Woodstock’s first opened up its original restaurant in 1977 in Corvallis, Ore. Founder Chuck Woodstock insisted on putting more toppings on his pizzas to set himself apart from other pizzerias. He quickly gained a partner, Mike Chew, who helped him open up the Davis location. They bought a building that was almost 100 years old and remodeled it to become the pizzeria Davis knows and loves.

Today, Woodstock’s is known to the Davis community for its cinnamon sugar dessert pizza, “CinnaBread,” as well as its late hours, free WiFi and free drink refills. But when asked what makes Woodstock’s pizzas truly special, Ted Parks, general manager of the Davis location, was quick to admit that “the most unique thing is that [Woodstock’s] folds the sauce into the crust.”

“Some of the crazier pizzas are becoming more popular,” Parks said. “Our new thing is a summer and winter menu,” Parks said.

These include the “Kicking Carnitas” and “Barbecue Bird” options. The pizzeria is always adding tasty creations for the Davis community to try. Woodstock’s will be offering new pizza and sandwich selections with the changing seasons.

However, the food itself is not the only thing that makes Woodstock’s a favorite among the masses. The restaurant also hosts themed late nights, such as “Turntable Tuesdays,” “Trivia Thursdays” and “Live Music Saturdays.” While all of this is popular among families and students alike, Woodstock’s also serves the university by delivering to campus locations, like the dorms. As a proud sponsor of the UC Davis athletic programs, they often cater university fundraisers and events.

Written by: Hayley Prokos and Sandy Chen — features@theaggie.org

The ASUCD Coffee House (CoHo) is easily the most popular place on-campus to grab a quick snack and drink. At the CoHo, students can choose from a variety of foods, ranging from a classic slice of cheese pizza to a hot bowl of pho. However, it is TxMx Grill, serving Mexican food dishes like carnitas tacos and chicken quesadillas, that is favored best among hungry students.

“I personally enjoy the the tacos at TxMx Grill,” said Jay Patel, a second-year biochemistry major. “It’s convenient to have these places on campus and it’s great that the price is reasonable.”

TxMx, known for having the longest line in the CoHo due to its popularity, is students’ favorite for many reasons. For one, the prices make TxMx the cheapest place to get delicious tasting Mexican food in Davis, with the price of a “street” taco with meat available for as little as $1.40. The taste is another reason why most students opt to wait in the TxMx line.

“I definitely would go for the tacos with carnitas because they are super flavorful and pretty cheap,” said Mia Stone, fourth-year civil engineering major.

TxMx Grill offers a wide variety of Mexican-American fare. With a host of burritos, quesadillas, tacos and nachos to choose from, it shouldn’t be difficult to find something to your liking.

Written by: Krishan Mithal & Samantha Bass — features@theaggie.org

When you can’t decide what to eat for dinner, Chinese food is always a great go-to — especially since Davis offers a plethora of options. However, UC Davis students have made their preference known.

Located in the heart of downtown on E Street, this year’s winner of the best Chinese restaurant of Davis is The Dumpling House, also popularly known among Davis locals as D-House, Dump House and more.

Owned by manager Linda Liu, The Dumpling House opened in 2010 and has since been a fan favorite. Liu has been in the restaurant business for over 30 years and successfully created a laidback atmosphere with quality customer service and delicious food in her Davis location.

The Dumpling House is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Some customer favorites include the hand-wrapped dumplings, potstickers, wontons and even London-style fish and chips.

Jamie Fukui, a fourth-year managerial economics major (and self-proclaimed Chinese food aficionado), claims that eating at The Dumpling House is a euphoric experience.

“I’ve never known true happiness until eating my first dumpling [at The Dumpling House],” Fukui said. “I absolutely love it.”

Written by: Nickie Sarmiento  — features@theaggie.org

To anyone looking for a good place to workout this spring: the search is over. This year’s best place to exercise is none other than the UC Davis Activities and Recreation Center (ARC).

UC Davis students can enjoy the ARC free of charge by presenting their student ID, and staff, faculty and community members can purchase a membership at any time of the year.

The ARC includes a variety of exercise methods, from the indoor basketball and raquetball courts to an indoor track. There are also dozens of cardio machines for those who want to get moving while watching their favorite shows on one of the many TVs on or near the equipment.

For those trying to build some muscle, the weight room is a safe bet. The line to use the squat racks can be long, but loud sounds of panting and metal plates banging together will help to pass the time.

“I come [to the ARC] because there are people constantly here and they help you to get more out of your workout,” said Elliot Wilde, a third-year biological sciences major.

The atmosphere of the ARC goes beyond that of fitness. There are plenty of friendly faces looking for new fitness buddies and people who will help you to excel in whatever workout you choose on any given day.

Written by: Ryan Bugsch and Michael Wexler — sports@theaggie.org

It’s 8 p.m. You’ve given up on studying for the night, and you’re hungry. You look in the fridge only to realize you haven’t been grocery shopping in a week. Your roommate looks at you and says, “Guads?”

Late night Mexican food is a Davis tradition. Next time you’ve got a hankering, skip downtown and head straight to North Davis to test out Taqueria Guadalajara’s (or, as most of Davis knows it, “Guads”) burritos. They’re located in the Save Mart shopping center conveniently next to the P and Q line Unitrans bus stops.

This is the second year in a row that Taqueria Guadalajara has won best burrito, and the reason is clear: the taste is unbeatable. Along with its location in South Davis on Mace Blvd., Guadalajara’s North Davis location has been open since 1999 and always cooks with the freshest ingredients.

“[Our secret ingredient is] love — we enjoy what we do,” said Rigo Hernandez, Guadalajara owner’s son and manager. “[And] the cooks, they enjoy what they do. We have fun working, and that translates into our food.”

A regular burrito at Guads is $6.49, so head on down, bring your roomie and taste why Guads has been voted the best burrito in Davis two years running.

Written by: Alex Guzman — features@theaggie.org

Breakfast is supposedly the most important meal of the day, but it’s hard to make food ‘important’ if it doesn’t taste good. That’s why this year’s best breakfast goes to Crepeville.

Crepeville is located on Third Street in Downtown Davis, and, as the name implies, it serves a wide variety of crepes. Each entree offers an array of fresh ingredients that make each crepe stand out. As many Davis residents can attest, it can get hot in the spring. So why not treat yourself to a crepe that is both sweet and refreshing?

“I like to get the fresh strawberry crepe,” said Theresa Geib, a third-year ecological management and restoration major.

Indeed, the strawberry crepe has some delicious flavors to counter the heat, such as brown sugar, cinnamon, a sweet strawberry sauce and freshly cut strawberries.

“I first went to Crepeville when I came to tour campus,” Geib said. “It was around Picnic Day, so it was almost four years to this day.”

Crepeville is open every day from 7 a.m. until 11 p.m., so it’s never too late or too early to get a great breakfast meal at Crepeville.

Written by: Michael Clogston and Ryan Downer — features@theaggie.org

Established in 1915 as The Weekly Agricola, The California Aggie has been UC Davis’ official student-run newspaper for the past 100 years.

In 2014, The Aggie went out of print due to financial difficulties and switched to an online-only format. But this past Winter Quarter, The Aggie ran a successful campaign to bring back ink-on-paper journalism through the “Print The Aggie” fee initiative. As a result, The Aggie will be back in print beginning in fall 2016.

According to Ritika Iyer, a fourth-year economics and international relations double major and The California Aggie’s managing editor, The Aggie’s workspace is a collaborative environment with a diverse array of reporters, photographers, designers, new media managers and more.

Through reporting on the various events and activities that occur both on-and-off-campus every week, staffers strive to create a more informed and in-tune UC Davis student body.

“[It’s] really cool to be able to work with over 100 staffers that are all interested in the same end goal,” Iyer said. “Just by seeing the production process of when you first get your assignment all the way through [to] when it’s on the site and people are liking it on Facebook, on Twitter — you really feel like you’re making a difference to campus.”

Working at The Aggie does not just help enhance staffers’ journalistic skills — it’s also an excellent opportunity for professional development. For Iyer, the time she has spent in The Aggie’s Lower Freeborn office has helped her develop skills in leadership as well as interviewing, reporting and writing. Iyer encourages anyone who is interested in journalism to apply to work at The Aggie.

“There are always fun conversations, there’s always something funny or interesting happening [down in Lower Freeborn],” Iyer said. “It’s fun to walk into the office and see people laughing. It makes my day.”

Written by: Jacqueline Chu and Jennie Chang — features@theaggie.org

Cooking after a long day can often prove to be a recipe for disaster, especially after 18-hour long study sessions at Shields. When unleashing your inner Julia Child is not a nighttime possibility, takeout helps to keep hunger satisfied without having to cook.

This is why late-night snacks are vital for UC Davis students’ existence, especially when it’s Davis’ favorite midnight bistro for the second year in a row: In-N-Out Burger.

Quite obviously, In-N-Out is the reigning late-night champion for a reason; students can order five-star burgers that will not empty their wallets. A double-double and a side of fries will only set restaurant-goers back $5.51 (tax included).

Some students, like second-year animal science major Catherine Reyna, enjoy In-N-Out due to its available seating for large parties.

“[My friends and I] can usually find space to fit six of us,” Reyna said. “It’s not a weekly thing, more of whenever [we] are craving a burger.”

In-N-Out’s weekend hours might be responsible for the fast food chain’s popularity in the crowded college-town of Davis. They close their doors on Fridays and Saturdays at 1:30 a.m. — long after the hours of “adult responsibilities” have come to an end.

Written by: Katie DeVore — features@theaggie.org

The award-winning restaurant Burgers and Brew has won the hearts of UC Davis students for best burger this year. The Davis location, on Third Street, is always filled to the brim with both Davis residents and students gathering over a good burger and beer.

“[Burgers and Brew] stands for what people want and what makes them happy,” said Marlon Vargas, the Burgers and Brew restaurant manager. “We’re a high-traffic spot that gets lots of recommendations from locals because everyone who lives here comes here.”

Vargas has been with the restaurant since its 2007 opening in Downtown Davis, and he pointed to the quality of the food and service as reasons for its popularity. The restaurant’s employees follow specific customer service guidelines in order to maintain the lively atmosphere that Burgers and Brew is known for.

Among the delicious burger choices are the Portobello burger, Buffalo burger and the Bacon and Jalapeño cheeseburger. And despite the restaurant’s title, Burgers and Brew offers specialty sandwiches like the Philly Cheese Steak, Turkey Avocado Melt and a classic BLT. They even offer hot dogs and fish and chips for those who aren’t in the mood for a burger.

“You can meet everyone in town if you come into the restaurant because of the tight-knit community and interaction within the community that [the city of Davis] stands for,” Vargas said.

Written by: Amanda Cruz — features@theaggie.org

For the second consecutive year, the Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts has been voted the best place for evening entertainment in Davis.

With entertainment available in a myriad of arts, The Mondavi Center offers over 100 events each school year for students and community members to attend. This academic year, students had the chance to see a number of popular performances, including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club, the creators of “Serial” and Mavis Staples and Joan Osborne.

“The Mondavi Center welcomes students as a great place to spend an evening or an afternoon,” said Don Roth, executive director of the center. “Our great Aggie Arts Student Advisory Board is taking the lead in getting the word out to students [about our events].”

Although event parking is $9 for all attendees, the center makes sure to give students a break when it comes to the events’ ticket prices. Mondavi Center events are half-price for students, and the first event a student attends is free of charge.

Mondavi Center offers volunteer ushering positions and employment opportunities as well, giving students the chance to work at a top-notch performing arts venue.

The center includes the Jackson Hall venue, seating 1,801, and the smaller 250-seat Vanderhoef Studio Theatre. Since its opening in 2002, the center has continually served as a basis for education and engagement for UC Davis and its surrounding community.

Written by: Ivan Valenzuela and Emma Sadlowski — features@theaggie.org

For the residents of Tercero, the wonderful cow scent is a daily reminder of the dairy right next door. For the rest of Davis, the cows are a charming addition to the farm town aesthetic, attracting students and visitors alike to watch the cattle roam around the pastures.

The cows have been a part of campus since 1959, and they are one of the most visible symbols of Davis’ century-long history as an agricultural school. Students can take classes such as Animal Science 49A: Animal Management Practices to learn how to interact and work with the animals. There are around 300 cows that make up the dairy, with about 100 milking cows, whose milk is sent off to Homer Cheese Company.

“I like how quiet and calm they are; they are really sweet,” said Maria Patino, assistant herdsperson for the dairy. “It’s hard, but it’s cool to work with them and around them.”

Written by: Anjali Bhat and Austin Carroll — features@theaggie.org