Sitting down with Maria, Tuscan Chicken extraordinaire

This week, The Tab had the honor of sitting down with one of BC’s best and most beloved. You all know and adore her. She’s smiley. She’s spunky. She’s charming. And, best yet—she makes a mean Tuscan Chicken.

Yes, you guessed it. It’s Maria, Eagle’s Nest’s finest.

In getting to chat with her, we received nothing short of the sweetness and enthusiasm she displays 24/7 at her job.

When being asked how she feels about working at Eagle’s Nest, she immediately said, “I just enjoy my job…I’m in love with it.”

Maria reported to us that she’s been working at Eagle’s since the beginning of last year, and ever since day one, she has been working the Tuscan Chicken sandwich line.

She estimated that she makes about three hundred sandwiches in a day, and sometimes even more than that.

When asked about her favorite part of working at Eagle’s, Maria said: “I think it’s being in contact with you guys.

“You remind me of my daughter. I have a 17-year-old daughter and she’s in Peru right now, so I feel like when I get in contact with you, it’s like getting in contact with her every day. And, well, that’s the most important thing I think.

“Like if I make a sandwich for you, I think that I’m making a sandwich for my daughter. As well as you are also away from your mom, from your house too.

“That’s the most important thing for me.”

We asked Maria a little bit about her relationships with her customers. She shared that almost all people that come through her line are regulars, and that she is able to remember most people’s orders. She said: “I can say that ‘he doesn’t like peppers’ or ‘she doesn’t like chicken’.”

With a chuckle she shared a story with us, adding: “The other day, one student said, ‘Maria, did it hurt?’ I didn’t understand the question and he said, ‘When you fell.’

“And I said, ‘I didn’t fall today!’ and he said, ‘When you fell from Heaven.’ It was a boy actually.”

She continued to talk about other memorable and regular interactions with students and said: “They tell me about their exams… That they failed, or that they didn’t study because they went out… That they stayed awake ‘til three in the morning so they didn’t have time to study… Things like that.”

There you have it: the ears, heart, and soul of Eagle’s nest.

Little does Maria know her appreciation of getting to interact with us daily is more than completely reciprocated. We inquired into her awareness of this, and asked her if she knows how famous and popular she is among BC students.

She laughed and said: “I don’t think about that too much. I just enjoy what I do, and I’m just happy to make your sandwiches every single day… I hope I’m here until you all graduate.”

Lastly, we know you’re all wondering. So we inquired.

We asked Maria what the secret is to making the best Tuscan Chicken.

She responded: “Love.”