<p>I have to say that although Bowdoin is known for great food I remember the dining area as being a little cave-like. Ross dining hall, which Middlebury doesn’t always show on tours maybe because they just renovated the other one, has a soaring ceiling, views of the mountains and lots of window seats. And as Modadunn says, kids can go in at almost any time of the day so it is important as a social space where you might just get coffee or a cookie in between you regular meals. Agreed, though, that the town (although it has more restaurants and is a little bigger than some college towns) is not close to a City which might have a downside for some. And the campus is a little spread out which most people like but some might not.</p>