I've recently made a life-altering food lifestyle choice (again) and once again became a vegetarian. This time around the choice was initially instigated by a desire to eat healthier and live healthier. Then I watched some more videos on PETA's site.
So where does this leave this blog of food options in the State College, PA area? Well, quite frankly, it leaves it right where it was. The dishes now, of course, will be more geared towards vegetarian eaters. Would I call it a vegetarian blog? No. When I address specific restaurants, I'll include either past recollections of meat dishes or if I'm with someone who eats meat, their perspective on the dishes containing it. I hold no ill will towards continuing meat eaters. Who am I to judge?
So this is how it will be. I hope to continue providing insights into the dining options of the State College area. I know this has been lacking in posts for a few months and I promise to TRY to revamp that. After all, how successful can I be in relaying delicious and significant dining options if, well, I'm not?
So what's to come? Continuations of previous reviews and new restaurants to come!
I will entertain suggestions but, as always, I will reserve veto power.
Until the next post (which will hopefully be soon),
Me.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Saturday, November 20, 2010
The Irish are Here
It’s not often that I review a chain restaurant in this blog. That’s mainly because this is the second restaurant I’ve covered and the first was not a chain. However, being the newest kid in town, Kildare’s, a chain based out of the Philadelphia area, features an ‘authentically Irish’ atmosphere and food – plus some extras.
When you first enter Kildare’s in State College, the first thing you notice is, “Hey! This isn’t Hooters!” But after that wears off, you realize it’s a very nice atmosphere. You’re met with the bar and some tables made out of Guinness barrels (or, at the very least, barrels made to look like Guinness barrels). There are a few different rooms at Kildare’s, ranging from the Public House to the Victorian to the Celtic rooms. I’d describe them in detail but this is a food blog not a home décor blog. Go. Explore. Suffice it to say that each section provides a unique seating that is sure to please nearly every taste. The only downside of the atmosphere at Kildare’s is that usually in the later evening the music is turned to an “I-can’t-hear-myself-think-about-what-I-want-to-eat” volume. But if you go enough, you’ll know before you get there what you want. And, if you go early enough this is not a problem.
They have an array of specials. Mondays generally feature $9.99 entrees (which can usually run from about $11-$18) and $.35 wings. Tuesdays usually are $5.00 Deluxe burgers (unless otherwise noted this is ONLY the Kildare’s Deluxe Burger!); Wednesdays you’ll get some Loaded Fries for $3; Thursdays are half-off Nachos; and Fridays usually involve some sort of entrée and beer pairing by the chef. Each day also features different drink specials. These seem to vary a little bit more so check the website (http://www.kildaresirishpub.com/). So … food time. I’ll give you a day-by-day what to eat. Sort of.
Monday: A few different options here. Laura has said the Fish and Chips are good. I haven’t ordered it myself but I’ve tasted it and since my only other experience with “Irish” Fish and Chips is from the bay city of Galway in Ireland, I can honestly say it’s the best Fish and Chips I’ve had since Galway. But really, if you like fried fish and chips get it. It’s good. Especially if Laura says it is. I, on the other hand, have opted before for the Drunken Steak, which is very good in the Brandy Peppercorn sauce and the mashed potatoes that come with it are phenomenal. Besides, for $9.99, who can beat it? Dave’s recommended the Shepherd’s Pie before but I haven’t had it yet. He says it’s good.
Tuesday: The Kildare’s Deluxe Burger is an excellent option. You can get your burger as beef, turkey, a chicken breast, or a veggie burger. They cover the bases and it costs you the same. This burger is usually moderately priced at $8 anyway but $5 is a good deal. It comes with fries and a pickle – standard burger accoutrements. Laura says the veggie burger combined with the Pepper jack and Guac is worth your time if you’re a vegetarian. Me? I stick with the beef patty. The Mushroom and Swiss burger is awesome. Only once did it not meet my expectations – the Swiss wasn’t properly melted. I forgave that.
Wednesday: Look, just get the fries with or without bacon. They are fantastic and the ranch dressing they give you with it is amazing! It almost makes the fries worth it just to get the dressing.
Thursday: A different take on nachos and a delicious one at that. They use home-made potato chips as the base for the nachos and top them with cheese, sour cream, chives, and some guacamole. At first I wasn’t sure if I’d like the potato chip part. It was a little foreign but it works. The nice part about Kildare’s nachos if you’re a vegetarian (or married to one) is that they automatically are served meat-less. You can add chicken, beef, or pork for a hefty price ($5!). I haven’t tried it with meat because, well, they’re too damn good without it.
Friday: I haven’t been there for the beer/entrée pairing. I’m assuming anything goes well with the Guinness, Smithwick’s, Magners, Harp’s, and various other beers they have on tap. After all, a few of their dishes either have Guinness in the base or a Jameson sauce.
Saturday/Sunday: Get the Irish breakfast. I don’t care if you’re a vegetarian. Get it. Give your best friend the sausage and blood puddings (AND DO NOT LOOK UP WHAT BLOOD PUDDING IS IF YOU HAVE NOT HAD IT BEFORE!!). If you’ve never been to Ireland nor had an Irish breakfast, get it. I’ve been there, I’ve eaten it there, I’ve eaten it in the states and this one is definitely one of the closest to a legitimate Irish breakfast that I’ve had. The only one that compares (and perhaps surpasses) is Granny McCarthy’s Tea Room in Bethlehem, PA. But this is about State College. The eggs are perfect, the sausage reminds me of Ireland, and they include the tomato, which crops up just about everywhere you get an Irish breakfast. Some places give you half cherry tomatoes. Kildare’s springs for half of a large tomato and I appreciate that. If you haven’t guessed yet, this is so far my favorite dish from Kildare’s.
And that’s Kildare’s. Remember three important things:
1. Go early to avoid the noise pollution.
2. Use the specials. It’s semi-expensive otherwise.
3. GET THE IRISH BREAKFAST.
When you first enter Kildare’s in State College, the first thing you notice is, “Hey! This isn’t Hooters!” But after that wears off, you realize it’s a very nice atmosphere. You’re met with the bar and some tables made out of Guinness barrels (or, at the very least, barrels made to look like Guinness barrels). There are a few different rooms at Kildare’s, ranging from the Public House to the Victorian to the Celtic rooms. I’d describe them in detail but this is a food blog not a home décor blog. Go. Explore. Suffice it to say that each section provides a unique seating that is sure to please nearly every taste. The only downside of the atmosphere at Kildare’s is that usually in the later evening the music is turned to an “I-can’t-hear-myself-think-about-what-I-want-to-eat” volume. But if you go enough, you’ll know before you get there what you want. And, if you go early enough this is not a problem.
They have an array of specials. Mondays generally feature $9.99 entrees (which can usually run from about $11-$18) and $.35 wings. Tuesdays usually are $5.00 Deluxe burgers (unless otherwise noted this is ONLY the Kildare’s Deluxe Burger!); Wednesdays you’ll get some Loaded Fries for $3; Thursdays are half-off Nachos; and Fridays usually involve some sort of entrée and beer pairing by the chef. Each day also features different drink specials. These seem to vary a little bit more so check the website (http://www.kildaresirishpub.com/). So … food time. I’ll give you a day-by-day what to eat. Sort of.
Monday: A few different options here. Laura has said the Fish and Chips are good. I haven’t ordered it myself but I’ve tasted it and since my only other experience with “Irish” Fish and Chips is from the bay city of Galway in Ireland, I can honestly say it’s the best Fish and Chips I’ve had since Galway. But really, if you like fried fish and chips get it. It’s good. Especially if Laura says it is. I, on the other hand, have opted before for the Drunken Steak, which is very good in the Brandy Peppercorn sauce and the mashed potatoes that come with it are phenomenal. Besides, for $9.99, who can beat it? Dave’s recommended the Shepherd’s Pie before but I haven’t had it yet. He says it’s good.
Tuesday: The Kildare’s Deluxe Burger is an excellent option. You can get your burger as beef, turkey, a chicken breast, or a veggie burger. They cover the bases and it costs you the same. This burger is usually moderately priced at $8 anyway but $5 is a good deal. It comes with fries and a pickle – standard burger accoutrements. Laura says the veggie burger combined with the Pepper jack and Guac is worth your time if you’re a vegetarian. Me? I stick with the beef patty. The Mushroom and Swiss burger is awesome. Only once did it not meet my expectations – the Swiss wasn’t properly melted. I forgave that.
Wednesday: Look, just get the fries with or without bacon. They are fantastic and the ranch dressing they give you with it is amazing! It almost makes the fries worth it just to get the dressing.
Thursday: A different take on nachos and a delicious one at that. They use home-made potato chips as the base for the nachos and top them with cheese, sour cream, chives, and some guacamole. At first I wasn’t sure if I’d like the potato chip part. It was a little foreign but it works. The nice part about Kildare’s nachos if you’re a vegetarian (or married to one) is that they automatically are served meat-less. You can add chicken, beef, or pork for a hefty price ($5!). I haven’t tried it with meat because, well, they’re too damn good without it.
Friday: I haven’t been there for the beer/entrée pairing. I’m assuming anything goes well with the Guinness, Smithwick’s, Magners, Harp’s, and various other beers they have on tap. After all, a few of their dishes either have Guinness in the base or a Jameson sauce.
Saturday/Sunday: Get the Irish breakfast. I don’t care if you’re a vegetarian. Get it. Give your best friend the sausage and blood puddings (AND DO NOT LOOK UP WHAT BLOOD PUDDING IS IF YOU HAVE NOT HAD IT BEFORE!!). If you’ve never been to Ireland nor had an Irish breakfast, get it. I’ve been there, I’ve eaten it there, I’ve eaten it in the states and this one is definitely one of the closest to a legitimate Irish breakfast that I’ve had. The only one that compares (and perhaps surpasses) is Granny McCarthy’s Tea Room in Bethlehem, PA. But this is about State College. The eggs are perfect, the sausage reminds me of Ireland, and they include the tomato, which crops up just about everywhere you get an Irish breakfast. Some places give you half cherry tomatoes. Kildare’s springs for half of a large tomato and I appreciate that. If you haven’t guessed yet, this is so far my favorite dish from Kildare’s.
And that’s Kildare’s. Remember three important things:
1. Go early to avoid the noise pollution.
2. Use the specials. It’s semi-expensive otherwise.
3. GET THE IRISH BREAKFAST.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Mamma Mia! That's a good pizza!
For now, let us start with a relatively new upstart in the State College area – Mamma Mia’s. It’s tucked neatly and unobtrusively between the Darkhorse Tavern and People’s Nation in the block between Allen and Pugh Sts. Downtown. It has seating for roughly 12-16 people at the tables inside and another, perhaps, six or seven at the countertop and a menu that may, at first glance, remind you of the other pizza/pasta joints in town.
Do not be deceived. Yes, they do carry subs (hot and cold) and pizza. Yes, there are a variety of pasta dishes on the menu. And, yes, that is calamari you see in the appetizers section and this may make you grimace. Do not, I urge again, be deceived. You must read between the lines (or, very literally, the lines on the glass window when walking in). All of the bread is homemade. This may seem trivial to some or unimportant to others but when you have an Eggplant Parmesan sub (or any sub, really), heated to perfection in a pizza oven on a homemade roll, you’ll understand the full value of this statement. It’s the sort of bread that, at least when I eat it, I question why, in the handful of times I’ve attempted to make bread, I can’t make it this good. Massimo, the owner and chef, does it well and while I’ve never actually seen him make the bread I only assume he makes it look very easy.
But, believe me, it’s not just the bread that keeps me going back there (although, I suspect, it plays a large part into Laura’s return trips – besides the Eggplant Parmesan itself, the calamari, and the pizza). It’s rare, and delightful, to get sauce in a place around here that does not taste more like the pot it was cooked in than the tomatoes and spices that are in it. Even those with limited culinary knowledge, know about the reactivity of the acidic tomato and the aluminum pot. I have not eaten all of the pasta items on the menu, health concerns from the over-consumption of pasta and carbs (also, have I mentioned the subs and pizza?) prevent me from doing so in the time that I’ve frequented Mamma Mia’s (my number is recognized). But from what I’ve had you can, and I stress this, taste the sauce. The actual sauce! Not aluminum. Anyone who has spent some time with me in an Italian restaurant should know of my distaste for sub-par sauces. I understand that we, as Americans, put much more sauce on our food than Italians do but Massimo does not overdo the sauce. There’s enough on there. And it’s good.
And speaking of sauce? What makes a great dipper for great calzones and Stromboli? But these calzones and Stromboli you don’t necessarily need to dip. I have. I dipped a few times and, believe me, the sauce makes the difference between dipping Massimo’s calzones and Stromboli over some other places in town but they stand well on their own. If you like meat and eat it regularly, you’ll love the Meat Lovers calzone. If you don’t eat meat or prefer veggies, there are options – and good ones! – for you. Ask Laura. She’ll tell you.
I have never been to Massimo’s other fine dining restaurants in Harrisburg and Florida. I’ve seen the reviews online, one comment saying it was “the best Italian food in Orlando.” I don’t know if he does anything differently with the food at Mamma Mia’s than he did there. I could assume so but that, I fear, would do disservice to Mamma Mia’s rather than his Trattoria’s. Besides, I can’t imagine walking into one of his restaurants now, after eating and carrying out from Mamma Mia’s, and not seeing him behind the counters in t-shirts making the best pizza and subs and some of the best pasta in town. I’ve also noticed online a handful of comments suggesting unfriendly staff here but, in the many times I’ve been there, I have not once been treated rudely. In fact, they are pleasant and they remember you (at least if you’re there as much as we are). It’s the kind of place that makes you forget you’re in a town with a high transient population where most of the restaurants don’t recognize you from the thousands of people that come through once a year and are gone, never to be heard from again.
No, at Mamma Mia’s it’s great food and great people. And that’s fine by me.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Welcome!
In deciding to write a blog about food in State College, the first question I had to ask myself was, “What do I know about food?” I know I like to eat it. I know some places have better food than others. In a world of blogging, tweeting, and Facebook updates, that seemed to be enough. With food critics delving into the how and why of good food, I thought, “Why not just tell people what’s good?” It’s entirely subjective and based upon my preferences but the good news is that I have a very open palate and an even pickier wife.
With that in mind, I ran through the list of meals and places I’ve had them in the State College area and decided that, yes, there were at least enough meals and I’ve eaten at enough places to fill some pages of a blog. Maybe not many yet but the fun part comes when I start soliciting suggestions from the readers about what I haven’t had or where I haven’t been. It’ll probably expand outside the State College area. I may even include some local bars and the beverages they supply. I’ll even keep the language clean. And I’ll even have a guest spot for my wife though she may not write the pieces and I’ll just have to quote or paraphrase her.
But what else can I offer here? What more would people like to read? Thinking about this, I decided I would also highlight allergen-conscious restaurants when possible. Having a wife that potentially has food allergies and is also a vegetarian (save for seafood), I factor that in to the restaurants I eat at so it’s safe to assume, for the most part, that the eateries featured will either have gluten-free and/or vegetarian dishes. I’ll also try to note if they don’t and she just stared at me while I ate. (That doesn’t happen often.)
I’ll also welcome the input of past and present residents and visitors of State College. I’ll edit these as I see fit (i.e. if restaurant recommendations include ones that no longer exist, etc.). But it’s always helpful to have input because it may trigger something I’ve forgotten or blocked out. Send those to statecollegefood@gmail.com.
Enjoy and bon appétit!
With that in mind, I ran through the list of meals and places I’ve had them in the State College area and decided that, yes, there were at least enough meals and I’ve eaten at enough places to fill some pages of a blog. Maybe not many yet but the fun part comes when I start soliciting suggestions from the readers about what I haven’t had or where I haven’t been. It’ll probably expand outside the State College area. I may even include some local bars and the beverages they supply. I’ll even keep the language clean. And I’ll even have a guest spot for my wife though she may not write the pieces and I’ll just have to quote or paraphrase her.
But what else can I offer here? What more would people like to read? Thinking about this, I decided I would also highlight allergen-conscious restaurants when possible. Having a wife that potentially has food allergies and is also a vegetarian (save for seafood), I factor that in to the restaurants I eat at so it’s safe to assume, for the most part, that the eateries featured will either have gluten-free and/or vegetarian dishes. I’ll also try to note if they don’t and she just stared at me while I ate. (That doesn’t happen often.)
I’ll also welcome the input of past and present residents and visitors of State College. I’ll edit these as I see fit (i.e. if restaurant recommendations include ones that no longer exist, etc.). But it’s always helpful to have input because it may trigger something I’ve forgotten or blocked out. Send those to statecollegefood@gmail.com.
Enjoy and bon appétit!
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