A nice place that is not often mentioned is Spat's Cafe and Speakeasy which is on the corner of College and Pugh. It has bistro-type fair and an interesting decor. Prices are not bad $5.00+ for sandwiches and more for entrees. Their hot pepper pasta is great - so is their brie appetizer. For subs or cheesesteaks - hit CC Peppers - there are a few locations around town. I dream about their chicken cheesesteak and cheese fries. ***************************** For very gourmet general European style food, try Le Papillion at Toftrees. Excellent service and food and you'll pay for it...$10+ per meal with most dinners being around $13.00+. If you got the cash (about $10.00) go for their Sunday brunch -- it's pretty amazing and all you can eat. Toftrees is just outside of the main State College area (about 1-2 miles away). Call for instructions. More on the Downtown State College area (right across the street from PSU): The Corner Room (corner of College Ave. and Allen St. -- the E-W divide in town). Good general family food. Generally priced under $10.00. Go for the all you can eat pasta on Monday nights for $5.00 -- very nice alfredo sauce and a choice of pastas:) Ye Olde College Diner (100 block of W. College Ave.). Open 24 hours a day -- the only reliable diner in State College (I used to work there)! If you go you have to try a "Sticky" which is just a glorified sticky bun. Get it with ice cream (made fresh either there or at the Corner Room) if you like. Good diner/post bar tour fare. The Golden Wok (200 or 300 block of W. College Ave.). Excellent chinese fare. Maybe a little higher priced than other asian restaraunts in town, but reliable service and food quality. Dinners = $8.00-$15.00 with most being in the $8.00-$10.00 range. Vegetarian Restaurant (can't remember name; new) just off of 500 block of E. College Ave. Good Indian cuisine. Very small restaurant. They have a lunch buffet for $5.00 that'll fill you up. Very friendly. Restaraunts that are VERY CLOSE to right downtown (i.e., on Beaver Ave. which is parallel to College Ave. in the southern direction; Beaver and College are one way streets:): The Silver Screen Grill in The Days Inn Penn State (turn the corner at end of 100 block of E. Beaver Ave. and Pugh St.). Very good sandwich and dinner fare that is reasonably priced. Saturday night is comics night and for $5.00 you get into see a live comic from 10:30 pm - 12:30 pm (I went there a lot). This is the place I really frequented!!!! Very nice sandwiches for around $6.00 -- a meal in themselves and the sides that come with them. Tell Gregg the bartender I (Mary C. Wheeland and Steve Rushen..go ahead inclue my boyfriend) said hello and ask him how his stash of McCallen's scotch is holding out:) <--my boyfriend's favorite. DON'T GO TO --> Cancun Mexican Restaurant. Terrible. Worse that Taco Bell. For Subs and hoagies try: Penn State Sub Shop (200 block of E. Beaver Ave.); free delivery Bubba's (various locations; the best I think); free delivery Make sure you get a hold of a copy of the State College phone book. It's real small compared to the Metro Pitt. one and you can find the addresses of the places I have mentioned. You can walk in about 20 mintues from one end of central College and Beaver ave to the other. YOU are in CENTRAL PA when you're in State College -- the central business district that is. Ok! -- please let me know if you have any more question or comments. And writ e me to let me know where yo went (if you don't mind:) and what you thought of it. WARNING: don't expect the variety that you find in any area of Pitt. ******************************************************* Try Duffy's Tavern. It's located in Boalsburg, which is a few miles outside of State College. Don't let the appearance of the bar fool you. The dining room is on the other side of the building and is rather nice. If you're going to be there during a football weekend, make sure that you have rservations. ************************************************************** At Penn State the best place I think that there is to eat is "Baby's". It is down by Maclanhon's on College Ave. Around the corner over there. ****************************************************************Le Papilon is very good but theres one in Lemont called the Victoria House (I think...its something close to that name....can never get it straight with all the things called Victoria...House....Manor, etc.) Anyway, the food is superb, desserts outstanding. Definitely not cheap, b ut worth the money. Never miss a visit when I go to PSU. Preparation and presentation remind you of some of the 4 star resturants in Quebec city. IF you got the bucks, definitely try Lobster Victoria...$48. Worth every penny. Beautiful tail stuffed with a shrimp and mushroom duxell. They even have their own version of Bananas Foster (from Brennans in New Orleans). If you on a limited but generous budget there are many very good choices of fish, beef, and veal. I personally think the Tavern has gone downhill (Im an old PSUer from 30 years now so my problem is I remember when...). At Le Papilon and Victoria House you DINE, at all the rest to eat dinner. Enjoy !!
Pennsylvania