Welcome to Penn State, WEPOteers! You’ve made a fantastic
decision to spend the next four years at Happy Valley. State College is a place
that is filled with opportunities for success, friendship, fun, and FOOD! While
the Dining Commons are filled with great options, like M.T.O. sandwiches from
Redifer’s In A Pickle and the famous West cookies, there will come a day when
you just can’t eat another Pollock crepe (shocking, I know). When that day
comes, check out one of my top five places downtown!
Irving’s
Irving’s is my favorite place to be in
State College, and it’s one of my favorite restaurants in Pennsylvania. It’s a
bread and bagel bakery and café (think Panera), where they use fresh and high
quality ingredients. Irving’s is conveniently located across from Hammond
Building, so it’s a great place to take a study break or grab a coffee and use
their free WiFi to get some work done.
Recommendations:
Sonoma turkey sandwich – turkey topped with avocado, Swiss cheese,
Russian dressing, lettuce, tomato, and onion on any of Irving’s homemade bread
or bagels
Joe Papaya smoothie – pineapple, strawberry, mango, and
coconut blended to become a little bit of heaven
Any of their seasonal lattes – S’mores and Almond Joy are my
favorites
Insomnia Cookies
Insomnia will deliver warm, freshly baked
cookies to your dorm until 3:00 am. They have deals that are big enough to
share with your roommates and friends, but you’re not going to want to. These
are probably the best late-night study buddy you’re ever going to have.
Recommendations:
Cookie Monster will approve of anything from Insomnia, but I
suggest you order The Sugar Rush. Mix
and match 12 cookies, and definitely try the double chocolate chunk.
Otto’s
Otto’s Pub & Brewery is located on Atherton Street past
the Wegman’s. Since you have to drive there, it’s the perfect place to take
your family (or have them take you) when they come to visit.
Recommendations:
Creole Crab Dip with house made beer pretzel – Blend of
cream cheese, spices and sweet crab meet
Turkey bacon avocado wrap – House smoked turkey, avocado
spread, Hogs Galore bacon, pepper jack cheese, lettuce, tomato, and garlic
aioli in a flour tortilla
Pretzel roll sandwich – House made, beer infused pretzel
roll with house smoked turkey or Hogs Galore ham, topped with Amish cave-aged
Swiss cheese and Roger’s almost famous mustard
Green Bowl
After
stuffing your face with Insomnia Cookies and bagels, you should probably eat
some veggies, and Green Bowl is the place to go! It’s an All You Can Eat
stir-fry restaurant. Load up your bowl with veggies, fruits, noodles, sauces,
pick a protein, and watch it be grilled. Warning: There is a distinct Green
Bowl scent that will stick to you and your clothes afterwards.
Recommendations:
Try the Bourbon BBQ sauce and add pineapple for a hint of
sweetness
The Deli
Don’t be fooled by the name of this restaurant. The Deli
offers much more than some lunchmeat and bread. It’s another great option to go
to when family or friends are visiting. It’s located downtown, so it’s also a
great place to celebrate your roommates’ birthday, acing a test, or just making
through Monday. The menu is HUGE so be prepared to ask the waiter for a few
extra minutes.
Recommendations:
Black & Bleu Burger – blackened Cajun spices, bleu
cheese, spicy mayonnaise, Kaiser roll
Pittsburgh Prima – grilled steak, fresh cut fries, fried
egg, provolone, coleslaw, Russian dressing, focaccia, fresh cut chips, pickle
Tori Vadyak is a senior in Chemical Engineering, and she is the Resource Innovations Lead for WEPO '14!
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