Kelly's - State College, PA

Date of dining experience: April 28, 2017

Place: Kelly's Steak and Seafood

Location: 316 Boal Ave. in Boalsburg, PA

Appetizer (from the weekly specials menu): Thai Fried Alligator ($10) - Domestic alligator tail meat marinated in buttermilk and tossed in a Thai spice flour, fried crisp, and served with a creamy coconut-chili dipping sauce. This was some of the juiciest alligator I have ever eaten! It was very delicious and I would order it again. However, there really was no spice to it. With a name like that, I was expecting some spice in the breading and the dipping sauce, but neither had it. The dipping sauce was good, but could have been quite a bit less sweet.

Wine with appetizer: A very nice glass of Malbec. ($6)

Entree (from the weekly specials menu): Jamaican Grilled Swordfish ($26) - A large swordfish steak marinated in Jamaican jerk seasonings, served with flash-seared South Sea prawns, on a bed of ginger-jasmine rice with a mango beurre blanc and tropical fruit salsa. Doesn't that description just make your mouth water? It did for me! The flavor combination was fantastic and I would definitely order this dish again. However, I do have two things that were not quite right. With Jamaican jerk seasonings, I was expecting a little of spice, which this dish did not have. The swordfish was also slightly overcooked. It was still juicy and delicious, but just a tad overdone. This is really just my personal preference, so it's really not a big deal in the grand scheme of life.

Wine with entree: A very nice glass of Sangiovese. ($7)

Honestly, I was expecting this place to be a normal little steakhouse, but when I saw all the seafood options they had to offer I became very excited. I think this might be my new go-to restaurant for a very nice meal that isn't going to cost an arm and a leg.

I highly recommend Kelly's, especially if you are with an amazing group of people like I was. (Shout out to Dr. Keith Thompson and Dr. Alice Hammel.) Try this place out and let me know what you think! Enjoy!