Federal Taphouse - State College, PA

Date of dining experience: August 16, 2017

Place: Federal Taphouse

Location: 130 S. Fraser St., Suite 200 (above Target) in State College, PA

Appetizers: Audry and I split the Housemade Soft Pretzels ($7), which came with beer cheese fondue. The seasoning on the pretzels was absolutely perfect, and the beer cheese was some of the best I have ever eaten. We also split the Warm Brussels Sprouts ($11), which is tossed with smoked bacon, bleu cheese, red cabbage, and cranberry-sherry vinaigrette. These were delicious when they first came out, but soon got cold. I wish the dish had been called Hot Brussels Sprouts.

Entrees: Audry and I split two pizzas, Margherita ($12) -- tomato, fresh mozzarella, and basil -- and Polpette ($14) -- tomato, mozzarella, meatballs, and Parmesan. Both of these pizzas were wonderful, especially the Margherita. I had given up hope of finding even a decent Margherita pizza in this town until I had this one! It actually has enough basil on it to give it the right flavor! I've mentioned before that it is hard to find good pizza in State College, but this place has some pretty good pizza. Some friends recommended Hi-Way Pizza, but I have yet to try it. You'll know as soon as I do!

Beers: The best thing about Federal Taphouse is the amazing selection of draft beer and wine.

1. I started with the regular size La Fin Du Monde by Unibroue. As I'm sure I've pointed out before, this is my number one favorite beer. I was giddy with excitement when I saw it on their draft list! You really can't go wrong with a nice tripel.
2. Audry had a regular size Son of a Peach by RJ Rockers Brewing Company, a tasty unfiltered wheat ale made with buckets of peaches. With a description like that, she couldn't pass it up! I must admit it was very good!
3. I then tried two new beers. The first was the small size of Superfuzz Blood Orange Pale Ale by Elysian Brewing Company. This was a very nice, crisp pale ale that were very well with the strong flavors in our pizzas.
4. The second new beer I tried was the small size of Sunshine Daydream Session IPA, with pleasant notes of citrus, peach, and tropical fruits with a light malt backbone. This beer went wonderfully with the bleu cheese in the Brussels sprouts. 

I will be returning to Federal Taphouse in the future. Even if you are just in the mood for a beer, this is a great place to get one! This location just recently opened in State College, so you probably haven't tried it yet, but you should! I recommend doing it soon, before school starts! Either way, they take reservations, so be sure to call ahead. Once you try it, let me know what you think. Enjoy!

Tadashi - State College, PA

Date of dining experience: August 4, 2017

Place: Tadashi Japanese Restaurant

Location: 206 W. College Ave. in State College, PA

Appetizer: Shumai ($5) - steamed shrimp dumplings. This was the perfect appetizer to prepare Audry and me for our meal. I would have liked it a little better if there had been a bit more shrimp in the dumplings, but they were still delicious!

Salad: As an accompaniment to our meal, we had some great salads with the always-wonderful ginger dressing.

Entree: From the Omakase menu, Audry and I split the Sushi Sashimi Tasting ($50) - 8 pieces of nigiri, 15 pieces of sashimi, and a chef's special roll.

• The nigiri course included salmon, tuna, sea bass, whitefish, shrimp, scallop, eel tail, and a wonderful piece with salmon roe. This was my first time having salmon roe and I absolutely loved it. Each little egg is full of a deliciously salty liquid that bursts in your mouth. I just wish I had put a little wasabi on it instead of, or maybe in addition to, soy sauce.
• The sashimi course included three pieces each of salmon, tuna, scallop, eel tail, and sea bass. Each piece was perfect. I can't stress enough how much I love good fish. The last piece in this course was a fried shrimp head, which came with it's own special sauce. While there was not a meat to this, the meat that was there was very flavorful. 
• The final course was a chef's special roll. This roll was not on the menu as it was unique to the day and the chef. I'm not even sure exactly what was in it, but I do know it tasted great! It both contained and was topped with a mix of fishes. The roll was topped with masago and a cream sauce. All together, the chef's creation was aesthetically pleasing, appetizing, and delectable. 

Drink: Hot Green Tea ($2) - A delicious accompaniment to any Japanese meal.

Dessert: Mochi Green Tea Ice Cream ($4) - Two balls of always-fantastic green tea ice cream wrapped in dough, served with whipped cream and a cherry.

Tadashi is an absolutely wonderful restaurant, serving authentic Japanese dishes in a small setting where you can see your food being prepared. My favorite part was that they do not have silverware. There are bins of chopsticks on every table. If you don't know how to use them, you should learn! If not, feel free to ask for a fork.

Tadashi is now my go-to restaurant for sushi and sashimi in State College. I'll probably still try other places because I like the adventure of new foods, but I expect Tadashi to be a top choice going forward. If you haven't tried this place yet, you should! Let me know what you think. Enjoy!