Date of dining experience: October 21, 2017
Place: Primanti Bros.
Location: 6 Anchor Dr. in Pittsburgh, PA
Meal: Original Pitts-Burger ($7.39) - Grilled meat, melted provolone cheese, sweet-and-sour coleslaw, fresh-cut fries, ripe tomatoes, and their house recipe Italian bread. All of that combined to make one very delicious sandwich. To top it all off, this is the absolute best coleslaw I have ever tried in my life. The Pitts-Burger is a tradition at Primanti Bros. You can't go there and not try it. Go get yourself one right now!
Drink: Regular coffee - Just because I felt like it. Don't judge!
This is a great place for a quick lunch or a full meal with friends. I will definitely be returning. Try it out and let me know what you think! Enjoy!
Wednesday, October 25, 2017
Red Chopsticks - Bloomington, IN
Date of dining experience: October 12, 2017
Place: Red Chopsticks Japanese Restaurant
Location: 1420 E. 3rd St. in Bloomington, IN
Drink: Hot Green Tea ($1) - Perfect!
Appetizer: Shumai ($3.95) - Five pieces of steamed shrimp dumplings. Delicious!
Meal: Sushi rolls! Everything was wonderful!
Place: Red Chopsticks Japanese Restaurant
Location: 1420 E. 3rd St. in Bloomington, IN
Drink: Hot Green Tea ($1) - Perfect!
Appetizer: Shumai ($3.95) - Five pieces of steamed shrimp dumplings. Delicious!
Meal: Sushi rolls! Everything was wonderful!
- Philadelphia Roll ($4.95) - Smoked salmon and cream cheese.
- Chicago Roll ($5.50) - Tuna, avocado, and cream cheese.
- California Roll ($3.95) - The standard that you can get anywhere.
Red Chopsticks was great and I will definitely be returning if I ever find myself in Bloomington again. Try it out and let me know what you think! Enjoy!
Nick's English Hut - Bloomington, IN
Date of dining experience: October 11, 2017
Place: Nick's English Hut
Location: 423 E. Kirkwood Ave. in Bloomington, IN
Appetizer: Sink the Biz Fries ($10.95) - A bucket of fries tossed in Romano and Nick's spices with their famous garlic mayonnaise for dipping. The fries were amazing! Definitely a "must" if you ever find yourself here!
Meal: 7" pizza with ham and black olives ($9.55) - A pretty good pizza with pretty good sauce. Not something to shout about, but definitely not the worst pizza I've ever eaten.
All-in-all, this place is pretty iconic in the Indiana University culture. It's worth a stop if you ever find yourself in the area. Let me know what you think! Enjoy!
Place: Nick's English Hut
Location: 423 E. Kirkwood Ave. in Bloomington, IN
Appetizer: Sink the Biz Fries ($10.95) - A bucket of fries tossed in Romano and Nick's spices with their famous garlic mayonnaise for dipping. The fries were amazing! Definitely a "must" if you ever find yourself here!
Meal: 7" pizza with ham and black olives ($9.55) - A pretty good pizza with pretty good sauce. Not something to shout about, but definitely not the worst pizza I've ever eaten.
All-in-all, this place is pretty iconic in the Indiana University culture. It's worth a stop if you ever find yourself in the area. Let me know what you think! Enjoy!
Saturday, September 23, 2017
Pho 11 - State College, PA
Date of dining experience: September 22, 2017
Place: Pho 11 Vietnamese Restaurant
Location: 146 N. Atherton St. in State College, PA
Appetizers: Audry and I split an order of Spring Rolls with Shrimp and Pork ($5.50) and an order of Vegatable Rolls ($5.25). Both were delicious, especially with the dipping sauce! They were slightly different from others I've had before because they contained basil instead of cilantro. It's different, but still good!
Entree: Satay Chicken Noodle Soup ($9.95) - Perfect noodles and shredded chicken served in a homemade satay sauce with the flavor of peanuts and sesame, served with a side of bean sprouts and a sprig of fresh basil. You really can't go wrong with anything on the menu here. This dish just happens to be the one our server recommended. As I was discussing authenticity with him, he said that all of the dishes on the menu are authentic in Vietnam. However, he also said that due to some ingredients being unavailable (or less plentiful) in this country, they have had to make close substitutions and even leave a few things out. Obviously, this changes the flavor. I really want to go to Vietnam and just tour all the local food places!
Drink: Fresh Lime Soda ($3.50) - This was amazing! Just the right amount of lime flavor and not a lot of carbonation. However they made it, it was great!
As far as I have been able to find, Pho 11 is the only Vietnamese restaurant in State College, making it the best one in State College. I will definitely be returning to Pho 11 in the future, especially if I have a craving for spring rolls or fresh lime soda! Try this place out and let me know what you think. Enjoy!
Place: Pho 11 Vietnamese Restaurant
Location: 146 N. Atherton St. in State College, PA
Appetizers: Audry and I split an order of Spring Rolls with Shrimp and Pork ($5.50) and an order of Vegatable Rolls ($5.25). Both were delicious, especially with the dipping sauce! They were slightly different from others I've had before because they contained basil instead of cilantro. It's different, but still good!
Entree: Satay Chicken Noodle Soup ($9.95) - Perfect noodles and shredded chicken served in a homemade satay sauce with the flavor of peanuts and sesame, served with a side of bean sprouts and a sprig of fresh basil. You really can't go wrong with anything on the menu here. This dish just happens to be the one our server recommended. As I was discussing authenticity with him, he said that all of the dishes on the menu are authentic in Vietnam. However, he also said that due to some ingredients being unavailable (or less plentiful) in this country, they have had to make close substitutions and even leave a few things out. Obviously, this changes the flavor. I really want to go to Vietnam and just tour all the local food places!
Drink: Fresh Lime Soda ($3.50) - This was amazing! Just the right amount of lime flavor and not a lot of carbonation. However they made it, it was great!
As far as I have been able to find, Pho 11 is the only Vietnamese restaurant in State College, making it the best one in State College. I will definitely be returning to Pho 11 in the future, especially if I have a craving for spring rolls or fresh lime soda! Try this place out and let me know what you think. Enjoy!
Friday, September 22, 2017
100 Degrees Hot Pot - State College, PA
Date of dining experience: September 22, 2017
Place: 100 Degrees Hot Pot Chinese Restaurant
Location: 428 Westerly Parkway in State College, PA
Dim Sum - Those of you who know me, know I love some good dim sum. This is the only place in State College where the dim sum is fantastic. Well, it's really the only place that offers real dim sum at all. A couple other places have a tiny dim sum bar, but never very many options.
Obviously, I get really excited about dim sum. 100 Degrees Hot Pot serves dim sum via menu Tuesday-Friday and with traditional cart service on Saturday and Sunday, but they stop serving it at 4:30, so plan your dim sum trip accordingly! Once you try it, let me know what you think! Enjoy!
Place: 100 Degrees Hot Pot Chinese Restaurant
Location: 428 Westerly Parkway in State College, PA
Dim Sum - Those of you who know me, know I love some good dim sum. This is the only place in State College where the dim sum is fantastic. Well, it's really the only place that offers real dim sum at all. A couple other places have a tiny dim sum bar, but never very many options.
- Shrimp Dumplings (L - $4.25) - You can never go wrong with the standard shrimp dumpling. They are always amazing.
- Dumplings in Chaozhou Style (M - $3.75) - I had never eaten this type of dumpling before. Since I like trying new things, I obviously had to try it! Basically, this type of dumpling contains meat and peanuts. It's pretty good and has a slight crunch to it.
- Shark Fin Dumplings (L - $4.25) - This is my absolute favorite dumpling! So, of course, I had to have it! Let me tell you, the seasoning they use on the meat in this dumpling is superb! These dumplings were absolutely perfect!
- Fried Stuffed Taro (S - $3.25) - I chose to go the taro route instead of the typical rice route this time, mostly because I had never tried taro before. This was interesting. It tastes a little like bland mashed potatoes, but there was some filling to it. Being fried, it was a little dry. However, dipping it in some oyster sauce solved that problem immediately!
- Jasmine Tea ($2) - You simply cannot have dim sum without a pot of tea! Jasmine tea is my favorite hot tea. Even if the dumplings weren't very good, I would return just for the tea!
Obviously, I get really excited about dim sum. 100 Degrees Hot Pot serves dim sum via menu Tuesday-Friday and with traditional cart service on Saturday and Sunday, but they stop serving it at 4:30, so plan your dim sum trip accordingly! Once you try it, let me know what you think! Enjoy!
Thursday, August 17, 2017
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.
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!
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.
- 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.
- 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!
- 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.
- 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!
Saturday, August 5, 2017
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.
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!
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!
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