lifestyle

Places to eat in State College PA

 in Travel  tagged central pa / lifestyle / restaurants by

Ham and cheese omelet from The Waffle Shop

Heading to State College, PA for a football game or any sports match, game, tournament, meet, etc.? Or perhaps you have a high school senior touring Penn State and are looking for a nice place to eat. Or maybe you are just passing through central PA and need to stop for a nice meal. Whatever the case, you have stopped in the right place!

Since Penn State is a globally recognized, prestigious University, the area attracts a diverse range of restaurants who cater to the sophisticated palettes of visitors to the area as well as students and residents. This means when you visit, you will be able to find a fabulous meal comparable to what we enjoy here in the San Francisco Bay Area. Love that!

So, without further ado, here are a few fabulous restaurants to enjoy in the State College area!

Allen Street Grill

Allen Street Grill is a famous go-to for parents to bring their students to for a nice meal when they visit. In addition, students view it as the perfect place for a fancy date! They have a seasonal menu which always includes a delicious risotto and a Bolognese dish. These are my favorites!

Allen Street Grill is located at 100 W College Ave. I recommend making reservations on Open Table on busy weekends such as move-in, football weekends, Parent’s Weekend, Graduation, and move-out.

Rey Azteca

As a west coaster, it is really hard to find Mexican food on the east coast. They just don’t make it like they do in California. There are several Mexican restaurants in the State College area, but Rey Azteca is the closest to authentic you will find.

Rey Azteca is located at 485 Benner Pike, you do not need reservations and there is plenty of parking.

India Pavilion

India Pavilion is tucked away at 222 E Calder Way and can easily be missed. Make sure you don’t walk past it! They have an amazing lunch buffet which is what we enjoyed on our recent visit. This is hands-down one of the best Indian restaurants you will find. Seriously, here in the Bay Area we have tons of Indian Restaurants, and this one could easily thrive in the San Francisco Bay Area where we have a large Indian population. The food is delicious! So, make sure you pop in for lunch or dinner when in the State College area. Love it!

Mercato Mio

The mushroom risotto at Mercato Mio is something I crave. This delicious restaurant is located inside the Hilton at 1221 E College Ave and offers a fabulous Italian menu. Also, the tiramisu is something dreams are made of. Highly Recommend! You can make reservations on Open Table. Love!

Tadashi

Tadashi has two locations across the street from Penn State University. The original location offers ramen and don. You can find it at 206 W College Ave. It is the ultimate comfort food on cold, snowy days, and for homesick students. The second location at 100 S Atherton offers sushi and Udon. Yum! Both locations are delicious and must-visits on your next trip to the State College area.

The Corner Room

The Corner Room is a Penn State staple for visitors and students alike. If you haven’t eaten at The Corner Room, you haven’t been to State College. We recently visited on Thanksgiving and enjoyed a delicious holiday meal. They make the best brussels sprouts on the planet and the Grilled Stickies for dessert are a must. The Corner Room is located at 100 W College Ave.

The Tavern

The Tavern is a special place. It is located in an historical building and the interior is cozy, upscale, and inviting. Of course, the food is something out of this world. This is a fabulous restaurant for celebrating a birthday, special occasion, and your student’s graduation. Everything on the menu is outstanding, I am partial to the mushroom risotto. The Tavern is located at 220 E College Ave and reservations can be made on Open Table.

The Waffle Shop

The Waffle Shop is a Penn State staple. This is where student line up on the weekends and wait a long time for a delicious brunch meal. Across from campus, The Waffle Shop offers a large brunch menu and is very addictive. I recommend going very early or on off days to avoid the line. Otherwise, it is worth the wait in line. You will enjoy your meal. The Waffle shop is located at 364 E College Ave across from the Penn State campus. Highly recommend!

In addition to restaurants, there are plenty of faster food options if you are in State College and would like something quick. Halal Cart offers delicious halal meals. I highly recommend the combo plate with chicken and falafel. Yum! Although the official address is 137 E Beaver Ave, the cart is right in front of the Pugh Street garage.

So, the next time you visit Central PA and find yourself in State College, check out some of these delicious restaurants! Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by,

OXOX

Cathy

Beach day at Pismo

 in General Fashion / Travel  tagged beach / lifestyle / outfits / Pismo Beach by

wearing: hat (old, also love this one) / navy blue cover-up / espadrilles / earrings / fall nail polish / frosted lipstick / tote (not pictured) /

No vacation is complete without a trip to the beach! During our road trip, we spent a quiet, relaxing day at Pismo Beach. They too have free parking! Love that!

We spent the morning on the beach. Part of our morning was talking and reading, and then we also went in the water. It was fairly warm compared to our Bay Area beaches!

For lunch, we went to our favorite burger restaurant, Cool Cat Cafe on Pomeroy Ave. They have a wide variety of burgers, meals, and vegetarian options. It was delicious, as usual!

After lunch, we went back to the beach and repeated our morning. It was relaxing, fun and perfect for a summer vacation day. If you are from California and you have not visited Pismo Beach yet, what are you waiting for? Definitely enjoy the beach and town before fall hits!

Well, that’s about it. The beach is always a great family fun day, and it always provides a relaxing vibe. Before summer ends, I recommend hitting your favorite beach.

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy

Solvang road trip

 in Travel  tagged lifestyle / outfits / solvang / travel by

What I wore in Solvang: statement earrings / striped tee (sold out, also love this tee) / black belt / denim shorts / fall nail polish / black handbag / rose and white sneakers /

Chances are, if you live in California, you have been to Solvang while driving from SoCal to NorCal, or vise-versa. It’s one of those towns you hear about which offers a great place to stop and grab lunch while driving up and down the state. I remember stopping for lunch there as a child on road trips with my mom, and we have also stopped with our kids on the way to Disneyland. This time, we did things a little differently.

We decided to take a road trip and explore the middle of the state a little bit more closely than when we are just driving past. We stayed in Santa Maria and day tripped to all the places we normally drive past, but really deserve more attention. First day trip of our road trip? Solvang.

The city of Solvang is a Danish Village off highway 101 nestled in the northern part of Santa Barbara County. It was originally founded in 1804 when Mission Santa Ines, pictured below, was established; and roughly one hundred years later it became the largest Danish settlement in the United States. The mission is one of the few in California which still has a lot of original walls, fixtures, etc. It is a great piece of California history.

Solvang itself is built mainly with Danish-style architecture and you can feel transported to a small, Danish village while visiting. Although a tourist town, Solvang offers free parking, friendly faces, and a plethora of bakeries, shops, and sites where visitors can enjoy a little bit of Danish life.

We visited the Hans Christian Anderson Museum which is a must-see for anyone who enjoys books. They had historical artifacts and books inside, plus a modern bookstore downstairs. It was really unique and perfect for anyone who loves to read! We tried to visit the Elverhoj Museum of History and Art, but it was closed on the day we visited Solvang. If you want to visit this museum plan your trip on a day when they are open. We visited on a Tuesday, and they were closed.

Walking around Solvang is also a museum in itself as many buildings and windmills are historical. Definitely take a walking tour! We also found the bakeries are all really good and you can easily find Danish treats to enjoy in person, as well as bring home for later. As for lunch places, many of them offer a mixture of Danish fare and American food. We enjoyed Lunch at “Solvang Restaurant.”

If you are from the Bay Area, chances are, you enjoy a good boba from time to time; or everyday! There is a boba place in Solvang which offers Danish boba!

Hygge Boba Tea and Smoothies has a large boba menu which offers your favorite flavors from home as well as a couple of unique flavors keeping in Danish theme. I enjoyed a Danish Pastry boba.

We did patronize a few bakeries, but we found Olsen’s Danish Village Bakery had the largest selection and we ended up bringing home a box of goodies to enjoy. I highly recommend stopping in there before leaving Solvang and filling up a pastry box with delicious treats!

Solvang was in the high nineties on the day we visited, so I wore a comfy tee, shorts, and of course good walking shoes. It was nice ducking into air-conditioned shops when things got a little too warm! haha So, when you visit, check the weather ahead of time since they are little bit warmer than the coast.

I highly recommend spending a day in Solvang instead of only stopping for lunch on the way to SoCal. It’s an amazing little village on the central coast and it is definitely worth a relaxing visit so you can drink everything in! Also, bring your appetite so you can enjoy all the bakeries!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy