[State College restaurants]

Chris, I wholeheartedly agree with your affirmation about Herwig's. Herwig's does seem to offer homestyle Austrian cooking that is just full of intense flavors, just as described.

However, I do want to advise the readers that The Green Bowl, while a great concept, is seriously lacking in its implementation. The sauces are canned and bland, IMHO. The visitor might try it for lunch, as an experiment, but I wouldn't make it a dinner destination without trying lunch first.

State College is by no means a hotbed of innovative international cuisine, but it does have one or two standouts locally. My current local favorite is Cozy Thai, a small Asian place on East College Ave. (beyond Garner Ave.). It ain't San Franciso or New York, but it compares favorably locally, and the price is right. It's BYO so you'll have to bring your own gewurztraminer or riesling.

In sum, approach The Green Bowl cautiously and consider Cozy Thai.

Dan

Meanderer, glad you liked Herwigs. They crack me up!

While I'm thinking about it, I want to comment on another local restaurant I haven't yet mentioned: Green Bowl (website, map). This place is an "invent your own stir-fry" place, where you go up to what looks like a salad bar, fill up your bowl with stuff, scoop on one or more of their sauces (they have 15-20 on any given day, I would guess), and then hand over your bowl. They stir fry it for you (or they can make it into a soup or a wrap) and bring it to your table. It's pretty hard to fault them for any bad food you have there, since you made the combinations yourself, but they do have a (long) list of suggested sauce combinations on a board behind the counter. The most critical thing to remember when you are at the bar is that you are not making a salad, you are making a stir-fry. It's easy to slip into a salad bar mentality, but you have to remember that all that spinach you filled your bowl with is going to be cooked down to only a few strands! Remember this, and go easy on the sauces, and GB is a great place to enjoy lunch.

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[Wine & Spirits Bargains at the PLCB (Part 2)]

"Indian Leg Wrestling"....

Now there's an image that hasn't crossed my mind for many, many years.

And I thought I was here just for the wine.

But here's an LCB question for everyone. Are other specialty stores as barren of Chairman Selections as the store in State College? My bet is that Bryn Mawr and Lemoyne are chock full, while many of us are wating for the next stage coach to make it out to the frontier.

Dan

[Central PA restaurants]

About halfway between Williamsport and Huntingdon you will find several worthwhile dining establishments in and near State College. These represent my preferences and I would enourage others from our area to nominate their favorites.

First, I strongly recommend Zola Bistro in State College for its innovative menu, excellent bar and drink menu, and exceptional wine list. I would also suggest the Carnegie House in Toftrees (near State College) and the Gamble Mill in Bellefonte.

If one is visiting State College with an eye on expenses, consider The Tavern, an American in State College, or Mario and Luigi's, an exceptional Italian restaurant which is a great place to bring the family and has a strong, consistent selection of pasta, seafood, chicken and veal specialities.

At the economy scale, consider Faccia Luna for its authentic, rustic pizza, the India Pavilion downtown, or The Corner Room, right across from the campus main gate at College and Allen in State College.

Enjoy!

Dan