Little Cub Eats: Chipotle

Chipotle (you know where Chipotle is)

Flashback to the beginning of the semester when I said I already knew the typical eateries of Pennsylvania in my first RCL blog post... I lied. I, believe it or not, have never actually been to Chipotle. Where I come from (as if it's particularly far), there is a Moe's right next to my high school, and being a cheerleader and in the marching band, we never really strayed very far from school. There wasn't much interest to try Chipotle, since we would have to drive farther and just over be inconvenienced.

Jump forward to 2016 and the closest Moe's requires a bus ride and more precious money dollars. Unsurprisingly, I would rather walk to Chipotle a mere few minutes from my dorm than catch the bus to Trader Joe's Center. My cravings for a burrito bowl were real and Chipotle was on the way back from my shopping so... here we are!

Ease of Access: 10/10

Chipotle is only about a five minute walk from Pollock, so two thumbs up!

Bank Account Happiness: 80%

My chicken bowl, chips and salsa came to around $9, but I could never finish a whole bowl, so once again, you could think of it as $4.50 for dinner and lunch the next day each. A little more pricey than I would prefer, considering it's just rice and some toppings (I don't like beans and didn't even really want to get meat), but overall decent price. Also, what's with this paying for chips and salsa business? Pretty sure Chipotle makes enough money to include the chips...

Big Group or Study Spot?

Honestly, I would say neither, although it is definitely better suited for big groups. Perhaps it was just the time I went, but it was very crowded there. For sure, do not attempt to get any thoughtful work done here.

The Food

As mentioned, I ordered a chicken bowl:

Hi yes I'm eating Chipotle in bed.

I like to eat my bowls with chips instead of a fork or spoon, thus the chip wedged in the corner. Overall, I was satisfied with my meal, so please keep that in mind as I relentlessly compare this to Moe's, my baby. 

For starters, I'm not a big meat person, so I never really look forward to these kinds of places that serve a large selection of meat and not much else. And as mentioned in my last post, I absolutely hate peppers, so their veggie option was out the window as soon as I saw those little green buggers in the bucket. As a default, I chose chicken, because I've ordered a rice burrito from Moe's before (I also don't like beans) and I never want to experience the look the server gave me ever again. 

The chicken, while easy to chew, unlike most grilled chicken I come across, was decently spicy. Don't get me wrong, I love spicy food, but for a burrito/taco/bowl I prefer the fresher, lighter tastes of sour cream, cheese, and tomatoes, so this came as a slight shock. Two things I prefer in my bowls from Moe's: grilled mushrooms and queso. Chipotle does not serve either, as far as I'm aware, which led to my grudging ordering of chicken, as I would have gladly substituted the mushrooms. I'm also a cheese fiend, so I like the added flavor of queso on top of the other cheese. 

On the plus side, the lettuce was fresh, a nice mix of leafy green and crunchy, I enjoyed the salsa, and the rice had a nice flavor to it. The server also loaded my bowl with sour cream without me having to ask, which is automatic points in my book. 

The one thing I do prefer from Chipotle over Moe's is the chips. They have nice big chunks of salt and a nice hint of lime that, combined with my bowl, made for a refreshing meal. They also complimented the medium salsa I got as well. 

Once again, overall this was a satisfactory meal, and the location is convenient enough to make me open to going again. Beware, though, the line gets pretty long, so don't be in a hurry if you try it out.

Little Cub Eats: The Corner Room

The Corner Room 100 W College Ave.

Ease of Access: 7/10

The Corner Room is located directly across the street from Hammond building, which takes me about ten minutes to walk to from Pollock.

Lioncash+: Accepted

Bank Account Happiness: 90%

I mean, technically, it's 100% if you take into account that my parents paid for it. The prices at The Corner Room are actually very decent, and I did not find anything on the menu I believed to be too overpriced. My veggie wrap was $6.99, but I did not finish it, so you could think of it as $3.50 for dinner and $3.50 for lunch the next day, which is a cheaper dinner and the same price as lunch at the dining commons.

Big Group or Study spot?

This was quite the typical restaurant set up, with booths and tables and a normal amount of noise, so I wouldn't recommend studying here, but it also wouldn't be impossible if you absolutely needed to.

The Food

From the top, my mom ordered the Shepard's Pie, on the left is my Veggie Wrap, and the bottom is my dad's Greek Salad.

The Shepard's Pie, by my mom's evaluation, was a typical Shepard's Pie with beef gravy. She seemed satisfied and I had a single kernel of corn that made me want to try more, though I did not eat anymore.

The Greek salad seemed a fairly typical salad, with tomatoes, black olives, green and red peppers, an egg, and feta cheese. Though not what I would typically think of in a Greek salad, my dad seemed to enjoy it. I did not try his salad because I hate peppers.

Which brings me to my Veggie Wrap. For starters, the wrap does not come with the (seemingly randomly placed exactly four) olives pictured to the left, as my dad hates olives, so he gave his to me. The wrap also comes with zucchini, squash, onions, cheese, and red and green peppers. This is my struggle with becoming a vegetarian is that most "veggie" entrees typically include some form of Pepper, who is my Arch Nemesis. I do love some good zucchini and squash, however, so I braved being that picky person and asked for no peppers. It was very obvious that they make a big batch of these veggies at once because even without peppers in my wrap, it still tasted like peppers!!

If you are someone who likes the overwhelming taste of green peppers lingering in your food, then this wrap I imagine would be perfect for you. The wrap was not awful-- I ate the whole thing, but I have been trained throughout my life to suck it up and it your food because "this is dinner," as my mom used to say-- but by the time I had finished the other half the next day, I did not want to taste anymore peppers for the foreseeable future.

I was very happy with my small fruit cup, though, and the atmosphere in The Corner Room was enjoyable. It gives off an old timey vibe (since it appears to have been around for awhile) with all the memorabilia hanging around, so please do not be turned away with my blatant dislike for peppers.

Little Cub Eats: Primanti Brothers

Primanti Brothers 130 Hiester St.

Ease of Access: 8/10

Primanti's isn't very far from Pollock, closer than Green Bowl and Urban Outfitters, but it's on the corner of Beaver Ave. and I don't like to go passed College. Call me lazy.

Bank Account Happiness: 90%

If you're like me, you can't finish an entire sandwich, so a $7 sandwich turns into $3.50 lunch and $3.50 dinner.

Big Group or Study Spot?

Before we get things started with this review, there is an important disclaimer that needs to be said: I have not actually been to the Primanti Brothers in State College. Honestly, I was completely swamped this week, making it super difficult to plan a meal outside of campus. I also really needed to save myself some money and so I could't afford to eat out on the town. That being said, I most definitely have been to Primanti Brothers (in fact the original in Pittsburgh, which should be even more valid) many times since I moved to Pittsburgh. I want to take this chance to plug my hometown a bit.

Primanti Brothers first started in the 1930's as a food cart in the Strip District of downtown Pittsburgh (no it is not what it sounds like). The original restaurant still resides there, but there are now many locations outside of Pittsburgh (as I was very excited to learn upon moving here). Now I'm sure you're wondering, "Why in the world is this restaurant from Pittsburgh of all places so popular?"

I will now introduce to you, my friends, the Primanti's "Almost Famous" sandwich.

Picture courtesy of official Primanti Brothers website

The Food

My typical order at Primanti's is a ham sandwich because I like to keep things simple. You can add bacon, double meat, double cheese, or an egg to your sandwich for an extra price, but these sandwiches really don't need extra pizazz. Every sandwich comes with provolone cheese, french fries, and cole slaw, the thing that makes Primanti's so famous. Thick slices of Italian bread hold all the toppings together, warm and piled high. It is important to note that there are no vegetarian options for these sandwiches, so if you don't eat meat this isn't the place for you. Primanti's does serve salads, burgers, and other dishes, but why are you going to Primanti's if you aren't getting the "Almost Famous" sandwich?

That being said, please do not go to Primanti's and ask for french fries and cole slaw on the side. (Of course you can do whatever you want, just know that I'm judging you and your choices.)

Once again, I apologize for not actually going out and trying a new restaurant this week. I know many of you look forward to discovering these new restaurants with me, and I'm genuinely saddened that I could not make it out this week.

See you next time!

Little Cub Eats: Cafe Wow

Cafe Wow 243 E College Ave

Ease of Access: 9/10

Cafe Wow is below Urban Outfitters, which is only about a five minute walk. I love bubble tea, though, so I would much prefer it was right outside my dorm.

Lioncash+: Not accepted

Bank Account Happiness: 7/10

A small bubble tea is about the same price as most Starbucks drinks, so if you're one of Those People that get Starbucks everyday, this won't be a big splurge for you. If you subscribe to logic, however, there is a niggle in the back of your head telling you this drink was way to expensive. If you get cake too, be prepared to fork the bill equivalent to that of a fancy cheeseburger from Red Robin.

It's all about perspective.

Big Group or Study Spot?

Depending on time of day and which day you visit, Cafe Wow can be pretty busy, but can also remain relatively quiet. They have several tables and both Jenga and Uno out for patrons to enjoy, so it makes for a fun place to visit with friends.

The Food

So, like the intelligent person I am who knowingly orders things I know I don't like, I told the young man working at the counter to surprise me. Yes, I was that guy (sorry Cafe Wow server). Either way, he picked a Taro Crepe Cake, which is a bunch of crepes on top of each other with some sort of cream between the layers. I don't really know what else to say about it aside from that description. I think I'll try the delicious looking cheesecake that sat right beside it in the display case.

The drinks, on the other hand, keeps me coming back for more. My favorite drink from Cafe Wow is the Peach Milk Tea with Lychee Jelly, but admittedly I haven't tried much else. The lychee jelly is sweet and chewy and compliments almost all flavors of tea offered. Cafe Wow also offers tapioca pearls, grass jelly, and pudding. These toppings can be paired with a wide range of milk teas, fruit teas, and other specialty drinks. As a personal principle, I despise all things tapioca, so naturally I recommend the lychee jelly, as I think it is more flavorful and overall better texture. I also recommend any of the coffees with lychee jelly.

Another aspect of Cafe Wow I love is drinking (eating?) bubble tea on days when I'm not too hungry, but feel munchy. A small milk tea is cheaper than buying lunch from the commons, and often fills me up just enough on these kinds of days. Plus, I get to add a few thousand steps of exercise and experience the cute, cozy atmosphere the cafe provides.