BEST Pulled Pork Sandwich

Pulled pork is one of my favorite types of sandwiches. It all started in high school, when friends of the family would come over once a month, right after their trip to the big, local Amish farmer's market. Fresh, tender, once-fell-off-the-bone-now-falling-off-the-bun pulled pork with their family BBQ sauce was always in tow. Clem's BBQ in central Pennsylvania is the closest I've come to Pulled Pork Sandwich Perfection since those friends moved down to Florida.

The meat is in a nice combination of bite-size chunks and stringy bits, all smothered - but not drowning - in a sweet and tangy barbeque sauce that's just as enjoyable as the meat itself. Served throughout central PA at local stores and pit stops, it always comes with a fresh, locally baked roll that just perfects this lunch. The actual location is about as dive-y as it gets: small wooden hut off the side of the highway that normally I wouldn't go near - let alone actually stop and get out of my car at - with a twenty foot pole. There are large barrels set up as makeshift seating and it's really not much to look at - but talk about a diamond in the rough! I actually kind of love that it looks like such a dive and then blows you away with the juiciness of the meat and more than memorable secret BBQ recipe. Rumor has it, Clem's was invited to be on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives but they refused to give the recipe for their BBQ sauce, so they didn't get a slot on the show. But that's okay. Just means it's Centre County's best kept secret, just between you and me.

Where to enjoy this yourself:

Anywhere you see a "WE SERVE CLEM'S!" sign in the greater State College area
- OR -
Clem's BBQ
427 McFarland Road
Tyrone, Pennsylvania
http://www.clemsfire.com

Dumplings with Noodles in Brown Sauce

Since my first dumplings about two years ago, I haven't been able to get enough of them. The dumplings here may very well be the BEST dumplings around: a thin enough skin to see right through to the juicy pork filling inside, I first and foremost appreciate that the skin of the dumpling is substantial enough to more than adequately hold the dumpling together, yet it isn't thick and doughy, giving you something to chew on besides the pork and vegetable mixture within.

Dumplings piled high on top of noodles dredged in a thick, rich brown sauce - served, of course, in a "big bowl" (hey! That's the name of the restaurant!) - is food for the body and the soul. Dumplings to me are a great comfort (/lazy day) food, but I always feel great inside and out after a meal of Big Bowl's dumplings, and I think it has to do with the freshness of the ingredients. The vegetables, steamed just right, add such a freshness to the dark brown sauce dish that you feel like you're genuinely eating a healthy meal. And the dumplings pop with the flavor of fresh scallions and herbs mixed into the pork so that you can't help but smile as you're eating. Though the BEST Dumpling Soup at Big Bowl will always have a special place in my heart, when I'm in the mood for noodles instead, this is a great alternative.

Where to enjoy this yourself:

Big Bowl Noodle House
418 East College Avenue
State College, Pennsylvania

My awesome roommate Katie last year introduced me to Big Bowl, which is now one of my favorite restaurants, as well as the dumpling soup. This place is not to be confused with the fancy, reservations-only eatery you may find online if you google "big bowl:" this is a tiny little place sub-terra just of the main intersection of downtown State College.

BEST Belgium Waffle

It's the perfect balance between breakfast and dessert, light and filling, healthy and indulgent (oh come on, there are strawberries in there - they're healthy!). It's the Belgium Waffle, perfected with fresh strawberries and whipped cream.

Consistently sweet, ripe strawberries layered beneath a thick layer of whipped cream certainly contribute to why these are the BEST Belgium Waffles. But, as you may have guessed, the star of the show is really the waffle itself. Crispy on the outside but warm and fluffy on the inside, taking a bite of this waffle is like wrapping yourself in a big, soft blanket and jumping into a giant pile of pillows - it's comforting, it's wonderful, and it's SO much fun. The waffle is moist and cooked to perfection (with lots of butter) with a subtle flavor of malt - or something else delicious that makes each bite taste homemade.

One of my favorite things about these Belgium Waffles is the ratio of ingredients. The light and plentiful whipped cream is in perfect equilibrium with the strawberries and the waffle foundation. There are enough toppings for every waffle square, down to the very last one on the very last quarter, so that with each bite you get the full experience. A testament to the great layering of this dish can also be observed by the fact that the waffle is hot, the strawberries are room temperature, and the whipped cream doesn't melt as it's only supported by the strawberries, not the hot waffle.

Where you can enjoy this yourself:

Original Waffle Shop
1610 West College Avenue OR 1229 North Atherton Street
State College, Pennsylvania
http://www.originalwaffleshop.net/

If you are in the area, there is "The Waffle Shop" and also "Original Waffle Shop." They are extremely similar (used to be owned by the same people) but their menus, recipes, and prices are slightly different. The waffles at both are REALLY amazing though - so even though the photos are from Original Waffle Shop, I'm tagging both restaurants in this post. Oh! And another great point to make: as you can see in the first photograph, there is a lovely glass of orange juice on my right side. That's not just any orange juice - that's freshly squeezed orange juice. That gives them an extra gold star in my book. Additionally, though it's not in the frame of the photo, they have a variety of real maple syrup flavors (maple, blueberry, strawberry) - but it's REAL maple syrup, not any of this sugar-fake-corn-syrup stuff. That elevates them to two gold stars for me.

My only regret is that I don't eat at either of the Waffle Shops every day. Maybe then I could something besides the BEST Belgium Waffles or the BEST Western Omelette (with the BEST Chocolate Chip Pancakes). Because, as it would seem experience tells me, they make one of the BEST breakfasts around.

BEST Western Omlettes

They also have great home fries:These tri-folded, three-egg omelettes are mixed right up with perfect portions of fillings (fresh mushrooms, green peppers, ham, onion - and I get mine without cheese) so that you get a savory mix of perfectly cooked "egg, etc." in every bite. They're my favorite not only for the flavoring, but how they come out perfectly every time, with a sort of juiciness from the fresh ingredients - not from runny eggs. The home fries are a great side, too: soft and white on the inside but crispy, golden brown on the outside, tossed with sauteed onions (my favorite)!

Where you can enjoy this yourself:

Original Waffle Shop
1610 West College Avenue OR 1229 North Atherton Street
State College, Pennsylvania
http://www.originalwaffleshop.net/

If you are in the area, there is "The Waffle Shop" and also "Original Waffle Shop." They are extremely similar (used to be owned by the same people) but their menus, recipes, and prices are slightly different. For the best omelettes, go to the one on West Beaver Ave or on Atherton Street. (The other ones have the BEST chocolate chip pancakes!) As a side note, the Waffle Shops also have INCREDIBLE waffles, but I recently came into a waffle maker of my own, so I usually like treating myself to an omelette or pancakes when I go out - but definitely try the waffles, too!! They're great at both locations.

BEST Dumpling Soup

Since my first dumplings about a year and a half ago, I haven't been able to get enough of them. The dumplings here may very well be the BEST dumplings around - and for a while, they were - but then I discovered their dumpling noodle soup (9C on the menu, I believe) - and their dumplings, while being absolutely excellent to begin with, suddenly became UNBELIEVABLY excellent. While I love a good soy-based sauce with my dumplings (and this is why it took me so long to try them in the soup, without it), the dumplings swimming in a light broth makes them even more succulent. The soup is layered with wide noodles on the bottom, fresh green vegetables in the middle, and a generous helping of steamed pork dumplings on top. (Note: there is no graceful way to eat this soup. I've tried a spoon for the broth, I've tried chopsticks for its components - no matter what, I end up having an obvious splatter-zone around me by the end of the meal.)

Where to enjoy this yourself:

Big Bowl Noodle House
418 East College Avenue
State College, Pennsylvania

My awesome roommate Katie last year introduced me to Big Bowl, which is now one of my favorite restaurants, as well as the dumpling soup. (Another note: Katie somehow manages to eat the dumpling noodle soup gracefully...so maybe that's just me.) This place is not to be confused with the fancy, reservations-only eatery you may find online if you google "big bowl:" this is a tiny little place sub-terra just of the main intersection of downtown State College.

Local Hamburger

This post almost didn't make it on here. As it is, you're only seeing half of the burger - it looked and smelled SO good as soon as it arrived, that I almost forgot to take a picture. This is certainly a contender for the BEST Hamburger category.

Welcome to Elk Creek Cafe. This is by far my favorite restaurant in the Central Pennsylvania region. They work tirelessly to bring you delicious food made with fresh, local ingredients. Their menu changes seasonally and their specials change daily. This is their Elk Creek Burger, cooked to perfection (rare here) and made with local grass-fed beef on a local bakery's bun. I never really thought twice about either of those adjectives ("local" or "grass-fed"), but you'll become a believer in both as soon as you bite into this burger. Because the beef is fresh and local - and so the fat content varies from day to day - some days you'll have a REALLY good burger, and other days you'll have a BLOW-YOUR-MIND AMAZING burger. I haven't decided if their really-good-burger is also the best I've ever had yet. Either way, you will enjoy this meal immensely, and any other you have at Elk Creek.

Where you can enjoy this (and so much more):

Elk Creek Cafe
100 West Main Street
Millheim, Pennsylvania
http://www.elkcreekcafe.net/ (they have a good/helpful website)

I almost forgot to mention! They are also a brewery. I'm not much of a beer drinker, but apparently their beers are quite good and they often have IPA on tap. The atmosphere of Elk Creek is great - located at the only stoplight in the small town of Millheim - and super casual with a live country or bluegrass band usually every Saturday night. Good things to note: they're closed Monday and Tuesday, and you NEED to make reservations if there's a band playing (even if you're sitting in the back room and not going for the music). They're a gem, just outside of Penn State's main campus. This will not be the only post about them on this blog!

BEST Chocolate Chip Pancakes

I'm not usually one for sweet breakfasts, but these pancakes are to die for. There's just something special about them - perhaps malt in the batter? - that just makes them irresistibly delicious. The crispiness on the outside perfectly complements the fluffiness on the inside. And yet, they're substantial - there's no way I could eat a whole stack unless we were there through two meals.

Where to enjoy them yourself:

The Waffle Shop
364 East College Ave
State College, Pennsylvania
http://statecollegerestaurant.com/620127

If you are in the area, there is "The Waffle Shop" and also "Original Waffle Shop." They are extremely similar (used to be owned by the same people) but their menus, recipes, and prices are slightly different. For the best chocolate chip pancakes, go to the one downtown of Penn State's main campus. (The other ones have the BEST Western omelettes!) As a side note, the Waffle Shops also have INCREDIBLE waffles, but I recently came into a waffle maker of my own, so I usually like treating myself to an omelette or pancakes when I go out - but definitely try the waffles, too!! They're great at both locations.