State College

[GP1]

For each Zips away game this season, I will provide ZipsNation with my personal review of places to go when traveling to an away city. Since some of you are already talking about what to do at the Penn State game, I'll throw in my opinion on places to go while in town. Mostly, the reviews will be for people spending the night.In terms of places to eat, I would recommend four places (one I can't remember the name of). The first is a place called The Tavern (or something). This is an old place in the downtown area of State College. Good place, good old style atmosphere. The food is good, but they don't give you a lot. They do have about eight side dishes on the menu and you can get all eight with the cost of your meal if you wish. This is my second favorite place in State College. The food can be a little bland and served in old lady portions.Another place to eat is a place called Champs (not the same as the Champs chain) west of town on the street called Atherton or Allerton or something. This is a great sports bar with outside seating. For those of you wishing to do some drinking before the game and watch football, this is a great stop. Outside seating is good also. Get the macaroni and cheese as a side dish.There is a place in town called Broadway Deli, or maybe Boardwalk Deli. This is a good place for sandwiches, etc. Good beer selection. This si the one I can't quite remember the name.The best place in town to eat is called Spats. Good food selection with prices ranging from reasonable to expensive. They do some Cajun cooking which is good. Good wine list. Not a dress down place. You will be satisfied with your meal at this place. Make reservations.If you are looking for a place to drink at night, there are a thousand places to drink in a college town. GP1 will be hanging out at a place called The Pickle Room after what will most certainly be a grotesque display of eating at Spats. It's clean, they have good beer, they have sports on TV and they play good music. That's good enough for GP1. Students come to this place, but they tend to be older and they don't come until after eleven when most of us old farts are getting ready to turn in. If you are looking to get a load on, taxi service is pretty good in State College.If you enjoy golf, the Penn State Golf Course is top notch. PSU offers a Golf Course Management Degree and the students help maintain the course. It is great to play and is a good value. I played with two other guys and we had two carts and the round cost a total of $125. There are two courses, white and blue. The White course is what most golfers should play as most golfers are not very good. The White course is comparable to playing a good public course. The Blue course is the Big Ten Championship course and is difficult. In addition, PSU is changing the Blue course in order to hold the NCAA Championships there in 2007 or 2008 so it is currently under construction, but it can still be played. The Blue course is like playing at a good country club.Let's see....eating, drinking, golfing, sports on TV........that about covers it. Enjoy your trip.

[zipalong]

Hey. if you're in State College, you can't forget the Creamery, which is about 2 blocks up from the stadium. Their ice cream is the full fat kind. Penn State offers a BS in Ice Cream making. They don't put any restrictions on their receips, so some of the major ice crem makers pick up ideas from here and market it under their own brand name.

[liljc]

Yea, you've got to hit the Creamery. The Olde College Inn serves hot sticky buns late night and it's worth the wait to get in there to get one! Go Zips!

[bobbyake]

looks good but this doesn't help students out much. If I go to the Penn State game, I'm going to party my head off. House parties vs the Bars?? Probably the bars. You should include the college bar areas in all of your entries so it appeals to the students as well as alumni.

[GP1]

looks good but this doesn't help students out much. If I go to the Penn State game, I'm going to party my head off. House parties vs the Bars?? Probably the bars. You should include the college bar areas in all of your entries so it appeals to the students as well as alumni.

Thanks for the recommendation. However, my day of going to college bars have long since past.

[bobbyake]

no college bars? come on, your never too old to party. Drinks are on me.

[FlaNitLion]

I'll chime in with a couple of my favorites:1 - Cafe 210 West - right on College Avenue towards the end of campus (College Ave is one way). Great outdoor seating for watching the lovely co-eds walking down the street (I swear they didn't look that good when I was there). Better get there early in the afternoon, or you won't get out front seating. There is additional outdoor seating in back that's fun if you are with a group. 2 - The Rathskeller - dark and dingy, feels like a dungeon in the back room, but it's a great place to party if you're with a group.3 - The Lions Den - this is on the east side of campus on College Ave. Good outdoor seating in back (facing Calder Way) and is also good for people watching. 4 - Adam's Apple - back part of the Tavern restaurant - the entrance is off of Calder way which is like an alley that parallels College Ave. This is a very small hangout and there is not really any bar seating. It's famous for it's signature drink - The Original Sin. We've run into coaches and former players here.5 - Pickles is definitely good. This was the surprise of the year last year when we went up for the OSU game (we only get up to 1 game a year). This was a new place we had not been in before. Good crowd, good music, cold Yuengling. What more do you need?!There is plenty of places to eat, just depends on your preference. We tend to grab stuff on the go as we are walking from bar to bar. You should generally be treated well (some students may give you a hard time). I try to buy a round for any opposing team fans that happen to be partying wherever I'm at.

[Captain Kangaroo]

2 - The Rathskeller - dark and dingy, feels like a dungeon in the back room, but it's a great place to party if you're with a group.

This is where we did our damage the past two PSU games. They sell Rolling Rock ponies by the case in the basement. Old wooden bench seats. Dark. Everything a college bar should be! There is a good mix of alumni and students here. PSU fans have treated us very well in the past. Wear your Akron gear and you'll have a great time. And if you drink the Rolling Rock - Bring your Tylenol.