Aardvark Kafe offers vegans a hidden treasure for casual dining

By Emily Edling, Local Food Journey Intern

The Aardvark Kafe is one of the hidden treasures for the vegetarian community in State College. Located on the 900-block of West College Ave, it is just out of reach of the downtown area, but is well worth the trip. Owners Karen and Les Urbanski opened Aardvark Kafe three years ago, transforming the former OIP (Original Italian Pizza) into a combination cafe and antique shop.
In keeping the original OIP menu and adding a whole new menu consisting entirely of vegan dishes, the Aardvark Kafe offers an environment in which vegans, vegetarians, and meat eaters alike can dine together in perfect harmony.

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Webster’s Bookstore and Cafe offers up local food options for the literary inclined

By Emily Edling, Local Food Journey Intern

Webster’s Bookstore Café is known for its cozy atmosphere of used book and a broad selection of café drinks. But what sets them apart from the other coffee shops of downtown State College is their wide range of food, especially their vegetarian and vegan options, utilizing local sources to make these tasty meals.

Aside from specialty coffee and tea drinks, Webster’s does a lot of things with vegetarian ingredients such as hummus, paté, and portabella mushrooms all of which can be made in the form of sandwiches, salads, paninis, or wraps and that are all vegan unless you choose to add cheese. They also offer a soup of the day and other daily specials, which offer even more vegetarian options.

For non-vegan’s there are also many egg sandwiches and burritos available, each with a literature-themed name. In fact, with the exception of about two or three items, the entire menu at Webster’s is vegetarian friendly—it’s a dream come true! My personal favorite is the Spicy Bean Chili, which is a vegan dish that has the perfect amount of spice to warm up on these cold winter days.

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Recipe: Haluski brings a real old-country flavor to chilly fall Pennsylvania nights

When central and eastern Europeans emigrated to Pennsylvania in the 19th and 20th Centuries, one of the dishes they brought with them was haluski (or as some spell it, halusky). The dish is a simple one with some variations. Traditionally, haluski referred to the homemade noodles/dumplings, which were potato based much like gnocchi. However, today you can either purchase dried haluski noodles in any grocery store, or use any medium-wide egg noodle.

Growing up in York County, which is Pennsylvania Dutch country, I had very limited exposure to haluski, but when I went to Pittsburgh for college and eventually to live, I was introduced to the dish at a Polish Catholic church fish fry, which is just about the best place to have your first taste of haluski. Haluski has just a few ingredients, and the one I learned to make includes noodles, cabbage, onion, bacon, butter, salt, pepper..and that’s it. You can also make a vegetarian version by leaving out the bacon and a vegan version by using vegan-friendly noodles and olive oil instead of butter.

The flavors combine to make a fantastic dish, especially if you are a gardener like me and use a fresh-harvested garden cabbage that has been sweetened by frost. And speaking of frosty weather, this is a great cold-weather dish that’s a snap to make.

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Tags: recipe | garden | haluski | cabbage | vegetarian | vegan |