Category: Restaurants

 

Emily Guillen
Editor-in-Chief

With cupcakes being all the rage right now, I wanted to try Lewisburg’s latest foray into the fad: the Stay Sweet Cupcakery.

Located next to The Bull Run Inn at 611 Market St., the shop offers cupcakes, ice cream, Italian cream sodas and other sweet treats. There is also a shop located on S. Market Street in Selinsgrove.

I decided to test six cupcakes and an Italian cream soda. Among the many cupcake offerings, my dining partner and I chose to taste chocolate peanut butter swirl, white chocolate raspberry, chocolate with vanilla buttercream frosting, Boston cream, red velvet with cream cheese frosting and black and white.

The chocolate peanut butter swirl was definitely the favorite of the six. The chocolate cake was moist with a creamy peanut butter and fudge swirled icing. The taste resembled a really creamy Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup.

Unfortunately, our second pick in the cupcake draft turned out to be a disappointment.  The white chocolate raspberry’s pink icing looked amazing but fell flat. It was way too sweet and neither the cake nor the icing had a strong enough raspberry flavor.

To make it worse, we found the chocolate with vanilla buttercream frosting to be a bit of a disappointment with bland flavor and overly sweet icing.

I didn’t particularly care for the Boston cream cupcake, but my partner in food review crime enjoyed it, except for the slightly stale cake portion.

The red velvet cupcake brought the Stay Sweet Cupcakery back into my good graces.  With red velvet cake and cream cheese icing as one of my favorite combinations, I was pleased to find the cake moist and the icing fluffy.

 

The black and white, while fairly traditional (chocolate cupcake, vanilla icing with a small shot of chocolate icing in the middle), kept me interested. The little shot of chocolate gave a nice kick to the classic.

After seeing the Italian cream sodas on the menu, I decided to top off my cupcake meal with a raspberry soda. While delicious, it was a little sweet and its creaminess left me feeling a little heavy.

Overall, the bakery had some highs and some lows, but I recommend you check it out. The only things to note are the prices. For a small, rural town like Lewisburg, $2.55 per cupcake seems a little high. At least the slightly discounted prices of $15 for six and $28 for a dozen are a little more reasonable.

Hours: Tuesday through Saturday, 12 to 8 p.m.

By Jack Wiles

Staff Writer

You like pizza. I know this not because of the high percentage of people in America who love pizza, but because I just manufactured your opinion. Pizza is your lifeblood, your reason for existence and your passion. Because of this, I will be pitting all three downtown pizza parlors against each other in a battle of taste, flavor and mind. This is the LCDP, the Lewisburg Competition of Downtown Pizza.

In beginning my analysis of these establishments, I will move from east to west down Market Street. First at bat is Pizza Phi. This is a relatively new restaurant that has worked very hard to get its name out, and, I might say, with much success. Generally, their pies tend to be on the thinner, crispier side. The people that work there are extremely nice, however they tend to be slow when dining in due to the high number of deliveries they put out. The best part of Pizza Phi is the sandwiches. There is a good mix of specialty subs that really put them on the map. Like, dude, for real, these babies kick it real hard.

Next up is the illustrious Casa de Pizza. For those of you speaking German out there, this means the House of Pizza. This is where the Earl of Pizza crafts his pies. I would say that this is probably the cheapest option out there, which is a major plus, and a great place to stop in and grab a quick slice. Their style involves a little thicker crust than Pizza Phi, with a sweeter sauce and a bigger restaurant to boot. The best qualities of this place are their quick slices and classic college-pizza feel inside.

Vennari’s is our last stop. I’ve never met Vennari, but I bet he’s a cool dude. Here, the pizza comes in an even thicker crust with probably the best sauce downtown. It always comes out piping hot, just as I like it. The location is equal to Casa de Pizza, which is very close to Sixth Street, a much easier and more walkable location than Pizza Phi. The biggest downfall of Vennari’s is the service. I don’t want to blast anyone here, but the people are normally not nice and your food will take a fortnight to come out.

With all of this being said, one of the most important functions a downtown pizza place can serve is as a pregame spot. To be honest, all three of these places are great, but in determining which of these restaurant is best, the ability to BYOB is a crucial factor. Casa de Pizza may actually be the best restaurant, but sorry dudes, you’ve been eliminated. This leaves Pizza Phi and Vennari’s. When it comes down to it, the location, quality of pizza and most inviting BYOB capability of Vennari’s give it the win. Thanks for letting me drink at your place, Vennari’s; you’ve got my vote.

By Michelle Joline

Arts & Life Editor

Fall is considered to be one of the prettiest times on campus, but there is one thing to dread during this colorful and blissful time of year: the closing of the Lewisburg Freez. The Freez season only lasts from March through September, so what can we do on an Indian summer day in October? It is understandable to think that winter is not prime ice cream eating season, but considering the complaints from students, it does not seem that a bit of snow would get in the way of a classic Freez.

Walking to the small building located on Route 15 has been a campus tradition since its arrival in Lewisburg. The brand came under new ownership in 1991, and now has 31 flavors and counting. There are other options, like banana splits and smoothies, but it seems that the classic Freez is still the favorite.

The question is, how can University students persuade our friendly Lewisburg Freez owners to come back a little early this year? Maybe even a few months early? At the moment, all we can do is cross our fingers that the ice cream gods are listening, because this Lewisburg establishment has closed its doors until next March.

By Michelle Joline

Contributing Writer

Sometimes all someone needs to pick up their day is a little comfort food. It happens to the best of us. There are dozens of options to satisfy the multitude of possible cravings in Lewisburg, but there is one local restaurant that seems to incorporate all indulgences. BJ’s Steak & Rib House, located just a short drive from campus in Selinsgrove, has become a favorite for many of the students and faculty at the University.

This past Saturday night I visited BJ’s Steak & Rib House with friends and had all my cravings fulfilled with their large menu. There are eight appetizer options, and each is distinctly delicious. One appetizer that the restaurant is known for is their “frickles,” or fried pickles–an option not so common at other restaurants. Although the frickles are good for a little taste, the restaurant’s nachos are a perfect combination of BJ’s chili, cheese and chips. The Tex-Mex Nachos are $9.75 and could feed a large table of hungry college students. The Bongo Bongo Dip was a choice many of the surrounding tables made, an $8.95 spinach dip served with garlic bread.

Along with these more filling appetizers, there are three options for entrée salads that are the perfect pair to BJ’s starters. The salads are slightly pricier, but well worth the money given their proportions.

A staple on the menu at BJ’s is the burger, offered in seven mouth-watering styles. A favorite among my friends was the Chicago Beer Burger, with cheddar cheese, braised onions and beer mushroom ketchup, with French fries and coleslaw served on the side. The Chicago Beer Burger will run you $10.75, but there are burgers that are priced slightly lower.

The eight steak options are the priciest on the menu but surely served to please. For the more modest eaters there is the “Petites” Steak, which is a smaller version of the classic BJ’s steak.

If visitors still aren’t stuffed from their main dishes, there is a dessert menu that recently had the addition of a chocolate soufflé, along with a peanut butter chocolate cake.

BJ’s is not only a restaurant with a fun and welcoming atmosphere; it is also a full service bar. The TVs that constantly play live games and ESPN are an addition that many of the male visitors love, with local college students packed around the bar during big games. The bar serves wine, beer and spirits to customers of age and has a long list of specialty drinks.

If you are planning on dining at BJ’s on Friday or Saturday, a reservation is recommended. Walk-ins are welcome on weeknights.

For your next night out visit BJ’s Steak & Rib House at 17 North Market Street in Selinsgrove, Pa. and make a reservation either by calling at 570-374-9841 or online at www.bjsribs.com. Bon appétit!

By Ashley Miller

Writer

Downtown Lewisburg has had a new and pleasant addition to its restaurant list since Aug. 28. The Smiling Chameleon, as the name implies, is sure to surprise you.

When I first walked in to the Chameleon, it was a bit cramped with just a bar and a single row of half-booth seating. Once I sat down and got comfortable, the restaurant became cozier. The wood paneling and dark lighting enhanced the feeling, along with the old-fashioned décor. Apart from the three plasma screen televisions, everything about the Chameleon is somewhat quaint.

The Chameleon has NFL Sunday Ticket, a television channel that enables patrons to see every NFL game on Sundays. This makes the draft house the perfect place to go when your favorite team is playing.

Service is excellent. Since there is limited seating, the waitstaff has much more time to devote to each customer. You won’t find yourselfwaiting very long for your food, and the staff is personable.

The menu selection, however, is limited. Only four platters are available for each meal, along with appetizers such as tortilla chips, salad and the Chameleon’s homemade soup.

“I enjoyed my quesadilla, but I was a little disappointed by the limited options,” Sam Ferebee ’14said.

The dishes are a bit classier than you might get at a pub, and therefore a little bit pricier. But it is still definitely affordable and well worth the slight price increase. The house salad was large and fulfilling, and the sandwich was simple but tasty. Everything the Chameleon serves is perfect for “conversation food,” as the menu says.

If you like something on the menu, you better have it as much as you can. The Chameleon’s owner, Tedd Biernstein, explained the significance of the name.

“As a chameleon changes, so does our menu. We’ll have the same pork dish for a month and then completely change it up,” Biernstein said.

But don’t worry: your favorite dish is sure to be replaced by something equally interesting and delicious.

“We make our food fresh every day, no preservatives,” Biernstein said. He even said patrons can choose varying levels of spiciness for their salsa because the staff adds the peppers themselves.

While the food is good, the Smiling Chameleon is first and foremost a bar. The choices for beer and wine are extensive and take up more of the menu than the food. The alcohol choices change as often as the food. If you’re looking for a particular ale, you will most likely find it under the Chameleon’s roof.

The Smiling Chameleon is a perfect addition to the town. Typically, you can find fellowstudents there after 10:30 on weekend nights, but it is also open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. for lunch. Whether you are going to sit down and have some lunch or bring some friends to catch a game, be sure to stop by and check out this new spot. It will definitely be worth your while.

Info Box:

Smiling Chameleon Draft House – 235 Market St

Phone: (570) 523-7777

By Laura Crowley

Contributing Writer

Cathy’s Creamery, a local Lewisburg ice cream shop, will close this month after a relatively successful summer. The creamery, located on North Derr Drive in the former location, just a few doors down from the beloved Freez, will shut its doors this Sunday. The shop replaced Rita’s on July 14.

Owner Scott Shaffer said competition from the Freez was not overwhelming and that the business has done very well in its short time running.

The scheduled closing of Cathy’s Creamery is due to a business issue. One owner dropped out just days after the store’s opening, and Shaffer was left with no option but to anticipate the store’s closing. Shaffer said he does not own any other ice cream shops and has no further plans to open any.

The Creamery’s flavor selection supports its slogan “we are not in the ice cream business serving people; we are in the people business serving ice cream!” Original flavors include Bailey’s Irish Cream, Teaberry and Graham Slam,named appropriately to celebrate the locally-hosted Little League World Series.  Bison Tracks, a top-selling flavor with a chocolate base, is catered to University students.

Other top sellers include King Kong and Almond Joy. All are homemade, which Shaffer believes contributed to the creamery’s success.

Support from the University has certainly been evident, Shaffer said, citing  the Intervarsity Christian Fellowship’s recent purchase of 10 gallons.

In its short lifespan, Cathy’s Creamery has been a success. The creamery has exemplified the positive relationship between the University and local businesses. As the closing approaches, University students should visit the creamery to celebrate its short but evident success.