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On the Road to Happy Valley

Kathy Werner - Columnist
Posted 10/9/19

Last weekend, my brother Fred, his wife Regina, and daughters Claire and Laura let me tag along on their trip to State College, Pennsylvania.

We were going to see my nephew Andrew who has had an …

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On the Road to Happy Valley

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Last weekend, my brother Fred, his wife Regina, and daughters Claire and Laura let me tag along on their trip to State College, Pennsylvania.

We were going to see my nephew Andrew who has had an amazing experience at Penn State and will graduate this year with a Master's degree in Architectural Engineering. But this wasn't just a regular trip to western PA--this was the Quintessential Ultimate Class-A College Tour.

Of course on any Super-Deluxe College Weekend, this one was complete with a Big 10 college football game and all—and I mean all—that goes with it.

After spending at least 48 hours getting ready, Fred and Regina began loading the car on Friday for the weekend's festivities, which included tailgating. Taking this event on the road is not for the faint of heart. For two hours, they put chairs in the roof box, loaded coolers on the hitch mount carrier, and stuffed luggage, cookers, food, and Penn State shirts and hats in the back of the SUV. The party was ready to roll.

We left late afternoon on Friday, and Fred had a place in mind for dinner. He said it was his usual stop in Carbondale at a restaurant called the Ben-Mar.

In fact, this restaurant is officially called Nikki's at the Ben-Mar and the building was originally the offices of the D & H Canal which was built in 1927. It housed D&H offices till 1960, and in 1963 Marino and Benedette Zazzera opened the Ben-Mar. Now it is run by their son Dominic and grandson Nikki, a true family restaurant.

We got there in time for the early-bird specials and they were all very tasty. I had a salad, and everyone else had soup. Claire and I had chicken française served over penne with loads of sauce. Fred had chicken and biscuits which was a little lacking in gravy, sadly, but Regina liked her breaded haddock and garlic mashed potatoes. I hit a home run with dessert, ordering something called a Lemon Lush, which had a shortbread crust, lemon pudding and whipped cream. Fred and Claire opted for the Rice Pudding, which was a bit too gelatinous.

I've got to be honest, though. I'm not sure that Nikki's has been remodeled for some time, based on the carpet wainscoting found in the entryway. Walking in there felt like stepping back in time. I was waiting for the relish tray to come out.

Having said that, though, the food was generally good and plentiful, and the price was right. Our three-course early-bird specials cost $12.95 each and since we were there for happy hour, drinks were half-price.

Our tummies were as full as Fred's SUV as we headed down the road for State College. It was Penn State or Bust!

Next Week: We Enter Happy Valley.

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