Governors' Pub - Bellefonte PA

The Governors' Pub had been recommended to me before and when I saw this sign out front I knew I had to try it.  It got it's name from all of the Governors of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania who came from Bellefonte(Five! plus two for other states).

Two words.  Homemade Sauerkraut.  They slice and brine it themselves which gives a firm feel and gives them control over the flavor.  My personal preference is for a stronger flavor but I was thrilled to have fresh kraut.

The bread was a thick cut marble rye which lightly grilled and had slightly doughy taste.  The swiss was well melted and very tasty.  There was a bit less pastrami than I was used to but it seemed an adequate amount.

The fries were truly outstanding and they came with vinegar and ketchup, they were indeed fresh cut and seasoned.  There was a good beer menu and some top notch desserts.  I had the bread pudding which was excellent.

Reuben was 4 out of 5.

Otto's Pub and Brewery -- State College, PA

I stopped by Otto's with some friends from roller derby for Firkin Friday were they have a special conditioned ale on tap. Getting there half an hour after it was tapped means I missed out. I did get a sip and the vanilla raspberry beer tasted very much like Cap'n Crunch with Crunchberries.

The reuben came to me undercooked on one side and slightly overcooked on the other. The bread wasn't soggy at all.  The pastrami was a bit bland but all together it was a good sandwich.

4 out of 5.

Westside Stadium - State College, PA

This was another recommendation from a friend. The Westside Stadium is a small sports bar on the western side of State College. It has tables, booths, a full bar and obligatory bottle shop.

I was pleased to find another friend waitressing.  She confirmed that the reuben was indeed excellent. The sandwich came out hot and loaded with meat and dressing. Pulling it open revealed lots of gooey Swiss cheese. The bread was a marbled rye. It was only lightly grilled and a bit doughy but was not the least bit soggy which is excellent.

I prefer more intensity in the sandwich but all in all it was very good.

4 out of 5

Scout Camp!

This weekend I am one of the scribes for Woodbadge course N4-497-12. Today was a staff prep day and lunch was Reubens and tater tots.

During breakfast the cook and I had an intricate discussion. Drain and grill the kraut. Grill the meat. Seeded rye. Grill the bread.

At lunch we discussed the results and he was quick to point out that there wasn't quite enough meat. I would have liked to have the bread crisper.

I used to be an Eagle...

Olde New York - State College, PA

The Olde New York restaurant had been recommended to me as a great place to get a reuben.  Perusing the menu I saw several variants as well as a large selection of German and Italian foods.  This caused some confusion and flashback to episode of Kitchen Nightmares where Gordon Ramsey berates owners for overly large and complicated menus.  Although I was tempted by the promise of würsten I went ahead with plan A and ordered the rueben.

It was on pumpernickel.  It was lightly grilled and the bottom was tiniest bit soggy.  The bread was also a little chewy.  I guess I am a total bread snob.  I want it perfect.  The dressing was okay but there was a lot of it.  The sauerkraut was interesting.  Usually the sauerkraut that I see is white, sharp and acrid.  It is crisp and raw.  This sauerkraut had been cooked, almost stewed and was soft, dark and sweet.  The only time I have seen sauerkraut like this was at Herwig's, a local Austrian restaurant.

All in all it was a good sandwich and the french fries were awesome.

4 out of 5.

Philadelphia Tavern - Manassas, VA

We were down in Manassas for a Jimmy Buffet concert and were looking for a place to eat. The Philadelphia Tavern is a hole in the wall with an old feel to it. The walls are stone with a textured metal ceiling and copper covered tables.

The house specialties are marked on the menu with a liberty bell and the reuben was one of them. I ordered it with high hopes and was not disappointed.

The corned beef was hot and flavorful. It had been chopped on the grill into fine pieces and tossed with the sauerkraut. The cheese was hot and melted. The bread was a marble rye and was nice and crispy.

My only complaint is that the sandwich was the tiniest bit soggy in the middle.

4.5 out of 5

Otto's Pub and Brewery - State College, PA

Otto's is a a local brewpub.  I have previously been impressed with their food but had been warned that the quality had gone down hill.  That seems to be the trend with all restaurants in State College.  They start out good and then things just slide.

Being a facebook fan I received their weekly update of what is on special.  This week they had a reuben pizza.  This isn't going to be a typical review since this isn't a traditional reuben.  This is more a review of the concept.  Instead of red sauce there was the russian dressing.  Pastrami, sauerkraut and swiss cheese topped it along with a sprinkling of caraway seeds.  It was baked in a wood fired brick oven.  I know because I was sitting there watching the oven.

The end result was sadly too greasy, and remarkably bland.  The dough was chewy as well.  Oh well.  It was a good idea, probably not worth trying again though.