Don’t Rain on my Parade! (Passion #2 Spring 2018)

Much like last semester, I love to focus my coffee runs around odd gaps in my schedule.  However, most all of my current classes coincide in a small area, yielding limited cafe-type options.  After three hours of consecutive classes last Friday (and skipping breakfast…oops!) I was in dire need of something savory to indulge in.  My Engineering Design course ended in Hammond at 12:00 and it happened to be pouring rain, despite the fact that we’re in the dead middle of winter.  Lacking a coat with a hood, I simply wasn’t willing to make the trek uphill to the West Dining Commons.

I exited the classroom and took a seat at one of the tables which overlooks College Avenue.  For those of you who typically don’t visit Hammond Building, the third floor houses all of the Engineering Design classrooms (lecture-style rooms for note-taking, computer labs for designing, and workshop areas for assembling aforementioned designs).  A narrow hallway takes you in a loop around these rooms, leaving just enough space for small tables along the windows.

Gazing out the window, I evaluated my options within walking distance.  While friends of mine constantly rave about Fiddlehead’s salads, I didn’t want to deal with leftovers, given the weather situation.  Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks both serve satisfactory coffee, but lack filling meal options.  Then I glanced upon Irving’s, a location I had not visited since my first week at Penn State.

Located directly across from Old Main, Irving’s serves myriad cafe-style beverages, breakfast, and substantial sandwiches for lunch.  Upon entering, the unique, modern ambience caught my attention first.  Multitude metal tables, pastel-colored wooden fixtures, and the stick-figure logo boast an edgy feeling which several restaurant startups seem to be mimicking these days.  

I proceeded toward the line and waited about 5 minutes before ordering a Pina Colada smoothie with a Lox and Cream Cheese Bagel.  The former serves as something my best friend and I love at a cafe closer to home, and the latter I fell in love with on a trip to Boston last summer.

My only complaint about Irving’s would have to be the amount of time I waited for my food.  I understand the high volume of customers they serve, but 20 minutes passed before my bagel and smoothie arrived at the pickup desk.  Even after this prolonged duration of time, the rain failed to lessen whatsoever, so I retrieved my food and descended the stairs to an area of additional seating.

In the basement, the atmosphere proved to be quite different.  An unusual bench-seat wraps around the majority of the seating area, with tables and chairs pushed up to it.  A mirror wraps around the room directly above the bench and a warm, yellow light glows throughout the room, starkly contrasting the blue-tinted fluorescents upstairs.  While the overall noise level seemed about the same as upstairs, conversations composed the roar as opposed to baristas yelling coffee orders and blenders whirring.

Opting for a seat in the corner of the room, I retrieved my laptop from my backpack, started an episode of Grey’s Anatomy on Netflix, and tasted my delectables.  The smoothie may be one of the greatest I’ve ever had, and surely surmounted the similar version back in Buffalo.  Subtle flavors of pineapple and coconut collide in a perfect combination, yet don’t present an overwhelming sweetness.  Addtionaly, the bagel was quite impressive.  Occasionally, lox yields an artificial “smokey” flavor which I did not encounter here.  The food, overall, was above average, but not nearly as impressive as my drink.

Despite a fairly long wait at a “quick-service” establishment, I found my overall experience at Irving’s to be quite spectacular.  I am considering making it my go-to destination every Friday after Engineering Design and highly recommend you give it a try as well!

1 Comment on Don’t Rain on my Parade! (Passion #2 Spring 2018)

  1. hup43
    January 27, 2018 at 4:56 am (6 years ago)

    Hey Kristin!

    I was constantly sitting in the third floor tables in Hammond you mentioned, but I never realized how many food options were so close to Hammond! I love smoothies, so I’ll definitely be checking Irving’s out for their smoothies.

    In terms of your blog post, I really enjoyed the information you gave about the decor and food within Irving’s. The amount of detail you went in (such as the pastel-colored wooden fixtures and the warm yellow light in the basement) painted a vivid picture and I could clearly see why Irving’s would be such a hit during rainy days. Its cozy ambience seems to be the perfect spot to study or relax, if you don’t mind all the noise from other customers and the machines.

    Your post read more like a story than a restaurant review/criticism, which makes it stand out a lot in comparison to most other reviews of food locations. I also enjoyed the little details you included, such as watching Grey’s Anatomy and the bagel lacking the occasional smokey flavor. Also, I liked that you included what you didn’t like about Irving’s for a more complete picture of the establishment.

    All in all, I really enjoyed learning about a new food establishment that I should check out sometime this semester!

    Hinkal Patel

    Reply

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