Vegan cafe coming to downtown State College

Is going vegan good for you? Depends on whom you ask.

The same goes for whether going green in your diet makes economic sense. According to The Pennsylvania Center for Beef Excellence, for instance, the beef industry generates more than $2 billion for the state’s economy. With about 28,000 beef producers, veganism may be anathema both in terms of dollars and for the commonwealth’s more carnivorous-leaning consumers. Researchers have also found going animal-free may not be the most efficient in feeding humanity.

Conversely, for every lover of Arby’s there is an habitué of Salad Works. A University of Oxford study published in March projected the U.S. would save about $290 billion by 2050 if everyone went vegan.

But perhaps variety, the platitude goes, is the dietary détente among all spork-wielding parties. By November, an all-vegan cafe will be added to the mix of eateries in downtown State College.

Cafe Verve, located at 115 E. Beaver Ave., will offer more than salad, though. Owner Heather Jones said there will be homemade baked goods, sandwiches and fried foods.

“Some people think since it’s all vegan, it’s a health food,” she said. “There’s a good balance of everything.”

Espressos and smoothies will also be available, Jones added.

The about 600-square-foot space was formerly Blue I.V. Boutique, which moved to 266 E. College Ave. last year. While no official opening date has been set, Jones said she is planning to open by early November.

The tentative hours are 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m on Sundays. Jones said there will be free Wi-Fi.

Grilled cheese, juice and salad bar to open in State College

Hitham Hiyajneh plans to open a trio of restaurants in downtown State College, adding to the already established Underground Burgers and Crepes and Pita Cabana Grill.

The Melt Shack, a gourmet grilled cheese shop, is set to open next Monday at 218 E. Calder Way, The Daily Collegian reported Wednesday. The space was the former home of The Pita Pit, which closed on Aug. 12.

A few steps away, Tazzah, a juice and salad bar, will offer its fresh fare at 214 E. Calder Way. General manager Marie Karaky told the Collegian that she is planning to open the restaurant in about a month. Tazzah takes the place of Bell’s Greek Pizza, which closed in May after 11 years in State College.

To round out the trio, El Taccorito, a Mexican eatery, will open in about a fortnight, Hiyajneh told the Collegian. It will be located above The Melt Shack.

Fine Wine and Good Spirits moves locations

Fine Wine and Good Spirits, a state-owned liquor store, held the grand opening Aug. 31 of its location at 127 Southridge Plaza in State College. The 6,750-square-foot store moved from its previous location at 2051 S. Atherton St.

The store contains about 3,600 wines and spirits, Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board spokesman Shawn Kelly said, including premium luxury collection items and Chairman’s Selection wines. The space is broken down into sections by type of grapes and geographic location. Wines from France, Germany and Australia are just a few of the available selections.

“There’s more of a selection here than you would find at a standard fine wine and good spirits store,” Kelly said.

Fine Wine and Good Spirits has four locations in State College.

Expansion project begins at senior living community

Allegheny Lutheran Social Ministries broke ground on an expansion project at The Oaks at Pleasant Gap, the organization announced Thursday. The expansion includes 10 duplexes and eight single independent houses for people 55 and older.

The added cottages, arranged in a cul-de-sac, are projected to be completed by late 2017, according to a release.

“We are pleased to have the opportunity to serve the housing needs of persons over 55 who are seeking a secure environment in which to live,” said Patricia Savage, ALSM’s president and CEO, in a statement. “It is the desire of ALSM as we also expand our Medicare-certified home health program to enable persons to live in place as they age.”

The 1,500-square-foot duplexes and 1,850-square-foot houses include two-car garages and on-site laundry.

The nonprofit, which is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church, cited increasing demand as the reason for the expansion. The community is taking reservations.

Penn State Student Farm to host harvest festival

Whether celebrating Thanksgiving in America, the Chanthaburi Fruit Fair in Thailand or Incwala in Swaziland, feting a season’s harvest stretches across time and place. Even if that place is a quaint 1-acre plot off Big Hollow and Fox Hollow roads in State College.

The Penn State Student Farm will host a fall harvest festival from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Musician Eric Ian Farmer will play the farm’s first live concert, while two of Penn State Campus Dining’s chefs will give cooking demonstrations. There will be fresh samples from the farm, which celebrated its first harvest in June.

“We wanted to host this event to celebrate all of the work that has gone into making the Student Farm a reality,” said Nick Michalisin, co-director of the Student Farm Club, in a release. “We are nearing the end of our first growing season and we have so many dedicated students, faculty members and administrators to thank for helping us get to this point.”

The farm, which was two years in the making, began planting in May. Dubbed a “living laboratory,” the student-run venture grows produce via sustainable methods and sells it through campus supported agriculture shares and wholesale distribution.

The festival is free and open to the public. Guests are invited to bring their own lawn chairs or picnic blankets.

This story was originally published September 1, 2016 at 8:43 PM with the headline "Vegan cafe coming to downtown State College."