Eateries to roll out their ‘greatest hits’ for Happy Valley Restaurant Week. What to know

Happy Valley Restaurant Week, June 12–21, sponsored by the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau, will highlight a record number of area eateries this year. Currently, 34 restaurants are participating, with organizer Carolyne Meehan reporting that the number of participants has doubled since the event’s start in 2021.

The theme for Happy Valley Restaurant Week 2026 is “greatest hits.”

“These are things that restaurants do really well and that people are excited to eat whenever they go there,” Meehan said. “That’s a little different than in years past. Usually, restaurants create a dish that’s special just for Restaurant Week.”

But creating a brand-new dish and only offering it for 10 days can be restrictive for both restaurants and diners alike. “So, we thought we’d do something a little different in this ... iteration,” Meehan said.

Accordingly, some restaurants are highlighting fan-favorites and menu classics that are available year-round or seasonally, while others are bringing back classic or popular dishes from the past.

The “greatest hits” theme feels particularly fitting for The Corner Room, which is currently in the midst of celebrating 100 years in business.

Fermin Almeida, marketing coordinator for Hotel State College said, “This year’s theme ... couldn’t be any better for us to highlight a brunch staple of ours, the steak and eggs, our 1926 bloody mary, the iconic grilled stickie a la mode and our current centennial throwback, the baja salmon.” (Hotel State College’s sister concepts, Bill Pickle’s Taproom and Allen Street Grill, are also participating.)

This year’s restaurant lineup includes many that have participated in Happy Valley Restaurant Week for years, noting the myriad benefits of doing so, such as the extensive promotion the event provides, as well as the opportunity to capitalize on a time that’s otherwise not overly busy throughout the county, especially in downtown State College.

“It’s such a fun and interesting concept to kick off summer in Centre County and beyond,” Blonde Bistro Brew Works owner Ciara Semack said. “We love seeing new faces that are a part of our community and are thrilled when consumers notify us that they are dying to try our [Happy Valley Restaurant Week] specials. ... [Happy Valley Restaurant Week] reminds Centre County residents of restaurants that may not normally be on their forefront.”

Blonde Bistro is participating for the fourth year, presenting dishes that have been around since the restaurant’s opening in 2014. Expect to see its Big Springs vodka pasta, seafood crostini bowl and blonde bombs (homemade olive oil-infused dough is stuffed with a homemade meatball and cheese, before being baked; topped with aged garlic oil, romano and parsley; and served with tomato gravy).

Similarly, Hublersburg Inn is joining the event for the fifth year. Owner Andi Heidt said that she and her team look forward to Happy Valley Restaurant Week every year, as it brings in new customers. This year’s theme is also allowing them to bring back some past features and items from special chef’s dinners, such as the ahi tuna nachos that proved popular last summer.

Beyond the longtime participants, there are also a good handful of newcomers to Happy Valley Restaurant Week, such as Studebaker House, which opened in February, and Triplett’s and Lionne, both at The Nittany Lion Inn and opened in 2024.

At The Nittany Lion Inn, Traci Mannino, area director of food and beverage, and Ryan Saal, general manager, called out the event and theme as a great opportunity for patrons to explore the property’s more updated and evolved restaurants and menus, with Mannino also assuring that visitors will still find something very familiar among their offerings — Berkey Creamery ice cream served alongside the executive pastry chef’s house-made desserts.

Not sure where to start? Meehan pointed to a few dishes she’s particularly excited for, such as the foraged ramp risotto at Allen Street Grill.

“While they always have a risotto on their menu, the foraged ramp risotto will only last as long as they have the ramps available, because they’re seasonal and they’re foraged by one of the servers who works at the restaurant,” she said. “I’m also really looking forward to, at Flour & Stone, Chef Brittney Pereda does a short rib gnocchi. I tried a bite of that during our photo shoot and it’s delicious. She shaves fresh horseradish on top, so there’s a little bit of a kick, but it’s just super savory. The flavors are just delicious.”

In addition to the short rib gnocchi, Flour & Stone will also offer its avocado toast for breakfast. Then, sister restaurant Pine Grove Hall is featuring a Cubano — “one of our longtime signature sandwiches and a great match for our new Cuban-inspired menu which just started this week,” explained owner Liz Grove. The Pine Grove Hall version incorporates mojo-braised pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles and Dijon mustard, before being finished off with house-made garlic oil pressed into the bread.

“We have a lot of really talented chefs that are doing interesting things and Happy Valley Restaurant Week is a way to highlight some of that and remind people, we have some good things happening here,” summed up Meehan.

For more information regarding all the participating restaurants and their highlighted “greatest hits” dishes, visit happyvalleyrestaurantweek.com. Additionally, keep an eye on Happy Valley Restaurant Week’s Facebook and Instagram pages, or sign up for the event newsletter, to learn how to win a $75 gift card to one of the participating restaurants.

Holly Riddle is a freelance food, travel and lifestyle writer. She can be reached at holly.ridd@gmail.com.