Just When I Was About To Give Up On Chinese Food

What is a town without good Chinese food? Extremely depressing, that’s what it is.

I can’t deny that New Paltz has plenty of great places to eat, but I was absolutely heart broken after my two attempts at enjoying a Chinese American meal. There were two Chinese restaurants; one of which I couldn’t even bear to finish the meal, and the other that I could finish but never wanted to return.

Chinese food is a delicacy for Americans. The greatest of all takeout foods. I had no idea what I was going to do for the next 3 ½ years of college. That is, until the grand opening of Asian Fusion! Not only was this place delicious for Chinese restaurants in New Paltz, it was delicious in general. It was almost good enough to compare to NYC Chinese food (but nothing beats anything from the city).

Check our their Facebook page for the menu!

The day that had changed my life, a few of my sorority sisters were spreading the word about a free Chinese buffet at the grand opening of Asian Fusion. Free Chinese buffet in New Paltz? If the other two restaurants were charging money for their low quality food I could only imagine how terrible this food would be. But they kept insisting on how great the food was; and let’s face it, as a college student I can never turn down free food.

Asian Fusion immediately had this nightclub feel to it. The bar was glowing colors, colorful lights were flashing on the walls and the Techno/Dance music was bumpin’, just like they do in Express Stores. The buffet was set up in the back with fried rice, Lo Mein, spring rolls, chicken and broccoli, sushi and more. There was even a table for water and iced tea. The seating was a little awkward (seats lined in an open square so that we were all watching each other obscenely scarf down the food) but it was clear this place wasn’t normally a buffet.

We have no shame in enjoying Chinese food

I grabbed my plate as it was time for the moment of truth. The plates were awfully small – probably to insinuate that the free buffet was just for taste – but I made sure to stack up. I sat down, took a bite, and instantly knew I would be up for seconds and maybe even thirds. The cooks definitely didn’t half-ass this meal. I ate until I was full and had a subtle feeling of regret: Was this meal only so delicious because it was free and I was starving? I knew I had to go back.

And so I did. Two more times within a week and a half. It was so worth it. The second time I had ordered takeout for dinner. Sweet and sour chicken with shrimp fried rice and an egg roll. Stupid me – I meant to order sesame chicken but I’m so glad I didn’t! I can’t remember the last time I ordered sweet and sour chicken but I’ve definitely been missing out! The chicken wasn’t overly battered and I definitely did not have to question the quality of the meat. Unfortunately I had to scarf my food down because I had a full packed schedule and needed to go somewhere but I would have loved to savor every moment of that meal.

The food was almost devoured before
we remembered to take a picture

The third time I decided to enjoy the lunch special with a few of my sorority sisters. I ordered the General Tso Chicken with fried rice and an egg roll (only $7!) as a test. I had tried it once off my boyfriend’s plate but I’ve never ordered it myself. I knew if I were to go to Asian Fusion with my boyfriend he would order this, so I wanted to see if it was good. And of course, it did everything but fail me. This chicken also didn’t have too much batter and it was the perfect balance of sweet flavor included. I even tried sesame chicken off of my friend’s plate and was still surprised at how great everything turned out. 

Knowing that there is an amazing Asian restaurant in New Paltz basically makes this town perfect. The only downfall was my fortune cookie. The fortune was misspelled and didn’t make much sense (I take fortune cookies seriously), but I have faith that that won’t happen again. If you’re strongly craving some good Chinese food, or if you are just deciding what you want to grab for your next meal, I strongly suggest you go to Asian Fusion. You will not be disappointed.

Pudgy Pizza at the Paltz!

New Paltz. It’s 10:17 pm. A house party on N. Chestnut Street just ended. We see a group of college freshmen leaving the party.

Marie: “That party was really fun.”

Jimmy: “Yeah it was. But why do all of these parties always end so early?”

Joe: “I don’t know, but where do we go now?”

This is the typical freshman Friday night. Where will the kids go next? …That’s right, you’ve guessed it! Fat Bob’s.

The freshmen walk to Fat Bob’s on Main Street, most likely their last stop of the night. 

I have been to Fat Bob’s countless amounts of times to satiate my pizza cravings; I visit the pizza shop at least once a week.  I’ll be honest: At first, I did not enjoy the pizza. As I kept going back, the slices began to taste better each time.  Fat Bob’s is a popular spot for college students, who provide them with most of their business.  It is open all day, but the pizza shop gets extremely busy at night; Fat Bob’s has a reputation for filling the stomachs of students who are in search of after-party munchies.  By combining late hours, cheap pizza, and tired/hungry/intoxicated students, Fat Bob’s is spot-on.

Employees.  The employees at Fat Bob’s are quite interactive with their customers.  I respect them for the patience and friendliness they have towards the large amounts of young and rowdy customers.  As a frequent customer, I can brag that one of the employees even remembers what my favorite slice is, which is the BBQ chicken pizza, of course! 

BBQ Chicken Pizza: Perfection on a Plate

Food.  Fat Bob’s is most famous for the unique pizza selection.  I like how Fat Bob’s has such a variety of toppings on the pizzas: from mac and cheese, to chicken bacon ranch, to barbeque chicken—this place is the hungry man’s dream.  And man, those slices are HUGE!  I have seen people order almost every type of pizza from Fat Bob’s and I’ve never seen a slice wasted, so the pizza is definitely yummy, in any variety.  As you already know, my go-to slice is the BBQ chicken pizza.  Chopped and cooked to an impeccable consistency, the chicken is first tossed into BBQ sauce and then melted into the cheese on a large, Fat Bob’s slice.  I absolutely love when the slice is cooked enough to provide a nice crunch, but at the same time maintains its soft toppings and cheese, which are perfectly blended on top.  This pizza has become an equivalent of pizza-heaven on earth. 

Prices.  Although more expensive than the average pizzeria, for such a huge slice, the price is definitely worth it.  Fat Bob’s also hikes up the price of pizza at night. A normal $2.50 slice of barbeque chicken pizza becomes $3.00 in the wee hours.  I respect that they do this; I find it to be a clever tactic since the nighttime is their busiest time of operation. 

Atmosphere/Décor. Fat Bob’s looks like the average American pizzeria.  It is well-lit, the dining floor includes booths and tables, there are large windows to look through, and it has a cute little porch for people to stand, smoke and chat outside.  Behind the counter, there are numbers of thank-you cards and pictures from happy customers.  This is a technique to use that makes the customer think, “Wow. This place must be really good to make all of their customers so happy.”  All of those pictures and notes convince me that not only is the pizzeria successful, but it also has a reliable, happy community of customers.  Fat Bob’s also has electronic aspects added to its environment.  The pizza shop has provided a wide screen television for the customers to watch, usually playing a sports channel. I have also realized that Fat Bob’s has a trend going with the music choice: the employees at Fat Bob’s are always playing songs but popular artists among their customers. For example, songs by Kid Cudi, a moderately popular rapper among the college students, are often playing when I go to Fat Bob’s.  Putting all of these aspects together, I know that Fat Bob’s has the customer’s comfort in mind when handling its décor and atmosphere. 

What people think.  I interviewed a group of students at Fat Bobs last Friday. Here were the extensive and detailed reviews I got from the brilliant students, who obviously had a great night on the town.  They agreed to have their names held back for privacy (and reputation) purposes.

-Good a** pizza, bro. – Female, Class of 2015

-Two thumbs up. –Male, Class of 2015

-It’s obviously delicious. –Female, Class of 2015 

The Aftermath of another night at Fat Bob's.

As you visit Fat Bob’s more often, you develop a relationship with the place—you start to like it a little more every time.  I give Fat Bob’s props for the job well done.  They have definitely established themselves in the little town of New Paltz, specifically on the SUNY New Paltz campus.  I will continue to make my frequent trips to Fat Bob’s; I’m not sure if I’ll ever get tired of that barbeque chicken pizza!

Who Doesn't Love Home-Made Beer?

            Gotcha. Just kidding, they wouldn't serve it to me because I'm not twenty-one yet, but in two years I think we should all definitely go and check it out. Check what out, you ask? Check out The Guilded Otter. Yes, I know it's at the bottom of that damn hill on Main Street past Water Street Market, but I promise you the food is to die for. OR you can take the easy way out like I did and have older friends/suite mates with cars drive your butt there. So you really have no excuse to not go there unless you hate really good food.

            You walk in and see these giant cauldrons (yes I know they aren't really cauldrons) of different beer that's being made right in front of your eyes. The entire places has a rustic yet homey feel to it and your eyes are overwhelmed by how cool the place is. Everyone around you is enjoying the place as much as you do, including the servers. After we sat down at our table I finally opened the menu, and let me tell you, the food on the menu made my mouth water.

            I am probably every restaurateurs least favorite person to dine with because I take forever to pick an item on the menu. But this time I didn't. I looked at the personal pizzas that they offered, and there was my dinner. The Pizza Rustica, aka the greatest pizza I've ever heard of, was going to be my dinner. My own personal pizza topped with Garlic Oil Pesto Basil, Kalmata Olives, Feta Cheese, Artichokes, Roma Tomatoes and Caramelized Onions. I'm getting really hungry just thinking about it. The pizza was amazing, not too oily to make you feel gross and it wasn't too hot to the point that it was impossible to eat. It was perfection. I fell in love with it from the first bite.

            I wasn't the only one pleased with my food. My suite mates and I were silent after we got our food because we were all enjoying it too much. But the food wasn't all that I was pleased with. The service wasn't only friendly, but fast as well. It only took about ten minutes for our table of seven hungry girls to receive one of the greatest meals ever consumed in New Paltz. I can't wait to go back again and eat my favorite pizza.

            The price is the only thing I haven't talked about. While the place is huge and so are the portions, money is the most important thing to a college student. Most students end up bringing their families here or save this place for a nice atmosphere. It's understandable why. My pizza was around nine dollars. I didn't mind paying that for the best pizza that I've ever had, but most people were in an uproar when I told them what I paid. Most of my suitemates also didn't mind paying about ten dollars a head for dinner. Eating at the dining hall all the time made me forget that money exists in this world and now I understand how it feels to be a broke college student.

            Even though they made be a little pricey, the food at The Guilded Otter is worth every penny ( and every step). I think that they strategically placed it at the bottom of the hill so we can all get a nice workout when we leave with our stomachs full.  If you haven't made the adventure to go here yet, I definitely suggest it. As the weather warms up and you're out in town more, walk down that hill and go get some amazing food from an amazing place or bring your family when they come to visit. I promise you won't be let down. This is a place that everyone should experience at least once while they're in New Paltz, maybe after a nice hike up to the Lemon Squeeze anyone? You only live once.