Presenting Pasquale’s: Preparing Perfection

Pasquale’s exquisite tan bricks!

Alright, I admit it, Pasquale’s isn’t as close to campus as you’d like and it certainly isn’t your usual college impromptu place to eat, but this restaurant is definitely worth the walk and the talk! 

My friend is OBSESSED about this restaurant and she would not stop talking about it until I finally decided to go with her. Of course, the day we decided to embark on this journey was probably the coldest, windiest day of the year, but a plan was a plan, so we stuck to it, and I’m so pleased that we did! 

Pasquale’s Restaurant and Pizza is an Italian restaurant right up Main Street, across the street from Stop & Shop, and closer to campus than Dunkin Donuts (hey, that’s a plus). The outside of the restaurant, located on a corner of an intersection, looks welcoming and presentable. The clean cut building, made of tan bricks, is elegant and inviting. A newly painted mural along the side of the building gives a picturesque touch.

Fancy mural!

Upon entering, we were approached by an amiable waitress who asked us to pick which table we wanted to sit it. There were some booths and some tables with chairs. Without much thought, we picked a booth; comfortable! The inside was smaller than I expected and far less decorative, but it was still embellished nonetheless. The seats were made of a dark red leathery material and the tables had a wood finish. There was family of three seated in a booth to our left and an old couple also in a separate booth seated to the left. A peaceful, merry vibe filled the environment. 

The menus were on the table. That walk sure worked up an appetite! Skimming down the appetizers, I noticed the usual Italian restaurant appetizers like garlic knots, and breadsticks, and even some unique ones like fried dough and jalapeno poppers.  

Have a look at the menu and prices here!

Soon enough, the waitress came by to take our order. She brought along a fresh loaf of bread and butter in a basket (yum!). The bread was perfect melt-in-your-mouth soft and warm. 

For our appetizer, we ordered bruschetta, which our informative waitress explained we could split, because it came in six pieces. It arrived promptly and the smell titillated my nose and stomach. The slices were organized in fine circle. That first bite was incredible! I expected crunchy bread but the bread was surprisingly soft and warm. My friend who has never been a fan of bruschetta said this was the best she’d ever had! The tomatoes were fresh and cut into bite sized pieces. The added olive oil, garlic, and basil ignited a tingly taste that left me wanting more. 

As a vegetarian, I was excited to see so many options. The menu was broken up into sections (e.g. pasta, pizza). My waitress generously told me that some of the entrees could be made vegetarian, like the penne vodka without chicken. She helped me pick out my dinner, Melenzane alla Parmigiana i.e. eggplant parmesan. I appreciated how concerned she was by making sure that the spaghetti on the side was also prepared vegetarian. The dinner meal also came with a salad or soup and I picked the garden salad with Italian dressing. 

The salad and the dressing were good, but not great. The presentation wasn’t as extravagant as the Bruschetta. The dressing was just placed in a small plastic container. The salad needed to be on a bigger plate with more variety in vegetables rather than just a few onions, tomatoes, and carrots on a huge pile of lettuce. Since the salad was fresh, it was still acceptable. 

My entree came out on a large plate, packed with scrumptious-looking food. First I tried the spaghetti. The sauce was tasty, with fresh tomatoes and a hint of oil and garlic, and the noodles were cooked just right. The smell of the eggplant made my mouth water and I couldn’t wait to indulge. The melted cheese was perfectly chewy and the eggplant was cooked to perfection. Everything was delicious! 

As much as I wanted to continue eating, I was stuffed, but the food was too good to let it go to waste, so I decided to get it packed and save it for later! The cost for the dinner was reasonable; it was a little over $15.00 including tax after splitting the bill. This dinner certainly satiated my need for a palatable meal and a sophisticated experience. 

I would recommend this place for anyone who wants a serene dinner. It allows for an experience away from the college scene and makes you feel more at home (college away from college yet home away from home). This place is perfect for visiting families or a date out with a boyfriend or girlfriend who just want a casual yet classy place to eat. If you’re a college student looking for a place that will completely satisfy your hunger in a formal, homely, yet not-so-costly way, Pasquale’s is the place for you! 

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.