There are only some places you can rely on.

Saint's Café, 123 W. Beaver Ave., is one of them.

When I get a drink at Starbucks, it's different every time, depending on who makes it. Their chai tea lattes taste like feet compared to the heaven that is a chai tea latte at Saint's Café.

The beverage is offered in two flavors, vanilla or spice, and both are delectable. I usually choose the vanilla when I want to warm up on these cold winter days. The drink pleases my palate and warms my whole body. It's true love in a white coffee mug.

Frothy and thick on top, the hot delight is made of black tea, honey, spices, and milk. Even after it's cooled off, it still tastes amazing.

The café itself has a homey vibe, and they play jazz to create a relaxing atmosphere. It's a great place to do work or catch up with a friend.

Listen to Ashli Baker (sophomore-criminology) make a vanilla chai tea latte - the sounds of magic happening right here in State College. It's the right amount of sweetness and warmth to make any snowy day bearable.

-Beth

It's currently 61 degrees outside.

I could have gone for a run, rode a bike or played tennis.

Instead I took a hike - all the way over to Are U Hungry, 111 Sowers St.

The sunlight shines on my "Fat Bitch."

For $7.49, I got a sandwich some might consider a day's worth of food or more; it was loaded with cheese steak, chicken fingers, 2 mozzarella sticks, mayo and ketchup - the creation known as the "Fat Bitch," the store's most popular sandwich.

Are U Hungry has a variety of "fat" sandwiches, including the "Fat Ranch," the "Fat Blunt," and the "Fat Bastard."

Some would say these sandwiches are "phat," if anyone still uses that term, but for me it's a little too much. Sure, I'm from Pittsburgh and I love fries on my sandwich. But add in mozzarella sticks and two kinds of meats, and I could barely move afterwards. My heart is still beating at an irregular pace.

One pretty bitty

It's not that I didn't enjoy the Bitch; it was tasty, but it's the kind of thing I'd only eat once a year - or maybe once in a lifetime just for the experience.

But Are U Hungry manager Jorge Garcia knows some people who could eat a billion "bitches" in a lifetime.

"I've seen people eat a lot," Garcia said. "I've seen a couple guys eat two to three sandwiches in one sitting."

One guy, whose weight Garcia estimates is 115 pounds, eats a "Fat Bitch" every day for lunch, Garcia said.

I'd love to find this guy and introduce him to a turkey sandwich, or even a PB&J. But for now, I wish him a long and happy life with his Fat Bitches.

Dissecting the "Fat Bitch."

- Beth

Today is Mardi Gras, and chef Emeril Lagasse loves kicking things up a notch New Orleans-style.

Executive chef at Commander's Palace in New Orleans for seven and a half years, Lagasse also opened his very first restaurant there in 1990, according to his web site. He even wrote a cookbook called Emeril's New New Orleans Cooking, introducing a creative take on Creole cooking. Here's a recipe for King Cake, a Mardi Gras essential. Happy celebrating!

King Cake Recipe

Courtesy of Emeril Lagasse, foodnetwork.com

Ingredients

* 1/2 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees)

* 2 packages dry yeast

* 2 teaspoons sugar

* 4 to 5 cups flour

* 1/2 cup sugar

* 2 teaspoons salt

* 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

* 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

* 1/2 cup warm milk (105 to 115 degrees)

* 1/2 cup melted unsalted butter, cooled

* 5 egg yolks

* 1/2 cup finely chopped candied citron

* 1 pecan half, uncooked dried bean or King Cake Baby

Glaze:

* 2 cups sifted powdered sugar

* 2 tablespoons lemon juice

* 2 tablespoons water

* Purple, green and gold sugar crystals

Directions

Preheat the oven 350 degrees. Combine the warm water, yeast and 2 teaspoons sugar in a small bowl. Mix well and set aside to a warm place for about 10 minutes. Combine the 4 cups of flour, 1/2 cup sugar, salt, nutmeg, lemon rind and add warm milk, melted butter, egg yolks and yeast mixture. Beat until smooth. Turn dough out on a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough remaining flour until the dough is no longer sticky. Continue kneading until the dough is smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes). Place the dough in a well-greased bowl. Turn once so greased surface is on top.

Cover the dough and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk (about 1 1/2 hours). Punch the dough down and place on a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle with the citron and knead until the citron is evenly distributed. Shape the dough into a cylinder, about 30 inches long. Place the cylinder on a buttered baking sheet. Shape into a ring, pinching ends together to seal. Place a well-greased 2-pound coffee can or shortening can in the center of the ring to maintain shape during baking. Press the King Cake Baby, pecan half or dried bean into the ring from the bottom so that it is completely hidden by the dough. Cover the ring with a towel, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove the coffee can immediately. Allow the cake to cool. For the glaze: Combine the ingredients and beat until smooth. To assemble, drizzle cake with the glaze. Sprinkle with sugar crystals, alternating colors. Cut into the cake and hope you do not get the baby.

-Beth

When food is free, I'm there. When Phyrst fries are free, I'm definitely there.

On Tuesday nights, the Phyrst, 111 1/2 E Beaver Ave., offers free fries from 10 p.m. to midnight and a new half price drink special from 9 p.m. to 11. These two deals make a Tuesday at the Phyrst a great night out.

Fully's Famous Fries are made upstairs at Famous Ernie's Cheesesteaks. Normally $2.50 for a plate and $4.00 for a tray, the fries are fresh-cut and wonderful. Though my hands were stained with grease after eating them, they were very tasty paired with my half price Blue Moon.

Servers bring out trays every so often filled with boats of the yummy fries seasoned with salt and pepper. The boats remind me of summers at Kennywood, Pittsburgh's traditional amusement park, eating the amazing Potato Patch fries.

The fries also have a surprising benefit: they help men succeed at picking up ladies.

Case in point: my roommate and I were sitting at a table waiting for the rest of our posse when a waitress arrived with a boat of fries - and pointed to the man who sent them over.
A State College romance at its finest. His name is Herb, he's a junior and now we're madly in love. Okay, everything but the very last part is true. But I thought treating two ladies to free fries even after he saw us down two servings was a laughable gesture. I like a man who appreciates the hefty amount of food I can stomach. Thanks, Herb.

-Beth