Noah's Happy Hour

It's the end of the week...you've had a lot of homework...work has been stressful...you just need a break. This is when Happy Hour is JUST what you need. But! Rather than going to, say, Applebee's where you can get two for one drinks, you should check out Noah's Bar off of Delafield Street for happy hour. Not only is beer only $2 a glass but you get free food. Yes, you read that correctly, you get free food.

Every Thursday and Friday, Noah's has happy hour with cheap beer and food. The bar provides guests with free wings, ziti, and garlic bread. The only downside, free food draws a crowd so you will wind up standing in a line to get the food before it even comes out but it's worth it. The wings are delicious and come out hot. The pasta is pretty good...it's not 5 star quality but it's still definitely worth getting. And the garlic bread, perfection. The combination of all three is remarkable. And frankly, I think it tastes better because you aren't paying a cent for it.

The crowd that usually shows up consists of Marist students and some local Poughkeepsie residents. The great news for all you Marist students, it's strictly 21+ so it creates a nice atmosphere of people who are coming together for some great food and beer. Most of the attendees of happy hour can be seen enjoying their food in the booths or up in the back room playing darts and pool. Personally, I enjoy going because it's a laid back environment where you can have a beer and still hear your friends talking without techno music blasting overhead. It's also a great chance to brush up on my dart skills...you never know when those will come in handy.

By 8:00 most of the happy hour crowd leaves which is great for anyone who needs to get back home at a reasonable time to get ready to go out to another bar...I mean...go home and do some homework. So you get dinner, some beer, and plenty of time to continue your night. The perfect way to end any week.

Soul Dog-The Fancy Hot Dog

One of my favorite things about the winter coming to an and and summer coming around is the food that becomes more acceptable to eat. Let's be serious, no one thinks of summer without thinking of hot dogs. On the 4th of July alone, millions of hot dogs are consumed by the US population. I, myself, look forward to those delicious, grill-cooked hot dogs as much as the next person. However, there are times when the generic hot dog with ketchup on a bun just doesn't cut it. For those of you who know what I'm talking about, Soul Dog is the place you need to go to.

Located on Main Street, Poughkeepsie, Soul Dog Cafe offers customers specialty hot dogs for awesome prices. The cafe has a great atmosphere with great decor and crayons and board games laying around to play with as you have a hot dog. Even as a college senior, I can appreciate when I see Connect Four on a table, who didn't love playing those games as a kid? The menus are scattered around as well so you can take your time decided which hot dog suits your mood that day. The options are seemingly endless!

As you look at the menu, you can choose which type of hot dog you would like: beef, chicken, vegetarian and Italian sausage are all possible options. You then get to pick the toppings you want to have...the first two toppings are only 50 cents with the third being free. Some of the multiple options you can have are: chili, sour cream, bacon, baked beans, cheese, cole slaw, and more. I personally, gave the chili cheese hot dog and the baked bean hot dog a whirl when I went there for this post and both were amazing!

The cafe also offers different food choices if hot dogs aren't your thing. They also serve beer and wine for those who feel like making the hot dog a bit more classy. The prices, as I mentioned, are great. With the hot dogs costing you no more than $5 for what you get (that's including toppings). And for those who may have food allergies, all of the food at soul dog is gluten free. If you haven't popped into Soul Dog yet, I highly suggest getting over there to taste a bite of summer!

Rossi's Deli

It's no secret that Rossi's Deli is one of the best deli's in the area. However, despite its reputation, there are still people that haven't experienced this amazing food (especially their paninis). Like these people, I had been hearing about Rossi's for over a year from my obsessed friends but still hadn't been there myself. Thankfully, creating this blog gave me the necessary motivation to go and experience it for myself so that I could share it with everyone else. And, let me tell you, I was not disappointed.

The deli is small but, as I'm learning, that doesn't mean anything. Upon entering the deli you are given the choice of the regular deli sandwich options, a daily special, and the panini list. If you are a fan of paninis, that's what you want to focus in on. There are the options for how they make your panini, including the type of meat you want, the type of dressing, the type of cheese and any extra toppings you may want. After you place the order you make your way down to the front of the deli, passing amazing authentic Italian food as you go.

The deli also caters for events with Italian food that looks and, I'm sure, tastes great. Aside from the delicious panini I had, I decided that dessert was in order and wasn't disappointed. As an Italian, I've had countless cannolis. Rossi's had a plate of cannolis that I just couldn't resist. They had multiple options including chocolate filling, chocolate covered, and duel filled with vanilla creme and chocolate. I got the duel cannoli and was amazed, it was probably one of the best cannolis I think that I have ever eaten. 

The food isn't going to be the cheapest option in Poughkeepsie but I think that the food you receive is well worth the price that you pay for it. And coming from a college student, that says a lot since I'm always watching what I spend. If you haven't been to Rossi's yet, you need to get there!