Taste of the Month: Central Reservation Serves Up an Eclectic Menu Featuring Steaks, Seafood and Cocktails

Central Reservation, located at the corner of Beaver Avenue and Allen Street in downtown State College, is one of Happy Valley’s newest restaurants.

According to Tim Riefel, one of the partners and co-owners, it’s also one of the most eclectic.

The restaurant, which specializes in seafood and cocktails, looks to be a nice little surprise as visitors return to State College this fall for a host of Penn State football home games.

Central Reservation is on the same part of Beaver Avenue as the classic college bar, The Phyrst, and Local Whiskey, which opened its doors in 2012. Riefel says Central Reservation aims to be an integral part of the trio.

“We decided to do something that was a little bit more intimate, a little bit more vibrant and colorful,” Riefel says. “We didn’t want to duplicate or copy anything. We really wanted a place where people come for special occasions, where people could come in and have a sit-down dinner downtown.”

There’s no certain demographic that Riefel and his business partners were targeting. Instead, he says, he wanted Central Reservation to appeal to everyone.

“We wanted it to be a place for everyone, whether it was the student body, locals, professors, or people who are coming into town for conferences,” Riefel says.

He says he wanted Central Reservation to be a bit more “refined.”

“We wanted something that drives conversation,” Riefel says.

With that in mind, Riefel and his business partners put together a vast cocktail menu.

“Our general theme is vibrant and ornate,” Riefel says. “Some cocktails are decadent with a garnish.”

There are certain cocktails that Riefel described as the restaurant’s “best sellers.”

The Jungle Bird features dark rum, Italian bitter, pineapple, and demerara syrup.

“That’s a nice cocktail,” Riefel says. “It’s a nice introduction to something a little more bitter.”

Riefel says Central Reservation’s sangria is also very popular.

“Right now, we’re doing a white wine sangria,” Riefel says.

Another popular cocktail is Where There’s Smoke There’s Pineapple, which features mezcal, reposada tequila, caramelized pineapple, agave, lime, and hellfire bitters.

“That’s nice refreshing cocktail as well, with the balance of the tequila and the richness of the pineapple that we simmer with the agave and the citrus,” Riefel says.

There’s also a hibiscus rum punch, which features aged rum, lime, demerara sugar, and hibiscus liqueur.

“That’s a fan favorite,” Riefel says.

Central Reservation also makes classic cocktails such as The Sazerac, which is a local variation of a cognac or whiskey cocktail originally from New Orleans, named for the Sazerac de Forge et Fils brand of cognac that served as its original main ingredient. It also has a house Manhattan, which is very popular.

Central Reservation’s menu is small but mighty. Just three entrees dot the menu: hanger steak ($25), shrimp and grits ($25), and lobster mac and cheese ($26).

If a sandwich is more your speed, there’s a quintet from which to choose: grilled haloumi ($14), crab cake ($16), a C.R. blackened waygu burger ($16), grouper reuben ($16), and a deli-style grass fed beef tenderloin sandwich ($15). The menu also features a pair of salads, one with local lettuces ($10) and a crispy oyster caesar salad ($15). There are several add-ons for salads, including 4 ounces of hanger steak ($8), fried chicken breast ($6), crab cake ($8), and four select fried oysters ($6).

Just looking for an appetizer? Central Reservation has that, too. One can find house hummus ($13), rock shrimp ceviche ($14), a cheeseboard ($15), and crispy Szechuan shrimp ($15).

The restaurant features a raw bar with oysters on the half shell with featured mignonette and poached shrimp cocktail.

One of the unique features of Central Reservation is the fact that the bar is exposed to the sidewalk on Beaver Avenue. It’s not sidewalk seating, per se, but it’s pretty darn close.

“There are two sliding glass doors that open up. And each of those has five bar seats. Customers can come in, check in with our hostess, and we can seat them. It’s literally right off the sidewalk,” Riefel says.

Central Reservation has a wall filled with images of famous couples. On there, one will find a plethora of different couples – ranging from Lady and the Tramp to Will and Jada Smith.

“Those are nice talking points,” Riefel says.

The name Central Reservation comes from a song by Beth Orton.

“One of our partners was listening to the song,” Riefel explains. “It was at the tail end when we were trying to come up with a name, and he said it at the right time. It just stuck.”

Central Reservation is open from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week. For more information about Central Reservation, visit www.centralreservation.net.

This story appears in the September 2021 issue of Town&Gown.