Ian C.'s Profile

I've purchased a dozen cupcakes from Rocket Queen multiple times and they've been delicious each time. Aimed at cupcake connoisseurs and sweet-toothed hipsters, Rocket Queen offers unique cupcake varieties with amusing names like Squealer, The Bomber and Holiday in Cambodia. Ingredients may include bacon, dark chocolate and peanut butter ganache, compote and creamy fillings, and many cake options, frostings and toppings. Vegan and gluten-free options are also available. The cupcakes aren't cheap ($24 or $36 per dozen), but you're buying a local, gourmet product. The last time I bought a dozen, I requested marzipan topping (since I rather like marzipan) and Jessica was happy to give it a try. The marzipan-topped cupcakes turned out great.

In addition to enthusiastically agreeing to experiment with made-to-order cakes, Jessica and her team come up with new, creative cupcake specials all the time. They are also frequent community supporters and generously donate cupcakes to a variety of local events. Currently, you can find individual Rocket Queen cupcakes for sale at several businesses in the Corvallis/Albany area. Rocket Queen offers free delivery and is looking to open a retail shop soon. This is a local business worthy of your support. Never met a Rocket Queen cupcake I didn't like. #corvsmb

As the second Indian restaurant in Corvallis, Nirvana has given Evergreen some competition. I've eaten at Nirvana a few times since it opened in 2008. It's located on 9th Street, in the building where Cha-Da Thai restaurant used to be. Nirvana has very good food at reasonable prices. I've been meaning to try the $7.95 lunch buffet (which I think is only $4.95 for students to load up a to-go box), but I haven't gotten around to it yet since Nirvana is not particularly close to where I work. I've been pleased with all the dishes I've ordered for dinner though (mainly curries or masalas or chicken vindaloo). They have some interesting naan varieties, but I think I slightly prefer the naan from Evergreen. Also, the mango lassi is great.

If you don't know what to order and are looking for a good sampler for dinner, try one of the Nirvana feasts; the $18 chef special thali is a nice variety plate for two to share. Overall, I have no complaints. The service is friendly and the interior of the restaurant is clean with nice decor (including velvet paintings, as another reviewer mentioned). The prices are similar to what Evergreen charges ($8 to $11 per entree). While I don't eat at Nirvana as often as Evergreen, I can say that it is really nice (and perhaps unusual) to have two high-quality Indian restaurants in a fairly small college town like Corvallis. #corvsmb

Evergreen is a long-time favorite in downtown Corvallis for Indian cuisine. The $8.95 lunch buffet is excellent, especially on Fridays when they serve upma (a savory cream of wheat special that's not on their regular menu) as a bonus. The Tandoori chicken is always excellent; maybe the best anywhere. The buffet is not huge, but it usually has a representative selection from their menu, including curries, masalas and paneers (with vegetarian, chicken and goat/lamb options). I enjoy the buffet sides/appetizers like crispy pakora and the desserts like rice kheer (rice pudding) and mango fruit salad too. I often sample some of everything from the buffet, which means I usually eat too much because it's so good. Watch out for the bones in the goat curry. I love the naan (unlimited naan at the buffet!). While I usually just drink water with my meal, the mango lassi can be a nice treat.

The staff keeps the buffet area very clean. If you're there after lunch buffet hours, I recommend trying the special thali dinner, which is a sampler option you can order with an entree for a couple dollars more. Since the restaurant is located downtown, parking is sometimes an issue; however, you'll only be walking a couple of blocks at most. Also, if you're eating in the restaurant, prepare to carry the distinct (not unpleasant, just distinct) odor of Evergreen on your clothes for the rest of the day. It's worth it. #corvsmb

Rice 'N' Spice is a little Asian grocery store just north of OSU campus on Van Buren Avenue, right across the street from the big orange University Market (AKA The Beer Store) building. I buy various supplies for cooking Thai, Chinese and other Asian food dishes here. They carry a wide range of sauces, spices and noodle types. I really like some of the rice noodle sticks found here and the prik khing curry paste, in particular. They offer a small amount of Asian produce (including fresh lychee during July-August!), sweet red bean buns and other Asian-style breads, many types of frozen steamed buns, and lots of rice crackers and other interesting snacks and candies. The shelves and freezers are crammed full of stuff I've never tried.

If you enjoy the tiny $4.50 seaweed salad that Aomatsu Sushi & Grill serves in downtown Corvallis, you can buy the exact same salad here at a much lower price per ounce (just thaw the container of frozen seaweed salad in your refrigerator; it's the same flavor and consistency you get in a Japanese restaurant). If you've never been to Rice 'N' Spice, I recommend stopping by and browsing for a few minutes. There are many interesting products with which to experiment. Also, the owner is knowledgeable and willing to order requested items. Just ask him! #corvsmb

Tarn Tip has a nice selection of Thai food including a number of seafood dishes, but the service is not particularly great. (I prefer to order the food to go.) Plus, they are a cash/check-only business, which is inconvenient (and even actively discouraging, for people who prefer credit/debit). The curries and noodle dishes are all generally tasty, but overall not quite as good as the more recently opened Thai Chili on Monroe Avenue.

However, the pad prik khing (stir-fried green beans with red curry sauce) at Tarn Tip is the best in town. But for most everything else, I prefer Thai Chili, which is just down the street. (And lately I've been making my own pad prik khing at home using sauce from Rice 'N' Spice grocery store anyway.) Overall, Tarn Tip is pretty good, but the more you compare it to other Thai restaurants, the less notable it seems. #corvsmb

Baguette is probably my favorite sandwich shop in Corvallis. It's a small Vietnamese sandwich place with very limited seating (three tables), so expect to get your food to go. Conveniently, there are benches and picnic tables one block down the street (along the river). I believe Baguette is the only place in town where you can buy bahn mi. They don't have a large menu, but what they offer they do well. Most menu items involve curry, ginger, barbecue or peanut sauce, which, to me, is a great victory for sandwiches. Unless you specify otherwise, all sandwiches come with shredded pickled carrots, cucumbers, cilantro, mayo sauce, soy sauce and mild garlic pepper sauce. They provide fresh jalapenos upon request. You can choose white or wheat baguettes.

Every sandwich variety I've tried so far has been excellent (but make sure to hold the mayo, if that's not your thing). The salad rolls with peanut dipping sauce are really tasty. The steamed sweet buns are good too. Not sure about the small egg found in the steamed pork buns though. All sandwiches and salad rolls are around $4, which is a great price for the amount of food you get. The Asian-brand juices, including mango and coconut flavors, are pretty good too. The inside of the business reminds me a little of a stainless steel fortress and features a very clean-looking, open kitchen. The staff is genuinely friendly and pleasant. If Baguette was located closer to OSU I'd definitely eat lunch here every week. They really ought to setup a lunch cart near campus. Baguette is located across the street from the Beanery and just south of the Post Office. Highly recommended. #corvsmb

Nearly Normal's has a fun, friendly atmosphere (featuring pink flamingo decor inside a creaky, two-story house) and an interesting collection of vegetarian food options. The Nearly Nasty Burrito for $4.10 on Tuesdays (half-price special) has pretty much become a weekly routine for me; it includes black and/or pinto beans, cheese, green peppers, tomatoes, scallions and salsa wrapped in a flour tortilla and topped with a tasty enchilada sauce and lettuce (I order it without the sour cream). I appreciate the free orange or lime water and enjoy the environmentally conscious, hippie vibe. The soup of the day almost always sounds really good and they often have fresh cookies or brownies available on the counter.

Nearly Normal's offers a variety of tasty vegetarian, Mexican and "gonzo" cuisine, though I mostly stick to the burritos. The falafel is a house specialty (and it's half-price on Wednesdays), but I'm not into falafel so I haven't tried it. After Thai Chili, this is probably my second most-visited restaurant in Corvallis. Admittedly, my frequent visits have a lot to do with its proximity to campus and its giant $4 burrito for lunch on Tuesdays. But overall it's definitely a good place for vegetarian cuisine. The outdoor seating in the back is nice on warm, sunny days. #corvsmb

As far as I know, this is the only place in Corvallis that sells bubble tea. I usually go here once or twice a month for a bubble tea treat. I like the creamy teas, with a double serving of tapioca pearls. My favorite flavor powder is red bean, but all of the nut, root and bean (yes, chocolate is a bean) flavors are good. I'm not as fond of some of the lighter (fruit) flavors because the true black/green tea flavor is more pronounced (or rather, less hidden by the creamy flavoring). Tea Break pretty much only serves two things: tea (with tapioca pearls and/or gelatin cubes) and smoothies. You're not going to find bagels or sandwiches or anything else here anymore.

Customer service is adequate. Interior is adequate and includes Wi-Fi and some board games. The small, casual-weird arrangement of seating inside features a red lip-shaped loveseat. Aside from the delicious creamy tea that no one else in town sells, the place is rather unremarkable. You will sometimes find this establishment closed at inexplicable hours and sometimes they've even been known to run out of tapioca pearls (even though it's basically the only thing they sell!). I want to give Tea Break five stars because I love bubble tea, but they could be running their business more effectively. To me, this place is a somewhat endearing hole-in-the-wall in Cobblestone Square. #corvsmb

Thai Chili is probably my favorite restaurant in Corvallis and definitely my favorite near OSU campus. It is conveniently located in Cobblestone Square. Everything I've tried is delicious and most dishes cost about $7. I usually get the pho (which you'd normally expect at a Vietnamese restaurant, not a Thai place) because it's so good. All of the curry dishes are excellent; I probably get the Massaman (brown) curry most. They recently (finally) added yellow curry to their menu as well. The Thai spicy basil is great and their various noodle dishes, especially pad si-iew (big flat rice noodles), have not disappointed me. It seems like a can't-miss, reasonably priced menu. I've been eating here at least a couple of times a month since last summer. I recommend this place to pretty much everyone I meet, including Rebecca B. (see her review below).

I prefer Thai Chili to Tarn Tip (a nearby Thai restaurant), in terms of flavor and customer service. As far as Thai Chili's spiciness meter from 1-5, choosing a 2 or 3 is a nice level for someone accustomed to Asian cuisine (basically, if you don't feel like sweating or having your nose run too much). I found it amusing that their spiciness meter used to be six levels: Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, Senior, Graduate and Ph.D., since it's located in a university town, I guess. Getting the Ph.D.-level spiciness was a bad move, unless you felt like crying/dying (or are one of those people who have burned out your taste buds). Anyway, this place is highly recommended. #corvsmb