It’s safe to say that, six weeks into the fall semester, I’m officially sick of Eickhoff. So, in an attempt to escape yet another meal of mediocre quality, I decided to venture off campus to try something new.
Rather than going to a chain restaurant that I’ve gone to a thousand times, I went to a place that’s much smaller and much less-known, but was definitely one of the best meals I’ve had in a while.
Just a 10-minute drive from campus, Candela Restaurant and Pizzeria is an adorable, family-owned Italian restaurant that serves a great variety of authentic Italian cuisine.
For my main course, I decided to order the classic spaghetti and meatballs with meat sauce. I know it’s not the most exciting meal in the world, but it was a pretty darn good meal.
Every meal at Candela comes with complimentary bread and garlic knots. Now, these garlic knots aren’t just any old pieces of garlic bread. They’re the most delicious pieces of garlic bread I’ve ever had. It’s worth going to Candela’s for the sole reason of trying these delectable garlic knots. Seriously, I had six of them.
By the time my meal came, I was sort of full from all the garlic bread (completely my own fault) and I was not nearly hungry enough to finish the extremely large portion that was placed in front of me, but the portion I did have was very good.
The meatballs were cooked nearly perfectly, not too dry but not too moist, and were the perfect size. The pasta also came with the perfect amount of sauce, which, to me, isn’t very common at many Italian restaurants.
Since I only ate about half of the meal, I took the pasta that I didn’t eat home for the next day. In fact, it was enough for an entire other meal and it also tasted almost as good reheated as it did the night before.
Even though I was full, no meal is complete without dessert, so I decided to split a warm fudge brownie with my friend. Although it was a little dry, it was still a really good brownie and a great end to a great meal.
In addition to fantastic food, Candela has such a warm and welcoming atmosphere. The dining area is about the size of an average living room and the walls are covered with flowered wallpaper, great for a cozy dinner.
Overall, Candela was a great experience. The food was impressive, the atmosphere was inviting and the portions were very large — the perfect combination for a fantastic meal.
If you don’t have a car on campus to make it to Candela, don’t worry. You can order online and enjoy the food in the comfort of your own home.
