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Restaurant Round-Up: Visaggio’s, Miyako Sushi & Houlihan’s
Tuesday, October 7, 2008 12:25PM
There are certain times that you really need a restaurant to step up, none more than when you're going out to eat for a special occasion. Like it or not, even the most carefully planned evening can be derailed by an expensive dinner that fails to meet expectations. Last weekend, Restaurant Round-Up contributor Winton celebrated his 5-Year Anniversary with his girlfriend, Ann, at Visaggio's (congrats, guys!), and happily, they had a fantastic meal. Visaggio's website features glowing recommendations from the pages of the Philadelphia Inquirer and from George Will, so it's not a surprise that the meal was good. I mean, if George Will says so...
This week, in addition to Winton's report on Visaggio's, Fran gives the pros and cons of Miyako Sushi and Dave talks about his favorite chain restaurant, Houlihan's. As always, let us know what you think in the comments section. Full Article » -
Restaurant Round-Up: Paxtang Grill, Hampden Diner & El Rodeo
Tuesday, September 30, 2008 2:00PM
Sometimes you want to get dressed up, go out and try something new and exotic on a Friday night. Sometimes you just don't feel like cooking and want to go somewhere you know the kids will be able to get the chicken fingers that they like and the bill won't completely empty your wallet.
Every community has a few inconspicuous restaurants that the locals swear by, and the Paxtang Grill is a place I've heard about from East Shore people ever since I moved back to the area. This week in the Restaurant Round-Up, Dori talked about it, Dave tried breakfast at the Hampden Diner and I ordered Pepe's Special (pictured... yum, right?) from El Rodeo. Again. As always, if you've been to any of these places, leave us some feedback in the comments section. Full Article » -
Restaurant Round-Up: Garrason’s, Sandwich Man and Nino’s Bistro
Tuesday, September 23, 2008 10:30AM
The Round-Up took a break last week to make way for our Messiah College Q&A, but it's back and better than ever (we hope). Some interesting selections this week. Lily writes about what has earned Garrason's Tavern such a loyal group of regulars, Dori weighs in on the salads and service she gets at the Sandwich Man and I give my account of my first experience of Nino's Bistro in Camp Hill.
As always, if you agree, disagree or have something to add to what we said about any of these fine establishments, feel free to leave some feedback in the comments section. Full Article » -
The Jellybricks: Goodnight to Everyone
Friday, September 12, 2008 2:56PM
Another rainy Friday. Looking for a little lift I decided to spring for the new Jellybricks album, "Goodnight to Everyone." The Harrisburg power pop standards have been making upbeat music since they hit the scene in 1997 with their album "Kinky Boot Beast." "Goodnight to Everyone" is their first release since 2004, and it was anxiously awaited by local music fans and power pop aficionados alike.
The album cover (pictured) is pretty sweet. Makes me long for the days when I bought CD's instead of digital albums. Unfortunately, I'm not sure that the music lives up to the cover. "Goodnight to Everyone" isn't bad, it's just not my favorite album by the Bricks. Full Article » -
Restaurant Round-Up: Spring Garden Restaurant, Spice & McDonald’s
Tuesday, September 9, 2008 11:36AM
For those of you who don’t know, this week is Harrisburg Restaurant Week. You have until Thursday to check out special $30 three-course menus at raspberries, The Firehouse, Carley’s, El Sol, Stocks on 2nd, Cafe Fresco, Zia’s at Red Door and McGrath's Pub. None of them found their way into this week’s Restaurant Round-Up, but Spotobe encourages all of you to help make this first-time event a success.
This week in the round-up, Pete talks up the highly-regarded Spring Garden Restaurant, Dave submits a mediocre experience at Spice and local Twitterer Twoiterrings (who submitted this existential bent on fast food by email) looks at going to McDonald’s in a whole new way. Full Article » -
America’s Oldest Fair
Monday, September 8, 2008 12:40PM
It's kind of funny how separated York and Harrisburg are from each other. The former capital of the United States is a mere half an hour from Harrisburg up or down Route 83 (assuming it's not rush hour) depending on your perspective, but the populations don't seem to mix all that much. Yes, some people from York work in Harrisburg. That's obvious to anyone who has ever been stopped two miles from the 83 split and prayed that the trucker behind him was paying attention. There are obviously some who make the trek for entertainment purposes too, but it doesn't seem to be a common phenomenon. I suppose that's why I'd never been to the York Fair, despite its claim to being America's First Fair.
I finally got around to going Sunday, not to see a concert, but just to check out the scene and see what was going on. My fiancée and I got there around noon, and things were just starting to pick up as we walked down the Midway. The fair is, at its core, pretty much like most fairs, only bigger. You've got the standard portable amusement rides, but more of them. You've got carnival games, but more of them. You've got deliciously artery-clogging food, but more of it. Full Article » -
Farewell Flight: Sound. Color. Motion.
Friday, September 5, 2008 2:47PM
I’m a bit late to the party on this one judging by the response I’ve already heard from local music fans, but we’ll pretend it’s fashionably late. I got a copy of local band Farewell Flight’s debut full-length album Sound. Color. Motion. just before their release party at Champion Ship a few weeks ago, but I didn’t get a chance to really listen to it until this afternoon. Now I can tell you, it’s one of the best albums I’ve heard from a local band in a long time.
Classifying music as “indie” is generally meaningless, but it’s a lazy tag that nevertheless fits Farewell Flight snugly. Their sound resembles “We Have the Facts and We’re Voting Yes” era Death Cab For Cutie, only a little bit less fuzzy. They rely heavily on the piano to drive the album, but some of Sound. Color. Motion.’s (That’s a punctuation nightmare) hidden gems revolve around Timmy Moslener’s nifty guitar work. Full Article » -
Restaurant Round-Up: Piazza Sorrento, Zia’s & Back Door Café
Wednesday, September 3, 2008 10:26AM
This week, Fran checked out Piazza Sorrento in Hershey for the first time and left underwhelmed, Dori checked out Zia's for the first time and liked it so much she went right back and I went somewhere I've probably eaten 100 times. Variety is the spice of life, but there's something comforting about going back to an old favorite. Who knows, maybe you'll read something here that will make you check out somewhere new and find a favorite of your own. If you have anything to add about any of these places, feel free to do it in the comments section. Full Article » -
Helter Skelter in the Summer Swelter
Tuesday, September 2, 2008 11:34AM
A good weekend should be relaxing. A great weekend should be a little bit tiring—the kind of weekend that leaves you wondering how you are ever going to get up for work on Monday morning. Yes, there is something to be said for a quiet night on the couch to recharge after a rough week. Labor Day weekend isn’t about that, though. Labor Day weekend is about grabbing summer and wringing out every last drop of sun-tanned, sandals-wearing, party-going, family-uniting, outside-enjoying fun possible.
I tried my best. In four days, I hit one of my favorite restaurants in Carlisle, went to the Penn State game, watched the fireworks in Negley Park, went to a pig roast, hung out on the deck at Dockside Willies and went to Kipona. I slept well last night. Full Article » -
Restaurant Round-Up: Chocolate Cafe, Raspberries & Carrabba’s
Tuesday, August 26, 2008 4:06PM
I can only go out to eat so much. Same with Dori. In my case, my waistline and my wallet would both be adversely affected if I went out any more than I do now. In Dori’s case, well, she’s got a young 'un.
With that in mind, we’d like to introduce a new weekly feature, the Spotoblog Restaurant Round-Up. The people who keep Spotobe running on all cylinders love to go out as much as Dori and I do, and we figured the more meaningful information we can put out there, the better. Hopefully this will be one more resource to check out before spending your hard-earned coin on a meal.
We’ll be putting each post under the new Restaurant Round-Up category, and we’ll also create a category for each Spotobeing who submits a review. That way, if you find you tend to like the same restaurants as one of us, you can see every place that person has written about. This week, Madeline weighs in on the Chocolate Café, Dave dishes about Raspberries and Katie gives us the scoop on Carrabba’s. Enjoy: Full Article » -
Bayou: A New Favorite
Monday, August 18, 2008 1:38PM
Going out to eat these days can be kind of scary. I love that the Internet gives customers a chance to provide instant feedback after a particularly good or particularly bad dining experience. At the same time, if you believed what people online say about most of the restaurants in Central Pennsylvania, you’d spend a lot of Saturday nights cooking for yourself.
Google a restaurant in the area that you’d like to try, and you’ll probably find a review from someone who assures you that they lived in New York/San Francisco/Paris so they know good restaurants and (blank) restaurant is deplorable. If said establishment is ethnic, you might also find a review from someone who tells you that they travel to China/India/Thailand/The South/France/Italy/The North Pole all the time, and that even the farm animals in those places wouldn’t eat the crap pushed by the restaurant you were thinking of going to.
Well, Saturday night, I didn’t feel like cooking, so took my girlfriend and a bottle of Chardonnay to Bayou on 2nd Street in Harrisburg. I’d seen mixed reviews of it online, but I love Cajun food and so I decided to give it a try. I’m glad I did. My meal was absolutely spectacular. Honestly. It was brilliant. In fact, it was one of the best meals I’ve ever had in Central Pennsylvania. Full Article » -
Ohhhhhhhh Islanderrrrrssss, Islanders, Islanders, City Islanderrrrrs
Monday, August 4, 2008 2:41PM
I’m not sure that song will ever leave my head. I know I can’t convey the tune in writing, but trust me, it’s catchy. I checked out my first City Islander’s game Saturday night, and thanks to some extremely awesome fans, when I fell asleep early Sunday morning, that chant was still bouncing around in my cranium. That night, the City Islanders beat the Bermuda Hogges 4-2 and also gained at least three new fans.
I went to the game with my girlfriend and her sister, and all three of us ended up having a really good time. Granted, all three of us have taken soccer fairly seriously in the past and continue to play soccer with varying degrees of intensity today, but all in all, the gameday experience way a positive one. Beyond that, the soccer was played at a very high level. Judging by the sold-out crowd of nearly 2,500, I’m a bit late in catching on. Full Article » -
Experiencing The Dark Night in IMAX
Wednesday, July 30, 2008 3:52PM
When I saw that the Whitaker Center was going to have The Dark Night in IMAX, I was excited for about 3.7 seconds before realizing that my motion sickness would make it nearly impossible to make it through the movie without hurling. That's inconvenient, because The Dark Night has become one of the most hyped movies in memory, and I wanted to at least mention it in this space. Luckily, Winton, a friend of Spotobe, has a much stronger stomach, and graciously agreed to provide us all with a brief report. Here’s what he has to say:
“After one failed attempt at purchasing tickets to see The Dark Knight at the Whitaker Center, I finally scored a set of tickets last Sunday. My persistence was worth it, and I’m glad I held out to see the movie in IMAX. After seeing it, I can promise you that there are some scenes that just wouldn't have been as good without the fully immersed experience you get in an IMAX theater. Full Article » -
From Thailand to Japan in 22.5 Miles and $16 (I Feel Like Rachel Ray)
Thursday, June 19, 2008 10:09AM
As I’m sure you all know, getting anyone in a group of hungry people to actually come right out and pick a restaurant is nigh impossible. After the inevitable hemming and hawing at around 11:30 yesterday, we decided to skip the usual suspects (Keyser Soze!) and head to Bangkok 56 on Paxton Street. I’d never been there before, and I’m glad we went.
From the outside, the place looks underwhelming, but the super-tiny dining room is very pleasant. The tank of cichlids, which went far above and beyond your cliché Asian-restaurant fish tank, was a nice touch.
I wasn’t feeling all that adventurous. I have a decidedly sketchy stomach and I wasn’t even half way through the workday, so even though I love spicy food and was tempted by the curries, I went with a simple Kow Pad — fried rice with pork, chicken, tomatoes, onions and scallions. Nothing fancy, but it was really, really good and even with two meats it only coast $8.99. My co-workers/co-diners had a variety of dishes ranging from green curry to pineapple fried rice, and each was similarly impressed. Full Article » -
Hit and Miss at Carmella’s
Wednesday, June 11, 2008 4:29PMBig boss Dori checks in again after lunch at Carmella’s Trattoria. She also gives her second bathroom review in as many posts. I’m beginning to feel as though becoming a parent makes you view restaurants as changing tables that happen to serve food. Frightening. Anyway, here’s what she had to say: Full Article »
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Did We Mention The Restroom…
Wednesday, June 4, 2008 9:41AMSpotobe big boss (well, bigger than me boss) Dori P. hit El Sol recently and filed this rather interesting report with the Spotoblog (if my title is “editor” I’m going to talk like one damn it).
I can assure you, this is not a subject with which I have any experience. In fact, just thinking about changing diapers period makes me break out into cold sweats, let alone thinking about doing it in public. Nevertheless, without further ado: Full Article » -
Who Do You Want To Hear From?
Thursday, May 22, 2008 3:16PMI have to admit that it’s going to take me a little while to get used to blogging. My background is in journalism, and in fact, this is my first professional job outside of the biz. That’s not to say that I haven’t enjoyed the switch. I was a sportswriter, and sportswriters almost inevitably begin hating sports. Trust me, I was well on my way.
As a sportswriter, you constantly find yourself trying to talk to people that have no interest in talking to you. You also work lousy hours and have to spend a lot of time with other sportswriters, many of whom smell strongly of coffee and press food and love to talk about sportswriting. It’s not as glamorous as it seems. Full Article »
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