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Wednesday Night at the Perry County Fair
Thursday, August 21, 2008 1:11PM
At times, I am reluctant to step outside of my social comfort zone. I am an outgoing person who enjoys meeting new people, but when it comes to entertaining myself, I tend to fall into a routine. I guess that’s fine; everyone likes certain bars, restaurants, hangouts, etc., and there’s nothing wrong with that. Still, I know that if I’m going to really do a good job chronicling life in Central Pennsylvania, I’m going to have to do more than write reviews of indie concerts and restaurants in downtown Harrisburg.
That’s why I decided to go to the Perry County Fair.
Honestly, when my friend Evan and I hopped in my Volvo and started up 22/322, I had absolutely no idea what to expect. The two Perry County experts in my office — one a current resident of the county and one an ex-pat — had given me the rundown on the event. Still, I was absolutely convinced that I was going to look like a moron. I am completely agriculturally ignorant. Beyond that, I didn’t want my picture-taking and question-asking — my complete and utter lack of knowledge about things that are important in rural Pennsylvania — to be mistaken for condescension. In the end, I don’t think it was, and a few surly sheep aside, I didn’t seem to offend anybody. 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 » -
The Great Pizza Taste Test
Friday, August 15, 2008 2:12PM
Sometimes I sit and wonder how many pieces of pizza I’ve eaten over the course of my 24 years and change on this earth. Think about it. How many slices have you eaten? Frightening isn’t it?
Ever since I started working in Harrisburg I’ve been auditioning local pizzerias to be my spot of choice. Health nuts aside, everyone has to have a pizza place. In Boiling Springs, my pizza place is Aniles. In State College, it’s Goppers. In Philadelphia, it’s Big Cheese Pizza (terrible name, I know). Anyway, I haven’t found one in Harrisburg, so I asked some of my co-workers to help me decide who made the best takeout slice within walking distance of Spotobe headquarters.
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Down Goes the Patriot! Down Goes the Patriot!
Friday, August 8, 2008 2:26PM
In an upset that will surely go down as one of the greatest of our time, Commerce Bank ended years of Patriot-News dominance with a stirring victory in the 2008 United Way Trike Drags. Hyperbole? Me? Never.
The members of Team Patriot, which apparently wins every year, should have known they were in trouble as soon as they saw their t-shirts. Commerce Bank’s shirts were bright, angry red. Standing next to them in the starting gate had to be like pulling up next to a cherry-colored corvette at a stoplight and hearing it gun the engine. The Patriot? Daisy yellow. Think a teenage girl driving a Jetta with zebra-print seat covers. Full Article » -
This Weekend: Dori’s Guide for “Staycationers”
Thursday, August 7, 2008 12:00PMThe first time I heard the term "staycation" in place of vacation, I grimaced and prayed that Merriam-Webster would not be declaring it an official English word anytime soon. However, it seems to be sticking, with astronomical gas prices and the sad lack of truly fuel-efficient vehicles. So let's go with it. If you are postponing faraway travels to stay close to home, good for you.
I decided to give Justin a little break from his normal weekend post, so here are some ideas—listed in random assorted genres—to help you find something that whets your whistle without draining your gas tank. 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 » -
My Harrisburg Open Journey Begins & Ends
Friday, August 1, 2008 2:34PM
So four weeks of training ended with me down $10 and a can of tennis balls, but without any regrets. Plus I got a t-shirt. All in all, that’s not too bad.
I have to admit, for one fleeting moment, I thought I could win. I went down 0-2 in the first set, but eventually got it back to 2-3 on serve with a 40-15 lead. And then I let it slip away. Yes, as expected, I did lose in the first round of the Harrisburg Open, but it was in no way an epic embarrassment. I actually had a blast.
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Golfers’ Glee
Wednesday, July 23, 2008 10:34AM
Hi, Dori here with a golf anecdote for you avid links lovers out there. I hardly qualify as a golfer, but I have tried my hand at the game. When I was growing up here, my parents belonged to Blue Mountain Golf Club, so that's where I used to make my feeble attempts at playing. If I were not so competitive about it and, in the words of my husband, could just enjoy playing badly, I might still be taking my swings. But this course is not really a learner's course. It's on the side of a mountain, with narrow, unforgiving fairways, and should you miss the fairway, roughs that are really, really rough. Like copperhead snake rough.
Last weekend, my sister was bringing her new beau home to meet the family. It was decided that the boys could bond over golf, so my dad started calling around for a tee time. (The parents now play more than ever and have long since decided they would rather play many courses than belong to one.) Anyway, the old standby Dauphin Highlands was booked for an event on Saturday, so Dad called Felicita (formerly Blue Mountain) and found that rates were discounted the later you started so he could get the foursome on for $39 each at 1:00pm. This, he decided, was an acceptable price to play this course, considering new boy might not be (a) good at golf or (b) worth the investment. What can I say? This is my dad. Full Article » -
A Potentially Epic Embarrassment
Monday, July 21, 2008 4:03PMI try to be as funny as possible in this space, after all, the internet is all about snark these days, right? Hopefully if you read my ramblings regularly, you’ve found them good for a ha, maybe even a haha. Well, if you’d like to see me raise the bar to an entirely different level, come watch my performance in the Harrisburg Open.
That’s tennis, folks. Full Article » -
A Saturday Full of Spotoballs
Monday, July 14, 2008 4:00PM
Now that the dust has settled from Spotobe’s first contest (contests, actually!), I’d like to take the time to thank everyone that visited us at the Harrisburg Street Festival and painted, guessed and had fun. In all honesty, Spotobe is all about getting out and enjoying Central Pennsylvania, and I hope everyone that stopped by on Saturday had a good time chilling with us. I know we enjoyed meeting all of you. Full Article » -
This Weekend: Feelin’ Good
Friday, July 11, 2008 1:52PM
I was just remarking to Dori the other day that I couldn’t remember the last time I had a tetanus shot. Funny I should bring it up, because I just walked the whole way from Bricco to Spotobe headquarters on Locust with one foot shoeless. I spend most of the summer barefoot, but not walking down the streets of Harrisburg. Ick.
I was walking down the street listening to Coconut Records on my iPod, when a woman waiting to cross the street backed up into me, stepping on my cheap flip-flops. Naturally, I pulled the thong part straight through the bottom when I tried to raise my foot. She didn’t even apologize, and now I have 67 diseases. Lovely.
Anyway, it doesn’t matter, because I can always buy more 99-cent sandals, and nothing is getting in the way of my optimism this weekend. Maybe it’s the weather, but right now, I’m feeling very festive. I wish I could go sit outside somewhere and have a beer (yeah, you all make fun of Sawyer's but isn't it nice to spend happy hour outside during the summer? Forget the astroturf and the ugly outside bar, doesn't that look like a place you could have fun?). Instead, we’ll go over the weekend. Full Article » -
Further Proof That We Love All of You
Wednesday, July 9, 2008 3:45PM
We’ve got a lot of Spotoballs. Seriously, when we stage our Friday afternoon battles here in the office, it is complete and utter chaos. That’s using one box. We’ve got a lot of boxes. Trust me, we’ve got plenty of Spotoballs. This weekend, if you can figure out how many, you could win four passes to Hersheypark. Simple enough right?
Spotobe’s pals at the Harrisburg Downtown Improvement District have graciously offered us space at the Harrisburg Street Festival, which takes place this Saturday between noon and 6:00pm on the streets surrounding the intersection of 3rd and Walnut. We’ve responded by putting together two pretty fantastic and completely free community contests (and we’re modest too!). Full Article » -
Friday at American MusicFest
Friday, July 4, 2008 8:01PM
Checked out American MusicFest this afternoon with Meg, her brother and his girlfriend. The weather looked threatening the entire time, but it really didn’t do much other than drizzle. To be honest, I was a bit surprised by the crowd. I thought it would be a bit larger and a bit more enthusiastic. Maybe in the evening when the bar crowd started filtering over things picked up a little bit. I’m sure the weather didn’t help. Full Article » -
This Weekend: I looovvvvveeee Friday Holidays
Thursday, July 3, 2008 3:35PM
Really, there is nothing better than having Independence Day fall on a Friday. In fact, I propose that July Fourth should be a Friday every year from now on. Impossible? Nah. Next year, with the Fourth falling on a Saturday, we all get hosed. Bad times, right? Wouldn’t it just be better to flip the third and Fourth. Really, it would bother you that much if July next year went Wednesday the first, Thursday the second, Friday the Fourth, Saturday the third and Sunday the fifth? I didn’t think so.
With the Fourth on Friday, not only can you get after it on Thursday night if that’s your scene, but you also have three straight days of vegetation. I suppose when the fourth is on a Thursday, that gives you four straight days of vegetation with the slight inconvenience of one of those days taking place in the office, but whatever. 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 » -
Foundry Day Photos
Saturday, June 7, 2008 1:26PMHot, hot, hot… That’s about all my sun-addled brain has to say. Full Article »
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This Weekend: Spotobe at Foundry Day
Friday, June 6, 2008 3:33PM
The main reason that Spotobe will be at Foundry Day in Boiling Springs this weekend is quite simple: It’s really close to my house. I’m in the process of looking for an apartment closer to Harrisburg, but since returning from Philadelphia, I’ve been living back where it all started for me. My current residence is nine holes of golf away from downtown Boiling Springs, and that makes traveling to said event quite convenient.
But if I’m going to be honest, I have to admit that even if I didn’t live in Boiling Springs, even if I still lived in Philadelphia and didn’t help run an events and entertainment website, I still would have come home for Foundry Day. Full Article » -
Sunday at Artsfest
Sunday, May 25, 2008 2:48PM
Yesterday I went to Artsfest to give stuff away, today I went and enjoyed myself. Once again, the weather was gorgeous and once again the food was pretty good. Given time to look more closely, I really enjoyed a lot of the art. Full Article »
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Saturday at Artsfest
Saturday, May 24, 2008 3:57PM
Just back after spending Saturday at Artsfest. My girlfriend Megan and I handed out 500 Spotoballs and hopefully made some new friends for the site. The weather could not have been better and the food was super. We got barbeque from Bob’s Big Beef (highly recommended), and a blooming onion. I also polished off a Cookies & Cream waffle cone that was bigger than my head. Full Article »
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This Weekend: Come Visit Spotobe at Artsfest
Friday, May 23, 2008 10:59AMMost Fridays in this space, I’ll be giving you a quick rundown of what’s going on over the upcoming weekend. I know, original right? This week that seems a little silly. Most everyone in Central Pennsylvania knows this weekend is Patriot-News Artsfest, one of the most-anticipated community events in the area. That’s not to say that there isn’t plenty of other interesting stuff happening though. Full Article »
About Spotoblog
We’re all about Central Pennsylvania at Spotobe, and we'll be updating you semi-regularly with our insight (or lack there of) on life in the Midstate. Between event recommendations, restaurant talk, and some local news and commentary; we hope that you enjoy yourself, interact with us and keep coming back for more.
Recent Comments
"Loved the list. I started a blog about parks http://www.gooutsidetoplay.blogspot.com that may interest you." — Natalie on "Central PA Outdoor Swimming Guide for Daytrippers"
"Seems like you live in Pennsylvania. I do as well. i love PA and the Gettysburg Festival is one of the best events in the state. Glad to hear you got to get out of town." — Gettysburg Pennsylvania on "This Weekend: I. Am. Out."
"Kudos for your courage to attend the Perry County Fair (and—especially—for being brave enough to drive a Volvo into the heart of darkness). Next year you should definitely check out the New Bloomfield Fireman's Carnival (which is a much larger event than the PC Fair), or the Juniata County Fair (only for the truly brave). I'll save Path Valley's dirt-track racing for a future comment ;)" — Scott C. Boggs on "Wednesday Night at the Perry County Fair"
"I also agree with you, this would ce essential to toursist who would be planning a labor day travel this September." — Michelle Kelar on "Surviving Summer Air Travel"
"Have to agree with you and internet revies, you are spot-on. We live in a critical culture where people feel like they are experts just because they can post a review. Bayou is great, try their brunch, and all of these fair weather bon vivant wannabes are just unable to be satisfied." — glenn p on "Bayou: A New Favorite"
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