Restaurant Round-Up: Garrason’s, Sandwich Man and Nino’s Bistro

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.

Garrason’s Tavern
Name: Lily
When: I go for lunch or dinner at least twice a month.
Been Before: Yes
Ordered: I usually order their personal pizzas—they are very different and very tasty.
The Food: Good; some of it is a little bit pricey for bar & grill type food, though.
The Ambiance: It’s a local bar & grill so it’s nothing fancy, but there is a friendly feeling when you walk in the door. At night, when 2nd St. is overcrowded with the scantily clad, Garrason’s is a great refuge for decent music, fun people and awesome bartenders.
Company: I usually go with my roommate, but I try to introduce as many of my friends as I can.
Cost: It really depends on the meal. An entrée can get up to $20 without alcohol, but pizzas and sandwiches are around $8.
The Service: This is the reason I love Garrason’s! Rob, the owner, makes sure to take good care of his customers. He gets to know them by name, greets them and sits down to chat. He and his employees do a really great job of creating a community that makes me a loyal customer.
Recommendation: Yes, if you’re looking for a friendly, local bar atmosphere.

Sandwich Man
Name: Dori
When: Lunch
Been Before: Yes
Ordered: Large made-to-order iceberg lettuce, tomato and cucumber salad, hold the onions, with (added) ham, swiss cheese and one hard-boiled egg. Plus the not-to-miss homemade Russian dressing. Oh, and a small bag of Middleswarth Bar-b-q Chips.
The Food: Very good.
The Ambiance: Nonexistent (best for takeout).
Company: Me, myself and I.
Cost: $7.00
The Service: Efficient; can be rather gruff.
Notes: Sandwich Man is a no-nonsense, no-frills establishment. They sell a surprisingly wide variety of beer by the bottle or six-pack, and have six beers on draft: Miller Lite, Guinness, Arrogant Bastard, Yuengling Lager, Troegenator and (how’s this for fancy) Lindeman’s Framboise Lambic Ale, a sweet and delicious Belgian champagne-like beer. The clientele ranges from suits to the occasional vagrant. It can get frantically busy over the lunch hour, but it’s usually an efficient order, pay and wait counter flow. In the hustle, do some orders get messed up? Apparently, judging by the arguments I’ve seen break out, though I have had no issues in many visits.
Recommendation: Yes. If you want a quality deli lunch at a fair price, you really can’t go wrong. I’ve heard they have the best corned beef around, though I don’t eat that. The only thing I’ve had that I wouldn’t order again was the chicken salad, which was just too “wet” for me.

Nino’s Bistro
Name: Justin
When: Last Weekend
Been Before: Nope, but the people I went with had.
Ordered: Chicken Modo Mio, which is chicken sautéed and topped with prosciutto, asparagus and fontina cheese. I also had a Caesar salad and some bread.
The Food: Excellent. The chicken was tender and well-seasoned and the dish was well-constructed. It was salty, but when you get a dish featuring fontina cheese that’s to be expected. I could have done with a few more pieces of asparagus, I suppose.
The Ambiance: Very pleasant. From the outside, Nino’s doesn’t look like much, and even the inside is very plain. It is comfortable, though. I was with my parents and fiancée and it was an excellent place to talk over a long dinner.
Did Others Like Their Meals: Yes, I can’t remember what everybody ordered. I seem to remember there being two chicken marsalas in there somewhere.
Cost: Nino’s is a BYOB, which I love, so we weren’t paying for wine by the glass. Entrees are moderately priced. Most of them are about $20.
The Service: Very friendly, very informed and very professional.
Notes: This is not the place to go for a quick bite. They prepare all of their food after it has been ordered, and the menu makes it clear that they would rather the food was good than quick. If you go with friends and take a bottle of wine, the slow pace could actually be refreshing. We were able to have a nice conversation, and by the time I took my last bite, there wasn’t much wine left in the bottle.
Recommendation: Absolutely.