Lancaster Brewing Company: Tip A Glass

Pennsylvania has a number of high-quality microbreweries advancing the art of craft beer. The Lancaster Brewing Company is no exception. Established in 1840, it’s one of the oldest breweries in Pennsylvania. As the years have gone by, it’s become a very popular local watering hole with its combination of excellent beers and top-quality food. An outpost of the brewery recently opened in Harrisburg and locals have been giving it rave reviews. If you want an overview of what they brew, the beer sampler lets you get a taste of four beers for a mere ten bucks. The food is competent but unexceptional, with a crabcake sandwich and the mussels appetizer winning special mention. While you’re waiting for your food, take a few minutes to explore the incredibly detailed “History of Beer” mural – you’re bound to learn something.

Lancaster Brewing Company
469 Eisenhower Boulevard
Harrisburg, PA 17111
(717) 564-4448
www.lbcharrisburg.com

Neato Burrito: A Harrisburg Must For Burritos

This Harrisburg favorite has been serving up excellent Mexican food to appreciative eaters for years, holding true to a very simple formula: great quality, great service, fair prices. The formula is simple—walk down the counter and select your tortilla, your beans and rice, your meats and cheeses, et cetera. But this is no paint-by-numbers Mexican; the guys at Neato Burrito have gone the extra mile to make their grub stand out. From the unique choices, including BBQ rice, to the homemade salsas (try the spectacular jalapeno feta), these burritos are the best in town. Regulars rave about the enormous portions—a burrito here is virtually impossible to devour in one serving. Vegetarians have a lot to love here, with their house-made black bean hummus an unusual but very savory choice. Get it grilled for even better flavor. The décor is also charming, with a fun and funky 50s theme going on.

Neato Burrito
3370 Paxton Street
Harrisburg, PA 17111
(717) 564-7875 ‎
www.neatoburrito.com

Char’s Bella Mundo: An Upscale American Bistro

This beautiful old-world bistro filled a gap in Harrisburg’s dining scene when it opened, and since then it’s been the recipient of almost too many awards to count. The intimate dining room seats a little over 40 patrons, and also offers a small area for outdoor café-style seating. The intimate setting gives the incredibly talented kitchen the opportunity to deliver a spectacular dining experience from your first bite to your last. This place gets crowded very quickly, so make sure to make a reservation and keep it. Diners rave about just about everything on the European-inspired menu, from the luxurious swordfish steak to the amazing veal osso buco. This is a top-notch restaurant that’s widely considered to be the best meal in Harrisburg, so if you’re planning an evening out that needs to impress, Char’s Bella Mundo should be your first choice. The restaurant also hosts a popular Jazz Wednesdays where live bands accompany service and specially-chosen wines.

Char’s Bella Mundo
540 Race Street
Harrisburg, PA 17104
(717) 213-4002
www.charsbellamundo.com

Breads n’ Spreads: Cut A Slice

Sometimes the best foods are the simplest. In the case of Harrisburg’s Breads n’ Spreads, that adage holds true. This excellent luncheonette has been drawing raves from locals since opening in Midtown, with great homemade soups, salads, and sandwiches. The roast beef with curry spread on their house-baked grilled bread is spectacular, as is the excellent egg salad with bacon and tomato. Breads n' Spreads's sweets are also incredible, with toffee brownies winning raves from dessert customers. They also serve a popular Sunday brunch that lets the cooks try their hands at some well-received breakfast staples. The baked oatmeal with peaches is absolutely spectacular, as is the French toast. Their coffee is some of the best in the city, brewed fresh by espresso artisans. On nice days, sit outside in their charming courtyard and enjoy the sun. If you’re looking to get some work done, Breads n’ Spreads also offers free wireless Internet for customers.

Breads n’ Spreads
1419 North 3rd Street
Harrisburg, PA 17102
(717) 695-7713
www.breadsnspreadsmidtown.com

Alvaro Bread and Pastry Shoppe: More Than Just Sweet Treats

If you’re looking for classic old-school Italian bread, the Alvaro family has a loaf for you. This local favorite, housed in a completely refurbished brick building, has become a hangout for eaters looking not only for baked goods but also Italian classics. Everything is made on the premises, and regulars rave about the pizzas, which are made with the perfect amount of fresh ingredients on a delicious crust. Portions are gigantic and prices are incredibly reasonable. If you’re there for dinner, make sure at least one person at your table orders from the amazing fresh pasta menu—the house-made ravioli are some of the best in town, packed with flavor and cooked to incredible tenderness. Spaghetti is also incredible, with unique thick noodles perfectly supporting a dense, flavorful sauce. For dessert, you have plenty to choose from—Alvaro’s cakes and cookies compete with incredible gelato. This place is a definite winner.

Alvaro Bread and Pastry Shoppe
236 Peffer Street
Harrisburg, PA 17102
(717) 238-1999
www.alvarobread.com

Natural Remedies to Help You Get a Good Night’s Sleep

Benihana: Japanese Style “Eater-tainment” in Harrisburg

Don’t dare blink an eye at Benihana, or else you might miss the best culinary performance of your life. This beloved chain restaurant serves classic Japanese hibachi grill items that are chopped, flipped, fried, and served at lightning speed before your eyes. The theatrical skill of each specially trained chef will keep you entertained while munching on fried rice, seasoned steak, chicken, and seafood, as well as sushi rolls and fresh veggies. This is “eater-tainment at its best. Given the choreographed cooking that goes into each meal, Benihana is a great choice for big parties or a fun night on the town.

Benihana
2517 Paxton St.
Harrisburg, PA 17111
(717) 232-6731
www.benihanahbg.com

Kanlaya Thai Restaurant

Thai food's one of the most popular Asian cuisines in America, in large part because of one dish: pad Thai. This savory noodle stir-fry is not too spicy but offers a preview of the uniquely complex flavors that Thai cuisine draws from its neighbors in China and India. So let's just get it out of the way: Kanlaya Thai Restaurant in Harrisburg has excellent pad Thai.

Once you’ve eaten at Kanlaya a few times, you might become adventurous with its menu. The crispy kapow chicken wins raves from diners – it’s fried to perfection, not greasy, and coated with an incredibly delicious sauce that will haunt your dreams. Topped with fried basil leaves, it’s one of Kanlaya’s specialties. The curries here are also excellent, packing potent flavors that are exceptionally well-balanced. Noodle dishes also stack up well, with a spicy pad kee mow drawing special raves. The restaurant's well-decorated, with dim lights for a perfect ambience.

Kanlaya Thai Restaurant
1030 South 13th Street
Harrisburg, PA 17104
(717) 233-0222
www.kanlayathairestaurantpa.webs.com

Crafting In A Day: Five Simple But Cool Crafts

Whether you need a last minute gift or an activity for yourself or the kids, these quick and easy crafts will produce great results in just a couple of hours:

1. Cut and sew small fabric scraps and stuff to make a simple pincushion. Mix some catnip into the stuffing and you’ll have an irresistible cat toy, or stuff with lavender or potpourri for a fragrant sachet.
2. Place colorful paper in a picture frame and let it serve as a backdrop for a favorite photo or a photo collage. Just a little time and effort will net you a keepsake photo you will treasure.
3. Pick up some decoupage medium and cover a vase with any kind of paper you have – origami paper, wrapping paper, even the comics page.
4. Make a cool custom t-shirt by cutting out a cardboard stencil, putting it on a dark-colored t-shirt, and spraying the shirt with a 50/50 bleach/water mix. Be sure to have a tub of water ready to dunk the shirt into as soon as the color is where you want it, and always wear safety goggles and gloves when using bleach.
5. Make a sweet stand for cakes and snacks by using a dishwasher-safe glue to stick a saucer or small plate on top of a teacup.

Arepa City: The Griddle Sings

If you’ve never had an arepa, the Central American corn cake, you’re in for a real treat. These small fried cakes have a taste that perfectly harmonizes sweet and savory, and they’re often filled with cheese or meat and topped with a tangy cole slaw. Harrisburg's Arepa City uses theirs to make what are essentially sandwiches: awesome arepa sandwiches! Regulars rave about Arepa City's slow-roasted pork leg, its chorizo sausage and potatoes, and its epic Miliciosa – roast pork, avocado, and grilled queso fresco. But don’t think that the menu at Arepa City ends there. Its owners work hard to bring awesome food from all over Latin America to grateful diners. From savory, delicious tostones to delicious empanadas, this place has it all. Even better, they’re open late at night – perfect for filling the belly after a long night at the bar. Prices here might seem a little high but but the portions are huge.

Arepa City
316 North 2nd Street
Harrisburg, PA 17101
(717) 233-3332
www.arepacity.com

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