The Glass Lounge: See And Be Seen

If you’re looking for a truly spectacular steak in Harrisburg, The Glass Lounge is the place to go. This casual lounge has a seriously top-quality kitchen that rolls out high-grade New York strips, T-bones, and Delmonicos night after night, with exceptional quality and consistency. Since opening in 1984, The Glass Lounge has won multiple awards from the local press and built a fiercely loyal clientele. You can certainly get a steak on its own here, but the variety of surf & turf that the menu boasts is also worth exploring. The steak and grilled scallops is great, as is the steak with an awesomely formed lump crabcake. If you’re looking for something a little more casual, The Glass Lounge's cheeseburger's one of the best in town, perfectly charred on the outside and pink on the inside, and served with perfectly-crisped fries. From the outside, this place looks like a bit of a dive. But appearances, as they say, can be deceiving.

The Glass Lounge
4745 North Front Street
Harrisburg, PA 17110
(717) 255-9919
www.theglasslounge.net

Harrisburg City Island: An Island Getaway You Can Do in a Day

Harrisburg City Island is a stunning park right in the middle of the busy state capital. This beautiful and popular destination preserves the natural beauty of the local greenery, while offering more attractions than any visitor could hope for. Kids and adults alike can enjoy batting cages and a full arcade or pick up a kite to glide along the easy breeze and stop off at the antique carousel. There's also a scaled version of a Civil War era steam engine train to ride, classical horse drawn carriages, riverboat tours, and docks for boaters of all kinds. Forget isolated desert islands, Harrisburg City Island is one piece of water-locked turf you'll be happy to get stranded on.

Harrisburg City Island
Off Market Street Bridge
Harrisburg, PA 17101
(717) 255-3020
www.harrisburgevents.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

Dine at Award-Winning Bricco!

When you’re delighting in superlative food, it’s super-delightful to know you’re also enjoying locally sourced ingredients.  At Bricco, you’re dining in the hands of award-winning masters—and their students—while supporting nearby farms and entrepreneurs. Bricco’s chefs Finch and Viscount received the 2010 Governor's Award for Excellence in the Culinary Arts. Bricco represents a collaboration between the Olewine School of Culinary Arts at Harrisburg Area Community College and Harrisburg Hotel Corporation, managing general partner of The Hilton Harrisburg.

Your menu selections pay glorious homage to the finest of Mediterranean cuisine. Seafood “towers” and “raw” offerings compete to steal the show from the beef and, yes, pizzas. And then how can you select from among additional entrees like roasted duck, short ribs and quail, or tapas options? Don’t miss some of the fabulous bottles from Pennsylvania vineyards or the diet-sabotaging desserts.  Guiltlessly indulge for lunch Monday through Friday and for dinner, seven days a week.  You’ll become a fan of Olewine’s and Ciao! Bakery, as well.

Bricco
31 South Third Street
Harrisburg, PA 17101
(717) 724-0222
www.briccopa.com

The HodgePodgery: A Little Bit Of Everything

People are getting more and more interested in celebrating their local culture, and shops like Harrisburg’s HodgePodgery are helping that happen. This charming boutique selects its wares by one criteria: they must be handmade by artists and artisans residing less than a hundred miles from Harrisburg. Thankfully, the area has an incredibly wide variety of talented folks making all kinds of cool stuff. Over 150 artisans are represented, offering housewares, clothing, and even soaps. A real emphasis here is on reusing, recycling and repurposing materials, and a lot of the merchandise has a funky vibe. The owner and staff are all super friendly and very happy to help you shop for what you need. The HodgePodgery also hosts a number of classes taught by artists, including sewing, photography, soldering and more. Locals love this place because they know they’ll walk out the door with something unique that they couldn’t get anywhere else.

The HodgePodgery
1100 North 3rd Street
Harrisburg, PA 17102
(717) 236-0150
www.thehodgepodgery.com

Pennsylvania State Capitol: A Landmark of Power and Beauty

Combining all the best of classical grandeur and contemporary power, the Pennsylvania State Capitol is a breathtaking building and home to the keystone state's governmental seat. A public destination open to all visitors, it is an architectural gem and a historical symbol of the founding state's storied role in America's evolution. Dedicated in 1906—with none other than president Theodore Roosevelt in attendance—the building has long been an iconic landmark both inside and out. The interior features variously inspired details such as Renaissance designs, stained glass, as well as French, Greek, and Victorian aesthetic influences. Beyond the sprawling rooms and hallways, the central, Michelangelo-inspired 272-foot dome is not to be missed. But no matter what, this is a beautiful place to get a sense of Pennsylvania's political past as well as a glimpse of its future.

Pennsylvania State Capitol
Harrisburg, PA 17120
(717) 787-6810
www.pacapitol.com

Introduction to Fermentation

The ancient art of fermentation has served humankind with myriad uses from intoxication to preservation over the centuries. Now, with the nutritional benefits of probiotics prompting a flood of fermented products,  it’s the perfect time to learn how to make your own fermented foods and drinks at home.

Learn from the master
Wild Fermentation by Sandor Katz is considered the bible of home fermentation. This tome covers the science behind fermentation and contains dozens of recipes for everything from beer to sauerkraut to cheese.

Start simple
Sauerkraut and kimchi are great first fermentation projects. Requiring few special ingredients or equipment, the process is as simple as salting your ingredients, squishing out the water that the salt pulls from them, and letting them sit at a cool temperature for a few days. The result is delicious and full of beneficial live bacteria.

Save money on kombucha
Devotees of this sweet-sour concoction tout its health benefits and a bottle from a health food store can run you several dollars. But all you need to make your own is tea, sugar, and a kombucha mother – this mass of yeast and bacteria starts the fermentation process. Kombucha mothers can be ordered online or you can seek out local fermenters who have a mother to spare.

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

Cafe Fresco: Asian Fusion From An Award-Winning Chef

Since 2005, Café Fresco has been Harrisburg’s premiere spot for top-notch Asian fusion food, delivering amazingly diverse and tasty dishes to appreciative eaters from all around the state. Award-winning chef Travis Mumma has carefully conceived the menu to contain nothing but essential dishes, and diners rave over his presentation. Start out with the house Tigerlily Martini, made with fresh lychee for a unique flavor twist. The seafood is all exceptional, with the Chilean sea bass with creamy miso and the sesame encrusted Ahi tuna being notable standouts. If you don’t feel like fish, Café Fresco has a wide variety of other delectable dishes on the menu, ranging from a tender roasted duck breast to remarkably good pizzas—slightly unusual for a restaurant with such open Asian influences. For budget-conscious diners, a visit during Happy Hour is great for a menu of food and drink specials.

Café Fresco
215 North 2nd Street
Harrisburg, PA 17101
(717) 236-2599 ‎
www.cafefresco.com

Popcorn Hat Players: Theatre With Salt

If you’re looking for a more irreverent take on the stage, Harrisburg’s Popcorn Hat Players might whet your appetite. This much-loved local children’s theatre troupe has been putting on shows since 1993, using professional actors and directors to bring top-quality performances to children of all social and economic backgrounds. Plays put on by the troupe include adaptations of classic Mother Goose rhymes as well as fairy tales like The Little Mermaid and Rumpelstiltskin. Their performances are very entertaining. Although the stagecraft is serious business, each show has a real sense of humor that will keep kids riveted to the stage. And, of course, the Popcorn Hat Players throw in a few jokes for the grown-ups as well. Ticket prices are incredibly reasonable – just seven dollars – which makes it an excellent entertainment value. The troupe also runs a number of educational and outreach programs and mentors a group of young actors who perform in a yearly show.

Popcorn Hat Players
Third Floor
605 Strawberry Square
Harrisburg, PA 17101
(717) 238-4111
www.gamutplays.org/popcorn

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