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

Coakley’s Restaurant and Irish Pub: A Casual Irish Pub With Fun for All

Coakley's Restaurant and Irish Pub promises fun times for all. The menu is as classic as you can get with everything from steak sandwiches to pub pretzels, sliders, buffalo chicken dip, and even Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs served warm with a side of fries. A few local treats include Pittsburgh Pillows (fried pierogies) and an unbeatable French dip sandwich. Nightly drink specials offer up classic beers in cheap pitchers and pints along with marked down food offerings, while ongoing game nights and special sports events keep the atmosphere lively and socially involved. Coakley's is the place to come with good friends and good spirits.

Coakley's Restaurant and Irish Pub
305 Bridge Street
New Cumberland, PA 17070
(717) 774-5556
www.coakleys.com

Toast to Irish Hospitality at Molly Brannigans

Here’s a pub that really capitalizes on its Irish heritage. If too much Guinness + Boddingtons fuzzes your memory on where you’ve landed, the Irish furnishings throughout the décor will bring it back. Though Molly’s menu graciously adds selections outside traditional Irish food, you can’t go wrong sticking to the traditional favorites. Bangers & mash are a big hit (Irish sausage and mashed redskin potatoes with onion gravy); ditto the Shepherd’s pie. You’ll find any variety of Boxty to suit your mood (Irish potato pancakes stuffed with all sorts of exciting entrée combos). A dense page describes some of the other “pub grub” available, not including all the soups, salads, appetizers, and dinner selections. And when you’re traveling and find yourself pining away for Molly Brannigans, you’ll hope to find yourself in Erie or Pittsburgh, Molly’s other two home towns.

Molly Brannigans
2nd and Walnut Street
Harrisburg, PA 17101
(717) 260-9242
www.mollybrannigans.com

Las Delicias: Authentic Latin Home Cooking, A Restaurant as Delicious as its Name

Las Delicias offers all the spice and flair of Latin cuisine. This family-run restaurant offers a pan-continental offering of dishes and specialties from both Central and South America. There is nothing ""fast"" about the food served at Las Delicias—from juicy chicken to tender Puerto Rican roast pig (pernil) to sweet and salty stuffed plantains (platanos rellenos), everything is made fresh and has the kind of deep aromatic flavor that only come from dedicated preparation and love. The interior looks a bit run down with its weathered vinyl booths, but the food is authentic and the loyal customers give off an intimate, family atmosphere that make it well worth a trip. 

Las Delicias
2060 Derry Street
Harrisburg, PA 17104-2301
(717) 233-3664

For a Picturesque Dining View, Deck Out at Dukes Bar & Grille Riverside

Atmosphere is outstanding at Dukes Bar & Grille Riverside. Overlooking the Susquehanna River on an award-winning outdoor deck and the deck bar, you’ll feel the week’s tension float away downstream. The comprehensive menu needn’t scroll so long—with so many appealing appetizers and bar items, you won’t even want to glance into the dinner fare. The crab pretzel is unusual, tasty, and popular; cheesesteaks and soups get nice reviews. Anticipate waiting for a table, since reservations are not accepted. But regulars suggest calling ahead anyway to warn the staff that a large party is on the way. Then enjoy a happy hour or two.

Dukes Bar & Grille Riverside
www.dukesbarandgrille.com

313 S. Front Street
Wormleysburg, PA 17043 
(717) 737-1313

Dukes Bar & Grille Hershey 
1715 E. Chocolate Ave.
Hershey, PA 17033 
(717) 533-5541

Treat Yourself to a Meal at Mangia Qui

Mangia Qui—together with Suba, its upstairs Spanish tapas bar—is a consistent favorite among discerning diners. Here you’ll find the best of regional Italian and Spanish dishes, performed with agriculturally sensitive local, seasonal ingredients. You can feast righteously and gloriously, though not necessarily inexpensively. Extensive, imaginative menus excite the palate; the dishes merit every bit of that anticipation. Your toughest decision is whether to go for the tapas or the entrées, and you may end up with a little bit of everything. From almond stuffed dates wrapped in bacon and topped with cheese and seafood tacos, to seviche and calamari, amazing pastas and Tuscan Grill beef, and so much more, Mangia Qui requires repeat visits. Mixed drinks and wines raise a fine meal to exquisite.

Mangia Qui offers lunch and dinner Tuesday through Saturday, and Sunday brunch. Suba opens at 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday.  Live music begins at 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

Mangia Qui
272 North Street
Harrisburg, PA 17101
(717) 233-7358
www.mangiaqui.com

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

 

The Sky's the Limit at Hershey PA's What If . . . Cafe

As if the name didn’t already suggest as much, there’s no end to the possibilities at What If Café. Located in the sweetest place on Earth, Hershey, PA, the restaurant takes its location and open-minded name to heart. With classic dishes like pan-seared scallops, calamari, and hand-cut steak served in the dining room (with an extensive wine menu to complement the varied fare) as well as a relaxed bar area serving lighter items like seafood sliders with infused martinis, there’s a range of atmospheric options to suit every occasion. And, in staying true to its hometown, What If’s homemade desserts will leave your sweet tooth happily satisfied—especially the hot fudge peanut profiterole.

What If  . . . Café
845 East Chocolate Avenue
Hershey, PA 17033
(717) 533-5858
www.whatifdining.com

Spice: The Only Place in Town Serving a 15 lb. Lobster!

There’s nothing small about Spice, a refined dining establishment with a lot of bite for each buck. Health-dedicated chef Jeff Utzman (formerly the personal chef for exercise guru Richard Simmons), turns out hearty plates of simply prepared, yet filling choices. Modern American meets the Mediterranean in mindful creations such as the crabacado salad (crab meat and avocado with tomatoes, mozzarella, and mixed greens in a lime-cilantro-champagne vinaigrette) and lemon chicken Tuscany (sautéed chicken in a Tuscan lemon cream sauce served over pasta) for an overall dining experience that is at once nutritiously balanced and deliciously satisfying. Oh, and a word to the wise—if you want to try the specialty of the house, a 13-15 pound lobster stuffed with crab (it feeds 4-6 people) call up and order it in advance.

Spice
201 North Second St.
Harrisburg, PA 17101
(717) 441-1556
www.spiceharrisburg.com

Pavone's: Serving Authentic Italian Food For Over 30 Years

For more than 30 years, Pavone's has been serving authentic Italian food, fresh seafood, and USDA choice steaks to its loyal customers. From comfort classics like hand-breaded provolone and peel & eat shrimp to mouth-watering pork chops and smoky, flame-grilled ham steak, the menu is full of filling options for hungry diners. Though the carefully categorized menu—including sections called “butcher’s block” and “low carb”—offers hefty choices for everyone, be sure to save from room for the dessert, which changes up daily.  The Garden Room is a nice smoke-free escape for family meals, whereas Ruby’s Red Garter Saloon is a fun, old timey lounge and bar. Take your pick—whatever you’re in the mood for, Pavone's has you covered.

Pavone's
300 South Hershey Rd.
Harrisburg, PA 17112
(717) 545-2338
www.pavones1.com

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