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Labels: Harrisburg restaurant, Spice Restaurant photography © Tom Wenger Photography, LLC posted by Tom Wenger at 8:00 AM 0 comments 
Labels: Harrisburg restaurant, Suba, Tapas photography © Tom Wenger Photography, LLC posted by Tom Wenger at 7:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Harrisburg restaurant, Italian, Mangia Qui photography © Tom Wenger Photography, LLC posted by Tom Wenger at 7:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Carley's Ristorante and Piano Bar, Harrisburg restaurant, Italian, piano bar, Restaurant Row photography © Tom Wenger Photography, LLC posted by Tom Wenger at 7:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: 3rd Street Deli, deli, Harrisburg restaurant photography © Tom Wenger Photography, LLC posted by Tom Wenger at 7:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: billiards, Harrisburg restaurant, Shady McGrady's, smoking photography © Tom Wenger Photography, LLC posted by Tom Wenger at 7:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Harrisburg restaurant, Irish Pub, McGrath's Pub photography © Tom Wenger Photography, LLC posted by Tom Wenger at 7:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Harrisburg restaurant, Irish Pub, Molly Brannigans photography © Tom Wenger Photography, LLC posted by Tom Wenger at 7:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Harrisburg restaurant, Neato Burrito photography © Tom Wenger Photography, LLC posted by Tom Wenger at 7:50 AM 0 comments
Labels: Appalacian Brewing Company, banquets, beer selection, billiards, brewery, full bar, Harrisburg restaurant photography © Tom Wenger Photography, LLC posted by Tom Wenger at 1:15 PM 0 comments
 Once part of the Kokomos sports bar chain, Aroogas carries on the tradition of wings, beer and sports with an upgraded feel. When you think of yet another sports bar that none-the-less has been converted from yet another sports bar, you would not expect it to be on a list of many "firsts". In the case of Aroogas however, there are a couple that are quite notable. Aroogas was the first on the East Coast to install a Blizzard Beer System that dispenses beer at exactly 29.1° as opposed to the normal 34° draft at most establishments. A digital sign on the wall indicates the exact temperature that beer is currently being dispensed. Additionally Aroogas is Pennsylvania's first Green Restaurant Association certified "green" restaurant. To gain this certification, they had to meet specific requirements including eliminating all Styrofoam from use. Low flow water fixtures were also installed as well as a number of procedural initiatives were implemented. One of the most notable features is that they have more TVs than you can shake a hockey stick at. They took the already tv saturated establishment and left virtually no wall space "untelevised" with over 100 tvs. And we're not talking just any ol' tv, they are crisp, clear flat screens. With access to every sports programming package available their motto is "every game from every seat".   With regard to food, Aroogas is a wing joint with so much more. The creativity that allows them to have 48 wing sauces listed on their menu translates over to inventive foods like a General Tso's Wrap (pictured) and Seafood Nachos (below) smothered in shrimp, crab meat and cheese.  For those who just want regular sports bar fare, never fear, Aroogas has plenty of it. From sliders to tacos to ribs to quessadillas you won't have much trouble finding something to quell your appetite while your thirst is being quenched by 29° beer.     If you wanted to know what the heck an Arooga is, that is a fair question. It is actually a made-up word that was the winning selection from a naming contest held by the bar. It is reminiscent of the sound an old car horn would make, but is mostly just a word that is fun to say.7025 Allentown Blvd. Harrisburg, PA 17112 Labels: Aroogas, feature, full bar, Harrisburg restaurant, non-smoking, sports bar photography © Tom Wenger Photography, LLC posted by Tom Wenger at 11:34 AM 0 comments
 15 Years ago, if you wanted sushi in the Harrisburg Area your choices were extremely limited. Over the years though, sushi's popularity has grown and there are now a fair number of options for the discerning (and perhaps daring) epicurean. One of the newest offerings is Mitaka Restaurant. Located in the Paxtang area of Harrisburg at 560 S 29th Street, Mitaka is easily accessible from both the East and West Shores. Mitaka is the newest choice from restaurateur Caroline Lai, who owns restaurants in Center City, Carlisle, and York, so you'd expect a tried and true formula. You'd be expecting wrong though - at least partly. Mitaka is the first of Caroline's restaurants to offer dim sum. In fact, while it is popular in the big cities, Mitaka is one of the first in this area to specialize in it.  Mitaka is easy to spot from 29th street and offers ample parking. In addition to a nice sized dining area there is a handsomely decorated standard sushi bar.  Pictured is a plate of sashimi. If you like raw fish, this is the way to go. If you've never tried it before, it's not as bad as you may think. In fact, its quite good. Just mix some soy sauce and wasabi ("waaaassssabbi") in a small dish and give it a dip before taking a bite. Don't be afraid... it won't bite you back (unless of course you overdo the wasabi).   Rice Rolls with Shrimp.  The Tropical Inferno Roll is certainly cool to look at. It is a rice roll with smoked salmon, mango, shrimp, masago & scallion topped with avocado, tobiko, and a spicy sauce.  Other the fact that sushi is just so good to eat, it is like edible art. Each sushi roll is a mini sculpture specially made just for you.  This image shows a couple sushi and handrolls. Clockwise from top left: Tamago Sushi (I've long considered this to be a dessert in sushi restaurants, though may be shunned for such an opinion), Tobiko Sushi (the kids chowed this before I could even try them - I didn't tell them what it was), Salmon Handroll, and an Eel & Cucumber Handroll.  You just have to love the color and texture of the Tobiko (at least to look at if not eat).  Here Ken prepares some sushi behind the sushi bar. 560 S 29th Street Harrisburg, PA 17104 717-920-1818 10:30AM-9:30PM (7 Days) non-smoking BYOB Map It Labels: dim sum, feature, Harrisburg restaurant, mitaka, non-smoking, paxtang, sushi photography © Tom Wenger Photography, LLC posted by Tom Wenger at 1:08 AM 0 comments
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All content and images are copyrighted © 2009 Susqueats.com and Tom Wenger Photography, LLC. No reproduction of this blog in part or in whole is permitted without express written permission.
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Located on the corner of 2nd and Locust at the virtual epicenter of Harrisburg's restaurant row is the trendy Spice Restaurant. 
Executive Chef Jeffrey Utzman has gotten around before planting his feet in Harrisburg. His credits include being the personal chef for none other than Mr. "Sweatin' to the Oldies" himself, Richard Simmons, the Executive Chef for the US Olympic Team, and working on the catering staff for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Now he's whipping up his eclectic and unique creations for the patrons along restaurant row.
These plates consist of a number of creatively designed and named dishes throughout the menu. Appetizers include choices like 
Not to be outdone, the salads also offer creative presentations. With eighteen salad and wrap offerings there is plenty to choose from. 
The 
Entrees offer a wide selection of pastas, meats, seafood, burgers and traditional favorites. 
Drunken Sailors is a trio of seagoing favorites. Shrimp, scallops & crab are drunk with Chardonnay wine for this entree then topped with lemon and butter.
Margarita Shrimp includes sauteed jumbo shrimp flamed in tequila tossed over linguine in a garlic herb triples sec butter sauce.
The 
Spice's Land & Sea is a classical Surf & Turf with filet medallions rubbed with "Spices" and char-grilled paired with a succulent Maine lobster tail splashed with wine & butter.
A true Spice favorite is 
In recent years, 
Not only the first tapas bar to open in Harrisburg, Suba also claims to be the only authentic tapas bar in the city. Suba is located on North Street above 
For a snack with some flair, try the 
Suba's menu has over 25 tapas choices in all, so there is plenty of variety.
In addition to its selection of tapas, Suba has over half a dozen specialty tacos. Tacos include offerings like the 
On Harrisburg's somewhat off-the-beaten-path North Street, just off Restaurant Row you can find yourself in a totally different epicurean neighborhood - Tuscany. Mangia Qui brings authentic tastes of Italy to central Pennsylvania.
Mangia Qui strives to use sustainable organic foods, buy local and find the finest ingredients available. 
Other Antipasti includes selections like 
The bread served with dinner is a fresh-baked herb-crusted foccaccia. Pictured is a whole loaf fresh out of the oven before it gets cut into individual slices.
Some of the selections look more like works of art than food, such is the case with this 
The fish isn't included on the menu as it changes daily. Pictured here a striped bass is poached in white wine and fresh herbs, purple Peruvian potatoes, English peas, littleneck clams and finished in a light cream sauce
The 
In the Restaurant Row section of Harrisburg, just off 2nd Street on Locust you will find Carley's Ristorante & Piano Bar. Carley's features rustic Italian specialties including homemade pastas, pizza, veal dishes and whole fish entrees.
Carley's offers a unique selection of Antipasta dishes including this large meatball known on the menu simply as 
Like any fine Italian restaurant, pasta is a specialty at Carley's. The pasta is homemade and includes selections such as 
From the Piatto Principale section of the menu Carley's offers the Italian favorites of 
As the name suggests, Carley's Ristorante & Piano Bar features a baby grand piano as part of its ambiance. Live music is performed on Friday and Saturday nights and diners are encouraged to join in with some of the sing-alongs and other favorites. Check their website for and updated list of performers.
Look around downtown Harrisburg for a delicatessen like the countless number scattered throughout many other cities in the Northeast, and you'll find few choices. It was the discovery of these slim pickings that inspired restaurant owner Denise Tsipouras to bring the New York Deli to our capital city in the form of The 3rd Street Deli.
The deli is open for breakfast and lunch, Monday through Saturday. Breakfasts include typical start-of-the-day fare, such as a selection of 
The lunch menu features a selection of salads, wraps and deli subs highlighted by some traditional deli offerings. Some of these include Corn Beef on Jewish Rye and Chopped Chicken Livers on Kaiser Roll. The corn beef is a specialty of the house as they make their own.
Bar-like seating built into the former retail-display windows offers patrons a view across 3rd Street onto Capitol Park and the 
The 3rd Street Deli also makes their own mouth-watering desserts. Pictured here, clockwise from bottom right, are Strawberry Shortcake, Chocolate Strawberry Parfait, Chocolate Wafer Cake and Peanut Butter Cake.
3rd Street Deli
On Verbeke Street, just up from the Broad Street Market, is a neighborhood bar that finds itself being visited by patrons from far beyond the surrounding streets.
Shady McGrady's has a full 24 taps. With that much real estate you expect a fair share of macro-brews. Not here. Only one macro, and a Guinness, and the rest are all top-end micros or hard to find brews.
In addition to the draft beers, Shady McGrady's offers an ever expanding selection of bottled beer. In keeping with their craft brewed philosophy, many of these are hard to find specialty beers from around the country and the globe. They even feature one beer that is literally from all around the globe. 
Shady McGrady's
In 2002 Tom and Amy Scott looked around the landscape of what would soon be known as Restaurant Row in Harrisburg and noticed a distinct deficiency. There was no authentic Irish pub. This deficiency was rectified by them when they opened McGrath's Pub on Locust Street, just off Second Street.
Guinness has a special home in any Irish pub and here as well. In fact the first item on the menu is 
When you think Irish you think green, but I'm guessing that Salads aren't exactly what you're picturing. At McGrath's though, maybe you should. They offer eight different salads and if you include all of the options the number goes up to fifteen.
Most of the entrees are either Irish favorites like 
If you are looking for sandwiches, McGrath's offers four wraps, five burgers and another eight sandwiches, including a 
Creating a traditional Irish pub takes more than 
As one of the early players in the development of Harrisburg's Restaurant Row, Molly Brannigans practically imported its interior, piece by piece, from Ireland. Molly Brannigans has a warm inviting decor with a number of nooks and crannies. In fact, since Molly's has entrances on two streets, it is common for barhoppers to unwittingly saddle up at Molly's bar twice in one night without realizing they've returned to the same place.
Ok... how about the food?
Living on an island, the Irish are pros at cooking fish. Molly's traditional 
In addition to their traditional Irish fare, Molly Brannigans serves a selection of more Americanized pub grub, such as this 3-pack of 
Good ole American fare is great, but when going to an Irish Pub, why not stick to the classics? Like this 
What would any trip to an Irish Pub be, though, without a pint of Guinness? Here, bartender Brooke satisfies that thirst for one of her customers.
There is made to order, then
Here's a walk through what to expect when ordering your burrito. First select from one of 7 tortillas. These range from the straightforward 
The last choice before your burrito takes a trip into the steamer for a little R & R is the type of salsa. They have a 
Now that it is out of the steamer your burrito is ready for some fresh veggies. Choose your favorites from tomatoes, jalapenos, lettuce, onions and more, then if you'd like add either non-fat or regular sour cream. 
Ok, time for the part that is best left to the professionals -- figuring out how to get all of this goodness wrapped into your tortilla. 
Lastly if you'd like, they will grill your burrito for a few moments before they send you on your way to enjoy your massive burrito. 
Neato Burrito has handy fax order forms that you can fill out and have your burrito waiting when you arrive. 
In 1996 when the news was getting around town that an abandoned warehouse on North Cameron Street was being renovated into a brewery, it created quite a buzz. After all, it had been 45 years since Harrisburg could claim a brewery of its own. Due to neglect, substantial renovations were required. Upon opening in 1997 though, the 50,000 building that now housed Appalachian Brewing Company became one of the largest microbrewery/brewpubs in the country, and remains so today.
The lower level sports a large dining area as well as a large bar area. The North wall is entirely made of glass offering a full view into the brewing area. The bar features a seasonal selection of ABC's beers. Where ABC differs from many brewpubs is that they do not limit their patrons to their beers only. They allow their patrons the choices offered by a full bar as well as bottles of their competitor's beers. The bar also houses the "Mug Club" collection that offers club members special perks and discounts.
Not to be outdone by the brewers, the chefs turn out some quality grub. Here an order of 
ABC (as the brewery is often referred to) offers a number of burgers and other sandwich options, pizzas, and a selection of hearty entrees. This 
The Sautéed Scallops offer a healthy portion of scallops on a bed of linguine that has been tossed with smoked salmon, artichoke hearts and asparagus and a garlic Parmesan tomato cream sauce.
Like the brewery, the kitchen serves seasonal selections. This 
In addition to the main floor, the ABC features a second level known as the Abbey Bar. The Abbey features over 50 Belgian beers in bottles and on draft in addition to their own fresh selection. The Abbey regularly features local and regional acts with no cover charge, a deck for enjoying the outdoors and pool tables. Off the Abbey is a banquet room for private functions. 
