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Labels: Cheese Steak, Hoagie, Mechanicsburg restaurant, sandwich shop photography © Tom Wenger Photography, LLC posted by Tom Wenger at 7:00 AM 0 comments 
Labels: coffee house, live entertainment, Mechanicsburg restaurant, Warm Hearts Cafe photography © Tom Wenger Photography, LLC posted by Tom Wenger at 7:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Family Style, full bar, Italian, Julianas Italian Restaurant, Mechanicsburg restaurant, non-smoking, Parties, Take Out photography © Tom Wenger Photography, LLC posted by Tom Wenger at 12:30 AM 0 comments
 If I told you that the catalyst that led to Chuck Martz owning a successful Thai restaurant was his joining the Air Force, you would probably jump to a lot of incorrect conclusions. And while if not for joining the Air Force, he'd probably never have been led down such a path, the path is not nearly as direct as one may assume. Fresh out of high school, in August of 1967 Chuck enlisted at the age of 17. Because of his young age, he needed his parents to sign off on his enlistment form, which they did apprehensively. At the time, the United States was heavily involved in the Vietnam War. While Chuck was still sent to Asia, by enlisting early he probably avoided being drafted on his 18th birthday and finding himself in the middle of the Tet Offensive. Instead, he was sent to Thailand, where he was a dog handler in airports. Chuck completed his 4-year tour and returned to the Harrisburg area in August of 1971. A week later in a church in North Harrisburg, Chuck heard the melodic tones that he immediately recognized as the Thai dialect. Armed with his new ability to converse in Thai, he engaged in conversation with the family who also had just arrived in the United States earlier that week. The daughter, Tawenta, became the love of Chuck's life and the rest, as they say, is history, with the two of them marrying and having two children.  Chuck went on to have a career with the State of Pennsylvania, working for the PA Liquor Control Board. In 1990 Chuck and Tawenta opened Bangkok Wok. Tawenta and her mother worked their magic in the kitchen, and the restaurant quickly became a local favorite. It has won 18 consecutive (and counting) "Best of Central PA" awards from Central PA Magazine and has won a "Simply the Best" award from Harrisburg Magazine every year since its inception. From the start, Tawenta and her mother stressed the importance of using only the freshest ingredients, and that philosophy has never been abandoned. Sadly, Tawenta died unexpectedly in 2000 during an unrelated hospital visit. There is a whole tearful story that accompanies these events, but suffice it to say Chuck has recently won his case against the hospital in the Supreme Court. A small victory that was mostly fought on principle. When asked what keeps him going, Chuck credits how much he enjoys his patrons and the friendships he's made while running the restaurant. Chuck is a gracious host who regularly makes table visits, and while I truly believe this to be very rewarding for him, I also believe that there is no place that he feels closer to his wife than in the restaurant. Chuck is now planning the Bangkok Wok's 20th anniversary, which will be in 2010. The celebration will include a street carnival with traditional Thai dancers, musicians and other specials. And this writer is looking forward to being there and enjoying another 20 years of Bangkok Wok. Labels: Bangkok Wok, interview, Mechanicsburg restaurant, Thai photography © Tom Wenger Photography, LLC posted by Tom Wenger at 7:50 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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Having the City of Brotherly Love in our back yard, the residents of the Susquehanna Valley have a pretty firm grip on what a cheese steak should or should not be. With their continued popularity (they've notched over 15 years now), it appears South Philly Hoagies has zeroed in on the formula.
South Philly offers their hoagies in three sizes, Baby Small and Large where the babies will sate most appetites and a large being just plain massive. The rolls are imported daily from Philadelphia so authenticity is unquestionable. In this photo is a 
Though the Cheese Steaks are their best sellers and what they are known for, they feature a whole line of hot and cold Hoagies like this Ham and Cheese Hoagie which features two kinds of ham piled high and provolone cheese. Other Hoagies include most all of the favorites and selections like
Additionally South Philly offers a selection of eight wraps such as the 
If a Hoagie is a little more than your hungering for, they have a selection of Sandwiches to choose from. Most are served on a Kaiser Roll such as their 
Finally, if a salad is more your speed, South Philly has you covered with over 10 to choose from. And just because you ordered a salad, it doesn't mean that you aren't still going to get a filling meal. Their salads come in Half and Whole sizes and include such selections as Tossed Salad, Caesar Salad, Steak Salad, a Chef Salad like the one pictured, and more. 
Right in the heart of Mechanicsburg on Main Street you will find a cozy little eatery known as the Warm Hearts Cafe. 
Warm Hearts' breakfast selection ranges from Bagels, heart-shaped 
In addition to the selection listed above, Warm Hearts Cafe makes 
For lunch & Friday night dinners they offer daily 
Wraps include your choice of 
Sandwiches include a variety of 
Warm Hearts is open for breakfast and lunch only except Friday's when they accompany dinner with live entertainment. 
The first thing you'll encounter is a handsome, well-stocked bar with table seating nearby. 
While ordering individually from the menu is customary (and the only option for tables of fewer than four), the staff at Juliana's highly recommends that groups of four or more take advantage of their Family Style service. With it you get your choice of two appetizers, two salads, two pastas, two entrees and two desserts for everyone to share. The portions are scaled and based upon the number in your party. 
To the left an order of 
The Family Style menu offers some twenty different pastas, including 
The full--or regular--menu includes additional pastas such as the 
The Family Style Menu also includes seventeen entrees to choose from, including this 
Here a 
