Old Naples Italian Restaurant, Doc's Saloon and Grill, John's Diner and a Shoofly Pie.....

I used to joke that in this town of Pennsylvania, you can defy the law and park your car perpendicular to the allocated parking space, and it won’t make a difference simply because land is aplenty here. Houses are big and far from one another, and supermarkets as well as restaurants are located miles away from the residential areas. I’m really glad that I managed to get my international driving licence prior to my departure. Or else, it would have been solely Irish food in the hotel or the limited number of restaurants nearby for 7 weeks. And when I say nearby, it’s still at least 1/4 mile away.

But I’m not complaining about the food in those restaurants, of course. In fact, in this last installment of my trip to the USA, I’m dedicating it to them - our regular afterwork spots to dine, relax and rant.


Old Naples Italian Restaurant

It’s quiet in here. I hope their business had picked up since, because it’ll be a pity if they decide to close for good. Their complimentary Country Salad is a simple recipe that works - parmesan emulsified in Italian dressing to give a creamy texture that goes well with the vegetables, peperoncini (!) and crostinis.

What made us return again and again, however, was the Seafood Spaghettini. I was skeptical at first, knowing that pomodoro will always be, well, just a light tomato sauce. And I was wrong. Perhaps it has been American-ized (like Western Chinese cuisine?) because the sauce was thick, robust in taste and hot. As the picture depicts, the variety and amount of seafood thrown in was amazing too.

The selection of dolci’s pretty good, with the raspberry cheesecake topping the list. The sourish sauce cuts through nicely that rich taste of cheese. Keep doing what you do and best of luck, Old Naples!


Doc’s Saloon and Grill

The previous visitors highly recommended the signature grilled baby back ribs but I wasn’t paying attention when they mentioned it. And I’d mistakenly ordered the prime rib instead. Doc’s Famous Prime Rib, which was roasted for 17 hours, was a good mistake though. A 3/4 pound of succulent piece of meat that was savoury ‘til the last bite. As for the French onion soup, I think the ratio of mozzarella to soup was approximately 1:1. Seriously.

John’s Diner

I get a tug at my heartstrings as I recall the countless dinners I had here. It’s more than just the delicious pickled roasted beetroot at the salad bar, seafood chowder, orange duck, ham with bone, spaghetti marsala, Philly cheesesteak, chocolate bomb cake, etc. The owners and staff (well, most of them) made us feel at home. It was just the courteous how are we doin’ today? at first and soon, conversations extended to include the weather, weekend activities and better choice of desserts. You can tell that this diner, despite the simple interior and menu, is a favourite among the locals when it still packs in a crowd even at those odd afterhours.

On my last visit in a late evening, I had a piece of Shoofly Pie, not knowing that it's actually a Pennsylvania Dutch classic dessert. The base and top usually consist mainly of brown sugar while the filling is of molasses. Despite the saccharine ingredients, the pie was surprisingly just aptly sweet. Very interesting!

And this certainly was, the perfect ending to my stint here in the USA.

Old Naples Italian Restaurant
110 Limekiln Road, PA 17070
Tel: (+1) 717 920 3627

Doc's Saloon and Grill
110 Limekiln Road, PA 17070
Tel: (+1) 717 920 3627

John's Diner
146 Sheraton Drive
New Cumberland, PA 17070
Tel: (+1) 717 774 5004

Amish Village, Lancaster County

The morning shower did dampen my spirit as we traveled along Route 30. And the pour didn’t get any lighter when we turned into 340 (the Old Philadelphia Pike). I remember a guide book advising visitors to avoid this route for it is constantly congested and being, well, touristy. I guess at 8 am with the rain showing no sign of resentment, it didn’t really matter to us.

On my itinerary was a cruise along the Scenic Drive, a spot on the map that got my attention immediately. At Bird-In-Hand, we took a left turn into Harvest Road leading to Highway 772. The surrounding progressively transformed from rows of shops to fields of corn and wheat. A scattering of Amish houses, agricultural plants and towering power generators decorated the otherwise monochromatic plains.

I proceeded to turn off my GPS navigator (how fun) and drove aimlessly deep into the area, reminding myself to just observe and never trespass. It was still drizzling when I had my first encounter with an Amish on a buggy. Being the driver, I only managed to catch a glimpse of him. The man donning a black coat and a hat had a beard, a signature of every married Amish man.

The rain stopped for a while. We parked beside a river and walked about half a mile to observe a nearby farm. What I feared at this point was not the Amish but potential presence of Dobermanns and German Shepherds barking us off their property. Or worse, tearing us apart for breakfast. Then, it started to rain again and we’re forced to dash for the car.

Finally, the sky spared our humble lives and decided to open up that late morning. Shops started operation and we found ourselves at the Amish Village in Strasburg, a souvenir shop that doubled as a faux Amish house (complete with a guided tour). For only US$8, I must say that it’s worth every penny and that it’s cheaper than most of the other exhibitors around. The tour of the house by an informative elderly lady started at the living room, where most of the communal activities take place, followed by the bedrooms and kitchen. In between, we also learned about their history and traditions.

The Amish (and the Amish Mennonites) place great importance on family and the community, with God being the core of their very existence. They resist materialism, which basically cut them off from what modernity has to offer. A young adult decides if he/she wants to be baptized and will be accepted as part of the community, regardless of his/her decision.

Over the few weeks leading to this visit, I’ve been reading a bit on the Amish. As a visitor, there are certain etiquettes that I should note. For one, I shouldn’t be photographing the Amish. Nor do they want to be photographed as well. There are a few explanations (that I know of) to this. Some said that photographs are a symbol of vanity, a contradiction to their belief. As Christians, allowing themselves to be photographed is to disobey one of the Ten Commandments – Thou shalt not make unto thyself a graven image. The most interesting that I’ve heard implies that it snatches the soul from the Amish.

In the kitchen, we were told that the Amish use portable fuel such as propane cartridges for cooking. Electricity is not used in any way. A fellow colleague asked if electricity is considered materialistic. I was dumbfounded. In the weeks to come, I came to understand that electricity indirectly connects the Amish to the ways of the material world via electrical appliances such as the television, hence the prohibition.

The fact that these few European descendants hold up to their belief until today is admirable, considering how dependent we are on technology, which in general does related to materialism in today’s capitalist world. They are a testament to what life is like without mobile phones, the internet, and computers, a question we perpetually ask ourselves. This was quite an experience, especially in a technology-driven country like America. An enriching one, no doubt.

A few hours later, we were on our way to a nearby Chinese buffet restaurant before a frenzy shopping spree at the factory outlets next to it. Yes, all peculiarly located not too far from the Amish neighbourhood. This is Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

Summer Splash at Hersheypark

We arrived very early that Saturday. That's good because the rides were just opening and there was basically no queue, except for the newest addition, the Fahrenheit. In less than 2 hours (and on an empty stomach), we’ve been to heaven and hell, and survived the most thrilling rides Hersheypark has to offer.

It’s no wonder that the Fahrenheit attracts the most visitors. The best part is the slow, suspenseful 121 feet vertical (yes!) ascend that plunges, again, vertically to just a few feet above the ground. The rush was intense and I think it’s a great stress buster. I would have gone for it again had the queue been any shorter. The Great Bear roars as it speeds through the track at about 100 kmph...hanging. Awesomest! When I saw the complex formation of the Storm Runner, I told myself that this was going be one helluva freakin’ long and exciting ride. The website described the ride best - ...one-of-a-kind coaster will launch you from 0-72 mph in 2 seconds flat. 18 stories straight up, straight down. And that's just the beginning. The Sidewinder’s route may be shorter, but that’s just because it moves backwards too! A boomerang motion, they call it. Perhaps physiologically impossible but the reversal at top speed did, in a way, untangle the (ahem, slight) dizziness the previous few rides caused. One of the very last rides we had before leaving was The Claw. Oh, I like the sound of it…because it makes me hungry thinking about crabcakes. As the hand swung to about 64 feet in the air, the view, which included glimpses of the blinding evening sun and enthralled riders sitting on the opposite side, was beautiful. My mind began to wander and for a while, the world slowed. And the music of Sigur Rós came to life.

At The Boardwalk, summery songs blasted from the speakers. California Gurls, Don’t Worry Baby, Soak Up The Sun, the massive splashes and baking sunbathers – it was what I’d always imagined a fun summer day would be like in America.

And just to be sure, we’re still talking about central Pennsylvania.

And there was Dippin’ Dots, an ice cream that defies all conventions by being made into tiny frozen droplets. My first impression of this marvel is the resemblance to certain pellet-form rodenticides. A read on the web revealed that liquid nitrogen is used in the manufacturing process. Molecular gastronomy stuff comes to mind. Deep freezing means that it’s more resistive to heat and that’s perfect for a day that peaked at about 36 deg C. I had the tasty Banana Split flavour and enjoyed tonguing the spheres. No spoon required.

I came to this century old amusement park thinking that it's a fun place for kids, only kids. And I was right. For that whole Saturday, I was a kid again.

Harrisburg and the Appalachian Brewing Company

First weekend in the USofA.

Things would have been so much different had Salunga been Selangor instead. After spiralling aimlessly here and the borough of Elizabethtown for an hour, I’d finally declared that I was lost in the suburb of Central Pennsylvania that Saturday, which started mighty well, actually - sunny skies, The-B52s’ Love Shack in the background, a clear highway and the leisurely mindless drive with the guide of a GPS navigator…that died halfway through the journey towards Lancaster. It was partially my fault for assuming that the battery would last at least 3 hours. Where was the charger, you might ask. Oh yes, I'd brilliantly kept it in the office. Suddenly, the anxiety I had of driving on the opposite of the road seemed minuscule. I had no choice but to push on, to stretch my wits in finding the right exit in this quiet piece of foreign land, to reconnect with the Capital Beltway of Harrisburg.

You should have seen that relieved look on my face when I'd finally made it back to the hotel, thanks to a familiar McDonald’s signpost. On that expression as well was a slight beam of pride, for I felt that it was a personal success, achieved only with the help of a pair of yielding, middle-aging brains. Interestingly, another one of The-B52s’ songs came to mind, almost acting as the perfect ending to this misadventure – Roam.

Sunday was a different affair - a pleasurably formal introduction to downtown Harrisburg, where the State Capital building is located. Worth mentioning as well at the heart of the capital of Pennsylvania is Second Street, with it's sizeable number of eateries and bars. To get here, we crossed the Susquehanna River via the South Bridge (which was to be our artery when travelling north) from the Cumberland County on Interstate 83.

This is a very livable town where there's a right amount convenience, cleanliness and greenery. I can picture myself doing a 6-mile run at the Riverfront Park before a meal at Second Street and beyond. The pairing of the Appalachian Mountains and the longest river on the east coast, the Susquehanna, provides the ideal feng shui for longevity, prosperity and happiness...well, to those who believe, at least.

From the Whitaker Centre where we caught an IMAX show called Titanica, we moved on to the State Capital Building, which was modelled after the basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican. The funky lime cupola was a nice touch, I thought. Last Friday, over lunch, I was told that the gilded statue topping the dome was a certain Miss Penn.

The introduction to downtown Harrisburg ended with, of course, a meal. We had an early dinner at the iconic Appalachian Brewing Company (ABC), where there are enough beverages to try for a good few weeks, including some in-season beers. I'm a dark beer fan, so the Susquehanna Stout seemed to be the obvious choice. A black ale with a hint of espresso; it had me thinking of kahlua, only denser and bitterer. Good stuff. I wonder if a few spoonfuls of coffee will provide the same effect when combined with my usual Guinness. It was suggested that I have my stout with the Mile High Meatloaf. Another good choice, I must say. If I was to rename this dish, it would be Mile High AND Long Meatloaf. Measuring 1.5 times of my hand, this monstrous piece of Black Angus meatloaf scored with its juicy mince and adequate seasonings. Nothing too flavourful here. And that's a good thing. Underlying the meatloaf was a piece of crispy, thick Texas toast while topping was mashed red bliss potatoes. The gravy came flavoured with the Susquehanna Stout (aha!) and garnishing the dish were fried onion straws. A well-thought-of ensemble, this.

Appalachian Brewing Company
50 N. Cameron St. Harrisburg, PA

Locals often lament the congestion on the 6 lanes wide South Bridge during peak hours. For me, even as my car's crawling across the river, there's always the majestic view of the Susquehanna River to keep me occupied. It had never failed to awe.

Well, I'll be leaving Harrisburg soon. And I'm glad that I'll be crossing this river one more time, as I make my way to the airport.

Lunchtime: Postcards from Central Pennsylvania

Hello!

Here I am, still digesting a succulent piece of prime rib roast from Doc Holliday's at 12:30 am...and thought of sending you some postcards of lunches I had since arriving here 4 weeks ago. Has it been that long?

Thanks to the very hospitable colleagues, lunches have been great - subs, strombolis, (gigantic) burritos, pastas, salads, pizzas, Chinese buffets, crab cakes, etc. With such good food and company on a daily basis, it's no wonder that previous visitors unawarely brought back a few pounds with them. Resistance is futile, especially when the menus are larger than life. So just EAT, I'd say.

Recently, the rain and breeze had brought comfort to the hot summer days. And of course, there are the bottomless unsweetened iced tea and lemonade for some instant cooling.

I've also been to a couple of awesome cities and will write more about them when I can. In the meantime, take care and I'll see you soon.

Wish you were here...

<3, HairyBerry

Butter and Cinammon Rolls

Grilled Chicken and Cheese Sandwich

Grilled Cuban Sandwich with Ham and Pulled Pork

"Big Smokie" Hot Sausage

Chicken Pot Pie with Homemade Pasta

Grilled Pork Tenderloin Salad with Honey, Vanilla and Balsamic Vinegar Glaze and Champagne Vinaigrette

Jumbo Crab Cake