Harrisburg Magazine July 2021

CONTENTS

b enchmark Media, LLC.

J U LY 2021

16

26 July 2021 • Volume 27 No. 6

PRESIDENT/CEO Darwin Oordt doordt@benchmarkmediallc.com DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS Christina Heintzelman cheintzelman@benchmarkmediallc.com Darcy Oordt darcy@benchmarkmediallc.com

INSIDE

30

4 INTROSPECTION 6

BARTENDER'S CHOICE

8

IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD

10 KNOCK KNOCK BOUTIQUE 12 BY THE BOOK 13 NOURISHING BITES 14 #HBGMAG INFLUENCER 16 TASTE THE WORLD 21 HAVE FOOD WILL TRAVEL 24 FINDING DEALS AT FLEAS 26 KNOEBELS

ON THE COVER

29 ADAMS COUNTY IN JULY 30 STEP BACK IN TIME 33 ROLLER DERBY 36 CORNER STORE CHARACTER 40 ARTFUL INSPIRATIONS: PAINT 42 ARTFUL INSPIRATIONS: PAINT

EDITOR Deborah Lynch dlynch@harrisburgmagazine.com GRAPHIC DESIGNER Laura Reich lreich@benchmarkmediallc.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Don Bair dbair@harrisburgmagazine.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Mike Jurosky mjurosky@harrisburgmagazine.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Jo Ann Shover jshover@benchmarkmediallc.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Christina Heintzelman Dimitri John Diekewicz Paul Hood POETRY CONSULTANT Maria James-Thiaw

Visit us online at: HarrisburgMagazine.com

47 TASTE THIS FRIDAY HARRISBURG MAGAZINE'S "SIMPLY THE BEST" 2019 CORPORATE SPONSORS:

PHOTO BY DEBORAH LYNCH Madison Menser, a Penn State student from Cornwall, serves up a whoopie pie sundae at The Jigger Shop in Mt. Gretna.

To read more about nostalgic businesses like The Jigger Shop, see page 30.

2 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE JULY 2021

Harrisburg Magazine® is published monthly at 3400 N. Sixth St., Harrisburg, PA 17110. Phone: 717.233.0109; Fax: 717.232.6010; harrisburgmagazine.com. Subscriptions, $10.95 per year. Single copies, $3.75. Back Issues, $4.00 at office or $7.00 by mail (postage and handling included). Send change of address forms to Benchmark Group Media, 3400 N. Sixth St., Harrisburg, PA 17110. This issue or any part thereof may not be reproduced in any form without written permission from Harrisburg Magazine®, Inc. Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, photographs and disks if they are to be returned, and no responsibility can be assumed for unsolicited materials. All rights in letters sent to Harrisburg Magazine® will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication and copyright purposes and as such are subject to a right to edit and comment editorially. Name and contents ©2021, Harrisburg Magazine, Inc. Printed by Freeport Press, Freeport, Oh.

HARRISBURG MAGAZINE JULY 2021 3

Introspection

PHOTO BY RANDY MOWER

Daytrippin’: ‘Got a good reason for taking the easy way’ around the Harrisburg area

I

have been a resident of Hershey — well, Derry Township — for 23 years now. That seems crazy. It’s the longest I’ve ever lived anywhere. My family and I moved there in the summer of 1998 from Stockholm, Sweden, where we had spent an adventurous year learning the Swedish language and culture, and enjoying their creamy milky chocolate called Marabou.

At first Hershey, and its scalded milk chocolate, was culture shock, but when I started to write the “In My Neighborhood” profile of it, I felt almost like a native, complete with the pride that comes with that.

Hershey really is a unique and beautiful town full of active community members who make sure we have one of the best libraries — and biggest book sales (back this year from July 31-Aug. 3) — arrange for downtown markets and events, come together to discuss how we want the town to look going forward, and so much more. It’s the people as much as the place that makes Hershey the “sweetest place on earth.”

Tourists know Hershey for the Hershey Entertainment and Resorts, Hershey Company and M.S. Hershey Trust entities — Hersheypark, Chocolate World, ZooAmerica, Hershey Country Club, Hershey Gardens, Giant Center, Hersheypark Stadium concerts and sporting events, the Hershey Bears ice hockey team, the Hershey Story Museum, the Hershey Theatre and its array of shows, the Milton Hershey School, and more.

The “village,” however, is so much more. It is a walkable community filled with thriving small businesses and long established restaurants and groceries. It really is a chocolate bubble in which to raise a family that also includes a world-class medical center and medical school.

Read all about it in this month’s “In My Neighborhood.”

This is our Daytrippin’ issue, so in addition to Hershey, we offer other great ideas for places to visit, shop, and eat, both in our articles and through our advertisers. We feature Adams County (home to Gettysburg), Knoebels Amusement Resort, local flea markets, a variety 4 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE JULY 2021

of nearby nostalgic businesses, a look at international cuisine offered in the Harrisburg area, and an exploration of the corner stores of Harrisburg. Former featured artist and playwright Paul Hood debuts as a freelancer for Harrisburg Magazine in this issue to help me profile corner stores and bodegas.

On the road throughout the area to find our hidden treasures from the past, I encountered friendly and enthusiastic people everywhere. Connie Darbrow showed me all the treasures in the expansive Auction House at Haar’s Drive-In. Sam Berger was animated as he told me the history of his family’s Red Rabbit Drive-In and shared some of that magical bunny dust with me. Jimmy Rosen could have talked for days about Old Sled Works and his upcoming book Got Gas. Kyle Seyfert had waiter Madison Menser create the “prettiest sundae possible” at the Jigger Shop before she posed with the whoopie pie sundae creation for our cover.

Betsy Webb told me all about the hikers who pass through her store and hostel in Duncannon on their travels from Georgia to Maine on the Appalachian Trail. Outside, I befriended a 78-year-old white bearded hiker named Richard Humphreys who reminded me of the wizard Gandalf of the Lord of the Rings, complete with a tall staff topped by a gnome.

Humphreys hails from Lancaster County, but he was enroute on trails to Camp Ho Mita Koda, the first camp in the world for children living

with diabetes, located outside of Cleveland, Ohio, to mark the 100th anniversary of the discovery of insulin. Humphreys has lived with Type 1 diabetes since he was a teen, and he was hoping to follow up a fundraising hike he did when he was 65 that raised $7,000 for the camp. Unfortunately, because his vision loss from macular degeneration has worsened, it made his venture treacherous, and he abandoned his hike outside of Lewistown.

Although his hike was thwarted, he says he is happy to be back at his home, where he and his sons run Gnome Countryside, a magical wooded area that includes a “gnomery,” a playground, a hiking trail, a meditation walkway, shadows of litter, and a “gniagra” gathering place. The Humphreys offer tours to their creative outdoors that started as a way for Humphreys to continue his artistry (he was an art teacher before his sight loss) and to teach environmental stewardship and a sense of community in the outdoors. More information is available at www.gnomecountryside.org.

Our #hbgmag Influencer — the new president and CEO of the Harrisburg Regional Chamber and CREDC, Ryan Unger — ties in perfectly with our focus on business and travel.

We introduce two new columns, and include a poem by a local poet (below), while encouraging other poets to submit their work. Danika Baer, who recently completed an MPS in nutritional sciences from Penn State, will write a monthly column on healthy eating recommendations called “Nourishing Bites.” She has worked at an aquarium, a zoo, and in a program to help children with low school engagement to develop

self-confidence, resilience, and connection. An avid runner, she is training for a sprint triathlon and a 50K trail race.

We also launch our “By the Book” column that will rotate monthly between managers from Midtown Scholar and Good Brotha’s Book Cafe.

Alex Brubaker, manager of Midtown Scholar, writes the debut column. Brubaker spends his free time watching his beloved Philadelphia 76ers, and, you guessed it, reading books. His favorite writers include Fyoder Dostoesvky, Lydia Davis, Laszlo Kraszanhorkai, Liz Moore, and Jorge Luis Borges.

In “Artful Inspirations,” Christina Heintzelman profiles living statue and artist Hannah Dobek along with talented pastry chef and impressionist

artist Elide Hower of Suba/Rubicon/Mangia Qui/Streatery ownership.

Finally, the photo accompanying this column is by Randy Mower, a member of the West Shore Photography Club. He is a hobbyist photographer living in Mechanicsburg who focuses on landscape and nature photography along with old buildings/vehicles. From time to time, we will feature candid shots by local photographers.

Submit yours to photos@harrisburgmagazine.com.

Yes, we might be able to travel safely again, but as this issue illustrates so well, the Harrisburg area offers so much right here — a perfect Daytrippin’ kind of place. Enjoy! 7 — Deborah Lynch, Editor

When A Bird Hit

By Kim King

the patio door, we jumped in our chairs and both looked to the steps where the sparrow lay, feathers ruffled, head twisted and beak touching the concrete.

It did not move. We did not breathe.

We waited, held the dogs inside, and stared at its lifeless form.

How many bodies had we collected in front of that door despite the clings glued on the glass to prevent it?

After several minutes, it moved and stiffly turned its head — like a cartoon character recovering from an anvil drop. One foot twisted, its digits flexing, then it stood up, shook its head, and flew to the maple tree. It perched on a leafless branch until dusk camouflaged it well into darkness, perhaps reflecting on its close encounter as we reflected on our near misses.

Kim King's poetry has appeared in multiple publications. A retired French teacher, she writes from her home in Hershey.

HARRISBURG MAGAZINE JULY 2021 5

Bartender’s Choice

Bartender’s concoctions match Rubicon’s ambiance Story and Photos By Deborah Lynch dlynch@harrisburgmagazine.com

S

The Bonnie and Clyde

Bartender Suzanne Fetter 6 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE JULY2021

tarting with the presentation behind the bar at Rubicon, everything about the cocktail experience not only looks enticing, but also tastes as good as anticipation would lead drinkers to believe.

Rows of drink condiments sit just below the smooth bar — colorful herbs like cilantro and mint, green limes, yellow lemons, orange slices, olives and more, all displayed in clear clasp jars.

They’re followed in a row by several syrups.

Suzanne Fetter deftly pours, mixes, stirs, and shakes in the romantic lighting of the oval bar that sits below elaborate crystal chandeliers encaged in metal orbs that hang from the white ceiling rafters floors above. Her black cap, black mask, black button-up shirt, and black jeans suit her well in the ambiance of minimalist glass art on the blue-gray walls contrasting with the warm woodwork of Rubicon.

What’s more important to note, however, is the star quality of Fetter’s creations. Not to be missed is the show-stopping Goldfinger, which glimmers in gold including a gold-leaf wrapped lemon peel. This drink combines Kimerud pink gin and Stateside vodka with Lillet, rose water, and muddled cucumber to radiate flavor.

Some drinkers like the spice of a pepperinfused liquor. For those who might like a little heat, but don’t want it to take away from the flavors of the alcohol, the Firefly — which predates Fetter on the menu — uses Habanero infused tequila mixed with don q limon, mango, lime, and mint for a mouthful of flavors that shine through. Fetter creates most of the drinks on the menu, including seasonally inspired cocktails.

She got a cold-call start to her drink mixing career. She had been in the restaurant business for more than eight years with no experience behind the bar when she was asked to bartend at the Gingerbread Man (now Duke’s) in Wormleysburg because someone had quit. “I said ‘yes,’ and was behind the bar the next day. That was my training,” she said.

From there, she moved around a bit, landing at Coakley’s in New Cumberland for more than seven years full-time until 2012. It was then, she found a full-time bartending job and a “forever family” at Suba Tapas Bar, the sister restaurant to Rubicon. “It was here that I feel like I honed my skills as a mixologist,” she said.

Fetter keeps bar basics at home, but what she likes to drink varies, depending on her mood. Lately, she said, she’s been into tequila, which means keeping margarita fixings on hand as well as those for martinis and manhattans. Having said that, she’s more of a wine drinker at home, which pairs great with her books and her dogs. Her favorite off time is spent curled up with a good book.

On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday mornings, shoppers might also find Fetter helping out at Streatery in the Broad Street Market, another venue owned by Rubicon/Mangia Qui/Suba owners Qui Qui Musarra, Elide Hower, and Staci Basore.

Bartending can bring brutal hours, but Fetter says “honestly, I’m used to the unconventional hours after so many years. When I first started and my daughter was little, the flexibility was helpful.” She noted that despite missing some family events, her family has adapted to her schedule over the years, planning things on Mondays and off days.

With her Rubicon “forever family” and longtime customers who have become friends, Fetter doesn’t ever see herself leaving the industry. The Harrisburg-Mechanicsburg native who now lives in York county could see a future in consulting — creating cocktails for new places, training staff, and even helping to design bars.

No doubt, her experience speaks for itself. 7

Fetter’s signature drink: The Bonnie and Clyde .5oz. lemon juice 1.5 oz. Absolut Peppar 1.5 oz. Barrow’s Intense ginger liqueur .5 oz. pear nectar Shake all ingredients together, serve on the rocks with a lemon twist.

Thoughts about your cocktails: As for my signature drink, I’m not sure I have one! The Bonnies and Clyde is from a list I created for Suba years ago and I still have people requesting it to this day. 7

Fetter’s Dossier

Words of advice to home mixologists: Learn how to make the basics. If you can master a great martini, manhattan, or old-fashioned, you can make anything. All cocktails stem from a few standard recipes. Once you learn these, you can begin to add different ingredients here and there and make any cocktail.

Inspirations: For creating cocktails, I like to do modern twists on classics using updated ingredients. A good example of this on our current cocktail list is The Goldfinger, a twist on a classic Vesper. I try to keep up with current cocktail trends and incorporate them into each cocktail list if possible. I love to use seasonal ingredients like fresh fruit and herbs. I also draw a lot of inspiration from food combinations that I enjoy eating. For example, we currently have a drink called One Night in Bangkok, which I based on the flavors in Thai lemongrass soup.

Favorite spirit straight: Bourbon is my favorite spirit to sip straight. Some of my favorites are Blanton’s, Basil Hayden’s, Woodford Reserve and Eagle Rare.

Favorite spirit to mix: Probably gin because so many new craft gins have appeared in the last few years. It lends itself to creative combinations and unique cocktails.

Most commonly ordered drinks at your bar: The most common drinks we serve at Rubicon are mojitos, the Di’s Addiction, which is like a grapefruit martini, and of course oldfashioneds, martinis, and manhattans.

Philosophy on drinks: Simplicity is key.

Too many ingredients prevent any of the flavors they impart from shining through. It muddies the flavor.

When Fetter works: Fetter will be behind the bar at Rubicon five-six days a week.

HARRISBURG MAGAZINE JULY 2021 7

In My Neighborhood

Hershey Story and Photos By Deborah Lynch dlynch@harrisburgmagazine.com

W

ell, here’s a fun fact that many living outside of Derry Township might not realize: Hershey doesn’t exist. It is a census, and postal designated name only. The “village” of Hershey lies within the municipality of Derry Township.

As the historical placard on Chocolate Avenue explains, Hershey is a “model industrial town and noted tourism destination established in 1903 and named for its founder, Milton S. Hershey” whose “companies developed housing, recreation, education, and cultural facilities, financial institutions, public utilities, a transit system, and the world’s largest chocolate factory that opened in June, 1905.”

Visitors to downtown Hershey delight in the Kiss-shaped street lamps along Chocolate Avenue while other streets conjure images of chocolate — Cocoa, Caracas, Granada, and Areba avenues. As Milton Hershey began to build his chocolate factory, he also envisioned a model town for his workers. He built a complete new community around the factory that included public transportation, a public school, and recreational and cultural opportunities. The park was started in 1906 with amusement rides, a swimming pool, and a ballroom coming in quick succession. Many of the landmark Hershey buildings including The Hotel Hershey and the Hershey Theatre were built during the Great Depression as a way to keep people employed.

As a result, today’s Hershey still enjoys amenities that many small towns can’t offer — Off Broadway musicals at the beautifully restored theater, an ever-growing amusement park that brings tourists who support not only Hershey Entertainment ventures, but local businesses as well; the beauty of Hershey Gardens overlooking the town; large sports arenas and stadiums to host professional sports and big-time concerts; and the sprawling openness of the Milton Hershey School campus with trails and nature.

Physical boundaries: Derry Township stretches from Fiddler’s Elbow Road south of Hummelstown, around the borough of Hummelstown, south of Union Deposit and Sand Beach, along the Swatara Creek to the edge of Palmyra and Campbelltown in Lebanon County, then south along 743 to near Bachmanville, and then west back to the Swatara Creek off Middletown Road. The township’s population estimate by the U.S. Census in 2019 was 25,249. Not all of Derry Township is a Hershey address, however; many Derry Township residents who live in developments surrounding Hershey have Hummelstown addresses.

“The core of Hershey as we think of it was actually the connecting of several smaller communities,” according to Susan Mittan of the Hershey History Center. Those communities included Derry Church, Hockersville, Vian, later Swatara, and possibly Union Deposit. All of these merged to become what is known as Hershey. Mittan defines the core of Hershey as the area between Para Avenue on the east and Orchard Lane to the west, and Chocolate Avenue on the north to Governor Road or Rt. 322 on the south.

8 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE JULY 2021

Businesses: After years of open lots temporarily planted with shrubbery started to feel permanent, a strip of restaurants and businesses finally opened in a newly constructed square known as Hershey Towne Square along Chocolate Avenue in September of 2018. The complex includes Primanti Brothers, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, Tropical Smoothie Cafe, Jersey Mike’s Subs, Freshido, First Watch, Starbucks, Great Clips, Iron Valley Real Estate, Three Little Birds boutique, and more.

Downtown Hershey also includes some locally owned businesses including Knock Knock Boutique and Bella Sera (see In My Neighborhood business feature), Maria’s Flowers, Simply J Boutique, The Shoppe on Chocolate, Calicutts Spice Co., Au Jewelers, and more.

Tanger Outlets off Park Avenue and Hersheypark Drive features the usual lineup of Tanger shops such as Under Armour, Coach, Skechers, and many more. It draws even more tourists to town to add to a yearround buzz and traffic.

A variety of other businesses dot the town, from insurance to nail and hair salons, to jewelers, to doctor’s offices, to pharmacies, and more.

Restaurants/Groceries: “Village” residents have the good fortune to have a walkable (or drivable) downtown grocery, Pronio’s, that has existed since 1919.

It has been at its current location on the corner of Valley Road and West Caracas Avenue since 1929 serving a full grocery lineup along with Italian specialties from DiBruno Brothers in Philadelphia and some baked goods and products by local food purveyors. Known for its quality meats that are cut-to-order daily, the Pronio family still runs the grocery that feels like a second family to many of its shoppers.

For those seeking the larger supermarket experience, Derry Township also has a Giant Food store, a Karns, and a Weis grocery store.

In addition to restaurants owned and operated

by Hershey Entertainment (Houlihans, Devon, those at The Hotel Hershey and the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center, the Cocoa Beanery, and those at Hersheypark), Hershey has a lively independently-owned restaurant scene. Fenicci’s has been a downtown staple since 1935 when it started with the DeAngelis family. Downtown also offers Au Bon Lieu (see article on page 19), The Chocolate Avenue Grill, a Tattered Flag outpost, Duck Donuts, The Parkside Hotel, and The Penn Hotel Sports & Raw Bar with many other dining out options on Chocolate Avenue heading out of town either way. Route 322 entering Hershey also offers places to eat including Piazza Sorrento and Simply Greek in Briarcrest Square. Hershey is also home to Tröegs Brewing on the outskirts just past Tanger Outlets.

Other notable features: As a relatively young town, Hershey has a mix of architectural styles. Mansions that were built for Hershey chocolate and entertainment executives line some downtown streets, but most are now apartments. Many smaller bungalow houses still exist alongside those that are being expanded into much larger homes throughout the downtown. Derry Township has many long established developments including Glen Acres, Stony Run, Derry Woods, Southpoint, Deer Run, and many others.

Hershey’s public schools (Derry Township School District) are regularly listed among top schools in the state and nation. The township also is completing work on a new recreation center, which will be a 90,000 square foot community center featuring a gymnasium, fitness center, 25-yard indoor lap pool as well as an indoor leisure pool, an outdoor pool, a senior center, a teen room, and classroom and multi-use spaces. It is expected to be open in summer of 2022.

The township features many parks and sports fields along with the 13.5-mile long Jonathan Eshenour Memorial Bike Trail, much of which is a paved trail with access to parks, but which also includes stretches on streets through residential neighborhoods.

The Milton Hershey School campus encompasses more than 7,000 acres of beautifully manicured grounds with paved hiking/biking trails and quiet roads and walkways for anyone to access. The school, which enrolls more than 2,000 students pre-K through 12th grade, provides everything at no cost to the students who come from financially needy families.

See Hershey on Page 11 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE JULY 2021 9

In My Neighborhood/Business Once she owned her Hershey building, she decided to branch out into that space with a more upscale accessory and clothing boutique next to Knock Knock called Bella Sera that opened in October of 2019.

Knock Knock is the perfect place to accessorize. From masks with rhinestones to colorful scarves to earrings big and small to chunky necklaces and bracelets to purses to soaps and skin care products to funky and fun pouches and cards, Knock Knock offers a range of gifts at affordable prices. Affordable means you can find a gift for less than $10 and buy sparkling earrings for less than $15.

Knock Knock offers “whimsical, fun fashion accessories that are adorable and affordable.

We want unique things that people can wear as a statement and also everyday pieces people feel more comfortable with.”

— Emily Drobnock

Twinkle of an idea shimmers in downtown Hershey Story and Photos by Deborah Lynch dlynch@harrisburgmagazine.com

T

he glittery aqua steps leading into Knock Knock Boutique in downtown Hershey catch the mid-afternoon sunlight sending sparkling rays towards the door, enticing shoppers to enter.

That’s, of course, the goal of young entrepreneur Emily Drobnock, whose personality is just as bright and welcoming.

Drobnock went to college for education, but even as a student was pretty sure she wasn’t going to fit as a teacher. Her first job as a long-term substitute teacher for a 4th grade classroom confirmed her suspicions. That’s when childhood memories and a little voice in the back of her head whispered “gift shop.” Her grandparents had owned a store called the Candy Chalet on the corners of Chocolate and Cocoa in downtown Hershey for many years, and her father Dave Drobnock had expanded it into Gifts to Go along with the Candy Chalet. He did that until Emily was about 6 years old before going full time with real estate.

“I talked to my parents, who said, ‘You really don’t enjoy teaching.

Try this now so you don’t look back and regret it,’ ” Drobnock recalled.

They were downtown at an event, she said, when they walked past the building that is now Knock Knock at 110 W. Chocolate Ave., and her dad said, “If you want a store, it should be here.”

Drobnock said the curtains were closed at the business housed inside the building, so she wrote a letter to the business telling them that if they ever wanted to get out of their lease, they should let her know. Within a week, she got a call that the business owner had moved the business into a home office and no longer needed the space. It was hers to lease. Years later, she owns the building.

“Everything just fell into place.”

It was a family affair to turn the building into a glamorous gift shop for accessories. Drobnock’s father still had his gift shop shelving stored in the family garage, so everything was repainted and repurposed. The store opened in October of 2014. It did so well that Drobnock expanded into Elizabethtown with an even bigger Knock Knock Boutique there in November of 2016.

10 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE JULY 2021

Prior to Covid, Drobnock took regular trips to the Javits Center in New York City to connect with vendors and suppliers. She goes after some brands she had always known about like Pura Vida, and also has other reps reach out with their products that would be a fit for her stores. She also stocks some items made by local artists. Her goal for Knock Knock is to find “whimsical, fun fashion accessories that are adorable and affordable. We want unique things that people can wear as a statement and also everyday pieces people feel more comfortable with.”

Bella Sera is her outlet for a more mature audience and offers clothing with the opportunity to try things on that are more fitted. “It’s a little more elevated,” she said, noting more sterling and more giftable items.

Drobnock has a great support team in her ventures — her dad still helps out; her husband, Matt Carraher, a music teacher, chips in; and she has several loyal employees including Kaitlyn Hartlaub and Peyten Lyons. All of them rotate between the different stores.

Hartlaub, another former teacher who worked with special needs children at the Vista School, wanted the flexibility a schedule working at Knock Knock and Bella Sera could afford her, which would free up time to “jump into the aquatics world.” The former Bishop McDevitt and Lock Haven University swimmer is now the head swimming coach for Lower Dauphin High School and also coaches the Palmyra Sharks, an age-group team.

“It’s a lot of fun,” Hartlaub said of working with Drobnock. “I get really excited for all the new jewelry and accessories. I definitely enjoy interacting with the customers, too.”

Drobnock also loves being surrounded by fun and enthusiastic customers. “I love following up with people,” she said of customers who come in buying accessories for weddings and other events.

“It’s fun meeting new people.”

Just as her family supported her in her business venture, Drobnock recognizes the importance of collaboration.

She has been involved with the Downtown Hershey Association and works to promote female-owned businesses along with all Hershey businesses.

“Sadly, I have no regrets” for giving up teaching, she said with a shimmering smile. 7

Hershey, continued from Page 9

Living here: Teenagers who grew up in Hershey often can be heard describing it as the “chocolate bubble,” and it can be a bit like living in a real-life fantasy land with those Kiss lamps and roller coasters in the backyard. The Penn State Hershey Medical Center, the Hershey Company, and Hershey Entertainment and Resorts are the largest employers and bring people from around the world to settle in Hershey.

Last word: A small downtown park known as ChocolateTown Square features summer concerts and a Downtown Market on Chocolate on Saturdays in the summers.

The Farmers Market in Hershey, a wellnessfocused market, is held Thursday from 2:306:30 p.m. in season off Bullfrog Valley Road in front of the Cocoa Beanery.

Hershey feels like a small town with big town amenities with a mix of longtime families, newcomers, and tourists. 7 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE JULY 2021 11

By The Book/Alex Brubaker

H

A graphic novel’s timely look at loneliness

ere at the Midtown Scholar Bookstore, we’re feeling hopeful. Summer is here, Midtown is bustling, the bookstore is open, and it feels like more good books than ever continue to hit our shelves. In this monthly column, we’ll be highlighting some of our favorite new releases, upcoming events, and we’ll keep you up to speed on the latest news and updates in the book world. First up in “By the Book,” we’ll be taking a closer look at Kristen Radtke’s new graphic work of nonfiction, Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness.

When Kristen Radtke started researching her latest work of graphic nonfiction, she had no idea how terribly relevant her chosen topic would become. Loneliness — that cruel, multi-faceted, and distinctly modern term — was Radtke’s target here, and the pandemic only served to exacerbate its prominence in society and ourselves. In Seek You, Radtke delivers a beautifully illustrated and empathetically written investigation into American loneliness — right on cue for a post-pandemic world.

Even before the pandemic, Radtke calls loneliness the “silent epidemic.” From the invention of the laugh-track on television sitcoms to the rise of social media, she chronicles its history through art and technology, navigating its impact on our public and private selves.

Of course, this isn’t a straightforward history lesson. Seek You is neither a polemic against new technologies and the rise of social media, nor a self-help guide that offers an easy solution to our contemporary woes. Rather, Radtke’s words and accompanying illustrations provide a complex, meditative exploration of a difficult subject at a difficult time that gives — at least to this reader — a profound sense of not being quite so alone, after all.

Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness will hit the Midtown Scholar Bookstore’s shelves on July 6. Signed, first edition copies will be available on a first come, first served basis, while supplies last.

July New Release Highlights

Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness by Kristen Radtke (July 6th) This is Your Mind on Plants by Michael Pollan (July 6th) Other People’s Comfort Keeps Me Up At Night by Morgan Parker (July 13th) Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder (July 20th) The Tiny Bee That Hovers at the Center of the World by David Searcy (July 20th) Intimacies by Katie Kitamura (July 20th)

Upcoming Virtual Book Events, Hosted by the Midtown Scholar Bookstore

July 13 at 7 p.m.: An Evening with Violet Kupersmith: Build Your House Around My Body July 15 at 7 p.m.: An Evening with Michael Pollan: This Is Your Mind on Plants July 20 at 7 p.m.: Chuck Wendig in conversation with Aaron Mahnke: The Book of Accidents July 28 at 7 p.m: Eddie Glaude Jr. in conversation with Drew Hart: Begin Again Visit www.midtownscholar.com for more information on new releases, virtual events, and more. 7 Alex Brubaker is the manager of the Midtown Scholar Bookstore and director of the Harrisburg Book Festival.

Previously, he was the editorial assistant at Rain Taxi Review of Books and the exhibit coordinator for the Twin Cities Book Festival. He is a graduate of Millersville University and now lives in Harrisburg.

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Nourishing Bites/Danika Baer

Small Steps, Big Impact: Diet changes to ward off diabetes can help everyone

D

iabetes is a disease in which blood sugar or glucose is higher than normal. We need glucose for our bodies to function properly, but when it is too high for too long, we start to see harmful effects.

There are different types of diabetes, most commonly Type 1 and Type 2. Factors that increase the likelihood of getting Type 2 diabetes include being overweight, low levels of physical activity, low levels of the “good” cholesterol, high triglycerides, being over 45 years old, a family history of diabetes, having high blood pressure or a history of heart disease.

Currently, we do not know how to prevent Type 1 diabetes, but those who are at risk for Type 2 may be able to prevent or delay getting it. Healthy eating and small amounts of weight loss can improve some of the risk factors and can improve blood sugar levels. Making healthy diet changes is beneficial not only to those at risk for Type 2 diabetes, but also for every person.

How small is a small amount of weight loss? Five to seven percent of a person’s current weight. For a 185-pound person, that is about 9 to 13 pounds. Focusing on small steps like this can help to keep things manageable.

A small part of healthy eating is making sure we have the right foods. Below, I outline three grocery shopping tips to help reduce Type 2 diabetes risk. Because a healthy diet benefits everyone, these same tips are good for everyone because they support a healthy, balanced diet. The tips may seem like small changes but, over time, they can add up to create lasting impacts.

1. Have a plan

Planning meals and snacks ahead of time and keeping a running grocery list makes it easier to stick to a healthy eating plan and can save time. I find that choosing mostly healthier foods, such as whole grains, lean meats, and fruits and vegetables, but also including some less-thanhealthy favorites helps to limit cravings and overeating. This is more of a benefit in the long run than restricting favorite foods altogether.

2. Choose fruits and vegetables

Adding fruits and vegetables wherever possible is a simple way to eat healthier, making weight loss a little easier. They are high in water, fiber, vitamins, and minerals, which means they are filling, satisfying, and nutritious. Fresh produce is a great choice. However, frozen and canned fruits and vegetables are also packed with nutrients and can be healthy.

Some factors should be considered with packaged items to ensure they are the most nutritious options. Fruits are sometimes packaged in syrups which means extra, added sugar and calories. Vegetables often have salt added. Choosing fruits canned in water or their own juices

ensures less added sugar. Vegetables labeled as “no salt added” or “low sodium” will be the best choices.

When choosing between fresh, frozen, and canned, having a realistic idea about personal food preferences and time available for food preparation will increase the likelihood of actually eating more fruits and vegetables. For example, some fresh produce, like apples and carrots, are convenient to grab on the run. Frozen and canned foods have a long shelf life and are usually quick to prepare. When I have a busy week ahead, I load up my cart with easier, quicker options such as those.

3. Limit added sugars

Sugar is found naturally in fruits, vegetables, dairy, and grains. It gives us energy and helps our bodies function properly. Added sugars are extra. They are added during food processing, but do not add nutritional value. Limiting them can help manage weight and blood sugar.

When determining how much added sugar is in a food, the Nutrition Facts label is more helpful than the ingredients list. Added sugars can be disguised behind many different names such as syrups, juices, honey, molasses, maltodextrin, dextrose, fructose, or sucrose. The label, however, has a line that specifically identifies the amount of all “Added Sugars.” I recommend choosing packaged foods that have the lowest amounts — less than six to eight grams per serving — most of the time. Does this mean foods with more than that are off limits forever? No! Selecting the lower sugar options most often, but also allowing foods with more occasionally is an approachable way to reduce overall added sugar intake.

Small changes add up to have a big impact. It is often easier to start with one small change at a time and then add others over time. These tips can help to make it a bit easier to follow a healthy eating plan which, in turn, helps with weight loss, reducing the risk of diabetes, and improving one’s overall health. 7 This article is for informational purposes only and is not meant to replace advice from a healthcare provider. It is recommended that individuals consult with a doctor and/ or a registered dietitian before making diet changes, especially any changes related to a specific diagnosis or condition. Danika Baer has an MPS in Nutritional Sciences from Penn State and is studying to take her registered dietitian exam.

HARRISBURG MAGAZINE JULY 2021 13

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New chamber president guides while creating space for other voices

By Deborah Lynch dlynch@harrisburgmagazine.com

O

ne of the major components of bringing people to an area is economic opportunity. The more opportunities that exist, the more people will come. The more people who come, the more businesses and entertainment attractions that will follow. The more attractions, the more the area will become a destination. Once it becomes a destination, anything is possible.

That’s where new president and CEO of the Harrisburg Regional Chamber and CREDC (Capital Region Economic Development Corporation) Ryan Unger comes in — to create partnerships and opportunities that both support existing businesses while encouraging more to come into Cumberland, Dauphin, and Perry counties, all covered by the chamber and its members.

Unger is a numbers guy — you know, one of those people who enjoys crunching the data to find what’s going to work best. A Gallup StrengthsFinder analysis discerned his personal strengths as input and restorative, both valuable characteristics for a chamber leader.

“The restorative aspect of the challenge facing us in a post-pandemic economy is appealing,” he said.

Looking at the Pennsylvania economy as a whole, Unger said the data will show that over the past year the occupations lost were generally low-wage jobs paying $15/hour or less. He said those jobs also have what economists call a high-automation index, meaning the jobs have 14 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE JULY 2021

the ability to potentially become automated. He said in the past that might mean those jobs won’t be coming back, but he’s confident some of those jobs will return.

“Eventually, it will find a way to meet consumer need and demand.

How do we connect that? That will be the challenge,” he said, noting that challenges include not only training, but also transportation, child care, and housing. “How do we get everyone at the table?” he asked.

He’s excited to figure out that puzzle, and says the Harrisburg region makes it easier than it might be in some other areas. “We have access to recreation, walkable communities; those kinds of amenities are seen as important. Harrisburg is critically important — it’s the heartbeat of the economy, but so is Hershey, Carlisle, Camp Hill, New Cumberland, Duncannon, Millersburg, and New Bloomfield. The commonwealth as a whole is unique. Other states don’t have that — historic downtowns, city centers, things of that nature.”

When Unger talks about the appeal of walkability, he doesn’t just talk the talk, he walks the walk. A longtime Midtown resident, he recently bought a home there and not only walks all over Harrisburg, but also finds prime spots to sit outdoors and get his best work done. He’s also a voracious reader who loves recommending books and podcasts, his other passion, to friends and co-workers.

“Ryan was just on an ongoing quest for new information and always

looking to incorporate that into the work. It was refreshing. He doesn’t come in with a jaded view. He really is hopeful in part because ‘when we know better, we do better.’ He’s a big believer in that. He’s not somebody who stands on pretense, said Abby Smith, Unger’s former Team Pennsylvania co-worker, who is senior advisor to the foundation and director of education & workforce development there.

One of the assets the Harrisburg region can offer is great transportation and distribution — a happy circumstance of its geography. In fact, in 1920, the motto for the Harrisburg Chamber was “Harrisburg, PA: The heart of distribution!” “It’s going to continue to be important,” Unger said. “We’ve got an amazing location — access to a wide swath of North America. Pennsylvania as a whole is a day’s drive to 60 percent of the United States. It is the lexus of multiple interstates [81, 76, 78, 80, 83].

The ability to go to those places on a whim has to be appealing.

“We’re the Keystone State — the center of the United States and its distribution patterns for quite a long time. And we’re [Harrisburg] the

“We have access to recreation, walkable communities; those kinds of amenities are seen as important. Harrisburg is critically important — it’s the heartbeat of the economy, but so is Hershey, Carlisle, Camp Hill, New Cumberland, Duncannon, Millersburg, and New Bloomfield.

The commonwealth as a whole is unique.”

— Ryan Unger center of the Keystone state.”

Understanding the metro areas that drive Pennsylvania’s economy — Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, New York City, Buffalo, and Cleveland — will help businesses achieve their goals and drive economic vitality in the Harrisburg region, Unger says. “That word vitality is important.

Growth is important — it’s part of the equation that includes home prices and wage increases — all those things are a part of that puzzle. Are we recognizing equity and inclusivity as part of that growth?”

All of this connects perfectly with the Chamber and CREDC — a combined chamber of commerce and economic development that operates as one staff, also separate from the Visit Hershey/Harrisburg visitor’s bureau, which shares the same building and with whom they work closely. The chamber advocates for business in the region while the visitor’s bureau focuses on tourism.

Outgoing Chamber president David Black — who has spent “almost 20 years to the day in the job” — says Unger is the perfect replacement.

“He’s got a strong, strong economic development background. He has a chamber background. He lives here. He lives in the city. He loves this region and it’s home to him now. I think there’s a very, very bright future under Ryan’s leadership for the organization.”

Unger, an Elizabethtown College graduate from Sunbury, started his career with the Greater Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce based in Shamokin Dam and has 20 years of economic development experience. He also spent time working for SEDA-Council of Governments based in Lewisburg before joining Harrisburg-based Team PA, where since December of 2015 he has served as president and CEO. Team Pennsylvania is a nonprofit whose mission is to initiate and support programs that improve Pennsylvania’s competitiveness and economic prosperity.

When Black started at the Chamber in 2001, he said his tagline for the organization was “Let’s start doing good stuff.” He said the chamber had some early successes and built momentum. It applied for and received money from The Enterprise Zone program, a now defunct state lending program. The organization still has that money to lend out to businesses today. The organization also worked together with Penn State Health Hershey Medical Center and other community entities to create an industry cluster that leverages the intellectual capital there into what is now the Center for Applied Research in Hershey.

One of the roles of the chamber is helping regional businesses communicate and make connections. During the Covid pandemic, it used its website to share information between counties and businesses, providing guidance on mask requirements, closings, grant and loan programs, and to be a resource for financial aid.

“The future — the economy feels really strong,” Black said.

“I think how we address it, our region continues to grow in population while other parts of Pennsylvania have not grown, so the future here is bright. There’s continuing opportunities.”

And although the visitor’s PHOTO BY DEBORAH LYNCH bureau is separate from the Crossing to City Island. chamber, its work promoting the regional attractions also helps to drive the economy. Hershey tourism, sports tourism, Farm Show tourism all help to grow small businesses.

Unger doesn’t like to talk about his vision for the chamber because he believes he inherited a strong staff and board, and he would like the collaboration among them, stakeholders, and the community to determine that.

“Ryan is unlike a lot of people who have president and CEO after their names. He is very low ego. I’m constantly impressed by how much space he leaves for other voices,” said his former Team PA coworker Smith. “A lot of the work he tries to do is to create a space for business leaders — to make sure their priorities are heard and their voices are heard.”

Meron Yemane, chair of the Harrisburg Regional Chamber Board and a search committee member who said Unger quickly rose to the top in a pool of more than 125 applicants from across the country for the job, sensed those qualities in Unger. “In this role, whether you’re trying to recruit businesses to this region, think about if you’re trying to help an employer find employees, think about the political climate in this region, you very much have to be someone that can facilitate conversation and bring people around the table, and Ryan has that ability. He’s someone that people want to be around and really collaborate with. I think more so than ever that’s going to be really important for him and the region.”

As to what he would view as success, Unger says, “First, that the organizations are inclusive, not exclusive. We [the chamber] are a convener — bring people together from all backgrounds, viewpoints, perspectives where all of us play a role in the region’s success.

“Second, that we are seen as a group that understands the pulse of the region through using data, understanding that needs to drive our work. Then, we all understand and exude this pride about the region — I think that already exists — if we can bring that out — why we love living here — our instinct is going to be positive about our work, our home. That’s important to me,” Unger said.

Smith can vouch for how much her former boss loves Harrisburg.

“There’s nobody who loves Harrisburg more — and the whole region,” she said. “If someone comes up with new swag for the Harrisburg region, then Ryan will own that swag.”

Seems like the perfect fit for a new regional chamber president, and as Smith said, “He embodies the best of what the region has to offer and is the perfect ambassador for the region. As a city resident myself, I’m thrilled to have [Unger] running the chamber because I think it’s going to make the region stronger.” 7 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE JULY 2021 15

Taste the world — without leaving the area Story and Photos by Deborah Lynch dlynch@harrisburgmagazine.com

F

or the extra long year that started in March of 2020 and extended until June 1, the idea of travel — much less world travel — was not much more than a pipedream. Now that restrictions are easing and people are getting back out, perhaps international vacations will soon be back on the itinerary, too. It’s not necessary to travel the world, however, to eat the world. It’s all right here in the Harrisburg area.

Those hoping to tantalize their taste buds with global cuisine need only go to the Broad Street Market any Thursday, Friday, or Saturday to sample more than eight different international menus. That’s not even mentioning the vendors selling American fare like Knead Market Pizza, Tep’s Fresh Seafood, the Cheesesteak Guy, Zeroday Brewing, and in the brick building, The Streatery along with the myriad of mennonite vendors serving up hearty Pennsylvania Dutch fare. See the sidebar that accompanies this story for more on the Broad Street Market vendors.

Dania’s Kitchen

316 N. 2nd Street Harrisburg w w w.f a c e b o o k . c o m / Daniaskitchen2ndst Damiana Lopez (the Dania of the Kitchen) was cooking at Cidra’s Cabana on Derry Street when it closed down during Covid. People craved her food and came knocking on her door, so she started cooking for friends and family from home. The demand grew, so she and her wife Suleyka Martinez thought they might create a commercial kitchen in their home to fill the need. Zoning and city code problems squashed those plans. Opening a restaurant was never their plan, however.

They were looking for appliances when they answered a Facebook ad for a refrigerator. It was a serendipitous contact as the seller turned out to be Mustafa Thabata of 2nd Street Shawarma. He told the women that his former restaurant spot was going to be on the market for rent because he was moving across the street a few blocks away. “He helped us out with the refrigerator and threw a couple of things in for us,” Martinez said, adding that the tip paid off and they rented his former space.

Dania’s Kitchen was born on Aug. 5, 2020. Were there challenges to opening in the height of the pandemic. Oh, you bet there were. “Just trying to stay within the regulations making sure we didn't get shut down or fined” was difficult Martinez said. Still, they were able to build their business to develop regulars.

Lopez is originally from the Dominican Republic, but spent years 16 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE JULY 2021

One of the walls in Au Bon Lieu

Within Harrisburg and a short drive away, the mid-state is brimming with culture and the food of many cultures. Some restaurants featured were brave enough to start during the pandemic — the others all survived it, with creativity and quality food. Another has decided to end regular restaurant service for a catering and events business that will include a supper club featuring the chef’s talent with different global cuisines.

Food truck festivals around the region also offer international food.

in Puerto Rico, where Martinez is from, so the food is a fun fusion of the two cuisines. Everyone loves the mofongo, plantains fried, then mashed with garlic and formed into a half ball.

Mofongo pairs well with all the meats — chicken, pork, pork chops, seafood salads, and especially garlic shrimp.

Other favorites are Lopez’s yellow rice with pigeon peas that is also served alongside meats, and the chicharron — fried pork belly.

Diners might also try fried red snapper or sauteed garlic octopus and conch. Along with crab, octopus, and conch salads, the restaurant also offers chicken gizzards and plantains on the salad menu.

The tiny restaurant seats 30, but takeout and delivery remain popular options.

The women do their own delivery (no Door Dash or Grub Hub here) up to 10 miles. They have cashed in on Mondays when many restaurants are closed to enjoy some of their busiest days. Sundays are always busy with a church rush at noon or 1.

“Definitely, the Hispanic community is always going to be there, but we have people coming from everywhere,” Martinez noted, adding that Facebook has helped to spread the word bringing locals’ family members from New York, Connecticut, and beyond into the restaurant.

2nd Street Shawarma

111 N. 2nd Street Harrisburg www.2ndstreetshawarma.com Mustafa Thabata’s need for a larger kitchen and more seating space created an opportunity for Dania’s Kitchen to spring to life up the street when he moved his restaurant to its new location. Since 2015, his Mediterranean menu has been filling a void in the Harrisburg area and has become popular with state workers and all who stop in.

“Downtown Harrisburg really needed Mediterranean cuisines,” said Thabata, whose family is from Palestine, but has settled in the Harrisburg area operating Touch of Color flooring businesses. “After traveling, all the other cities had [a Mediterranean restaurant].”

Thabata’s mother was his cooking inspiration, and his brother Yousef Thabata also works at the restaurant. “Mom is an amazing cook,” he said. “During my first 13 years here, I couldn’t find anywhere to eat that specific food [like his mother’s].”

Since claiming the Mediterranean niche in Harrisburg, Thabata wasn’t surprised to discover that his restaurant has become a destination for travelers as well. “We get a lot of people that stop from the highway. If you want to look at our culture, they did a study, that even those of us leaving our country, 75 percent of us when we go out to eat try to find our own food.

“We have got repeat customers even though they don’t live around here,” he said. “People that come to the city of Harrisburg, every HARRISBURG MAGAZINE JULY 2021 17

time they come in, they come straight to us.”

As its name identifies, this type of Mediterranean food features shawarma, which is usually meat sliced thin and served in a wrap. At 2nd Street Shawarma, it draws from several different cultures and countries — Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan.

Thabata’s shawarma meats are slow cooked, marinated for at least 24 hours in a mixture of 15 different spices, yogurt, oils, and vinegars. Chicken and beef are most popular.

They are often served in delightfully thin toasted pitas

that Thabata treks once a week to Allentown to pick up from a 25-yearold Lebanese bakery. With half of the menu featuring wraps, these are very important pitas. He gets other Mediterranean specialties from an import company out of Patterson, NJ, but almost everything he serves is created fresh in his kitchen.

He creates a popular Turkish grilled chicken called Tawook, which is famous in the Middle East. He also makes almost 60 pounds of falafel a week, and makes all of his hummus from scratch — a very long process beginning with a 12-hour soaking of dried chickpeas. The three types (regular, garlic and herb, and roasted red pepper) sell quickly and are added to many of the wraps and platters.

Even before Covid, takeout was popular, but with more seating and a beautiful wall mural of the old city of Jerusalem painted by local artist Stephen Michael Haas (who also painted the colorful exterior of the New Cumberland Neato Burrito featured in last month’s issue of Harrisburg Magazine see https://harrisburgmagazine.com/featured1/ june-2021-voting-issue), dining in is also a great option now. The muted gray walls and floors are brightened by splashes of spring green throughout to give the restaurant a bright vibe.

For those who do venture to the locally run restaurants around the Harrisburg area, they will feel a bit like they’ve stepped into Italy when they cross the threshold into Pastorante.

Pastorante

1012 N. 3rd Street Harrisburg https://pastorante. business.site

Sri Kumarasingam of Pastorante 18 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE JULY 2021

Sri Kumarasingam moved to the Harrisburg area as a regional manager for Wendy’s International after doing a similar job for Wendy’s in lower Manhattan. Diners shouldn’t let that fast-food past fool them though because Kumarasingam, who is an Oxford Universitytrained mechanical engineer, got his start working in Italian restaurants in Oxford, England, while a university student there.

The Sri Lankan native has lived and worked in several British towns; Dublin, Ireland;

and then New York City before finding himself “in this little village” where he saw an opportunity to get back to his Italian cooking roots in his own business. Hence, Pastorante was born eight years ago in Midtown.

“When I first started here, the district was pretty much deserted,” Kumarasingam said. “I saw it had this potential here. The [Broad Street] Market was just starting to pick up. It’s within walking distance to the Capitol.”

With experience running his own pizza and pasta restaurants in England, it was natural to return to that. Everything at Pastorante is homemade, but sadly he doesn’t have enough room in his kitchen to create pizzas or desserts. The desserts are still authentic — they come from a company in Milan, Italy.

Although his most popular dish plays off the current trends for mac ’n cheese and Korean food — Chicken Bulgogi Mac ’n Cheese — his favorite menu item is the oxtail ragout that takes eight or nine hours to make. Of course, diners can rely on the tried and true spaghetti with meatballs or meat sauce, but those feeling more adventurous will not be disappointed by the bucatini all’Amatriciana or the squid ink fettuccine with shrimp served in a vodka sauce. Crabmeat and shrimp also add protein to the mac, and lasagne is offered with a meat sauce or vegetarian fillings.

The cozy black with yellow accented restaurant can seat 32 people (although can accommodate more for group events). Covid complicated things at Pastorante, as it did for most restaurants, but Kumarasingam said he made just enough money to keep all of his staff employed. He’s hopeful that as workers return to their offices, walk-up business will come back stronger.

For those who do venture to the locally run restaurants around the Harrisburg area, they will feel a bit like they’ve stepped into Italy when they cross the threshold into Pastorante. The manager plays opera on the radio and the spicy, tomatoey scents of Italian cooking waft through the air. Pastorante offers takeout and delivery, but welcomes diners to the restaurant 2-8 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays with expanded lunch hours expected to resume soon.

Au Bon Lieu

1 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg 110 W. Chocolate Ave., Hershey https://aubonlieu.com Farid Soulimani hails from Casablanca, Morocco, and he got to spend time in Paris because “every North African guy goes to Paris,” which because it is a former French colony, Moroccans could access without a visa. From there, he landed in Washington, D.C., in the 1980s and has since then worked in restaurants.

“You do all kinds of jobs when you come without knowing the language,” said Soulimani, who has a physics and math background.

It’s in D.C. that he perfected his gift of creating crepes and decided he’d like to open his own restaurant, but “the D.C. area in general was just too expensive for one person to start in.”

That science background and a natural talent have played into his crepe-making expertise. “It has to do with the temperature of the machine, how much water to use, the need to use clarified butter, the amount of pressure that you put, the kind of baking flour you use, how much time the crepe spends on the grill, when you flip it, how long you have to wait,” he said of using his science knowledge. “These are things that have to be synchronized inside your brain. You have to do the same for every single crepe — they must look as if they came from a factory.

Consistency — when you use the same products, you get used to them.”

Favorites for his customers are the Belgian dark chocolate crepe with fresh strawberries, the sugar lemon crepe, and on the savory side, the ham, cheese, and spinach with a fried egg on top. The variety of crepes offered is big — with flavor combinations sometimes not even found at sandwich shops. Take the chicken with mozzarella, olives and artichokes, for example, or the smoked salmon with cream cheese, tomato, capers and egg. If it's a sandwich somewhere, it can be a crepe here.

Soulimani can also accommodate vegetarian diets, and can use buckwheat flour for gluten-free diners. Those who can indulge in the sweet specialties can choose from milk chocolate combinations, dark chocolate, Nutella, powdered sugar favorites, jams and marmalades, classics, and homemade caramel selections.

Soulimani said making great crepes is not necessarily a matter of training “because I trained with some who don’t know how to make crepes as well as I do. It’s a matter of being gifted,” he said matter-offactly. “I have had a lot of customers who went to France and couldn’t find

Josie’s German Café & Market

5238 E. Trindle Road Mechanicsburg http://germanfoodatjosies.com/market With plenty of continental cuisines available to Central Pennsylvania diners, it’s curious to note that one in lesser supply is the one of the heritage for many who settled this region — German food. Maybe it’s because many residents learned to cook some of those specialties from family members? For those without this background who would like a taste of Germany, Josie’s can feed the need either with in-cafe dining or takeout from its market.

For 36 years, the Keslar family has created its specialties. It’s now owned and managed by Stephen Keslar and his wife Ashley Lerew, but was started by Keslar’s mother Josie, who came from Munich bringing with her the specialties of southern Germany.

Native Pennsylvanians might think they know how to make German specialties, but Lerew notes that “German groceries and sauerkraut are very different from the American style.”

Jagerschnitzel is the most popular dish on the menu. The tender

Farid Soulimani makes a crepe in the Hershey location.

something similar. You can find it — but it’s expensive.”

Soulimani works mostly out of his Hershey location since he trained Tarik Sadi — “a guy who was as passionate about crepes as I am” — who now is a partowner and runs the location on 3rd Street in Harrisburg.

Soulimani said the Hershey location does more business, primarily because of parking The Harrisburg location of Au Bon Lieu issues around his downtown Harrisburg location. The bright-green fronted business on N. 3rd Street has welcoming tables with umbrellas sitting in the street, and birdcages with exotic birds chirping away hanging from the nearby trees.

To see Soulimani create the dark chocolate specialties, holding a gigantic block of the Belgian black gold with just the right pressure as it slowly melts into a dark brown glaze across the crepe, is to need to eat one of his creations as soon as possible.

pork cutlet is breaded and pan-fried, then topped with a white wine cream sauce made with fresh mushrooms. It’s served with spaetzle, which is a small curly type of pasta made with fresh eggs. The menu also features popular bratwurst sausages, liverwurst sandwiches, sauerbraten, and sometimes Hungarian goulash.

They bake traditional German cakes to order including black forest cake, plum cake, Kaese Sahne cheesecake, and apple strudel. The deli case might carry specialties like baloney, head cheese, liverwurst, wieners, brats, and leberkase as well as German rye bread, a 7-grain bread, a sunflower seed rye, and a farmer’s bread.

Lerew said customers include “people who are just trying something different” along with “older German customers that we’ve had for a long time.” She said business is word of mouth and follows good reviews on Yelp and Google. With some recent press, she’s seen an uptick in business.

“We’ve been called a hidden gem,” she said. “We live where we work — a house sits in the back with some trees. It’s really cozy and reminds you of Germany. It’s a homey little store.”

Restaurant space is limited though, so she urges those seeking to dine in to call ahead for reservations.

HARRISBURG MAGAZINE JULY 2021 19

Vrai

Garden Vietnamese Restaurant

Although Vrai closed as a restaurant at the end of May, the cooking and flavors of chef Scott Kemp will carry on with Chef Scott’s Supper Club, private parties, special events, and catering. Kemp has been given range to use his international experiences to create global dining events with seating for 25 diners open to reservation.

The Italian 5-course tasting menu already took place in late June, but still ahead, French Bistro nights are planned for July 15-16, Tastes from the South on July 23-24, Celebrating Local Harvests on Aug. 20-21, the Mediterranean Table on Oct. 16-17, and Fiesta Mexico on Nov. 12-13.

“My strategy was to go with what you know,” Kemp said. “I tried to go with some I had good experience with — cuisines I have familiarity with from eating. I’ve always been a huge fan of Mexican food, and I did have an instructor in culinary school who was known as “the Mexican food guy” who cooked for us all the time.

“Italian — I felt like I had to do that for the first one. It’s sort of become my focus, not that I strictly cook Italian food, but I was lucky enough to be sent to Italy by Shelly [Page, the owner] a while back.

The menu draws a lot from that experience. That trip really gave me a deeper understanding and I fell deeper in love with Italian food.”

Kemp is hoping that Vrai’s new format will “create an element of exclusivity and create a demand that way” noting the plan is to “create more of an experience and more of an event.”

If the events fill up too quickly, people can still get Vrai specialties by reserving for private events or taking advantage of their catering.

“We’re always prepared to offer people different options,” Kemp said of his flexible menu.

Another longtime business in the local global dining scene is Garden Vietnamese Restaurant. It’s denim blue exterior fronts Reily street with a small parking area off N. 3rd Street, directly across from the former HACC Midtown campus building.

The lot always has cars and Midtown residents and workers can walk easily to the well established Asian restaurant that’s been there for 21 years.

Diners can count on consistency in a wide variety of white and yellow noodle dishes, vermicelli noodle entrees, soups, vietnamese rice dishes, and appetizers, including the not-to-bemissed Vietnamese pancake.

Soups are made spicy or not with shrimp, chicken, beef, pork, seafood, steak, or brisket and different noodle choices. All soups are served with basil, cilantro, bean sprouts, and limes. Vermicelli noodle bowls can be made with deep-fried shrimp, pan-grilled pork, beef sauteed with lemongrass, and chicken with lemongrass or ginger, and come served in a bowl with the noodles, egg rolls, basil, cilantro, bean sprouts, Vietnamese pickles, and fish sauce.

White rice bowls that come with lettuce, cucumbers, Vietnamese pickles and fish sauce, can include tamarind season stir-fried shrimp, pan-grilled pork chop (with fried egg, if desired), shrimp simmered in fish sauce and black pepper, or chicken stir fried with lemongrass or ginger. Soft noodle and fried rice dishes are also available, as are vegetarian options for fried rice, soft noodles, or soups. 7

304 Reily Street Harrisburg www.gardenvn.net

1015 Market Street Lemoyne www.vrairestaurant.com

Phyllo cooks are busy preparing food.

Travel the globe within the market Story and Photos by Deborah Lynch

I

dlynch@harrisburgmagazine.com

have an addiction, and it’s all I can do to keep from feeding it regularly. Sometimes, when I visit the Broad Street Market, I have to walk by one of my favorite stands quickly, so that I neither catch sight or scent of the tasty souvlaki being prepared behind the plexiglass shields at Phyllo Greek Cuisine.

This addiction — it started even before I was fortunate enough to visit Greece two summers ago. It started when Phyllo arrived to the market in December of 2015. In fact, it was Phyllo’s souvlaki I sought as I dined out in Greece. I had mouth-watering fish fresh from the Aegean Sea and breads soaked in Greek See Market on Page 22

20 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE JULY 2021

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY SOUL BURRITO

HAVE FOOD, WILL TRAVEL Story and Photos by Deborah Lynch

T

dlynch@harrisburgmagazine.com

rying to compile a list to help food truck fans find their favorites has proven to be more difficult than anticipated. Even after running social media and magazine ads to find them, the list remained slim. Momin Bhatti, communications manager for Harrisburg, helped by providing a list of all the trucks the city has that serve the area. Some of them have websites, some have Facebook pages, some don’t have much of any information available. A few list events where fans can find their trucks, but most only provide contact information for those hoping to reserve a truck for a special event or catering.

The truck featured in our ad seeking to find food trucks (see page 23) — an old white truck with faded lettering reading Tacos and Mexico Lindo that has sat at the corner of 15th and Markets streets for years — turned out to be the pot of gold in the food truck search. Sisters Ana and Elodia Saenz have operated what is now called Masa Authentic Mexican Cuisine out of the truck for more than 20 years. Business is always steady Tuesdays-Saturdays from 11 a.m.-6 p.m., and Sundays from 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. The truck may be old, but the sisters are modern in their business approach — they offer delivery through Bento Box, DoorDash, GrubHub, and Uber Eats.

They are on Facebook (MASA Mexican Food Truck) and Instagram (@masatacos).

The secrets to their food truck success are predictability and an authentic menu featuring burritos, torta, quesadilla, tacos, and bowls.

The Al Pastor pork marinated in pineapple juice and spices is juicy and flavorful, and tacos are served traditionally in corn tortillas with meat, cilantro, onions, pickled jalapeno, lime, and homemade salsa. Homemade horchata, a cinnamon spiced rice milk, provides the perfect balance to the savory tacos.

MASA Food Truck doesn’t travel, but most food trucks do. It’s why many are run by local restaurants seeking to expand their reach with catering and events.

Soul Burrito has become such an established food truck brand that they’ve taken their frozen burritos, rice blends, and jerk sauces into grocery stores including Karns, Saubels, All Family-owned Market Stores, and are going into Giant Foods. A new restaurant location is in the works. The most popular menu items include South of the Border Burrito-Jerk Chicken, and Soulrrito SoulFood Burrito.

Although Soul Burrito is 90 percent booked for catering events, more information on how to book it as well as find out where the trucks will be is available at www.soulburrito.com or on Facebook and Instagram at @SoulburritoFoods.

Following is a list of Food Truck events, followed by a brief profile of a few trucks and a list for readers to try themselves. Good luck.

Food truck events:

July 3: Fireworks and Food Trucks, Koons Park, 630 Larue St., Linglestown, 5-8 p.m. Food by Mad Dash, Sittin’ Pickin’ Chickin’ and Scoop O Dough. Details at www. facebook.com/events/548392539484063 July 4: Food Trucks & Fireworks, Riverfront Park, Harrisburg, 3-9 p.m.

Details at http://harrisburgpa.gov/july4th July 8: New Cumberland Food Truck and Restaurant Rally, Market Square, New Cumberland, 5-8 p.m. Details at http:// newcumberlandpa.org/event/food-truck-andrestaurant-rally-11 July 10: Newport Food Truck Festival, 1 Penn Ave., Newport, 8 a.m.-3 p.m.. Trucks include Artisan Pizza and Guante Family Restaurant. Information at www.facebook. com/events/282212000037338 July 16: Food Truck event, First United Methodist Church of Mechanicsburg, 135 W. Simpson St., 4:30-8 p.m. Trucks include Audrey’s Cup of Sunshine, Get Smok’d, Italian Job, Mad Dash, Potato Coop. Information at https://fumchurch.com/event/37051/2021-07-16; Bacon & Lobster Feast @ Arcona, 1440

See Food Trucks on Page 23 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE JULY 2021 21

Katerina Ntzanis of Phyllo Market, continued from Page 20

Harsh winter leaves mark on Market

By Deborah Lynch dlynch@harrisburgmagazine.com

M

uch like the lyrics of an old folk tune sung by many a summer camper, “As I was walking down the street one dark and dreary day, I came upon a billboard, and much to my dismay.

The sign was torn and tattered from the storm the night before. The wind and rain had done its job and this is what I saw:” A Broad Street Market sign missing the “O” and “A” from “BROAD,” for one thing.

In this case, it was winter weather that damaged the iconic market sign, which has been in place since 1996. Neon backlighting is also no longer functional on the sign, so the market is fundraising to help repair the sign with energy efficient LED lighting and new design elements that reflect the Market branding. Lettering will be refurbished and strengthened. The Market hopes to raise $40,000 of which $25,000 will come through crowdfunding. To participate, go to https:// gofund.me/3fd5375d to make a tax-deductible donation to this nonprofit. Organizational and corporate sponsorship is also sought.

Email BSMAinfo@broadstreetmarket.org.

The Market also wants residents to participate by letting them know what the Broad Street Market sign means to them. Tag them on social media with #broadstreetmarketsign so photos can be reposted with followers. 7 22 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE JULY 2021

olive oils alongside locally vinted wines, but it was the souvlaki I was after.

What is it about this souvlaki that I so crave? Well, I know some people can’t stomach the thought, but I love tender grilled lamb (pita wrapped souvlaki are also available with chicken, pork, or veggies), and I love that lamb paired with fresh juicy tomatoes, red onion, herbs, their special tirokafteri sauce, and especially, I love the thin, salty, crispy French fries that are tucked into the pita with the whole sloppy works. Truly, nothing’s better.

The Tirokafteri is a spicy Greek feta sauce that’s got just enough kick to tingle on the tongue while pulling all of the other flavors together in a juicy memorable bite. Customers can also choose the milder tzatziki sauce, a melidzanosalata (eggplant based), or a goat cheese sauce. The more traditional tzatziki sauce is a creamy yogurt with cucumbers and fresh garlic.

Phyllo also features a variety of different salads, small plates including the popular spanakopita, platters, and a la carte offerings of skewers and grilled veggies.

Katerina Ntzanis, who owns Phyllo, says that what makes the food at Phyllo stand out is “that it’s 100 percent authentic. It’s not your standard Americanized Greek meal,” she said. “I added different options from meals I grew up eating in Greece or at home.

In addition to the main menu, I add weekly specials from family recipes or recipes I make up myself that highlight all the distinctive Greek flavors.”

Ntzanis keeps her connection to authentic Greek food alive with regular trips back to visit family. She even brings some of the Greek specialties back to use in her creations including a dry wild mountain oregano that’s hand-picked by her family in Greece.

She never had a restaurant before opening Phyllo, but comes from a family full of cooks and restaurants.

In addition to serving customers at the Broad Street Market, Ntzanis says Phyllo offers takeout for large groups and catering for small parties as well.

Phyllo is joined in the stone building on 3rd Street by seven other international food stands. They are Taqueria El Compadre Authentic, Yami Korean Food, Pikowski’s Pierogi Place, Tasty Dishes Authentic African Cuisine, Ougi’s Cucina (Puerto Rican Food), Porter’s House: the Finest Jamaican Cuisine, and Raising the Bar Bakery, European-style baked goods. In the brick building behind, Shawarma and Falafel offers Mediterranean fare alongside many mennonite bakeries, sandwich, and barbecue places.

Taqueria El Compadre Authentic Mexican Cuisine: With a vertical spit of roasting meat teasing customers, El Compadre offers burritos, tacos, enchiladas, and the Mexican specialties one would expect.

Pikowski’s Pierogi: This is where diners can find Eastern European favorites like plain, onion, cheesy, buffalo chicken, spinach feta mozzarella, cabbage and onion, sweet potato, and sauerkraut potato pierogies, among others. Pierogies can also be topped with onions, sour cream, ranch, blue cheese, or apple sauce.

Ougi’s Cocina: Here, diners can order meat (pork, beef stew, chicken stew, cubed steak, or fried chicken) with yellow or white rice and beans. The appetizer menu includes fried plantains.

Porter’s House: This is the Jamaican food one might imagine — oxtails, jerk chicken, stew chicken, curried chicken, jerk pork, curried goat, fried chicken, okra and codfish, mac ’n cheese, along with soups, patties, and breakfast offerings like porridge and fritters.

Tasty Dishes: Choices here start with rice dishes, bean dishes, solid dishes, soup dishes, and fish dishes. Customers could try white rice with stew, Ewa Oldyin (honey beans & sweet plantain with chicken or fish), Eba (cassava flour with okra soup), goat pepper soup, fried tilapia or whiting, among many other exotic dishes.

Yami Korean Food: This popular spot has a huge menu beginning with Korean Cup Bob (rice/sweet potato noodle/choice of meat with kimchi and a soup), Korean Ramen (with kimchi and rice), and ending with a range of Korean specialties including Bibimbap, Bulgogi, and BBQ favorites. They also offer a special vegetarian menu, fried rice, lo mein, stir fries, Korean style fried chicken, and rice noodle soups served with lime, bean sprouts, and Sairan Chura.

Raising the Bar: This European-style bakery specializes in croissants, but offers a variety of breads including a mouthwatering focaccia along with sandwiches, tarts, pastries, cookies, sweets, desserts, and more. See our June issue for a review of their delectable treats (https://harrisburgmagazine. com/featured1/june-2021-voting-issue). 7

Food trucks profiles:

Food Trucks, continued from Page 21

Market House Lane, Mechanicsburg. Continues Saturday and Sunday, 3-7 p.m. Bacon and Lobster from favorite food trucks, live music. Details at www.facebook.com/events/springgate-arcona/ bacon-lobster-feast-arcona/849553302329112 July 17: Dauphin County Brewfest, Fort Hunter Mansion and Park, 5300 N. Front St., Harrisburg, 3-7 p.m. More than 60 craft brews, food from area food trucks, and music. Details at https://forthunter.org/events/dauphin-county-brewfest-5 July 23: Food Truck Friday, Spring Creek Church of the Brethren, 335 E. Areba Ave., Hershey, 5-8 p.m. in the church parking lot. Trucks include Forrest Feeds, Cheesy Grill, Next Level Pizza, Scoop O Dough, and Dog Treats. Details at www.facebook.com/SpringCreekCoB; Peach Festival @ SpringGate Arcona, 1440 Market House Lane, Mechanicsburg, continues through Sunday 3-7 p.m. Favorite food trucks with peachthemed food. Live music. Details at www.visitcumberlandvalley.com/ event/peach-festival-%40-springgate-arcona/41354 July 24: Campbelltown Food Truck Frenzy, Campbelltown Volunteer Fire Company, 2818 Horseshoe Pike, 4-8 p.m. More than 10 food trucks, wineries, breweries, entertainment. Details at www.facebook. com/events/901041930454787; Susquehanna Valley HarleyDavidson Anniversary Party, 6300 Allentown Blvd., Harrisburg, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Food trucks and live music. Details at www.reasonstoride. com/events/susquehanna-valley-harley-davidson-anniversary-party; Nissley Summerfest, 140 Vintage Dr., Bainbridge, 6-10 p.m. Wine, beer, wine slushies, food trucks, live music, dancing. Details at www. evensi.us/nissley-summerfest-music-vineyards/408965259 July 28: Food Trucks at Penn State Health Camp Hill, 3025 Market St., 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Details at www.bestfoodtrucks.com/lots/ central-pa-3025-market-street July 29: Escape to the Island, City Island Harrisburg, 2-9:30 p.m., West Shore Chamber of Commerce hosts events including food trucks between 4-7 p.m. Details at https://stayhappening.com/e/escape-to-theisland-E2ISTM1YJN4 July 31: 7th Annual Rumble of the Night Car, Truck & Motorcycle Show & Food Truck Fest, Linglestown Church of God, 5834 Linglestown Road, 4-9 p.m. Details at www.facebook.com/events/155915456354423 Aug. 27: Food Truck Friday, Spring Creek Church of the Brethren, 335 E. Areba Ave., Hershey, 5-8 p.m. in the church parking lot. Trucks include Forrest Feeds, Cheesy Grill, Next Level Pizza, Scoop O Dough, and Dog Treats. Details at www.facebook.com/SpringCreekCoB Sept. 18: Wish Upon A Food Truck Festival, City Island, Harrisburg.

10 a.m.-4 p.m. Includes more than 25 food trucks from across the Northeast. More information at https://wishuponafoodtruck.org

Multiple events:

Music in the Vines, Cassel Vineyards, Hummelstown, 6-8:30 p.m. July 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, 24, 30, 31; Aug. 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, 21, 27, 28. Each night features different musicians and different food trucks. The vineyard also has other events with music and food. Details at www.casselvineyards. comevents. SpringGate Estate has multiple locations and events that feature food trucks regularly. See details at www.springgatevineyard.com

Chatter Box on the Go, Hummelstown. Off for the month of July, but often at Cassel Vineyard (Aug. 7, 21); also Gravel Hill Church in Palmyra, Aug. 8; Londonderry Fire Company Carnival, Sept. 11; and A Night of Magic at Hershey Free Church, Oct. 2. All food is homemade and includes chicken salad on croissant; turkey and provolone with cranberry mayo on ciabatta; Hulaham, a homemade cheese bread with homemade coconut and pineapple mayonnaise using Groff’s fresh baked ham (top seller); Stevie B Hot Hammer, a pretzel roll with fresh baked ham, farmer’s cheese, honey mustard and mayo; in the fall — homemade meatloaf sandwich with muenster and sauteed mushrooms; homemade 5 cheese mac and cheese with homemade meatballs. Contact at 717-5661445 or Facebook at Roxy’s Chatterbox Cafe.

Details at https://roxyschatterbox.com Get Smok’d BBQ, specialty is brisket — “I’d put my brisket up to anyone,” says chef Michael Weierbach. Upcoming events include every Thursday from 3-7 p.m. at Adams-Ricci Farmers Market, 100 E. Penn Dr., Enola; July 16 — 3rd in the Boro, 135 W. Simpson St., Mechanicsburg; and July 28, Wheel Food Wednesday at AdamsRicci Park. Offers catering for private events. Contact at 717-799-8813 or through Facebook at @getsmokdbbq Guante Family Restaurant and Guante Cafe, Mifflintown.

Serves empanadas, tacos, Cubans, and loaded fries. Booked for Newport Food Truck Festival on July 10, but will go to events all around the Harrisburg area. Contact through Facebook at @guantefamilyrestaurant to book.

Smoke & Pickles, Mechanicsburg, Many events scheduled outside the Harrisburg area since the food is available at the deli in Mechanicsburg and at popups at Wolf Brewing at 100 Legacy Park Drive, Suite 400, Mechanicsburg. To schedule the truck for an event, call 717-795-4852 or find it on Facebook at @SandPArtisanButcherShop

Other food trucks:

717 Tacos, www.717tacos.com Agin Cajun, www.facebook.com/AginCajun Banana Leaf Indian Cuisine, https://bananaleafindiancuisine.com/

Bucky’s Festival Foods El Grito Sabor, https://restaurantguru.com/El-Grito-Harrisburg Faire Food Express, www.facebook.com/FaireFoodXpress Firebox Street Grill, https://fireboxstreetgrill.com Grappling Crab Shack, www.grapplingcrabshack.com It’s All Greek To You, www.facebook.com/Its-All-Greek-To-YouLLC-871504809576278 JB Lovedrafts Canteen, www.facebook.com/LovedraftsCanteen Keystone Smokehouse & BBQ, www.keystonebbq.com Mad Dash, www.maddashgrilledcheese.com Mamma’s Meltz, www.facebook.com/cheesemeltz Marsico’s Taste of Italy, www.facebook.com/Marsicos-A-Taste-ofItaly-385432448954778 Sheri’s Crab Cakes, https://sherriscrabcakes.com ShreddRRz, http://shreddrrz.com Soul Burrito, www.soulburrito.com Stock’s on 2nd, https://stocksonsecondcatering.com/food-truck The Lucky Penny Burger Company, https://luckypennyburger.com The Potato Coop, www.thepotatocoop.com 7

HARRISBURG MAGAZINE JULY 2021 23

Finding deals — on the fields Story and Photos by Dimitri John Diekewicz For Harrisburg Magazine

L

ooking for the perfect centerpiece to accent a table or perhaps a framed print or painting to fill a bare wall space in the foyer? How about a replacement copy of a favorite record that has lost its groove to countless plays? The search is over as Central Pennsylvania serves a regular schedule of outdoor flea markets throughout the region to provide a most unique shopping experience.

Pick a day and a direction, and chances are one of these mainstay markets that host a vast array of vendors and their eclectic assortment of vintage and new merchandise will be open. Pennsylvania is known far and wide as a repository for antiques, collectibles, and anything that screams retro. Locales such as The Farm Show Flea Market (Harrisburg), Williams Grove Farmers Flea Market (Mechanicsburg), Root’s Old Mill Flea Market (Manheim), Leesport Farmers Market (Leesport), Sunset Outlet (Lebanon), Green Dragon Farmers Market (Ephrata), Newberrytown Peddlers Market (Dover), and Morningstar Market Place (Thomasville) are ideal destinations for people who hunt for the aforementioned artifacts and also for those that simply enjoy an alternative retail setting for their needs and wants.

They have all come to expect the unexpected and are rarely disappointed. In addition to this diverse selection of vintage and newer items, flea markets offer fresh produce, seasonal plants and flowers, and in some cases meats, dairy products, and baked goods. Root’s, Leesport, Morningstar, Newberrytown, and Green Dragon routinely offer the widest array of meal options for those who come with an appetite.

Often food vendors offer a variety of options for breakfast, lunch, or a midday snack. All of these elements combine to create a fun adventure for those of all ages. An extensive listing of Pennsylvania markets can be found at www.swapmarts.com.

In light of all that has transpired since 2020, the popularity of these markets has witnessed growth due to their expansive open outdoor atmosphere and economics. Everyone loves a bargain and the markets beckon those looking for one with numerous opportunities to score just such a deal. Walking these paths, shoppers will be confronted by a 24 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE JULY 2021

myriad of items of every description — some that awaken memories and others that spark a newfound interest in products from years past that have an application to a current living condition.

Market discoveries often make an immediate practical impact in the form of old tools, dishes, bowls, and related kitchenware. Appliances such as a working 1950s toaster can fill an order for a breakfast staple and do so with style. Classic clothing, quilts, tablecloths and other linens can be quickly pressed into service. This is also the case with jewelry items that — with the closing of a clasp or securing of a pin — provides a fast fashion accent. These few examples clearly show that vintage is viable.

Most of these markets share some similarities in that they are all predominantly set outdoors (though some also have indoor vendor space). They open early in the morning on their respective day of business and though a closing time might not be set, most vendors end their days by lunchtime or early afternoon.

One additional common characteristic flea markets share is that regardless of how often one frequents a market, no two visits are exactly the same.

One additional common characteristic flea markets share is that regardless of how often one frequents a market, no two visits are exactly the same. Even the vendors who are fixtures at particular venues present an inventory that is in constant rotation. Whether it’s buried in the bottom of a box, wrapped in paper placed on or under a dealer’s table, or laying on a blanket, a prize discovery waits to be found. Anyone can experience this scene during any season of the year (weather and diligence permitting). Even though their numbers decrease during the winter, vendors and potential customers remain who persevere with the chilling temperatures to conduct trades.

An early kickoff is critical Under favorable weather conditions, most markets will exhibit hundreds of vendors. An early start for extensive searching is encouraged to help maximize time and potential purchase success.

The summer season provides a golden opportunity to dive into this scene and take part in the flea market culture. Shoppers will come away with an enriching experience and probably a personal treasure. See you in the fields!

vendors in which the majority tend to specialize in antiques and vintage collectibles.

Whenever one resolves to “hit the rows” at one of the regional markets, here are some suggestions when preparing for the expedition.

Comfort is key To fully experience any outdoor market involves a significant degree of walking down aisles of gravel, grass, or pavement. A proper pair of footwear is imperative as it adds a bounce to the search.

Some markets do close with snow or ice accumulation for liability considerations.

Even with their somewhat common features, each market prominently displays a uniqueness that separates it from the rest of the fields. This distinction can be observed in the expanse of each market and their overall merchandise selection. Under favorable weather conditions Leesport, Williams Grove, and Green Dragon will regularly host hundreds of vendors that offer an extensive selection of everything from vintage collectibles and antiques to newer apparel and accessories. This can also be said of the other markets, though the size and scope of their selections are fewer.

Root’s Market can accommodate about 175

Local flea market info Farm Show Flea Market - www.swapmarts. com/Flea-Markets/pennsylvania/harrisburg/ Farm-Show-Compl Williams Grove Farmers Flea Market www.facebook.com/WGHSEAFleaMkt Leesport Farmers Market - www. leesportmarket.com Root’s Old Mill Flea Market - www. rootsmarket.com/roots-old-mill-flea-market.php Sunset Outlet Flea Market - sunsetoutlets.com Green Dragon Farmer’s Market - www. greendragonmarket.com Newberrytown Peddlers Market - www. newberrytownpeddlersmarket.com Morningstar Market Place - https:// morningstarmarketplace.net 7

Cash is king While paypal and plastic credit cards are currently the most popular processes of payment, on these grounds, cash money is the method that closes the deal. Since many transactions are for a relatively modest amount — between $1-$20 — having lower denomination bills and change is helpful.

As much as a vendor appreciates a sale, surrendering all of their smaller currency to make change, especially early in the day, compromises their ability to complete the next trade. They may be unable or unwilling to sacrifice all of their small bills on a single transaction. No need to worry if early purchases deplete or are rapidly depleting available funds as most markets have an ATM somewhere on the premises that can produce a solution.

HARRISBURG MAGAZINE JULY 2021 25

Knoebels takes visitors back in time with present day thrills PHOTO COURTESY OF KNOEBELS

I

By Dimitri John Diekewicz For Harrisburg Magazine

n this 21st Century high-tech world of entertainment, where special effects and gadgetry must be updated on what seems to be a weekly basis to hold the interest of its target audience, a place exists where play and pastime were not only perfected long ago, but continue to be put into practice, with very little change, to this day.

This is Knoebels Amusement Resort.

Opened in 1926 by Henry Knoebel in Elysburg, PA, on the boulevard that also bears his family name, (it is still owned and operated by the Knoebels), the resort is an exciting site carved out of a tranquil, mountainous landscape. Upon approaching the main entrance on a warm summer day, visitors will quickly realize that this amusement park is unlike most others. The large sign situated over the main entrance proudly proclaims, “America’s Largest Free-Admission Amusement Resort.” This assertion, coupled with the fact that no parking fee is charged, indicates that this is a unique family- and economically-friendly environment. Ride tickets can be purchased for any dollar amount with kiddie rides starting at $1.50 going up to $4 for some thrill rides. A $20 book of tickets should get a rider on to 7-9 rides.

Entering the park to the left, wooden picnic pavilions greet guests.

Many people are gathered, enjoying the day with one of the truest expressions of summer — a cookout. The scent of grilled hot dogs and hamburgers not only delights, but awakens pleasant memories. This is true comfort food enjoyed in a classic picnic setting.

Past the picnic pavilions and onto the midway, a production of sights, sounds and aromas stimulate the senses, creating a kinetic connection 26 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE JULY 2021

to all the fellow visitors. Each face sports a similar expression — wideeyed with anticipation.

The thrill rides cut unique configurations along metal tracks, plunging through cascading water, and soaring through mid-air, high above, all to the tune of bells and whistles that punctuate the proceedings.

“Kozmo,” a cartoon chipmunk, is Knoebels official mascot, and will serve as the tour guide throughout the park. His image is emblazoned on signs that not only direct visitors to various attractions, but also illustrate the proper height children must be in order to board some of the rides.

The park grounds are well-maintained, from the beautifully arranged petunias and geraniums to the fresh paint that adorns the various buildings that house thrill rides, food concessions, museums, live entertainment pavilions, and gift shops. These structures, composed of wood, stone and plaster, look as though they have been lifted from the canvas of an expressionist painting. They are dreamlike designs, where right angles and scrolled curves blend to create a whimsical world that is both fun and functional. Among the buildings, an outdoor dining area is housed under a giant birthday cake supported by candy cane pillars, both splendid and surreal.

Coursing through the middle of the park is a creek that is home to ducks and geese, adding an even greater natural dimension to Knoebels’ ambience. Several bridges span this waterway and connect to other areas of the park. Placards affixed on trees and posts at several locations indicate the maximum water height during the several floods

that have submerged a large portion of the park through the years.

The endurance of these structures is testimony to their superior construction and maintenance. Preservation and care by the park personnel is apparent throughout the grounds.

A few rides currently in operation were rescued from other parks.

One such ride is the “Phoenix,” a classic wooden roller coaster that began its life thrilling passengers as the “Rocket” at an amusement park in San Antonio, Texas. Brought to Knoebels and renamed the “Phoenix,” this premier coaster has been delivering a shock to the senses of park patrons since 1985. Though a map of the park guides visitors to the attractions, it isn’t necessary to search for the “Phoenix.” The screams and shouts of the passengers on this rolling thunder of a ride will serve as the guide.

As visitors approach the “Phoenix,” the countless wooden supports and adjoining cross members create an almost hypnotic woven pattern to its intricate construction. Traveling up the walkway with other eager riders, guests first stop at the ticket office, hand the collector the appropriate number of tickets, then continue up to the ride platform.

While making this journey, periodically it’s possible to hear and feel the shudder of this massive structure as the coaster carries its human cargo to new heights, then suddenly drops them again. All of this is followed by a chorus of ever present screams — a mix of surprise, excitement, and fear. After a short wait on the platform, the “Phoenix” comes in for a landing. As it rolls to a stop, passengers look slightly disheveled, but thoroughly stimulated. After the safety bar is lowered for the next group of riders, a ride handler walks to each car, examining the bars to make certain that they are in their locked position. With an arm wave to the operator that all is secured, a lever is thrown, and the “Phoenix” begins its flight.

With the rattling of chains, gears and pulleys, the journey begins.

As this “bird of fire” ascends and reaches its highest altitude, visitors should enjoy the view because it’s quickly over as the bottom of the

For those curious about the history of Knoebels, its amusement rides, and the surrounding area, three museums in the park offer unique exhibits, each on an exclusive topic. world seems to drop out, gravity reasserts itself, and riders are sent plunging downward. The “Phoenix” determines where each body goes and when it stops. This is the fast track with no rest stops. For a few minutes, riders are completely at its mercy, reveling in the moment.

As the tour through the park continues, visitors might feel as though they are being watched. Plaster clowns and ghostly images have visitors in their gaze as they arrive at the next destination, The Haunted Mansion. The setting is a Victorian home with what appears to be a tranquil façade, but appearances can be deceiving. What lurks behind those walls is anything but comforting. This dark ride into the unknown must be left to the imagination until one takes it upon themselves to enter — at their own risk!

For those curious about the history of Knoebels, its amusement rides, and the surrounding area, three museums in the park offer unique exhibits, each on an exclusive topic.

This is coal mining country and the Mining Museum chronicles the region’s deep exploration and harvesting of black gold. The Carousel Museum consists of an incredible collection of hand-carved carousel horses, many of them crafted in Coney Island, New York, by newly arrived European artisans. The fact that most of these artifacts were saved from demolition again highlights the preservation mindset of the Knoebels family.

Knoebels’ History Museum is a compelling compendium of photographs and retired attractions that showcase the park’s growth from its inception to the present day. The pictures and photographs

HARRISBURG MAGAZINE JULY 2021 27

PHOTO BY DIMITRI JOHN DIEKEWICZ

PHOTOS COURTESY OF KNOEBELS

PHOTO BY DIMITRI JOHN DIEKEWICZ

that line the walls provide portals to the past that offer captured moments of merriment in the same fashion as today — proof that smiles and laughter can transcend space and time.

Each museum offers a rewarding glimpse of the past and its positive present-day application. These are true treasures that should not be missed.

For an even bigger trip back in time, visitors can test their driving skills with a spin in the Bumper Cars. According to the Knoebels’ website, they were introduced in 1947 as “Dodgems.” Selected as “Best Bumper Cars in America” by USA Today, this is in no small part because for many years the vintage cars were meticulously maintained and the ride overseen by longtime operator Jack Niedzwiecki, a.k.a.“Bumper Car Jack,” who was a legendary figure at Knoebels. His likeness is still depicted in a large painting prominently positioned on the pavilion back wall, admonishing drivers, “No Head-Ons!” After passing through the wooden gate and onto the smooth metal plating of the track, drivers can scan the fleet of chrome-laden chariots that bear a striking resemblance to American automobiles of the 1950s. Drivers should quickly walk, but not run (another of Jack’s rules) and climb in the car of their dreams before anyone else can lay claim. After securing the safety belt, drivers pump the accelerator pedal (no braking during this drive) and with the ride operator’s flip of a switch, the car will be fueled through the electrified ceiling with 28 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE JULY 2021

which the commutator pole never loses contact. With each collision, riders are left jolted and jubilant. This is one ride where it is equally enjoyable being predator or prey.

Knoebels also offers a multitude of meal selections from pizza to pierogis and fast food to fine dining. There are numerous restaurants, stands and pavilions, which together have earned the “Amusement Today Golden Ticket Award” for best amusement park food in America for the past fourteen years. The decision as to which meal selection to choose may be difficult, but a mistake cannot be made.

With the coming of night, the park is illuminated with thousands of incandescent lights. The soft glow produced by these electric flames not only outlines and accentuates the structures, but bathes the entire area in an amber radiance that is timeless. The past is present and newly created memories shall remain, but soon enough the sights and sounds will beckon once again.

Knoebels Amusement Resort features classic roller coasters, kidfriendly rides, arcades, daily entertainment, swimming, camping, golf, and attractions for the whole family. Knoebels offers a welcome mix of vintage rides and newer attractions, including a log flume and the world’s only wooden bobsled coaster. Special themed events are also scheduled during the season. Located at 391 Knoebels Blvd., Elysburg, PA 17824, for additional information go to www.knoebels.com. 7

What else is there to do in Adams County in July?

A

Story and Photos by Christine Little For Harrisburg Magazine

dams County is famous as the site of the Battle of Gettysburg, which took place here July 1–3, 1863. Thousands of tourists pour into town every summer to visit the battlefield and witness the annual reenactment of the battle. On July weekends, the sidewalks of Gettysburg bulge with Civil War buffs in hoop skirts and Union or Confederate uniforms by day, and families on candlelit ghost tours by night. The streets clog with horse-drawn carriages and minivans with campground hang tags on their rearview mirrors — which is great, if you’re into all that.

If you’re not, a lot of other events are going on in and around Gettysburg for those who’d prefer to skip the crowds. Following is a look at how locals and the crowd-averse might enjoy a July day in Adams County.

Arrive early for the best selection of fresh local produce at the Adams County Farmer’s Market (Saturdays, 8 a.m.-1 p.m.). Located just steps from the train station where Abraham Lincoln arrived the day before delivering his famous Address, this market also features local food trucks and entertainment. Once you’ve filled your market bags, you might browse the shops surrounding Gettysburg’s central square, beginning with Loca Flora, directly across the street, which offers locally sourced flowers and crafts. If you haven’t had breakfast, the Lincoln Diner next door offers traditional diner food with a 1950s vibe, and the Gettysburg Baking Company, right on Lincoln Square, makes a morning roll that’s not to be missed.

Then it’s time to get out of town before it gets too crowded. Head to the cool hills of northern Adams County, where you can spend a couple hours picking fresh blueberries, blackberries, and flowers at Yellow Hill Farm just outside Biglerville. Then head to the Historic Round Barn & Market, where you can explore one of the last surviving round barns in existence as you pick up some more local produce and crafts.

It’s just one of the many (many) locations on the newly unveiled Adams County Crop Hop, a local farm-and-market trail.

Just across the street is the Thirsty Farmer Brew Works, one of 33 local breweries, cideries, and distilleries on another popular loop for visitors and locals alike, the Adams County Pour Tour. You can grab a sandwich and a beer there and, if you’re lucky, watch the West Wind Diving Dogs practicing their air retrieves just off the outside deck. Then head up the road to Boyer Cellars Tasting Room at Boyer’s Nurseries & Orchards for an(other) adult libation and some of the best views

around while the kids explore the evergreen maze. If you feel like picking some more fruit, get there early in July while the cherries are still in season.

If you’ve had enough of sitting around drinking, a 20-minute drive through orchard country will bring you to the Strawberry Hill Nature Preserve, which borders the Michaux State Forest and offers miles of hiking trails and a variety of nature programs for adults and kids.

Staying for dinner? Head into nearby Fairfield for a meal at the historic Mansion House 1757, a newly renovated boutique inn with an elevated farm-to-table menu.

July events to consider: • The inaugural A Gettysburg Fourth festival will celebrate Independence Day with food, music, and fireworks from 6–10 p.m.

• The Gettysburg National 19th Century Base Ball Festival on July 17–18 is another promising event. It takes place just southwest of town, and on the way, you can stop to explore the historic Sach’s Covered Bridge, built in 1852, which spans the picturesque Marsh Creek.

• And a note: Gettysburg Bike Week falls this year on July 8–11. Concerts, swap meets, bike shows, all culminating in the Parade of Chrome — it’s great fun if you’re into motorcycle culture, but if you’re not, you might want to avoid that weekend, as it’s next to impossible to find a parking space, much less a restaurant reservation.

Those are just a few ideas to get your planning started. Visit Destination Gettysburg (DestinationGettysburg.com) for the most complete and current compendium of events and attractions in Adams County. 7

Other July events

• July 9: Pour Tour Shuttle — Beer Friday • July 10-11: Blueberry Festival, Hollabaugh Bros., Biglerville • July 10, 17, 24, 31: Ghost Stories around the bonfire, Battlefield Bed & Breakfast • July 11: Marching Still — A musical tribute to Civil War Poetry, NPS Amphitheatre • July 16: Pour Tour Shuttle — Wine Friday • July 24: Antique & Vintage Outdoor Market at the Outlet Shoppes at Gettysburg Find more information at https://destination gettysburg.com/things-to-do/gettysburg-pa-events.

HARRISBURG MAGAZINE JULY 2021 29

The old time soda fountain display at Old Sled Works in Duncannon

These destinations conjure bygone eras Story and Photos by Deborah Lynch dlynch@harrisburgmagazine.com

W

hen planning day trips this summer, why not add a trip down memory lane to the itinerary? The Harrisburg region can provide nostalgia that will please the young and old alike with everything from collectibles to comforting food and ice cream to fun family events.

Haar’s Drive-In in Dillsburg is known both for its drive-in movie theater and its auction house. Some evenings, three auctions are taking place at a time in the sprawling auction house, some of which was a former roller rink. The Harrisburg area is also fortunate to have several roller rinks still in action offering throwback music parties and roller derby leagues. For those not willing to sit through an auction to find a bargain or a connection to the past, the Old Sledworks in Duncannon promises shoppers can “buy back your memories.” With car shows and an Antique Auto Museum (AACA) in Hershey, the area also has demand for car restorations, and can provide that, too, at Horsepower Enterprises in Lancaster.

From Bunny Burgers to nearly unlimited flavors of hand-dipped ice cream and malted shakes, foodies can satisfy their nostalgic urges at several old-time eateries in the region.

The Red Rabbit — a habit?

Most famous, perhaps, is the Red Rabbit, a third-generation, 1950s-style drive-in restaurant located on Route 322, a half-mile west of the Clarks Ferry Bridge over the Susquehanna River. Here, curbhops — otherwise known as carhops — still come to the car to take orders, then serve the fare on a tin tray that attaches to the car window. As one might imagine, 30 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE JULY 2021

this was a hot spot to be during the otherwise dining-out drudgery of 2020 when many restaurants were shut down temporarily, then limited in capacity. The Red Rabbit continued to operate with takeout, bringing back trays and picnic tables when things opened up a bit.

“It’s amazing to think when my grandparents opened in 1964 and chose carhops over a dining room that that would have positioned us to weather the pandemic so well,” said Sam Berger, a third generation Sam running the business.

Berger — who goes by Sammy at the restaurant since his father is also Sam — started working at the Red Rabbit as a teenager, then took it over from his parents in 2017 after serving in the military and working other jobs. Berger’s grandparents opened the Red Rabbit in 1964 after his grandfather and his brothers had operated the BBQ Cottage (and had worked at the former Blue Pig at the same location), carhop restaurants in Harrisburg.

They purchased the building that houses the Red Rabbit, which had been a local chain called Distelfink — named for the Amish Hex sign of a bird — a sandwich and ice cream Bringing a tray out at Red Rabbit shop with no inside seating,

Sam Berger outside his family's drive-in eatery

and just a walk-up window with picnic tables outside.

“With their experience with carhop service, they figured that was the way to go and to identify themselves,” Berger said.

Berger mused over the Red Rabbit’s success where others have not survived locally, including the chain Sonic. “Our food is made when it is ordered. When someone places an order, their burger then goes on the grill,” Berger said, noting that the fast-food model might work for others, but his grandparents, then his parents, and now he never found that the way to go. “You need to make sure you keep the quality in the food and don’t try to push the food out too fast and cause the food to not be as good.”

Business hasn’t slowed for the Red Rabbit since the start of the pandemic, and along with limited dining options then Berger acknowledges the role that nostalgia also plays in the business’s success. “In busy times of today, it’s good to be able to slow down — to have a place to go that it’s not rush, rush, rush. The customers get an opportunity to sit in their cars, relax, and sort of wind down to a slower time,” he said.

As might be expected, Bunny Burgers and fries with Bunny Dust are the most popular items on the menu, along with milkshakes. The Bunny Burger is a ¼-pound beef patty with cheddar cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion, and the Red Rabbit’s mayonnaise-based sauce. The Bunny Dust that is sprinkled over fries is compromised of various seasonings. The menu is still mostly original with chicken sandwiches, a half of a fried chicken, chicken fingers and nuggets, and peanut butter milkshakes and Slush Puppies adding more modern fare.

Don't just cruise by Those who pass by the Red Rabbit, might also exit north onto Routes 11 and 15, just a quarter mile further down 322. A little more than 20 miles later, Route 104 North will meander off to the left and eight miles further on, those out daytrippin’ can take another food break at Cruiser’s Cafe in Mt. Pleasant Mills.

Cruiser’s is an original building for a Texaco station built in 1931.

The old Texaco sign and gas pumps still decorate the exterior of the sandwich and ice cream shop that sits at the corner of routes 104 and 35. The inside decor takes diners back to a 1950s soda fountain vibe with retro soda fountain counter stools covered in red naugahyde.

“A lot of people do come in and reminisce and listen to the music,” said manager Marisa Spade of Richfield. “It’s a mix of that, and just people traveling by. They go by here. They stop in, and say, ‘Oh my word! I’m so glad I found this place.’ ” With 16 flavors of Hershey’s hand-dipped ice cream that can be turned into sundaes, milkshakes, banana splits, and floats, it’s no surprise that ice cream is a favorite order here along with fish sandwiches, cheesesteaks, burgers, and fries.

“Overall, it’s just a fun place to work,” Spade said. “I used to work at Texas Roadhouse, so it’s different here. It’s fun to talk to customers that I’ve known for the many years that I’ve worked here.”

Cruisers Cafe is a step back in time.

Mountain retreat Nestled in the mountains of Lebanon County sits a shady oasis with a lake, trails for hiking and mountain biking, tennis courts and playgrounds, and a throwback Chautauqua community of cottages gathered around a vaulted conical-roofed outdoor auditorium where lectures, religious services, theater, and concerts are still held each summer. Since the late 1800s, summer visitors have streamed to Mt. Gretna and its landmark buildings, including the more than nearly 130-year-old Jigger Shop Ice Cream Parlor at 202 Gettysburg Ave., accessible by foot after parking just off Route 177, or Mt. Gretna Road.

The Seyfert family now owns the legacy of the longtime ice cream parlor and while ice cream might be the main attraction and the Seyferts don’t want to “mess with tradition,” they have also added some new hot foods to the menu including “a very cheesy cheesesteak” sandwich. The California cheeseburger is still a hot food favorite. On the ice cream side, the Jigger sundae (2½ scoops of vanilla ice cream with butterscotch, chocolate, and marshmallow sauces, and jigger nuts on top) is popular, and at the Jigger Shop, a lot of ice cream treats get malt added to them.

“We try to continue the legacy that has been built,” said Kyle Seyfert, who owns the Jigger Shop along with his wife Kortni, and his parents, Leon and Trudy Seyfert.

Seyfert believes that the nearby Lebanon Valley Rail Trail (which leads into the Conewago Recreation Trail) has helped business as a stop on the rail trail. “We’re more of a destination for people who come out to Gretna. We also have the lake next door. People come to visit the lake and stop in for lunch or dinner after. Also the theater,” Seyfert noted.

The Jigger Shop is closed during the winter, but opens each year in mid-May and is open six days a week (closed Mondays) through Labor Day, when it remains open on weekends until the end of September.

With the Mt. Gretna Outdoor Art Show returning Aug. 21 and 22, along with other programs including Chautauqua arts and crafts, Gretna Music, Gretna Theatre, a summer concert series, and more, the Jigger Shop is sure to enjoy a busy summer season.

Still guiding the way It’s not possible to drive up to the Old Sled Works in Duncannon and merely walk in the front door. Too much on the outside is beckoning first. An old forest fire lookout tower climbs high into the sky directly across the street “like the Kissing Tower of Duncannon,” according to the Old Sled Works owner Jimmy Rosen, who moved it from six miles down the river above Dauphin to his property 22 years ago when 322 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE JULY 2021 31

Memorabilia displayed within Old Sled Works in Duncannon

was widened. Along the street in front of the parking area, an old pull camper sports a sign reading “Perry County Hilton.” It sits behind a relic of a pickup truck with blue paint peeling from it and a bed filled with old weather-worn sleds. A rusted Gulf gas station pump sits between them.

Then, there’s the historical marker across the street south of the entrance that explains the history of the Sled Works, where the Lightning Guider sleds were produced between 1904 and 1990. It reads that “in 1920 the plant was credited with producing more children’s sleds than any other U.S. factory; its capacity was then 1,600 to 1,800 per day.” It’s here that on Wednesdays through Sundays between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. one can “buy back your memories.”

That’s the whole idea, according to Rosen. When his family officially closed the factory in 1990 (his father had bought it when he was 29 years old), Rosen envisioned an antique and craft market for vendors, but he wanted something that men would also enjoy. “Duncannon’s not a tourist mecca,” he said. “I tried to come up with little attractions.

With that came old televisions, vintage arcade machines … an old soda fountain. It wasn’t a boring, dusty antique market. I needed to do something different that I thought would reflect my interests.”

Rosen said the connection to the sleds has flamed the nostalgia for his business. “The old sled represents a part of Americana. To be able to walk through the factory and still see the red paint on the floor — there’s a nostalgia. I’m riding that wave.”

That wave has also washed up with a book that Rosen is currently promoting called “Got Gas?” His self-conceived and designed coffee table book includes a collection of photographs from the 1920s and ’30s of Central Pennsylvania gas stations including many from the Harrisburg area (one once sat in Market Square). He’s interspersed the book with essays from the times as well, including one about the female gas station attendants during World War II. Although the Old Sled Works is made up of more than 100 vendors (with even more on a waiting list) selling everything from antique bottles to spinning wheels to modern crafts, the store is also a museum complete with an Automobilorama that houses a handful of vintage vehicles including a police car and motorcycle, an old soda fountain, and a collection of vintage arcade machines. It also includes a room that pays homage to the history and craftsmanship of the Lightning Guider sleds.

“We were never going to be a huge business there,” Rosen said, but added, “It kept me employed for all these years. It was supposed to be a 2- to 3-year project. I was 26, and now I’m 56.”

32 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE JULY 2021

Restoring automotive memories At Horsepower Enterprises in Lancaster, general manager Peter Taraborelli warns that clients should bring in old vehicles to restore memories, not to gain value.

“Only a very few cars can be restored as investments,” he said. “Most cars are restored for sentimental reasons. We love both, but we really love the sentimental reasons — we get to be a part of that car’s story, that family’s stories.”

Among the stories is that of a Camaro they recently restored for a Vietnam veteran. “He and his wife took it on their honeymoon, he picked up his only daughter from the hospital in it. … We bring it back to life to look like it did when he came back from Vietnam in the late ’60s.”

Taraborellia said the employees enjoy working on a 1967 Lotus Cortina that a man is restoring to the condition it was in when his father brought it back from England. “He wants to just be able to drive it. He’s never going to get back the money he put into it, but he’ll have maybe a decade that he can drive around in his dad’s car, and it’s going to look like it just came back from England.”

Horsepower Enterprises offers sales, restoration, and service including full restorations of classic cars. Taraborellia said the company has restored a couple of 1957 Ford Skyliner retractable hardtop convertibles — quarter-million-dollar restorations. While the business occasionally sells restorations (mostly to help clients), car sales are the smallest part of the business. Restorations are precise and historical — every nut and bolt must be period correct — and can take as long as 2½ to 3 years to complete.

Of course, it’s only proper that this work is done inside a 1930s-era art deco Buick dealership on N. Prince Street in downtown Lancaster. Customers are primarily local or within a two- to threehour radius, but after some restorations went up for auction and fetched “insane amounts of money,” the Horespower name spread and brought in more business.

See Nostalgia on Page 34

A technician works on a restoration at Horsepower.

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Members of HARD work to block a jammer.

Women rally around benefits of today's roller derby

By Deborah Lynch dlynch@harrisburgmagazine.com

“This is not your grandma’s roller derby.”

Instead, grandma is playing. Roller derby from the day — when grandma was younger — conjured up images of fishnets and fights, but today’s sport is more athletic and less about riotous campiness.

Brenda Strauser, the 58-year-old founder of Keystone Roller Derby, a league based out of the Fountainblu Skating Arena in New Cumberland, says team members range in age from 18-58, and although she is not a grandma, other players are.

Keystone is a newer league that recently joined the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association, the governing body for the sport that is made up of 456 leagues on six continents. The first league in the Harrisburg area was Harrisburg Area Roller Derby, or HARD, based out of The Olympic in Enola, in 2006. Others in the Central Pennsylvania area include York Derby Dames, Dutchland Rollers (Lancaster), and Black Rose Rollers (Hanover).

WFTDA sets rules and governance for the leagues, many of which operate as nonprofits and are owned and run by the skaters themselves. Of those 456 leagues, maybe the top 100 will travel around the world to play in tournaments. At the level of play the Harrisburg area leagues play at, the leagues stay closer to home, playing similarly ranked leagues, hoping some day to move up in rankings. What that means is that local leagues mostly play other local leagues, although some will travel around Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland, and maybe even an occasional trip to Florida. They also play inter-league scrimmages to create different types of competition.

Back to grandma’s roller derby though. The stereotype from the 1970s and ’80s was more that of a punk rocker with a mohawk and an attitude. It featured punching and elbowing, and was more like “wrestling on roller skates,”

but today, Khara Williams of Harrisburg Area Roller Derby said it’s none of that. Today, it’s mostly hip checks or shoulder checks that are allowed. It’s skated on a flat track as opposed to the bank track of the past. In many cases, it is a much slower game.

A typical roller derby bout lasts about an hourand-a-half with two 30-minute halves. It consists of actions called jams — sort of like plays in football. A jam can last a maximum of two minutes or end sooner if the lead jammer calls it off.

The lead jammers are identifiable by the stars on their helmet covers (in different colors).

The jammer’s role is to skate and push her way through the four blockers from the other team — each team only ever has five players on the track at a time. If a jammer breaks through the logjam of blockers, she skates around the track. The first jammer to get through the opposing team’s blockers is the lead jammer and controls the clock. Because she can call off a jam at any time (for instance, she might do this if the other team’s jammer breaks through), the game becomes more strategic.

One blocker on each team is designated as pivot, identifiable by a stripe on the helmet cover. The jammer can pass off the jammer helmet to the pivot to take over as jammer, creating even more strategy. The pivot is always playing both offense and defense, so needs to be a more seasoned player.

Points are scored after a team’s jammer passes everyone once. On the second pass around the track, the jammer starts to score points (one point for each opposing team player passed).

Bout scores vary depending on whether a team has good defense. Some bouts end in the 30s and 40s while others can go into the 300s.

While this is not your grandma’s roller derby, remnants of punk Riot Girrrl derby remain.

See Derby on Page 36 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE JULY 2021 33

Haar's Drive-In and auction house Nostalgia, continued from Page 32

Driving to the movies Haar’s Drive-In in Dillsburg is a third-generation survivor.

Opened in 1952, the drivein movie theater joined an auction house that started in the late 1930s. The third generation of sisters Vickie Hardy and Connie Darbrow, and their cousin Sandra Haar have been operating it with spouses since 2003. Their grandfather built the business, but after he died in 1972, it went to his four children, who ran it until 2002 when they sold the property to Ahold Delhaize USA/Giant. In March 2003, this third generation secured an open-ended lease to continue running the business.

Two years ago, a sign appeared on the property, unbeknownst to the family, listing the property for sale. “That created a lot of concern and conversation in our community,” Hardy said. “Everyone was so upset.” The story ended well, she said, when someone purchased it and continued the lease with the family for another 10 years. “Then we’ll see what happens after that,” she said.

Hardy said the business grew out of her grandfather’s dream of being in a carnival. That vision morphed into a drive-in — drive-ins were in existence” in the ‘30s, but they weren’t big. Her grandfather wanted “bigger and better” and a 500-vehicle drive-in was created. “When my grandfather did things, he didn’t do it small,” she said with a laugh.

The original screen “might have still been up to this day, but it started to get dilapidated and we put up a new one in 2016,” she said.

When the drive-in started, the theater operated all winter long with heaters in the speakers.

Once a 7-day-a-week operation, the drive-in now operates only three days a week from Memorial Day through Labor Day (although Covid

34 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE JULY 2021

Disco is still big at The Fountainblu in New Cumberland.

extended last season and brought an earlier opening this season).

The drive-in opened in May last year thanks to a deal with Amazon with a special Amazon premiere movie, The Vast of the Night. Some onscreen concert nights are planned this season and might include local entertainment to precede the screen shows.

The drive-in has a long history of hosting bands and concerts including Elvis impersonators, local bands, and country music acts.

This year, it is catering more to new release movies.

Part of the auction house was originally a roller rink although it was built to house a carousel. The skating rink opened in the late ’50s and operated until the mid-’80s.

Auctions are still held every Monday night with three auction rings.

One has tools and box lots, another has furniture, and the third has collectibles and antiques. More than 250-300 people can spread safely through the web of large rooms.

Hardy said she and her family are proud to have been able to continue a long family business. “Not only are we honored to continue to operate a family business, but we’re also proud we can give families support — to give them somewhere to come out for an evening of entertainment.” She also noted the service provided by the auction to families who are downsizing or emptying homes after deaths. “Both businesses are a help to our community.”

She said she frequently has customers tell her “I met my wife here” and recount their first dates and skating trips. They even had a movie screen proposal. “A lot of people come and go down memory lane.”

Rolling in memories Diane and Bob Schiazza are also third generation owners. Bob’s grandfather started a roller rink in the Philadelphia area in the 1940s.

They have owned the Fountainblu in New Cumberland for 26 years.

Many of the adult skaters have skated with them since they were kids. To keep that base coming in, the rink features a retro night on the last Saturday of the month when they play older music and “roll” through the decades of the best skating music. “We see so many generations of skaters who were teens when we first bought the rink bringing their kids back now,” Diane Schiazza said.

Public skates are held on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. The rink also hosts special events, holiday skates, parties, fitness classes (like aerobics), and a roller derby league, Keystone Roller Derby.

“The ’70s was definitely the heyday” for skating, Schiazza said, noting that rollerblades came on the scene.

“It’s cyclical. Right now, roller skating is really hot. With Covid, people wanted to be more physically active. Roller skating is something they could do outside and inside. It’s a good workout. Almost anybody can learn. And, it’s fun.”

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Keystone derby members plan strategy.

Derby, continued from Page 33

Owners Diane and Bob Schiazza at Fountainblu

Just as the sport is throwback, so too is their building. Schiazza said the rink used to be tennis courts that were converted to a rink in the 1970s. Some of the clay tennis court is still visible in the skate room, and the main floor is a maple floor, something new rinks can’t afford. The building’s previous owner also brought collectibles from old Harrisburg buildings into the structure giving it a perfect nostalgic vibe.

When Covid restrictions started to ease, Schiazza said the community came back in support.

“It does bring back a lot of happy memories for the older skaters who come back.”

The area does have other nostalgic businesses including more roller rinks and drive-in theaters along with a myriad of antique dealers. Let us know about your special finds. 7 For hours and menu from the Red Rabbit, go to www.redrabbitdrivein.com/Red_Rabbit_ Drive_In/Welcome.html.

Cruiser’s Cafe menu and information is available at https://cruisers-cafe.com.

Learn about the Jigger Shop at www. jiggershop.com.

More information on Mt. Gretna events is available at http://mtgretna.com/things-to-do.

For more on the Old Sled Works, go to www. sledworks.com.

Information about Jimmy Rosen’s book is available at www.facebook.com/gotgasbook.

To learn more about Horsepower Enterprises, go to www.horsepowerenterprisesllc.com.

For more on Haar’s Drive-In, go to www. haars.com/drive-in.

Times and skating programs at the Fountainblu can be found at www.fountainblu.com.

Most leagues wear jerseys, but bottoms are often the player’s choice and can vary from leggings to shorts to skirts. Some players still pull on the fishnet stockings, too, and sport tattoos or colorful hair. Even more fun are the alter-ego names that many players have kept.

Strauser is a veteran roller derby player, and that means she has a derby name. She started playing in 2006 in Harrisburg as one of the four founding members of that league, then decided to try a higher level of play. She made the Charm City Roller Girls in Baltimore for several years, then dropped to a lower level in Downingtown with Brandywine Roller Derby. As she got older, she decided to come back to the Harrisburg area and to create a new league that could be an incubator for the sport — creating Keystone in 2017 including its junior league for those 7-17.

Formerly known as Dosa Badazz, Strauser had to adapt her name to be more family friendly in Keystone, where she is now known as Dosa Badazzle. She plays alongside Blair “Blair Knuckles” Lawrence, who is vice president of Keystone. “I coach fresh meat,” Lawrence said of the name for new skaters. She is the coach for the league’s Derby 101 program.

Roller Derby 101 starts with the basics, from putting on a new pair of skates, to learning how to stride, to learning how to fall safely. Lawrence says she loves coaching and that ironically, “I am a very clumsy person off of skates. I feel like roller derby has helped me get used to falling down without getting hurt in real life. I’ve skated with a ton of women who are grandmas. You’re never too old for it.”

Williams of HARD echoes the value of roller derby. “I think that a lot of women get scared by the idea of playing in the sport. You go through a training program. It’s a great way to make friends. It builds up athleticism, stamina, strength — it’s a great way to stay in shape,” she said.

Players from both Keystone and HARD talk about the camaraderie of the sport that they don’t see as much in other sports. “It’s definitely made me a stronger person — both physically and emotionally and mentally,” Lawrence said. “It’s a beautiful connection

you get with people that signed up to hit each other for fun.”

Strauser said she has developed lifetime friendships through derby. “They tend to be people like you. The bonds that develop are really incredible to watch,” she said.

These people like her are women from all walks of life including parents, students, teachers, managers, doctors, nurses, artists, writers, musicians, warehouse workers, and more.

Lawrence said that rather than the circusy sideshow with lots of partying of the past, present-day roller derby is more about teams coming together to share drinks and food and laughter after a really physical game.

Sure, the campy aspect of the sport makes it fun and provides an escape, but today’s players like that they are getting a serious workout in a much safer game. Some of the higher level league players might choose to forgo the nickname, but at lower levels, many of the players still like them. “If I have this tough nickname, it convinces me that I’m super tough when in reality, I’m not that tough,” Lawrence said.

Williams of HARD, who goes by Rocky Galboa, said that most people at their lower level of play do take names saying “it’s a rite of passage.” Some of her teammates are De’Molish’Her, Grace HopHer, Rockabilly Knockout, and Ms. Take.

Keystone is hoping to have a return to action in the near future (its junior league has a different sanctioning body; WFTDA has not officially called for teams to resume yet), but both leagues acknowledge that the time off for Covid means players will have to get their derby feet back again, so to speak. They won’t be moving quickly into competition, but hope to have scrimmages by the end of the year.

For more information about Keystone Derby League, see www.keystonerollerderby. com or check it out on Facebook at @ KeystoneRollerDerby and Instagram at keystonerollerderby. For more information on Harrisburg Area Roller Derby, see www. harrisburgarearollerderby.com or on Facebook at @HARDderby or Instagram at hard_derby. 7 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE JULY 2021 35

CITY CORNER STORES SERVE UP PERSONALITY Story and Photos by Deborah Lynch dlynch@harrisburgmagazine.com

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stuffed animal is strapped to a corner utility pole with flowers and other mementoes. Similar memorials to those who lost their lives to violence pop up around the city. In these neighborhoods that outsiders might see as being unsafe or down on their luck, business thrives.

People come and go all hours of the day to the myriad of corner stores and neighborhood bodegas that pop up all over the city. Naming them all would be nearly impossible, especially since some of them don’t even have names printed on signs outside the establishments. What’s certain, however, is that they are the pulse of their neighborhoods, where people can find what they need, shoot the breeze, and meet up with others all day long.

When milk runs out for the morning coffee, suburbanites either have to go without or begrudgingly throw on some shoes, hop in the car and drive to a gas station or grocery to pick up a gallon. Harrisburgers in many neighborhoods — Uptown and Allison Hill in particular — often have to walk less than a block to refresh their refrigerators and pantries.

Corner stores and bodegas are providing a service that’s almost as good as the proverbial cup of sugar from the next-door neighbor — often served with the same neighborly banter, too.

At Zee Mart on N. 4th and Harris streets in Midtown, juices, cigarettes, and blunt cigars are the most purchased items. It’s the second-hand finds though that create the charm of this corner establishment with a faded Hershey’s ice cream sign and no store name outside it. A set of four matching hubcaps sit in a line on the floor against a display across from the cash register.

Brendan Finegan, who has worked for owner “Raj” for a few months, but knew him for years, noted that this corner store “is probably one of the more unique ones,” adding “that’s why I like working here.”

Finegan said they will help clear out old homes and bring some of the stash into the store to sell. They have a large collection of used DVDs, for example. “We take things off people’s hands,” he said. He enjoys haggling with customers on the prices of these one-of-a-kind finds.

Bart Swartz of Virginia, whose family is a distributor of beverages, is unloading some of those popular juices and listens with interest to conversations about the market’s inventory. “If you want to hear some stories from the streets of Harrisburg, I have some — both good and bad,” he said, and provided his number. Swartz said distributors in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia weren’t interested in serving these Harrisburg markets, so his family business based out of Baltimore took over the territory.

“Most corner stores end up being the place where people who don’t want to go to the gas station for their drinks will go — they can walk here,” Finegan noted of their clientele.

Finegan says he lives across the street from Zee Mart and has worked at warehouses, helped move things into the corner store, and just likes being there. A self-proclaimed Libertarian, he bemoans the hoops he has been going through with the state Department of Agriculture in an effort to take ServeSafe classes for food service safety certification. “Do you know how hard it is to get that?” he complained, noting costs and inspection requirements that small establishments must meet in order to add food preparation to expand their businesses.

As Finegan elaborated, a customer came in and asked the owner if he 36 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE JULY 2021

sold stamps and how much.

“Seventy-five cents?” she asked incredulously, then mumbled under her breath as she bought one. “That’s highway robbery.”

The real thoroughfare for corner stores and bodegas runs through N. 6th Street from Maclay to Division streets where some blocks have more than one.

Young’s Market (known online as Nana LLC) has been on the first block of 6th Street off Maclay going north for 30-plus years, but has been owned the past two years by the Oh family. Jay and his father Suk Oh were working there recently and described what is a more full-service Miguel Guzaman (left) and a relative grocery for the neighborhood. at Antonio Grocery.

“Anything you can think of, we got it,” Jay Oh said, adding, “except car products.” He said the full-service deli is popular and that in addition to sliced meats and cheeses to make sandwiches at home, his father can also make any sandwich anyone requests. “Dad’s the boss,” he said.

He said business is steady throughout the day with mostly neighborhood residents patronizing the store. “We’re here for the older generation and the kids,” he said, acknowledging that Young’s doesn’t carry as many tobacco products as other bodegas in the area.

Another thing they can offer that sets them apart is making keys.

Landlords and others use that service frequently.

Although neighbors are the regulars, Oh did note that he has seen more unfamiliar faces in the past year — many who come in for subs.

“The personality shows,” he said of his family’s market.

Less than a block away, the bright yellow painted edifice of Antonio’s Grocery beckons at the corner of 6th and Woodbine streets.

This establishment is busy all day long, said two-year owner Miguel Guzaman. “People come from all over” to his store, he said.

Why? His sandwiches are made to order from fresh ingredients and are known throughout the city, especially by the Spanish community, he said.

The store has the usual candy display by the cash register, cigarettes behind the counter, and a wall of drinks. A CAT driver walked in to order his sandwich, his big blue bus parked at the curb out front of the store.

A few blocks down, Victor Rivas operates his second establishment

“Anything you can think of, we got it.”

— Jay Oh in the city. In 2009, he opened his first at 14th and Vernon streets, then moved it across the street into the former Harry’s Tavern, a Harrisburg landmark. Just as he changed that area with his well-stocked grocery and deli including hot breakfast and lunch foods, he has done the same at Major League Deli & Grill at the corner of Schuylkill and 6th streets.

Playing off the theme of professional sports leagues, the exterior of the deli is brightly colored with murals of sports leagues and food painted on the brick walls along with full-sized photos of menu items. Rivas’ friendly smile greets customers, and he deftly handles an interview while preparing an enticing-looking BLT for a customer.

The customer waiting patiently for her BLT recounted running into other customers thrilled to find one-of-a-kind purchases at the bodega. In particular, she remembered a woman who said she’d been all over the city before finding a mortar and pestle-like wooden mug behind the counter at Major League. It sat on a high shelf alongside hookahs, with cigarettes and vape packs below.

In the same display, customers could find combs, scissors, bath soap, cold medicine, and more. Along with these incidentals, fresh deli meats, eggs, and plenty of Goya products line the shelves. The deli also stocks delicacies from Cousin Keef’s including carrot cake, sweet potato pie, and peach cobbler.

As for the sandwiches, Rivas says they are always freshly made. His most popular offerings are omelettes, homemade cheesesteaks, and Tostones — the Spanish specialties, he said.

Rivas, a big Yankees fan given his Bronx, NY, heritage, has lived in Harrisburg since 2009. Along with his corner store at 14th and Vernon, he has recently purchased the Lucky Seven bar on Maclay street with plans to convert that bar into a deli, just as he did with the other two.

Along with his fresh deli food, Rivas said customers will like “the friendly group of people working here.”

These are just a few of the many corner stores and bodegas that line the city streets. On 4th Street, MiniMarket IV stays busy all day with people from the neighborhood stopping by. Also on the 6th street corridor, El Cabral Grocery features candy at the counter and a steady stream of customers.

A young boy offered a dollar in payment for his Pepsi, only to be told it was $1.25.

The woman waiting behind him in line to get cash to play the machines said she would cover it, but to remember that it was $1.25 next time. “My mom only gave me a dollar,” he said with a sweet smile as he headed out the door.

And, the owner knows he will be back, just as the personable owners of all of these community lifelines know their customers will be back again and again to quench their thirsts for fruit drinks, caffeine, tobacco, sandwiches, and camaraderie. 7

Victor Rivas at Major League Deli & Grill

Brendon Finegan works at Zee Mart

ALLISON HILL BODEGAS FUEL INNER-CITY NEIGHBORHOOD

By Paul Hood

For Harrisburg Magazine

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arrisburg is a comfortable small city where locals know each neighborhood in the city has a corner store. Whether tucked away on a side street or visible from the car while driving along busy streets, these havens of convenience dot the city limits, offering frequent customers a place to grab odds and ends daily. Talking to residents, it’s clear their fondness for stores that offer anything from food to snacks and sometimes made-toorder sandwiches. Varying in size, some focus on smaller items, such as things someone may have forgotten to pick up while perusing the aisle of bigger stores like Giant or Aldi.

The history of corner stores (or as some refer to them, bodega — a Spanish term for a wine cellar, bar and/or grocery) dates back to the 1940s and ’50s, when Hispanic and Caribbean immigrants arrived in New York City shortly after World War II. In need of places offering items familiar to their culture and homeland, immigrants began opening convenience stores throughout the city. Today, in most cities near and far from Harrisburg, bodegas are as common as potholes, noise and traffic.

These stores, scattered throughout the city of Harrisburg have — over the years — leveled-up in appearance and things offered.

HARRISBURG MAGAZINE JULY 2021 37

PHOTO BY PAUL HOOD

PHOTO BY PAUL HOOD

From 13th and Derry streets to 17th, South Allison Hill has become a haven for multicultural provisions. Varying in size and amenities, these are not your grandma or grandpa’s corner stores, and each has a uniqueness that confirms the ethnic diversity for which South Allison Hill is known.

Harrisburg’s densely populated section, Allison Hill, is home to 3,369 residents (according to the latest census) where stores litter the cityscape. Grabbing attention with lights and colorful signs, the newer stores demand those driving through main arteries to take a look — or even stop in. The older stores, hidden on corners of narrow streets less traveled by those heading east toward the suburbs, sit tucked away and are easy to miss unless one is on foot.

Others are more visible and busy, such as neighborhood staples like Min and Jay Store, located on the corner of 17th and Regina streets. Min and Jay, currently under new ownership and undergoing a complete renovation, reveals changes soon-to-come as construction materials and the sound of a table saw fill the air inside. Entering, one is greeted by the beginning of new flooring in a place that supplies 38 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE JULY 2021

locals with odds and ends that help get them through the day, the week, the year … even through life.

“This store is good for the area,” says Felix, a Brooklyn, NY, transplant who relocated to Harrisburg to build a new life for himself and family.

“This is a place for families and you can buy property here much easier,” Felix added, clutching his newly purchased pineapple flavored White Owl Cigars. “This store reminds me of the one on my block back home.”

Store manager Jose Ali, nine months fresh to the state capital from Upper Darby, PA, is known as friendly and helpful to locals. “He’s just a good dude,” says Felix. “They’re making this spot really nice for the people that live here.”

Less than a mile away, in the south eastern part of Allison Hill, Vanessa’s Convenience Store located at 1501 Derry Street, sits on the corner of 15th and Derry streets. The small but welcoming sign is one part of the big heart this store has for the community, and her Facebook page backs this up, with pictures of fresh meats and Spanish food. “The Hill reminds me of Brooklyn in the ’80s,” owner Vanessa Marcano says about New York City’s bodega-friendly borough. Marcano, born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, was only 1 year old when her family moved to Brooklyn. As she grew older and started a family herself, Brooklyn’s skyrocketing rent and struggling schools made her consider a change.

“When we first moved here, we lived in Hershey,” she says.

True to her upbringing in Brooklyn and the allure of lower rental prices and her passion for making hair bows for children, she was urged to move to Harrisburg and open a business.

“I wanted to do something here because at the time there was nothing here like what I was offering at the time,” Marcano says, adding the ups and downs of the neighborhood have yet to sway her.

“A guy got hit right out front of my store while riding his bike,” she says, noting she’s spoken to city officials on many occasions requesting a stop sign or light be placed near 15th and Derry streets.

Her store is small, yet mighty (proof of this is damage on the side of the store made when sideswiped by a car) and is neatly stocked with the usual items: chips, sodas, cigarettes, and even hardware items, a rarity in neighborhood corner stores.

“My empanadas are my best seller,” she beams, a claim solidified by a customer coming in to purchase the golden brown deliciousness fresh out of the oven during the interview.

“There’s about forty five bodegas in Harrisburg,” Marcano says, “I’d like to think mine is different.” It’s more than just a corner bodega to Marcano, who’s current home is located on the top floor of the building. “Some of the owners have a business here but choose to live outside of the city,” says Marcano, as she promises to one day become part of Harrisburg’s Mural Fest sponsored by Sprocket Mural Works.

“I’m going to get two of those planters outside and have the children in the area decorate it,” she says.

“I want to continue to change things for the better,” Marcano adds, referring to Harrisburg’s gun violence and lack of positive outlets for Harrisburg’s youth. “Something needs to be done, but sometimes it feels like no one does anything.”

The sentiment about cheaper rent and a better life is also echoed

by M&G Mini Market Manager, Juan Monegro. M&G Mini Market, located directly on the fork of Mulberry and Derry Streets — AKA Mulder Square — appears as one of the stores frequented only by its nearby residents. It’s small and offers the usual fare: sandwiches, WIC, coffee, ice cream, soda, fruits, ATM. Monegro, originally from West Chester, NY, laughs when asked what items are commonly purchased, “... cigarettes, cigars … our subs,” he says with a thick Hispanic accent.

More than convenience, the multitude of corner stores in the city of Harrisburg offer a sense of pride. They act as community batteries, refueling minds, bodies, and souls, and offering hope and necessity to a part of Harrisburg seemingly foreign to developers and residents in other neighborhoods. 7

HARRISBURG MAGAZINE JULY 2021 39

Artful Inspirations Around Us

Creative freeze tag opens new opportunities for transplanted artist

By Christina Heintzelman

cheintzelman@benchmarkmediallc.com

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PHOTOS SUBMITTED

annah Dobek began her public artistic career in 2011 as a living statue.

After moving to the Harrisburg area from New York state, she said she cultivated her artistic ideas while taking care of her two children. She didn’t yet know many creative people in the area.

“I came up with the idea of marketing myself for events as a living statue under the pseudonym Highway Hannah. I wanted to meet other artistic people and build my confidence in my artistic abilities and this seemed like a great idea. I knew it would be a good way of building confidence by stepping into another persona – becoming someone else by the outfit I put on.”

Her first job doing this was during the 2011 Millennium Music Conference in Harrisburg. “After the initial gig turned into a huge success, I got more offers to perform at other events, including street fairs and festivals, even a few weddings. I created a new character each time. This helped boost my creative brand and was a nice caveat into the visual art I was trying to hash out,” she said.

Hannah laughingly adds, "I no longer take gigs as a living statue as my joints are getting too old to hold those poses for hours."

In 2015, Dobek used her talents of morphing into other entities for a photo series in a location-centric narrative with local photographer, Nicole Dube. The photo series was shot at the old Pennhurst Asylum, outside of Pottstown, which has been used as a local horror attraction.

The series was called “The Janitor at Pennhurst.”

“We wanted to do something that was a little counter to the horror process, but still acknowledging the dark past of the hospital,” Dobek said. “Old buildings that have been the site of so much pain and trauma just ooze with that sad, dark energy. We were trying to acknowledge that in a compassionate and interesting way. The horror and torture are still there — you can feel it. We tried to bring in the light and play with mythical ideas. The results were very reflective, rather than rolling with the existing cliché.”

Dobek was raised in a creative family — her parents were both musicians and her sister married an artist who introduced her to Dada, an art movement formed after WWI that is often satirical and subversive. She was homeschooled from 7th through 12th grades and was fortunate in having a private art teacher as part of her curriculum.

As part of her work with her art teacher, she became interested in decoupage and mixed media, and at age 15 she began covering every surface with pictures. Early on she realized that in art “however you want to do it is OK.” “I am self-taught and still learning how to do various creative processes. I love working on becoming a better artist and connecting to people around me and having them connect to my art. I try to keep my pieces on a universal level where anyone can see themselves in my art. I am not political in my art, but rather I am perceptive, and I want to be a story-teller,” Dobek said.

As Dobek’s interests grew in visual arts, so did her list of favorite influencers and the impact they have on her artistry. Dobek describes 40 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE JULY 2021

“I knew it would be a good way of building confidence by stepping into another persona – becoming someone else by the outfit I put on.”

— Hannah Dobek

herself this way, “I often feel primitive, as if I am going back to the era of cave painting. I know that I am in a state of altered consciousness as I am creating. I think of Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell in this regard because of their writings on mythology and archetypes that exist within our subconsciousness.

“Even though many think of Jung and Campbell as male centric, I view them as writing about female and male with the genderless between that allows you to search for who you are in different ages of your life. I consider this to be the left-hand path because it forces me to forge my own path of authenticity with myself.”

Amy Earle, who creates nostalgic yet “askew” art as a form of communication, is the female artist Dobek most relates to in the real world. “Amy’s work speaks to me because she feels out of sync with others and often retreats into that area of subconsciousness where you remain at the internal child. By retreating into this, I can project myself, but I also can create a view that is filtered through that lens.”

Artist, flutist, and ceremonial dancer Woody Crumbo also figures significantly in Dobek’s interests as she has a small amount of Native American lineage. “Crumbo faced many challenges and obstacles, but always maintained a positive outlook on life as he stayed true to his heritage, stories and paintings. From him I learned that we are always in a spiritual relationship with our lives and our work.”

Dobek does not want to think of her work in a specific genre, saying, “I don’t want to be ‘genrefied.’ I am an intuitive artist who does not approach my art with an absolute idea, I believe my art has its own voice and I am just the channel of that voice.”

Her style runs the gamut from soft inviting work to stark, haunting visual themes. Dobek works in many mediums as well — acrylic paintings on canvas; mixed media and acrylic; and assemblages formed using found objects such as dolls, twigs, game pieces, etc. that might be added to a painting or worked together into a wall-mounted sculpture.

She is a partner with Richard Reilly, both in life and in the Metropolis Collective located in Mechanicsburg. Reilly is a well-known entity in music and partners with the Central Pennsylvania Music Hall of Fame to bring live music to the gallery with art sales being tied into musical events.

Dobek does commission work and has a presence through her Facebook and Instagram pages, Hannah Dobek and Metropolis Collective.

She is planning a website for the near future. 7

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Hannah Dobek as a living statue.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Hannah Dobek

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Photo apart of “The Janitor at Pennhurst.”

HARRISBURG MAGAZINE JULY 2021 41

Artful Inspirations Around Us

Pastry chef’s untapped painting talent takes time to rise to inspiration Story and Photos by Christina Heintzelman cheintzelman@benchmarkmediallc.com

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lide Hower is well-known in the area as the artistic pastry chef and co-owner, along with Qui Qui Musarra and Staci Basore, of the trifecta of restaurants: Rubicon, Mangia Qui, and Suba, all located on 3rd and North streets in Harrisburg. Hower is also an accomplished artist whose work is exhibited not only in Mangia Qui, but also in private collections all around the United States.

Born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in a family of six children, Hower says her siblings were all very creative in painting and drawing.

She did not feel the same type of creativity, and decided to spend time with her grandmother in Bom Sucesso — meaning good luck — a very rustic village with no running water. Her grandmother was a fantastic cook and baker, who helped to cultivate Hower’s first creative love.

“I remember the windows in my grandmother’s small home opened out into the street and we used these to create a walk-up window to sell the baked goods that we prepared,” Hower says. “I was very shy, so this became a good way for me to talk to people for short periods of time.”

“By learning to bake, I learned the process of creativity,” Hower said.

“I could look at a recipe or a picture of a baked good and think about what would happen if I changed a few ingredients or the look of the final product to make it truly my own.”

Fast forward to 1984 in Hower’s life, and she and her 3-year-old daughter are now living in New York City. “I traveled to the United States 42 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE JULY 2021

for vacations and felt drawn to New York City because it has the same intensity as Rio, and I had already made a few friends along the way,” she said. “I stayed for three years, working as a personal chef for a family.”

By 1987, Hower was ready to return to the countryside, and moved to Harrisburg. “After Rio and New York City, Harrisburg felt like the countryside and I knew I had found a peaceful and loving place to put down roots.” She started her own business called “Break Time,” which consisted of her delicious homemade foods packed into a truck and delivered to various businesses for breakfasts and lunches.

In 2001, she began working for Mangia Qui, which had recently opened, and upon looking at the large available walls, decided that now might be the time to work on her painting skills.

“I went to Dick Blick in Lemoyne, and since I had no idea what I needed I bought everything — acrylics, oils, watercolors, pens, and huge pieces of canvas as I knew I wanted to work big. I then began to think about what I would use for my inspiration and upon thinking I realized that I wanted to draw on my past and paint my memories.”

She also drew on her baking skills and how she made desserts into her own creations by applying the same idea to painting: “I see a scene of something that appeals to me and I give it my own interpretation; the scene is a reference, but I make it my own creation which is unique to me.”

Hower describes her art genre as Impressionist. “Many of my paintings

Look for Hower at Streatery, a new market stand located in Broad Street Market. Streatery joins the Rubicon, Mangia Qui, and Suba family of fine eateries with Hower in the role of operator and manager, showcasing a unique assortment of on-the-go food. have houses in them because for me a house, a home represents life and something concrete, life starts in the home, and I believe it can help determine destiny. Different houses can also represent different personalities.”

Colors are important to Hower because she believes that she can express feelings and emotions better by using colors rather than shapes to create inviting, calm, and peaceful sentiments. Hower never paints full faces in her pieces as she feels that the emotions normally expressed in the face will be expressed fully in the colors, setting, and pose of the figure. She thinks emotions are important in the purchase of art, too, and that art should not be purchased solely to decorate a space, but rather should create an emotional tie between the purchaser and the piece of art.

Hower uses this same personal creativity to prepare the delicious desserts for her restaurants. “They are simple desserts but definitely my own creation. For me, the taste is everything; it can have a simple appearance but at the same time be the most delicious dessert you have ever tasted.”

Her experience as a pastry chef and artist has also informed her management style with staff at the restaurants. Along with the other two owners, she helped create a space for waitstaff, cooks, and bartenders to learn about the restaurant business through all its phases, providing them with training to move forward with experience and confidence. The efforts of these three women business owners come totally from the heart.

Hower’s business acumen along with her artist sentiment informs her vision for art in Harrisburg. “We live in an area with many local artists, and it is important for not only businesses, but also the city, to support and give exposure to these artists through exhibits, fairs, and pop-up galleries.

Third in The Burg has been a great way to help artists get the necessary exposure for sales, but we need more to happen to grow and sustain our local artisans through difficult times.”

Hower’s art is currently exhibited on the walls of Mangia Qui restaurant. 7 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE JULY 2021 43

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HARRISBURG MAGAZINE JULY 2021 45

NOMINATE A BARTENDER

B

artenders are known as listeners in the community. They craft a great cocktail or pour a beer or glass of wine while they listen to their customers. We are interested in both their stories and their mixologist skills. Nominate a favorite bartender who mixes memorable drinks by submitting contact information and a brief paragraph explaining why this bartender is one of the best and submit to Harrisburg Magazine at dlynch@harrisburgmagazine.com.

46 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE JULY 2021

Taste This

Cheese Steak

Sub

Patriot Pizoli

It’s all about family and community at Patriot Pizza Story and Photos By Deborah Lynch dlynch@harrisburgmagazine.com

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any customers recognize the owners of Patriot Pizza in Etters, sisters Graziella “Grace” Badalamemti and Vincenza “Nancy” Bircher, from their years working with their parents at USA&I, also in Etters. The sisters opened Patriot Pizza in 2017, and their parents sold USA&I in 2019 to Joe Paino.

Patriot Pizza took its name not only from the nearby Redland High School mascot, but also to honor the military. Bircher’s husband, Matthew Bircher, graduated from Redland in 2001 and is also in the military. These close connections also carry over to their involvement in the community. “We host a lot of fundraisers for scholastic and sport organizations in the area at Patriot Pizza as well as have donated food to local churches or families in need, especially during COVID,” Bircher said.

All of that translates into a loyal fan base, who come not only for the community connections, but for the food that they rave about. As lead chef, Bircher says she learned everything from her parents, but has created her own specialties as well, including the Pizoli, which started out of convenience and graduated to menu staple after a joking post to her personal Facebook page took on a life of its own with requests to serve it to customers.

Bircher had asked her husband whether he wanted pizza or stromboli for dinner, and he said he couldn’t decide. She couldn’t either, so she stretched the side of the pizza dough

into a wrap like a stromboli, and the Pizoli was born. “Since then,” Bircher said, “we had one close friend, Vinny from Amici Pizza in Mechanicsburg, PA, reach out and ask if he could start selling it in his shop. It has been a success for both of us!”

Other popular menu items include Italian subs, cheesesteaks, Buffalo chicken wraps, Big Daddy Salad (named after Coach Rob Gildea who is battling ALS), and crab dip pizza, among many others. All dough is made fresh multiple times a day from a simple family recipe that’s been used for more than 30 years, as are the marinara and pizza sauces. The cheesesteak resembles a chop cheese with grilled vegetables and sirloin steak slices chopped together, then mixed with American cheese (or a cheese of the customer’s choice). “Every item at Patriot Pizza is made to order, and as long as we have what the customer asks for, we will put it on for them,” Bircher said. 7

Harrisburg Magazine staff reviews of Patriot Pizza “I liked it all! 5 stars! I loved the combination of a pizza and a stromboli (in the Pizoli).

The food was excellent. The sub sandwiches were filled with cheese, lunch meat, and delicious homemade bread.” — JoAnn Shover, Account Executive “I loved the cheese and sauce (on the Grandma Pizza). I like fresh tomatoes and garlicflavored sauce. The crust was well balanced.”

— Mike Jurosky, Account Executive “I never heard of [the Pizoli] before. It is a folded pizza dough. It isn’t crispy — more of a stromboli dough. It looks really cool as a folded pizza and has lots of ham filling with cheese. It definitely has everything I associate with a pizza business — lots and lots of dough!” — Christina Heintzelman, Director of Operations “The pizza was very tasty. It had great sauce.”

— Darwin Oordt, President/CEO

WANT TO BE PART OF TASTE THIS FRIDAY?

Any Harrisburg area restaurants who would like to participate can submit ideas to dlynch@ harrisburgmagazine.com.

“The cheesesteak was my favorite. It was creamy and cheesy with all the ingredients mixed together like a chop cheese. It stood out from a Philly Cheesesteak.” — Deborah Lynch, Editor 7

HARRISBURG MAGAZINE JULY 2021 47

Patriot Pizza & Subs, Inc.

Website: https://facebook.com/ patriotpizzaandsubs Address: 601B Old York Rd., Etters, PA 17319 Phone: 717-932-2202 Open (Days/Hours): M-Th 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m., Friday 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m.-9 p.m., closed Sundays.

Takeout/Delivery Info: Dine-in and takeout available (we do not deliver) No outdoor dining Years in service: 4 Busiest Times: 11 a.m.-1 p.m., 5 - 7 p.m.

Chef: Vincenza Bircher Most popular dishes: Pizoli, Chicken Marsala pizza, Grandma pizza, Cheesesteaks, Italian subs, & Buffalo Chicken Pizza, Wraps, and Subs.

Price range: $4-$21 BYOB Owners: Graziella Badalamenti & Vincenza Bircher

48 HARRISBURG MAGAZINE JULY 2021

How to create your own Grandma Pizza

Although Nancy Bircher didn’t share her tried and true family recipe for pizza sauce or dough, pizza dough recipes are available with a quick Google search or prepared dough is available at most groceries. She did, however, share the recipe for the delectable Grandma Pizza, a favorite at Patriot Pizza.

Grandma Pizza

INGREDIENTS: Olive oil Fresh minced garlic Oregano Black pepper 12-16 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese Pizza sauce Pizza dough Preheat the oven to 525 degrees Fahrenheit. Stretch out pizza dough into desired shape. Spread olive oil and fresh minced garlic on the stretched dough, then sprinkle oregano, black pepper, and oregano. Spread shredded mozzarella cheese to cover dough. Pour pizza sauce on top in stripes. Bake for 10-15 minutes.