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Monthly Archives: May 2018

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BYOB – L.I.B-ations

–by Chris Hammacher

Lazzaro’s Italian Bistro, 49 N Railroad St, Palmyra, PA 17078

717.832.6111

 

Lazzaro’s Italian Bistro (L.I.B.) is a small quaint restaurant just past Hershey proper in Palmyra. We found parking on the street, free of charge, as there are no meters. We headed in the front door and we were greeted in several minutes by one of the staff. We were told it would be a 30-minute wait, but they ended up seating us in ten minutes.

 

The restaurant was decorated well. The noise level was louder than we expected but not too loud. There was a lot of hustle and bustle all over the restaurant. After looking at the menu we settled on Lobster Ravioli and Lasagna Classico, which we thought would pair nicely with our 2007 Chimney Rock Cabernet Stags Leap District Napa Valley.

 

The lasagna was excellent, the sauce was thick and meaty with traditional Italian seasonings. The Lobster ravioli was great and had a creamy bisque sauce and was more subdued than the lasagna’s red sauce and not as sharp. The cabernet was more subtle and softer than anticipated but still substantial. Having said that, maybe an Italian red would have still been the best option for a pairing with the lasagna. A tomato-based sauce usually pairs well with a heavier red wine, such as a Chianti. The sangiovese grape, which is what Chianti is predominantly made of, is a more acidic grape and pairs beautifully with the acid in the tomato.

 

The end result: Lazzaro’s won’t break the bank and you get a good amount of food for the money. The fact that it is a BYOB makes it even better and we will be making a trip back there soon, maybe with a bottle of Chianti Classico.

 

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President’s Column May 2018

—by Averill Shepps

Many of you may know that the PLCB Wine Specialty Stores are now allowed to do wine tastings, but for those that don’t, you need to try them… The Lemoyne store that I go to frequently has them on Fridays from 4-6 and Saturdays from 12-2. The store tasting times are listed on the PLCB site, but it is a lot easier to go to your particular store and find out when they have their samplings. The website lists all the stores in the state forcing you to wade through the entire list to find the times. If you want to know what wines are going to be served, you can ask the wine consultant to put your name on an email list to get their weekly announcements. They serve 4 wines, most often with a theme, such as a grape, a country, a holiday, etc. Each consultant chooses the wines so that they are different from store to store.

 

Knowing that, some enthusiasts have found they can attend more than one tasting in a 2-hour period! One creative sipper I know made it to 5 different stores in a day, all within that 2-hour period. The pours are small, one ounce of each wine, so that you should be aware that drinking all of them at 5 venues means that you drink 20 ounces which is clearly too much. You always have the option of pouring asking for a smaller pour or of pouring out a wine that you don’t’ like.

 

I have left to last the social aspect of the tastings. They provide an informal place to easily meet and chat with others who share your interest and passion for wines. I have likened the atmosphere to a relaxed British Pub where people go to meet their neighbors and friends. Enjoy!

 

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BYOB THEA – Sophisticated Farm to Table

by Cindy Shingler

1303 Saxton Way, Mechanicsburg, PA  17055   Phone (717)759-4654

 

Thea, which is Greek for aunt, is a beautiful new setting in Arcona Crossroads – a newly built community of homes, shops, fitness center, and this classy restaurant. Chef AnnMarie Nelms is the owner/chef of this wonderful new eating establishment. AnnMarie is a graduate of Pennsylvania Culinary Institute and daughter for one of Harrisburg’s famous restaurateurs – Sophia Nelms.

 

I heard about THEA from my niece, who has been there several times and raved about the food. A group of us decided to try it out last month and made reservations (highly encouraged!). Imagine our surprise when we saw my niece there the same night!

 

It allowed us to sample many of the items on the dinner menu, including appetizers Ricotta Stuffed Meatballs, Crispy Brussel Sprouts, and Fresh Cut Truffle Fries. They were all delicious and I can’t pick a favorite! Some entreés we enjoyed were the Chicken Pie, Pasta Bolognese, Thea Meatloaf and the Duroc Pork Chop. The chicken pie was rich and flavorful with a herbed pastry crust. The meatloaf was served over a leek and gruyere bread pudding and marsala demi glaze that was to die for.  But the pork chop made the most impressive plate. It was a gigantic bone-in chop, cooked perfectly and served over bacon and brussel-laced noodles.

 

What really impressed me was that they do not charge a cork fee, considering the upscale atmosphere. We enjoyed a rosé, a sauvignon blanc and a nice cabernet with our meals. All in all, it was a wonderful experience that I look forward to enjoying again very soon!

 

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President’s Column – April 2018

—by Averill Shepps

I have a lot of wine books, and have written about a couple of them in this column. I have another one to recommend, especially to those of you interested in French wines or who are planning a trip to France. The author is Jacqueline Friedrich; the book is titled, Wine and Food Guide to the Loire. Published in 1996, she is currently updating and expanding it. However there is comprehensive information in the original version about the history, climate, soils, grapes, area food and the winemakers. There are readable maps for each of the areas covered, the Nantais, Anjou and Saumur, Touraine, Sancerre, and the Auvergne. At last the wine labels based on geography make sense. She lists the best producers, rating them in a very understandable way: Leaders, Excellent, To Watch, Highly Recommended, Recommended, and By the Glass. She also reviews the best producers. The book has won many awards, having been named the best wine book of the year by James Beard, IACP(Julia Childe), Veuve Cliquot, Decanter magazine, and Robert Parker. Jancis Robinson has placed it on her list of favorite wine books. I’m in good company!

 

I carried the book on a trip to the Loire with friends about 15 years ago and used it as a guide to finding good wineries to visit. A gem of a discovery was Domaine de L’Ecu where fifth generation winemaker Guy Boussard was producing superb Muscadets. He named them after the rocks that generated the soils in which they were grown, namely Granite, Gneiss, and Orthogenesis. He proudly pointed out the horse in the vineyard, but I didn’t understand its significance until I learned a lot more about organic and biodynamic methods in the vineyard. The horse’s hoofs were easier on the soil than heavy tractors or other machinery. The first volume of Jacquelin’s update is called Earthly Delights from the Gardens of France. By the time you read this, I will have order and read it!

 

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BYOB – Mangia Mangia

Mangia Mangia                                                                                                                                             by Zach Ortenzio

2981 Elizabethtown Road, Hershey, PA                            717-689-3798

Reservations Suggested; closed Mondays                   $5.00 Corkage Fee Per Table

www.mangiamangiaitaliangrill.com

 

Upon entering Mangia you will note that it is divided into two sections. The section on your right is dedicated for takeout orders, while the section on your left is dedicated to sit down meals. This section is inviting, well-lit and capable of seating over 70 people in a relaxed atmosphere. Once that has been determined, menus will be provided and the specials of the day will be revealed. The menu is extensive ranging from appetizers, salads, entrees and other delectable items.

 

We started off our meal with two appetizers and a salad. One of the appetizers, Fried Calamari Fritti, came from the regular menu. The second, a Mozzarella Caprese, was the special of the day. The calamari was lightly breaded and served with a lemon wedge and two sauces, marinara and aioli. The sauces, though very different, were complementary to the calamari. The Mozzarella Caprese consisted of crostini and warm mozzarella slices covered with toasted bread crumbs. The slices were then drizzled with two pesto’s; sun dried tomato and basil. These two pesto’s provided different taste sensations to the appetizer. The salad was a Poached Pear Frisse with field greens, bacon, walnuts and gorgonzola. The last three items were flavor notes in the salad, balancing beautifully with the greens and pears.

 

After finishing the appetizers and before ordering entrees our waiter provided us with two types of dinner rolls. The first dinner roll can be found at most restaurants. The second type of dinner roll came with Mangia Mangia’s homemade pizza sauce with some parmesan cheese sprinkled over the rolls. We ate the rolls with the pizza sauce and they were outstanding. For our entrees we ordered, Spaghetti Carbonara, Baked Rigatoni and Raviolone. Before going further all of our pastas were done al dente, not over-sauced, nor did they need any additional seasonings or cheese. The Carbonara had a bacon sauce with Pecorino Romano cheese; the Baked Rigatoni included tomato sauce, ricotta and mozzarella cheeses; the house made Raviolone had a pesto sauce with toasted walnuts and pecorino Romano.

 

We spent approximately three hours at Mangia Mangia and we were not rushed. The wait staff was courteous and knowledgeable about the menu. If you wish to have a relaxed dining experience with truly good Italian food, Mangia Mangia is a restaurant well worth considering.