by Jim Lang

MA(i)SON | An Urban Cookery  at 230 North Prince Street, Lancaster, PA 17603 Phone: (717) 293-5060
Hours: Wednesday – Saturday 5 p.m.-10 p.m.

It is tough to find a restaurant which features both good food, and is quiet enough to easily allow conversation. Maison satisfies on both counts. Nina and I got a table at 7 PM on a Saturday night and enjoyed ourselves thoroughly, even though the small space was packed.

It’s country French, and BYOB ($7 corkage), with a choice of four starters, four entrees and 3-4 desserts, all in ample amounts and all delicious. We had homemade burrata, foie gras, duck breast, gnocchi…ahhh. Check the website at maisonlancaster.com. I have to thank my dermatologist in Hershey for recommending it.

From their website: “Ma(i)son is a contrived word that combines the French word for house or home (maison) with our last name (Mason)—in essence  ‘Mason’s house.’  For the first few years we lived in the apartment above the restaurant and think of our restaurant as an extension of our home.   It is this sense of comfort and conviviality that we share with our diners on a nightly basis.   At Ma(i)son, we like to think that every night we host a dinner party for our friends, family and neighbors.” — Taylor and Leeann Mason

Street parking is easy, even on Saturday night, and the staff is friendly and welcoming. I now have four restaurants, three of which are in Lancaster, to recommend to friends: The Belvedere, John J. Jeffries, Maison, and the Hilton in Harrisburg (noisy, but with good oysters and steak). I welcome recommendations from anyone reading this.

by Lynne Beeson

El Rancho Restaurante Y Pupuseria Address: 210 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg PA 17101 Phone: 717-317-9239
Hours: Open 7 days a week. Wednesdays open for lunch only 11-3.

Here is another great find for eat in, takeout, or Uber delivery to pair with your favorite casual wines. Authentic Guatemalan cuisine is prepared lovingly in this kitchen. This place can render a business chore type trip downtown something one actually looks forward to, just for the stop at El Rancho on the way to the car for takeout. Guatemala food such as nachos, burritos, and enchiladas are just as delicious as you’ll find in your favorite Mexican restaurant–and much cheaper. Guatemala food and drink are primarily influenced by the country’s Mayan and Spanish cultures with additional influences from African and Caribbean cultures.

Ready for a taste of Guatemala’s food? No Guatemalan dish is more emblematic of the country than Pepian and you will find it here. This spicy and slightly bitter stew is a fusion between Maya and Spanish cuisine. What gives Pepian its characteristic flavor are toasted pumpkin or sesame seeds, tomatoes, and squash or pumpkin. If stew’s too much, or not your thing, try the Chiles Rellenos: Chile peppers stuffed with rice, cheese, meat, and/or vegetables (often covered with egg batter and fried). And you must try the Pupusas no matter what. This traditional street food comes to Guatemala from neighboring El Salvador. It’s a tortilla normally filled with refried black beans, cheese or pork cracklings, fried to a slight crisp. Pupusas are topped with curtido, or pickled cabbage, a light refreshing garnish. I highly recommend the Pupusa with carnitas and extra cheese. Just one of which, makes a filling lunch for only $2.50. If filling wasn’t the case, I’d love to try desserts one day – but for now I’ll just preview dessert.

Featured desserts include Tres Leches Cake, a cold dessert cake soaked in three types of milk, including evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and cream. Flan, a wobbly, golden-colored caramel custard with some liquid caramel on top. Or for something a little lighter you could try the Horchata, a traditional drink made from rice, sugar, almonds and a bit of cinnamon. Tasty.

This is BYOB so, what wine is regional? None! Guatemala is too close to the equator for viticultural comfort. There’s lots of sugar cane grown, however, and many rums produced and exported. Pinot Noir has been rumored to be produced but won’t likely replace Oregon or Burgundy ones on our tables! Pinot Noir would be a nice wine to pair with many of these dishes. The food is clearly made from fresh ingredients and is truly delicious. The menu is simple, yet includes everything from soup and salad to more hearty fare of burritos, tostadas, and tortas, and a selection of dinner entrees. And you can have your selection made to order. Kid and grandkid friendly too. Check it out next time you’re downtown.

By Zach Ortenzio

We arrived at the restaurant and were told that Saturday night was buffet night, so we should look at the buffet and then decide if we wanted to select that option or request a menu. After looking at the buffet the four of us decided to order from the menu. We looked at the appetizers and did not find any that looked appealing. For our main courses two ordered the Crab Cakes that came with two side dishes, one ordered the Flounder stuffed with crab meat and topped with a cream sauce over garlic mushroom risotto with no side dish and the other ordered the Chicken Carbonara with one side dish.

I will speak to the main courses and then the side dishes. The crab cakes did not have a lot of filler, but they also had very little if any taste. The Chicken Carbonara had a cloying aftertaste. Surprisingly, the Stuffed Flounder was very good. But it was given extra care because the first plate had slipped off the edge of an overloaded tray and crashed to the floor! For side dishes we had french fries, which were very good, two Caesar salads and a Citrus Spinach salad. The lettuce on the Caesar salads was fresh, unfortunately, the croutons and the Caesar salad dressing appeared to have been purchased at your local grocery store. The spinach salad was a large bowl of stemmy spinach heavily coated with oil and with slices of one large strawberry, a few pieces of canned mandarin oranges and, if you searched closely, a few shreds of candied pecans. We did not even consider dessert.

I titled this article “How Wine Saved The Meal” because we brought three whites: a California Sauvignon Blanc, a Sancerre from
France’s Loire Valley, and a Sauvignon Bianco from Alto Adige, Italy. We also brought two reds: a Pinot Noir from California and a Pinot Nero from Alto Adige, Italy. The white wines added a freshness and citrus flavors that woke up the three, to put it kindly, boring meals and they enhanced the Stuffed Flounder. The Pinots with their berry aromas were a welcome contrast to the citrus notes of the whites. Having any wine would have enhanced these meals, but ours were fortunately fine examples!

National Wine Day January 1 – December 31 (just to make you smile!)

by Joyce Soroka
6617 Carlisle Pike, Mechanicsburg, PA 17050 Tel: 717-691-0111

This restaurant offers a casual family dining experience at moderate prices. An Italian mother and her three sons have forged the nuance of the Palumbo family traditions into their menu selections.

The menu selections are traditional Italian cuisine. The dinner menu includes appetizers and entrées. Dishes “From the Land” and “From the Sea” include a choice of either pasta or potatoes & vegetables. Every meal includes homemade garlic bread served piping hot along with your choice of butter or olive oil with herbs for dipping. Soup or a side salad are an extra charge and pair well with the entrées. My favorite entrée is the Classical Parmigiana with veal, which I consider to be the best of its kind in this area. The generous portions typically require a take-home box. In addition to the dinner menu, there is also an expansive list of pizza, sandwiches, cold and hot subs, Stromboli’s and salads, all of which are available for eat-in or carryout, and DaVinci’s Grandma Pizza is a long time favorite of area pizza aficionados!

Our BYOB wine selection was a 2013 Hook and Ladder, The Tillerman, a red blend from Los Amigos which happens to be one of my favorites! It paired well with our Classical Parmigiana chicken and veal entrées.

We passed on dessert, but it was a difficult decision! Mrs. Palumbo makes all of the desserts, among which is a moist, delicious carrot cake that, although not typical Italian fare, is always a satisfying end to any wonderful DaVinci meal!

There is something for everyone at DaVinci Italian Eatery, where every menu item could be the perfect pairing for your carefully selected BYOB wine of choice!

DaVinci Italian Eatery is open 10:30 am-10:00 pm Tuesday through Saturday and 11:00 am-9:00 pm Sunday.

–by Bill Beeson

Upper level at 7011 Allentown Blvd, Harrisburg PA 17112    Phone: 717-710-3731   Hours: Tues- Sat: 10am – 9pm; Sun: 11am – 7pm

Our area has seen a number of phở restaurants open recently, and we’ve been sampling them. Phở (pronounced “fuh”) is the national dish of Vietnam. It is a rich broth with rice noodles and your choice of a variety of meats, seafood, or vegetarian ingredients. Bean sprouts, Thai basil, scallions, jalapenos and lime are served on the side to top your order to your tastes. It is a full meal.

For lighter fare, appetizers consist of a variety of hot and cold Vietnamese rolls, most containing pork, as well as Bánh Mì or Vietnamese meat sandwiches (think Vietnamese sub). The menu fills out with meat and seafood entrees with rice vermicelli or white rice, and fried rice combos. An interesting variety of Vietnamese beverages are available. We didn’t sample any as we brought wine, of course.

I ordered the Tàu Hủ Cuon – Winter Rolls – fried tofu and vegetable cold rolls which are served with a delicious bean dipping sauce. I was very impressed with the fresh and complex flavors in this vegetarian roll – these were the best rolls of this style I’ve tasted anywhere. For my entrée I chose the Phở Vegetables. Some phở dishes I’ve tasted were somewhat bland, but not this one! The broth was extremely flavorful and the vegetables were fresh and crunchy. The added fried tofu was so good, I wished there was more (something to request next time). The Vietnamese vegetables provided some unusual, subtle and delectable flavors. Vietnamese food is distinct from Chinese, Thai and Cambodian, though some ingredients are shared. Lynne had the Gỏi Cuốn spring roll appetizer and the Cơm Chiên Đồ Biển – shrimp, salmon, crabmeat, shrimp balls & egg stir-fried rice. The spring rolls were crispy, fresh, and contained an unidentified interesting, unique spice combination to be enjoyed. The seafood rice had fresh garden ingredients and fresh seafood with several fish surprises not promised (cuttle fish and scallops); making it both interesting and tasty.

The shock of the evening was our check as we found prices to be very reasonable given the gustatory experience we both enjoyed. WHEN, not if you go; because you must go – this is a great find. We recommend bringing light whites and rosés which will not overwhelm the subtle, wonderful taste profiles in these dishes. Enjoy!

—by Dave Williams

316 Bridge St., New Cumberland, PA.  717 547-6250,   www.zanellis.com   T- Th: 11-9,   F-Sat:  11-10

Apparently, it runs in their family and in their blood starting with immigrant grandparents from Northern Italy that started an olive oil and wine import business in NYC early 1900s – to parents that operated a grocery store and butcher shop outside the city. Now brother and sister have opened a bistro style restaurant and bakery in New Cumberland. Dan, who is the Head Chef after 20 years’ experience in Italian kitchens with his sister, Joan, the General Manager, are offering in-house made pastas, salads, appetizers, sandwiches, Stromboli, pizzas and desserts.

A nice selection of appetizers are available from bruschetta to flash-fried calamari to hand-breaded veggies. The roasted eggplant caprese was a delightful twist on the conventional caprese. Salads are nicely presented with the option of adding steak, chicken or shrimp to make a meal. Pastas are the feature with some time tested recipes and a few favorites Dan has acquired over the years. You also can compose your own pasta dish with a selection of sauces and add-ons.          However, I suggest trying one of the regular menu items to get a taste for what the Zanellis offer. Mare e Monti, steak and shell fish in a tomato sauce over linguini, and squid ink pasta tossed with calamari in olive oil and garlic sauce were our selections. We left pleased and sated without room for dessert.

Zanelli’s is intended to be a neighborhood, family restaurant. It is a BYOB so come prepared. Reservations are accepted only for parties of 8 or more. Prices are quite reasonable. The Saturday we dined, music was offered by a local singer, guitar player that pleasantly complemented our experience. Enjoy.

—by Zach Ortenzio

Miss Saigon, 1736 E. Chocolate Avenue, Hershey, Pa. 717-533-6857

Reservations suggested; closed Mondays, open Tuesday and Wednesday 10am-8pm, Thursday through Saturday 10am-9pm and Sunday 11am-8pm. No corkage fee. Décor is plain with an eclectic group of objects to amuse the eye.

One of the three appetizers, Bo Nuong La Nho, was memorable, the grilled marinated beef wrapped in grape leaves with duck sauce.

Main courses included: Gà Nuóng, grilled chicken served with rice and with pickled vegetables, including carrots and cucumbers. The chicken was attractively served with slices spread out from a mound of rice and vegetables. The chicken had a pleasant soy and honey glaze. The pickled vegetables were a nice counterpoint to the chicken.

Mì Xà Dòn, a combination of crispy stir fried egg noodles with vegetables and chicken. This meal could feed at least two people.The dish was layered with a soy broth followed by noodles and finally chicken and vegetables, which included mushrooms and carrots.  Both the chicken and vegetables were thinly sliced so you did not need a knife. Surprisingly the egg noodles stayed crisp through the entire meal, and the chicken and vegetables were lightly seasoned so you were able to enjoy all of the flavors in this meal.

Two of us had Pho dishes, Vietnamese Beef and Noodle soup. Both soups contained rice noodles and thin slices of eye of round and brisket in a gently seasoned broth. Served with the dishes was a plate containing bean sprouts, basil, hot pepper slices and segments of lime. Any or all of these could be added to the broth. One of us flavored his broth with the basil and peppers, the other preferred the gentle but distinct flavor of the lime and basil. The soups were ample; the broth was good although one was a little too salty.

—by Dave Williams–

Le Juene Chef which translates to “young chef” self-describes as a casual, fine dining experience, and it is that….but in reality, it is so much more. It is hosted by the School of Business and Hospitality at the Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport, PA. Staffed by industry professionals, students partake in learning the ins and outs of preparing and presenting a “fine dining experience” in concert with their studies.

Lunch is offered Mon-Fri. from 11:30-1:30. Dinner is served Wed-Sat. from 5:30-8 and Sunday brunch is available September-May reflecting the school year. Dinners are subject and cuisine themed. Of course, al a carte dining is available featuring changing cuisines using fresh local ingredients, but the themed offerings are truly remarkable. For example, they have a Regional American Dinners highlighting America’s vast culinary variety. In addition, they also have Classic Cuisine Dinners from around the culinary globe where old world cooking is showcased. Both of these dining experiences provide 5-7 course meals properly sequenced and presented on a completely set table. The price for American Cuisine Dinners is $34.95, and $39.95 for the Classic Cuisine. Wine is considered an essential part of the meal. Wine flights are offered to pair with whatever themed cuisine you select at very reasonable prices. The wine list boasts 400+ wines. All wines are no more than $10 over retail which enables one to experience a truly great wine at reasonable (not restaurant) prices. I saw outstanding Bordeaux and Burgundy at $60-90 per bottle, not the $200-500 restaurant prices. Oh, I almost forgot they offer cooking classes as well.  There is too much to cover in a brief article so I encourage you to visit their website www.pct.edu/lejuenechef to see all they offer. Williamsport may not be convenient for spontaneous dining out, but I can tell you it is well worth planning a trip. Reservations required.

I enjoyed the Gascony and Languedoc themed Classic Cuisine and I was nothing short of delighted with both the food and service. Seven superb courses, wonderfully presented in partnership with a corresponding wine flight. This is “dining” by definition. The sommelier and I had an active exchange which only enticed me to return to experience other great wines at affordable prices.

Le Juene Chef Restaurant, Pa. College of Technology,  1 College Ave., Williamsport, PA. 17701  ~ PH 570 320-2433 ~    www.pct.edu/lejuenechef

–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.