We are made of stardust & stories: Come to Harrisburg

Some dear friends are visiting soon... I'm so excited! This is some of what I sent them, describing options for their visit, all sorts of places that Alexis and I enjoy. What's fun about this is that there is plenty of stuff we enjoy that isn't even on this list. Harrisburg is, I think, a more happening little city than a lot of its residents realize:

Food Recommendations!: Here are some of our favorite places to eat in Harrisburg... A. Appalachian Brewing Company: "ABC" is our local microbrew, a short (5 minutes, tops) drive from our place. They have wonderful beer and excellent American pub-style food. B. Okini: Okini is about 10-15 minutes' drive from us (not far in Harrisburg driving-time) on the eastern edge of town. Pan-Asian menu (if it's food from Asia, they seem to have it--Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, too, I think) with awesome sushi. Very reasonably priced. We love it. C. Miyako: Slightly less "pan" Asian food (mostly Japanese, but I think they have some Chinese and Thai dishes, too), but also has excellent sushi, and walkable from our house. D. Bricco: Bricco is an amazing restaurant. They're pretty $$$ ("ch-ching"), but this might be a nice anniversary dinner option. The food is brilliant, often local, and wholly sumptious. Walkable from our house. Reservation recommended. E. Sammy's on 3rd: Sammy's is also an anniversary meal recommendation (also $$$="ch-ching"). Delicious Italian food--reeeeaallly good Italian. Also walkable from our house (just a couple blocks). Reservation recommended. F. The FireHouse: 2 blocks away from us, would also make a potentially nice anniversary night meal. Less expensive, but not a "steal," either. Upscale dining with a fun, dress casual vibe. G. Passage to India: A super short drive or a pleasant 20-minute walk down the river from our house, Passage is my favorite Indian place in the 'burg. H. Colonial Park Diner: A short drive from downtown (10-20 minutes) to the east, this is my favorite local diner--it kicks the other ones in the tuchus. I. Midtown Tavern: 2 blocks north of us, a great old pub with dim lights, pool tables, great wings (and pretty good everything else) and a fun clientele. J. El Rodeo: Our local fun Tex-Mex joint, replete with zany decor and inexpensive but tasty food. Drivable in multiple directions--there's a bunch of them. K. Neato Burrito: Huge-a** burritos made wonderfully by surly pierced hipsters. Multiple locations, some walkable, some drive-able. L. El Sol: The upscale Mexican option, walkable and a little pricier, but excellent. M. Roxy's on 3rd: 2 blocks away from our house, this is our favorite place to go for breakfast.
To do!: If you're up for it, it might be fun to take a walk around our neighborhood and into downtown, through the Capitol, etc. We could see a highlight reel of Harrisburg in 1-2 hours that way and check out some cool museums and shops along the way. Some of our favorite things to do in Harrisburg... A. Gamut Theatre Group, obviously--classical theatre for adults, and classical stories for kids. Free Shakespeare in the Park info here, if you want to read up on it. B. Open Stage of Harrisburg: I teach theatre classes for these guys, and they may have a solo show going on while you're here. Great modern plays. C. Moviate / Mantis: I was telling you about these guys. Moviate is a film co-op. Mantis is a local art gallery for more modern work. They share a space a few blocks from our house. D. Midtown Cinema: Local independent movie theatre with critically acclaimed, more independent fare being screened. E. Riverfront Park: Runs the length of the Susquehanna in Harrisburg. Very pretty, a great place to walk / jog / bike and people watch. F. Wildwood Park and Nature Preserve: Not far from us, absolutely gorgeous place to walk / jog / bike / hike. G. Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts: Blocks from us, right downtown, Whitaker has an awesome Science Center for kids and adults (hands on and fun). They also have an IMAX! H. The Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art: Where Alexis works. It's a ways away, but it's really something to see. Beautiful miles of nature trails and a National Geographic photographer's work is currently being exhibited. I. Susquehanna Art Museum: Great small museum, right near us. Dali is there now! J. The Capitol: Neat to see. K. The PA State Museum: Free! I've never been... (head hanging in shame) Alexis says it's pretty cool. L. HMAC: Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center. Best place to be on a Wednesday night for their legendary open mic. They also bring in cool acts on a regular basis and will soon be offering arts programming of all shapes and sizes and disciplines in their huge renovated space. M. Midtown Scholar: One of the coolest bookstores a body could visit.