Pizza Grille - State Street, Lemoyne

901 State St
Lemoyne, PA 17043
717-731-6717

Pizza Grille has been around for a while. It is a recipient of one of Harrisburg Magazine’s Favorite Awards. The Pizza Grille is a standard that should be on everyone’s BYOB list. Situated behind the West Shore Farmers Market, this location is one of two in the West Shore/Harrisburg area. The other location on Gettysburg Road has a liquor license and a very nice bar and wine list

My friends describe the décor as “utilitarian chic.” We agreed that the bright open, but simple restaurant reminded us of the patio of a summer cottage. The atmosphere is very friendly. Except perhaps for the loud, raucous laughter coming from our table, this place is great for conversation with a group of friends or a date or business meeting.

All but one in my group had been to Pizza Grille before. We each ordered our favorite pizzas and a half salad. One friend had the Greek Pizza. He said the flavors were in “perfect proportion.” Another ordered the traditional Pepperoni Pizza (with extra pepperoni, of course!). It was loaded with pepperoni and cheese and not at all greasy. My other friend had the Southwestern Pizza. This is not on the regular menu, but is often featured as a special. She had it once or twice before. It’s a delightful blend of steak, cilantro, peppers, tomatoes and cheese. One of her favorites. I had the Spring Pizza special – a white pizza with roasted red peppers and fresh asparagus and lots and lots of cheese – and half of the Chopped Salad. Yummy.

Although the name of this place is Pizza Grille, I must comment that the salads are worth the trip. Especially in the summer, I cannot get enough fresh veggies. The Chopped Salad here is a meal in itself. All the salads are delicious. This place has a wonderful way of combining unusual fresh ingredients in both the pizzas and salads – very unique and interesting combinations…not a pizzeria in the traditional sense. Very different, very fresh and very special.

I purposely wanted to have dessert so I only ate part of my pizza. Good move! I had the chocolate crème brulee. Not as chocolaty as I expected, but a nice finish to the meal. The others ordered peach and mango sorbets. Served in a hollowed out shell of the featured fruit, these sorbets are not only delicious but also fun to eat.

The wine we shared was a 2004 white French burgundy, Pouilly Fuisse from Jaboulet Vercherre. Very light and complementary to the pizzas. Served chilled, it was perfect for a summer night out.

The restaurant supplied the glasses and opened the bottle for us. The service was timely, personable and not intrusive. The evening was a very enjoyable experience. Pizza Grille will remain a Harrisburg BYOB classic.

Skewers - North 2nd Street, Harrisburg

316 North 2nd Street
Harrisburg, PA 17101
717-221-8220

How exciting to try something new in Harrisburg! Skewers is a catchy and fitting name for a grilled shish kabob place. Situated along the “upper end” of Restaurant Row on 2nd Street, this place is ideal for people-watching. Sitting outside you won’t miss any of the busy foot traffic.

Our meal started with very flavorful Romanian flatbread served with a delicious dipping sauce…the owner’s secret recipe. The bread was followed by what became my favorite part of the meal, yellow lentil soup. Even in the heat of summer, this soup was delightful. I could have eaten the bread and another bowl of this soup and called it dinner. I can’t wait to have this again.

My friend and I ordered two different skewers to share. She ordered the Dry Rub Salmon Kabob and I had the Lamb Boti Kabob. Both were wonderful. The lamb is from New Zealand. I bet it would have tasted good just by itself, but the spices really made it special. The presentation was beautiful. Two different sauces added color and flavor to the dish and a special chutney made a wonderful condiment.

Although we were quite full from the fair portions, we ordered dessert. Mangos and vanilla ice cream, and a very yummy rice pudding…definitely worth saving room.

We drank a 2005 Beaujolais-Villages from Georges Duboeuf – a nice, simple wine that did not compete at all with the flavors of our dinner. I think if I go again, I will bring something a little more dynamic. The flavors offered on this unique menu could definitely stand up to a bigger wine…maybe a California Zinfandel or Cabernet Sauvignon. Next time! Wine glasses were provided. The staff opened the bottle and served us throughout the course of the evening.

The wait staff and owners were friendly and attentive. They seem to enjoy working there as much as I enjoyed my dinner. And don’t think that because this is a BYOB that things shut down after dinner. Passersby late into the evening can get something fresh off the grill for a late night snack. The staff of Skewers brings the grill right out to the sidewalk on 2nd Street. I am sure the people-watching opportunities go up at that time of night!

The owner and his family relocated to Harrisburg to raise his family. He says he is committed to keeping Skewers as a BYOB, a refreshing alternative on Restaurant Row. I promise I will be back again.

La Piazza - Techport Drive, Harrisburg

3950 TechPort Drive
Harrisburg, PA 17111
717-920-5175

This charming, locally-owned and operated Italian restaurant is located among the explosion of new shops and attractions near the Harrisburg Mall on Paxton Street in Swatara Township. The menu lists most of the usual items you would find in an American-Italian restaurant; but if you look carefully there are features from the Little Italy sections of many cities across the country. My friend and I both chose the “build your own pasta dish” item on the menu. We both chose the Puttanesca sauce – a delicious and unusual blend of tomato sauce with capers, black olives and garlic. Very flavorful. This particular version included something I never saw or heard of before – caperberries. This strange delicacy had both of us baffled until the chef explained what they were. They come with stems intact and resemble a small pepper with seeds inside, but tasted a lot like a green olive. They added an exotic twist to the meal…lots of fun.

My friend supplied the wine. She is a bit of a collector of wine and decided it was time to start drinking the 1999s before it is too late. We shared a bottle of the Beringer Founders Estate 1999 California Shiraz. It was a perfect match for our salty and savory pasta dinner.

There were a few glitches with the service that I would attribute to start up jitters, but this is certainly an excellent place to enjoy wine with friends in a casual and charming atmosphere.

Bayou - North 2nd Street, Harrisburg

1530 North Second Street
Harrisburg, PA
717-236-1122
www.bayouonsecond.com

This place is fabulous! My dinner here may have been one of the best meals I ever ate in Harrisburg. The eccentric and unusual menu offers many delicious authentic New Orleans type dishes.

My friend and I decided to order several things and share them. We started with Oysters Rockefeller…very delicious with spinach and a flavorful sauce. The bread that came with the meal was very interesting. Served with honey butter, there were several “mini” muffins of unusual flavors. Yummy! We also shared the baby frisee salad with country ham-wrapped roasted peaches and Vidalia onion vinaigrette. What a wonderful combination of salty, sweet and savory flavors! For the main entrées we had the blueberry and black pepper BBQ pork spare ribs with roasted sweet potatoes and braised greens, and a “hot pot” of shrimp (whole shrimp with the eyes, heads and legs still attached), clams, gator (as in alligator), andouille sausage, crawfish and red potatoes and roasted sweet corn. The ribs were wonderfully sweet with just a hint of spice…very generous portions! The hot pot was all that stuff served in a flavorful broth. Also very generous. Way more than enough food for two people. Very authentic New Orleans fare.

The food at Bayou was amazing, but the most fun part of the evening was the unique wine we brought—Hot Sun from the Naples Winery in Florida. (Yes, there are wineries in Florida). This dry, white spicy wine is made from tomatoes and hot peppers. You can’t believe how wonderful this wine is until you try it. Check it out at http://www.thenapleswinery.com/wines.htm#HOT_SUN. It was the perfect match for our Cajun adventure.

The Bayou is very accommodating for BYOB. They provided the wine glasses and opened the bottle for us. Their very friendly and attentive staff kept it chilled and our glasses full throughout the evening. But one important note, they do not accept credit cards. Plan to bring cash or use the ATM stationed inside the restaurant.

I can’t wait to go back and try the Sunday brunch menu. I am sure it will be worth another blog entry.

Pizza Delight - Derry Street, Harrisburg

Pizza Delight
5840 Derry St, Harrisburg, PA 17111
(717) 564-5100

The Pizza Delight is my favorite place for pizza in the Harrisburg area, but I think the best thing on the menu is the Sausage Special sub sandwich. It is the same sausage and pepperoni that they put on the pizza but smothered with their excellent tomato sauce and stuffed into one of their fresh baked rolls. I always order it with cheese and sauteed peppers and onions. Not very diet conscious, but well worth the calories.

Just about any kind of dry red wine goes well with the Sausage Special. I have been there so many times I have probably tried them all from traditional Italian Chianti to bold California Zinfandel.

If you are inclined to try the pizza, I challenge you to try a white wine like a Pinot Grigio. It goes surprisingly well with the acidic tomato sauce. I especially like the wine chilled in the summertime.

The atmosphere at Pizza Delight is like any other sit-down or take-out pizza joint in America. It has bright lights, spacious tables and booths, but no tablecloths or candles. You walk up to the counter and order your own dinner, but the very friendly staff will bring it to your table. This may be one of the friendliest restaurants I have ever encountered.

Pizza Delight is inexpensive and the food is delicious. It is always BYOB, but bring your own corkscrew and your own glasses.

BYOB Rules in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania, like most states, regulates the sale of alcoholic beverages. Bars and restaurants must follow strict rules and regulations from the state and sometimes from the local municipality. It is not OK to walk into just any restaurant with your own bottle and expect to drink it there.

The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) says, "Pennsylvania liquor laws do not prohibit persons from bringing their own beer, wine, or liquor into unlicensed (or even licensed) premises, so long as the alcohol was legally procured under Pennsylvania law and the owner of the premises allows such a practice. There is no special permit or license required from the Board for such activity." It also notes that it is the Pennsylvania State Police, Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement which enforces the liquor laws in the Commonwealth.

The PLCB offers some other good advice: "Because local ordinances may restrict 'bring your own' alcohol establishments, however, you may want to check with the local municipality in which the restaurant is located to see if any such ordinances exist. Also be aware that licensees may have their own 'house rules' concerning customers bringing their own alcohol into the licensed premises. If a licensed premises does not wish to permit this practice, it may prohibit customers from doing so, as long as it does not do so in an unlawfully discriminatory manner..."

It is up to the owner of the restaurant to determine if you are allowed to bring your own bottle.

The best suggestion is to call ahead to be sure a restaurant will allow you to BYOB, and if they do what is their policy. Some establishments will chill your wine for you, provide you with glasses and even open and pour the bottle for you. Some do this free of charge, other charge a "corkage" fee. At other establishments you must provide your own glasses and corkscrew. There is no standard. Be prepared.

The most important advice is to never drink and drive. Whether you bring your own bottle or purchase one from a licensed restaurant, use a designated driver.

Welcome to Harrisburg BYOB!

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and the surrounding region is a great place to enjoy the finer things in life...art, music, nature, history, diverse culture and of course, fine food, wine and spirits. The famous Restaurant Row on 2nd Street in Center City Harrisburg is a delightful place to meet and celebrate with old and new friends alike. And, in all directions to Lancaster, Hershey, York, Carlisle and beyond, there are many other places to get a delightful bite to eat both on and off the beaten path. There is something for everyone here.

I love to try new things, but I especially love the adventure of dining at an establishment that allows me to bring my own bottle. A BYOB restaurant offers the chance to really tailor your dining experience to your own tastes. You can bring a wine or choice of beer that might not be on anybody's wine list, or you can splurge a little bit with a special bottle that costs a lot less in a Pennsylvania Wine and Spirits Shoppe than on a marked up menu. As someone who thinks Wednesday is a special occasion, I take careful consideration to what is on the menu, what is available to drink, and what is the pricetag everytime I go out. BYOB is a cost-effective, fun way to celebrate what the Central Pennsylvania region has to offer.

This blog is simply the opinions of my friends and me. I am not a restaurant critic or wine expert; just someone who really loves good food and beverages. I invite anyone with a BYOB suggestion to join the discussion.