A Round of Renovations
The Circular Dining Room at The Hotel Hershey, built in 1933 during the Prohibition era when speakeasies were the go-to, has recently undergone a 2013 facelift and rebranding as “The Circular.” Its round, open room has received a new color scheme that draws focus to the stained glass windows overlooking the Hotel Gardens, and it now features a circular bar and interactive pastry kitchen that has taken the place of the original dance floor. The modern renovation is complete with iPad technology used for customers to select choice wines and gourmet dishes. Some favorite menu items include the cocoa dusted Maine scallops and pretzel crusted rock shrimp as tantalizing appetizers, and entrée specialties of fire roasted stuffed peppers, beef and fresh seafood. Tasty drinks include cocktails such as "The Hemingway Daquiri" with gold rum, maraschino liqueur and grapefruit and lime juices, as well as numerous selections of fine wines. One can’t forget the dessert selections of chocolate soufflé, flambéed dark chocolate fondue and chocolate caramel cheesecake. So round up some of your good friends for a square meal at The Circular!
The Circular | The Hotel Hershey | 100 Hotel Road, Hershey | 717-534-8800 | www.thehotelhershey.com/dining
Reader’s Lens: Susquehanna Valley Snapshots
“In May, my husband and I started a one-year challenge: 40 new adventures before our 40th birthdays next summer. So far we have done a sprint triathlon, kayaking, a geocaching hike, wakeboarding, paddleboarding and our first half-century (50-mile) bike ride along the New Jersey shoreline. Our kids join us any chance they get!”
Breakfast and Brie
Customers flock to the cozy Yellow Bird Cafe in downtown Harrisburg, home to some fresh-baked bread and Little Amps coffee. As they dine, families enjoy paintings from local artists and the aesthetically pleasing atmosphere. The "ginormous cinnamon roll," the egg and pepper jack breakfast sandwich and the brie and tomato panini are just a few tasty menu options from the selection of soups, salads and wraps. But one can't forget about the cookies that are perfect to devour with a cup of organic tea. The Yellow Bird Cafe also offers catering to business meetings for those rainy days. If looking for a place to meet with you're friends, migrate no further than this cafe!
Yellow Bird Café | 1320 N. Third St., Harrisburg | 717-635-8991 | www.yellowbird-café.com
From One Mother to Another
Several years ago, Stephanie Cole lost her daughter, Madeline, who was born still. While grieving her loss, Stephanie lamented not having the blanket the nurses used to swaddle her child and could not find any books applicable to her emotions in local bookstores. So, she decided to create the nonprofit organization the Sweet Pea Project, which collects and gives blankets to hospitals. Each blanket given to a family is wrapped lovingly around the lost baby, then given to the grieving parents, so the parents have something tangible to remember their child. She then created her own heartfelt book, Still: a collection of honest artwork and writings from the heart of a grieving mother, full of her honest illustrations and writings that speak to her emotions and to those of other grieving mothers like her. Her project has donated over 5,600 blankets, and nearly 3,000 copies of her book to hospitals to give both a blanket and a book to families directly upon losing their child. To commemorate National Awareness Month for Infant Loss, the Sweet Pea Project is hosting a Remembrance Gathering featuring an eco-friendly balloon release on Oct. 15 that honors all the lost children. Stephanie’s mission is that with each blanket and each book, she can honor her daughter and other sons and daughters that have been lost in the same way.
Sweet Pea Project | www.sweetpeaproject.org 4th Annual Remembrance Gathering | Oct. 15 | Long’s Park | Lancaster | http://www.sweetpeaproject.org/remember
From Our Facebook Fans
We asked: What is the best piece of health advice you have received?
“Everything in moderation.” -Joel Charles
“Make your health your top priority. Once your health has improved, everything else will follow suit.” -Bill Sutton
“Just keep swimming.” -Jenn Hollister
Craft Provisions
Did you know Pennsylvania ranks second in the United States in craft beer production, the sales of which grew 17 percent last year?
A stylish solution to supply and demand, Lancaster's latest source for craft beer and provisions, Hunger-n-Thirst, opened in late May. It fast became a popular neighborhood bar for School Lane Hills residents as well as an easy access destination for out-of-towners, as it is located just off the Harrisburg Pike exit.
Hunger-n-Thirst is the first concept of its kind to emerge in the area: a gastropub, bottle shop with over 200 beer varieties to go, and marketplace full of provisions for the kitchen, entertaining and hostess gifts–from tea towels and cooking tools to gourmet pantry items and a fresh selection of meats, cheeses, olives and more.
The stylish gastropub features 12 rotating craft drafts as well as wine and cocktails in a hip setting with a rustic wood bar, elements of exposed brick, concrete and trendy metal chairs, plus seasonal outdoor seating. They are open for lunch and dinner, and the menu is a balance of casual fun foods and upscale ingredients. Take the Crack and Cheese lobster with truffle, foie gras butter and three cheeses; there's a rotating daily special of mussels that make your mouth water when a waiter walks by, or the WTF Tacos, made with French duck confit, Korean style.
If you go, start with the Pig Candy: beer pretzels, bar nuts, corn crisps, popcorn and bacon caramel. The Everything Pretzel with creamed mustard is a happy hour beer's perfect companion or go full throttle with a charcuterie board of specialty meats and cheeses, all of which you can purchase in the adjacent marketplace for at-home entertaining too.
Hunger-n-Thirst | 920 Landis Ave., Lancaster | 717-208-3808 | www.HungerNThirst.com
