Are hotel restaurant revivals the new dining trend? One may think so looking at a few of the area’s best restaurants, reimagined from once boring or darkly lit hideaways into ingredient-focused hubs for new cuisine.
The Hilton Harrisburg shakes off the stuffiness and languor of The Golden Sheaf, the outdated Raspberries and the passé Market Square Cafe with the invention of two new restaurants catering to the laissez faire style of eating craved by today’s diners. At Ad Lib Craft Kitchen + Bar and 1700 Degrees Steakhouse, options are the name of the game; choose formal or informal, private seating or a view of city sidewalks, multi-course meals or shareable plates.
Small Dishes, Big Hit
Ad Lib Craft Kitchen & Bar replaces the two former casual dining restaurants. Just steps from the lobby, start with a cocktail while cozied up by the fire, or grab a seat at a high top table with a view of the bar. Menus for both restaurants are run via digital tablets, including an extensive bar menu at Ad Lib featuring more than sixty craft beers, thirty wines by the glass, barrel-aged spirits and other inventive cocktails.
Food-wise, it’s a snacker’s paradise. The menu is built to be shared en masse. On an ideal night, a foursome may start with a cocktail or two and share some snacky items like nuts, tavern chips, or marinated olives to whet appetites. Chef Anthony Bianco recommends holding on to those menus and letting the order evolve as the evening progresses. “I really see people who do that have a good time here,” he says.
The menu is developed to act as a new, fresh take on otherwise traditional American cuisine. Choose from familiar comfort foods “turned on their side,” like Chef Bianco’s take on a deviled egg, which he describes as “different and playful.” A pork rind-encrusted octopus is his version of a classic calamari dish. Stuffed pretzel rolls are a popular item, as are meatballs, and as the seasons change, so will the filling and sauces on these and other dishes.
On a date, Chef Bianco recommends always starting with one of Ad Lib’s flatbread pizzas, then an entree for each and maybe another shared plate. “Go ahead and order [more],” Bianco says. “They are smaller portions; [you] won’t have trouble finishing.”
Now, Ad Lib’s menu is revamped for the warmer weather. The menu changes with the seasons, but this first iteration has seen hits that will stay. Homey, stick-to-your-ribs classics reinvented like the Mac ‘n’ Cheese and Lamb Shepherd’s Pie will stay on as house favorites. Same goes for the often-talked about Chicken Fried Applewood Bacon.
It’s the kind of free flowing menu that gets customers chatting and nibbling, Bianco says. The experience is taken a little less seriously than typical formal dining. “People feel like they can have fun here,” he explains. The playful tone extends to the bar offerings, which, in addition to respectful twists on classics, includes a lineup of edible cocktails. With these, components from familiar drinks are broken down, the presentation reimagined. Bianco says these are ideal after dinner drinks.
The Porthole is Ad Lib’s signature cocktail. This unusual concoction combines aromatic ingredients that work together with a flavor profile, in a vessel with liquor. The liquid continues to evolve as it steeps, so that the first and last sips never taste the same. Bianco says inventive cocktails like these continue to drive the concept for Ad Lib, which tends toward levity and the enjoyment of discovery.
Even the lunch menu takes a light-hearted approach, most notably with the Ad Lib Express Lunch. Built on the concept of the Japanese bento box, this in essence replaces the former buffet by supplying a variety of small portions on one (extra large sized) plate. Choose three mini courses from the menu—soup, salad, and entree—or select the Chef’s Spontaneous version (daily special). All will arrive in an oversized TV dinner-style tray, perfectly portioned, with mini extras like fruit salad, freshly made chips, or a muffin.
Steakhouse Sophisticate
1700 Degrees Steakhouse features two dining rooms: one for more formal occasions, and the other for a more relaxed environment. A beautiful eight-foot-high glass wall of more than 1,000 wine bottles separates it from its sister restaurant, and two large windows overlooking Market Square make this the place to see and be seen.
Tending more towards a traditional restaurant where diners embark on a more structured two to four course meal, the restaurant’s name plays on that magical, perfect sear-inducing temperature of the kitchen’s broiler. Here, meat and seafood—but especially steak—is the centerpiece.
Bianco’s tip here is to let the kitchen suggest what pairs best with your entree. Choose from the menu of select wet- and dry-aged cuts, then select the sauce and side combinations that most interest you. On the current menu, a best bet is the chimichurri, which comes with polenta and a roasted shallot and tomato salad. Beyond beef, other popular dishes include lamb, scallops, and other sustainable seafood dishes.
The addition of 1700 Degrees Steakhouse finally returns a high caliber classic American steakhouse to the greater Harrisburg area. “We now have restaurants that are inside a hotel, not hotel restaurants,” Bianco says. The distinction speaks to the the leadership in place allowing for creativity to flourish.
Bianco says thanks to Greenwood Hospitality Principal Bill Kohl, who runs the Hilton Harrisburg, and allowed the chefs to play and think in a way that has continued to inspire staff. “[We were able] to go for it,” Bianco says. “That is exciting.”
Hilton Harrisburg / 1 N. Second St., Harrisburg
Ad Lib Craft Kitchen + Bar / www.adlibrestaurants.com / 717-237-6419
1700 Degrees Steakhouse / www.1700restaurant.com / 717-237-6400
By Sara Bozich, Photography by Donovan Roberts Witmer
