Recommendations for Dining in Carlisle/Harrisburg Area

[Shoggi]

We'll be visting our son at Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA this weekend. Other than a few places in Carlisle (that are now booked), I'm looking for some recommendations for a great restaurant in the Carlisle/Harrisburg area for a Saturday evening dinner.

[KateForbes]

I was surprised to see this thread, but excited! As a Dickinson grad (01) things have changed quite a bit since I was there. Piatto was always great, and Marketcross Pub was always a great bet- be sure to try their hard pretzels with mustard to start out (with one of their many beers). Rillo's is an institution, and pretty good Italian. Hope you have/had fun, Carlisle/Dickinson is a great place to be. If you have time, there is a great place for coffee/panini right on the main drag for lunch.

[tartuffe]

Bricco is the best resto in H-burg. It also has a great meat and cheese mkt attached to it.

[jrshooter]

Vissagio's used to be it for me when it came to good Italian. There's been a new face which has shown up in the last few years, though -- Juliana's on Carlisle Pike.

It's in a little strip mall across from Hooters and Applebee's. You have to be looking for it to find it. :)

But it's first class. Huge portions; wide menu. Pasta, you can pick your pasta and your sauce. I had gnocchi with a pesto sauce there and had to take over half of it home.

Full wine list, professional service.

[howardk18]

Hi..We're traveling to Carlisle this weekend (our son is applying to Dickinson) - where did you dine on how did it go?

Thanks!, Howard

[rmd152]

A little late to this party but if you make it back to Dickinson, or are just in the area, try Visaggios. They have a appetizer that is to die for, soft cheeses wrapped in bread dough and deep fried, served with a marinara. That and their gnocci are excellent.

6990 Wertzville Rd. • Enola, PA 17025
Reservations: 717-697-8082

http://www.visaggios.com/

[PaintedHandFarm]

There's always Piatto on Pomfret Street in Carlisle (www.piatto.com) and a new place (smoke free) on the corner of Pitt and High called Alibis Eatery & Spirits. Both serve locally produced foods. Piatto is very nice and Alibis has good entertainment.

[jme90]

Hands down, Char's is the best of all of these places. I've heard mixed things about Confit...New Market Bistro is a mere shadow of its former self...and Mangia Qui is loud. Long story short, if you're looking for excellent food and service, a nice bottle of wine, and a welcoming, cozy atmosphere, call Char's TODAY!

[profjmm]

A couple of things about Confit. First, if you're coming in from out of town, you probably don't know that Confit is in a dry borough. Therefore, if you want a drink, it's BYO (although there's a pretty good state store - yes, that statement used to be an oxymoron - about a mile down Market Street). Second, I have eaten there twice now and both times I found the food to be very good. The portions are a bit large, which is of course odd for a French restaurant but not so odd for any restaurant in Central PA. The only negative thing I have to say about Confit is that the service is pretty spotty and the second time I was there, the food took a long time. That said, the servers are very pleasant. Confit is not in the same league as Char's, but for something cheaper and a little bit more casual, it's a good bet.

[Chefpaulo]

If you're willing to make the trip to Harrisburg, you will NOT be disappointed by Tavern on the Hill. I was a judge for the Pennsylvania Wine Competition in 2000 and that is where they provided dinner. Well worth the trip from Carlisle.

[pattyb]

Also worth visiting is New Market Bistro in Camp Hill.............located beside Holy Spirit Hospital.
Bricco, Mangia Qui & Bella Mundo are excellent recs, too.

[sballard]

There is a new french bistro type place in Camp hill called "Confit". They opened just a few months ago. I've eaten there once so far, and really enjoyed the food/atmosphere.

Later...Shawn

[profjmm]

Also Bricco and Mangia Qui in Harrisburg.

[BRI328]

I would suggest the following: Chars Bella Mundo - Harrisburg www.charsbellamundo.com or The Left Bank in York.