Home 231 Harrisburg
This restaurant was recommended to my husband by a colleague. We are not familiar with it at all. Anyone out there that can tell me anything about it?
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Wanted to update, that we tried Home 231 over the weekend. We took our kids, because the menu showed several items we knew they would enjoy, and they did. We all did. It strikes me as one of those places everyone wishes they had in their neighborhood - relaxed atmosphere, great quality food. We went early on Saturday evening and when we arrived, I was nervous about having the kids there (even though they are 9 and 10) because it was very, very quiet. But, more people arrived soon after, and it was filled with relaxed chatter. By the time we left, it was packed, and people were eating at the bar.
My daughter started with a trio of deviled eggs followed by "the best burger she's ever had!" My husband started with steak tartare followed by the ricotta gnocchi. He loved the tartare, but was surprised by how small the gnocchi portion was, just because it seemed out of proportion to the other entree sizes - he really should have ordered a salad of some type with it (really, it should come with one, because there is no vegetable in this dish), but instead just finished what the kids couldn't. I didn't taste it, but he said the flavor was fantastic, he just wished there was more to it. My son was told that an appetizer would be too much, since he ordered the filet mignon entree. It turned out to be plenty, of course, and he was still raving about it the next day.
I had 2 of the evenings specials. A cream soup of asparagus and broccoli rabe. Honestly, it was a little stringy - IMO, these 2 vegetable do not lend themselves to leaving the soup "chunky". The strong lemon-dill flavor was unexpected, but not unpleasant at all. So, good flavor but a little off in texture for me. I had an herb crusted lamb with smashed potatoes and grilled asparagus. The lamb was absolutely fantastic.
The reason we all felt like our bellies would explode on the ride home was because the dessert menu proved irresistible. We shared 3 different desserts between the 4 of us: The chocolate-cherry bread pudding, which came with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream; the cinnamon-brown sugar ice cream (a surprisingly large bowl of it for house made ice cream), and the donuts with a trio of sauces (creme anglaise, chocolate, and raspberry). We loved all of them and I am hard pressed to name a favorite, but those donuts . . . my, oh my, those donuts. A huge dish of at least 5 beignet shaped donuts, piping hot, lightly dusted with cinnamon sugar - I didn't need any of the sauces, personally. The bread pudding was rich and chocolatey enough that the 4 of us could have shared just that and probably been satisfied. The ice cream - well, the rest of us just got a small taste, as my son licked the bowl clean.
So, a big thumbs up from the whole family. I highly recommend it and hope they can keep it going. They've been in business for less than a year, and I was told they really haven't advertised at all. The waitress told me that it was getting tough to keep it going when they were named best new restaurant in Central PA magazine's restaurant issue in January. Since that time, business has really picked up and has been doing well.
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I'd second that recommendation. I've been there for brunch a dinner, food is excellent and very reasonably priced.
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re: spopodopolis
Is this in the former Zephyr Express? The pictures on the website look so familar...
I wish I would have seen this post yesterday as we were looking for a lunch spot.
Do they have a liquor license? Or is it BYOB? - Nevermind, I see their wine list.
I am excited about this place. It is getting harder and harder to find a place we want to go in town.
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re: spopodopolis
Is it casual or fine dining (food and service wise, not as concerned about how people dress)? I can't seem to get a feel from the website. My husband was thinking of it for his 40th birthday, but I wanted to go someplace with a special feel. Wish Char's new place was opening before June!
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