Local Pennsylvania Edition: Dining in Harrisburg

Donny and I had a brief, but busy trip back east for the holidays.  While visiting friends and family in the Harrisburg area we had planned a night out.  Since we spent the week eating mostly home cooked meals & fast food we thought a dinner at a nice restaurant was in order.  One of Donny's friends picked the place.  Our only request was that it didn't serve light beer or hot wings.  Let's just say we didn't have high expectations.

Upon our arrival to Mangia Qui, I was pleasantly surprised. This Italian restaurant Ben brought us to had a romantic interior and a nice wine list.  After just a few moments I heard the waitress describe one of the appetizers and all of a sudden I heard three magic, unexpected words "local and organic".  To our shock, we had found the one restaurant in all of Harrisburg that not only serves organic, but also local fare!  The food was delicious and I look at central Pennsylvania in a new way.  The wine list and some of the ingredients are not all local, but their mantra is simple: We embrace fair trade, environmental, and economic sustainability. We do this, with you in mind, as well as the health of our planet. 

If you live in the area, I suggest signing up for their newsletter and updates.  I learned that the owners are in the process of opening another restaurant in the area.  According to one of the servers this new place will in fact be all local.