Saturday, May 1, 2010

Harrisburg Senators

A couple of weeks ago, I experienced the new Metro Park for the Harrisburg Senators.

My first impression? I like it.

I thought it was pretty cool. It seemed oddly large for how small City Island actually is, but once I walked around I thought that the stadium was actually kind of small. There wasn't an outrageous amount of stadium seating, however, the boardwalk that goes around the stadium has enough tables and benches and stools for people to sit at, and it allows a lot of people to stand and/or sit wherever. I thought it was pretty cool that you didn't need an actual seating ticket to get in. You could get a general admission ticket that allows you to just walk around instead of being seated in the stadium, which allows someone like myself (not a true baseball fan, but really likes the atmosphere), to enjoy the experience without being forced to watch the game.

The food also did not disappoint. I got a pork BBQ sandwich in a stand next to the Spot's stand. It was delicious. Next time I'm sure I'll be trying the Spot since I never got a chance to try it when it was actual restaurant (shocking, I know).

The only thing that I will say about it is this. I was kind of disappointed that there was only one, maybe two stands that sold the Thursday $2 Coors. You really had to scout them out to find them. Otherwise, you had to buy the $4 Bud's at the regular stands. This kind of stunk because you had to stand in a lengthy line and walk halfway around the stadium in order to get it.

Other than that, I definitely give the new stadium a thumbs up and will be going back again.

Travel Time: Media

Media, PA that is. First impression? What a swanky place. Seriously. It's pretty awesome.

Located in Southeastern PA, the small town of Media is clean, modern, and healthy. The courthouse is clearly the focal point and the life of the place. Located in the center of Media, it even has a popular hot dog cart in the front, which serves hot dogs, hot sausages, fruit bowls, small veggie trays, soft pretzels, etc. It is clearly a very popular lunch location seeing as how convenient it is for courthouse workers. When I was there, it had a constant stream of customers. I tried it as well (hot dog with hot mustard and a Snapple iced tea), and was not disappointed. It wasn't the best hot dog I've ever had, however, I thought it was pretty cool that you could order it and they put all the fixings on it that you ask for and then you can go to a nearby bench and sit down and enjoy. Loved it.

The main street in Media is also pretty cool. It is small-stretches about 8 blocks or so, however, it has a grand array of locally owned shops and restaurants. It had shops from Ten Thousand Villages to the Hallmark store to a locally owned art store that sold art supplies and paintings as well as several locally owned clothing stores. The restaurants were also so cool. There was this salad and tea cafe called Lotus, which I thought was awesome. They had a lot of other salad bars too. There were also A LOT of Thai, Indian, and Chinese food that didn't seem to be your typical trashy Thai, Indian, and Chinese places. One of them touted their special noodle soup and offered vegetarian dishes, while another place served a combo Thai/French cuisine (I think the restaurant was called La Na). My impression is that the people in this town are health conscious. All of the restaurants seemed pretty classy as well.

What was interesting was how much the courthouse was the center of the town. Lawyers were everywhere, and there was also signs outside of restaurants that read, "10% off for jurors".

All in all, I thought Media was a pretty awesome place. Small town feel with a modern flare. Loved it.

How could you go wrong with pizza?

So, the other day my family and I went to this pizza/pasta/salad bar in the Union Deposit area (next to Panera's where the old Lonestar Restaurant used to be). We had seen ads for it on TV a few times and figured, why not? Well, when we got there, let me tell you...a red flag should immediately go up if you have to pay for your meal before you even get to see the food.

First impression upon walking in? This place is a dump.

And my first impression proved correct. It was dirty and disgusting. The place was set up in a cafeteria style setting. It didn't look clean. It was being run by a couple of high schoolers at the time, which don't get me wrong, I usually don't care. However, it was obvious they didn't exactly have a vested interest in the clientele. I could tell the food was out for awhile judging by the discoloration and the lack of freshness. The food that I did eat was gross. The sauce was worse than the crap you usually get at the school cafeteria. I even gave the salad a chance. Disgusting. The vegetables tasted almost like mildew and were clearly not fresh. The only thing that I felt was edible were the breadsticks, and even those were a bit too chewy and stale for my liking.

Over all, I would NEVER recommend this place. Definitely a thumbs down.