Traveling through the streets of downtown Harrisburg I came across a quaint little restaurant on North Street called Home 231. The restaurant is small, so I would recommend that you have a reservation. This restaurant is a farm to table concept so the menu will change based on what ingredients the chef will have available.
On a cold winter evening, it was fitting that they had mulled wine on the menu. It was a blend of red wine, cinnamon, and brandy all warmed up. Just the smell of the wine felt like the holidays. I could taste the spices as soon as it touched my lips. There were even slices of apple in it for a treat.
We started off with some appetizers for the table. The jalapeno and avocado hummus sounded great to start with. It came with an assortment of vegetables: raw carrots, roasted mushrooms and peppers, and picked onion, tomato, and cauliflower. Layering the hummus with the vegetables onto the baguette was the best way to enjoy all the flavors. The hummus was not spicy even with the jalapeno in it. The heat was probably balanced out because of the avocado.
They had Reuben arancini on the menu that caught my attention. I was intrigued by what these would be like since I love Italian arancini. They took Arborio rice and stuffed it with finely chopped corned beef and Swiss cheese. Then they rolled each rice ball in breadcrumbs and fried them till golden brown. The arancini were topped with sauerkraut and the special 231 sauce.
The rice ball was delicious on its own, crispy on the outside and soft and cheesy on the inside. The sauerkraut had a slight sour kick and paired well with the special sauce, which was their homemade version of Thousand Island dressing. When each component was combined the flavor was enhanced. They were like little corned beef sandwiches.
For my dinner, I went with the chef’s special of maple glazed salmon. The salmon had this wondrous crispy skin that was sweet because of the glaze. Normally I do not like to eat the skin of fish, but the way the chef prepared this, I could not help but eat all of it. The salmon was flakey and paired well with the maple. I would not have expected that.
Accompanying the salmon were roasted potatoes and cubes of super crispy bacon. The bacon was amazing and added so much flavor to the potatoes. There was a pesto and maple glaze drizzled on the outside of the plate. I took the potatoes and dipped them in the sauce to add even more flavor. Having flavors of bacon and maple on these potatoes were reminiscent of what I would expect at breakfast.
Although I was stuffed from dinner I still needed to try one of their homemade desserts. I went for the homemade donuts. They were rolled into balls (like donut holes) and covered in cinnamon and sugar. They were crispy on the outside but super soft and moist inside.
They came with three sauces on the side for dipping: a chocolate ganache, a vanilla crème anglaise, and caramel. I tried all three on different bites of donut. My favorite sauce was the caramel because I thought it went best with the cinnamon and sugar.
If you are wanting a romantic dinner for two or a fun group dinner then Home 231 will be perfect. Make sure you go with an appetite because everything on the menu sounds wonderful. Check out their menu at http://www.home231.com/
Enjoy!
T
