“There’s nothing to do!”
You’re crazy…
Bloomsburg restaurant rundown (downtown unless otherwise noted):
Seasons on Main – Opened in early 2013 by a restauranteur Gary Vadakin who has a lot of local experience with what works on the dining table, this is now the best place in town for an elegant meal in a perfect atmosphere. Seasonal menu, BYOB, everything made fresh, and locally produced desserts. They only have 10 tables, so call ahead – particularly for special occasions. The food is excellent, but I can’t say enough about the atmosphere – which most of the places in our area have either ignored or treated as an afterthought. Even their website is awesome.
Capital Restaurant – Consistently good food/service. We’ve never had a bad meal here. I am just not crazy about the atmosphere, but it is quiet if you go before the late night college rush. They usually have old time movies playing, which I find distracting, but some might like.
La Fontana – reasonable Italian. Not always consistent food/service, but it’s our go-to take out place since it is close.
Russell’s – largely overrated and not what it once was… the very good chef from here moved to the Capitol Theatre restaurant up the street. Remains a major hangout for college students. Worth a try after you exhaust other (better) options.
Balzano’s – Still our favorite Italian place in town. Favorites are the strombolis and Fra Diavlo. Usually very good service, though they have a number of new servers since expanding in their new location. Locally owned. Don’t go to Olive Garden, go here!
Taste of Italy (Rt 11 N toward Berwick) – Exceptional Italian food. They too have expanded, but the quality seems to have remained intact. Reservations recommended.
Marley’s Pub – Burgers and beer are the only real reasons to go here. Avoid the pasta. Open mic on Thu nights gets pretty crowded during school term, but can be a fun night out during the summer.
Ready Go Burrito – I like the Bollywood chicken burrito.
Center Street Cafe (formerly Café Mooset) – 225 Center St Bloom – Small coffee and sandwich shop serving breakfast and lunch. Known for their panini sandwiches and fresh soups. Offers music on some Thu and weekend nights.
Sakuntala Indian Restaurant – The only place of its kind in the immediate area. It’s actually Bengali cooking, so much different than the Indian cuisine that you find elsewhere (Harrisburg, Moosic, Philly). Limited hours. Small staff, so service can be slow if it gets busy. Locally owned.
Bloomin’ Thai – Better than most Thai places we’ve been to in larger cities. It’s technically a dining club, so you need to get a $1 membership. Make reservations, even during otherwise slow nights. Fills up fast on weekends. Locally owned.
Prana Juice Bar and Café – Healthful drinks and meals, usually prepared to order so service can be slow. They have some events too. Locally owned.
The Links – Buckhorn – Reasonable food. Entertainment most weekends. Gets packed when Frank Wicher Band plays (country).
Reichart’s Mardis Gras (Rt 11 S toward Danville) Cajun/Creole. Usually quite good.
Danville recommendations:
Brews N Bytes – Thu open mic, and occasional music other nights. Very good menu of a wide variety of internationally inspired dishes.
Old Forge Brewery – Good food. Atmosphere is a bit boomy for my taste. Has entertainment Thu nights and most weekends.
BJs: Good steak, which Audra enjoys. Not crazy about atmosphere. Don’t order the disgusting bacon-laden crab cakes!
Events:
Moose Exchange (Bloomsburg) – http://www.mooseexchange.org/
Galleries, vinyl record shop, artists, old school bowling alley, special events. The Moose is usually the center of the seasonal ArtWalk events that the town holds, and things like OcktoberFest. Also home to Box of Light, which has events for kids and young adults. They recently held a short film festival that is open to adults as well and will be held again next year.
Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble (BTE) – www.bte.org – Aside from their plays (which are usually very good), they also have major events like Taming of the Brew, Treefest and others.
ArtSpace Gallery (Bloomsburg) – http://artspace-bloomsburg.com/
Jerseytown Jam Bluegrass Gospel & Old-Time Country
Jerseytown Community Center – 3rd Sunday of the month Oct to May. Doors open 10 AM, music starts at noon. 2012: Oct 21, Nov 18, Dec 16, Jan 20, Feb 17, Mar 17, Apr 21, May 19
There is also a separate jam at The Jerseytown Tavern Jam. Located at the crossroads of Rtes. 254 and 44 in Jerseytown, PA. Every Wednesday night from 7 to 10 pm. Attracts anywhere form 3 to 12 players and singers along with a good following of listeners. This jam is about 18-20 years old and is one of the original jams in the area. Last I heard, the Tavern is up for sale.
Frosty Valley Dulcimer Friends – 1st Monday Jam at Christ Memorial Episcopal Church on the corner of Market and Pine Streets in Danville. Regular time from 7PM to 10PM. Arrive and leave as you need. Contact Alf Bashore for more info: NoizMkr@EvenLink.com
Bucknell events:
http://www.bucknell.edu/WeisCenter.xml
http://www.bucknell.edu/Documents/WeisCenter/WeisCenterBrochure2012-13.pdf
Bloomsburg University Celebrity Artist Series
www.bloomu.edu/CAS
Lewisburg and the outer reaches…
Lewisburg has a number of very good restaurants. One of our favorites is Puirseil’s Irish Pub, which usually has good food. I have to say “usually”because the kitchen seems to have undergone some changes as of this writing (Oct 2012). We had consistently good meals for over a year and our last stop was less than pleasant. Give it a try, but don’t be afraid to tell them if you have issues. Second Saturday LMC jams, and other entertainment Thu-Sat most weeks.
Cherry Alley Coffeehouse – Songwriter nights on last Friday of the month during Fall/Spring college semesters, great desserts and sandwiches. Other entertainment on occasion.
Siam Thai is also very good.
The Point Barn on Rt. 11 S of Danville is a good stop for a Saturday.If you can’t get enough of the Bloomsburg Fair, then the weekend after the fair you can go to Covered Bridges Festival at Knoebel’s. It’s sort of Bloom Fair Part 2, with a lot of the same vendors. If the weather is nice, it can get very crowded, but it’s a nice day out if you like the park and the atmosphere of the fair in one place.
Forks Farm – http://forksfarmmarket.com/
Columbia-Montour Visitor’s Bureau: http://www.itourcolumbiamontour.com/
Visit Bloomsburg: http://visitbloomsburg.com/
