Yo, Anthony!

By Kurt Epps—The PubScout

Long-time readers know that I don't like beer with pizza, so stopping into a joint in Harrisburg, PA called "Anthony's Micro Pub and Pizza" might have been a bit out of character. But my eldest son had been there and said the beer list was impressive, hence, being in H-Burg for a couple of hours on the way home from NC, we stopped in.

It was, perhaps, early—11:15, but close enough to a noontime lunch that it could be justified. (Almost anything can be justified when you're "on vacation.") We were the only ones in the place, except for Shannon, the attractive and friendly barmistress, and a professional photographer named Steve, who was taking shots of the 60 taps Anthony's sports.

Shannon advised us that the cook wouldn't be coming in until 11:30, but we could sit and have a brew while we waited, which was fine with me. Walking toward the back of the pub, I noticed the first tap said Spring House. I had read about a local upcoming brewery called Spring House and a beer called Seven Gates, so I asked Shannon if that was what was on tap. She confirmed it and had it in front of me a few seconds later. It was quite good, too. So good that despite the other 59 beers on the menu, I had another when the chef finally came in to start his work. The folks over at BA rate it with a "B," but I'd give it at least a B+ and maybe an A-. At 5.6%, it certainly could qualify as a session beer, and a worthy one at that. It was well-balanced with a nice nose, a pleasant hop presence and a decent finish. Of course, my sampling it prevented me from enjoying any of the other beers on the extensive Anthony's menu, but my party did the sampling for me. Shannon brought out a helpful guide, though she apologized for the low toner. Still it was readable and quite helpful to anyone who was in an experimental or discovery mode.

But not nearly as helpful as Shannon herself. One member of our party was having trouble deciding which beer to get. Shannon brought out a few samples, and based upon the reactions to those, made a recommendation that hit the jackpot.

The food at Anthony's is pretty standard pub-grub, reasonably priced and of good quality, but be advised, no one in the kitchen has heard of "portion control," so unless you stop in ravenously hungry, you'll likely be taking food home. Our party did not sample the pizza, but we watched four pies go out between 11:45 and noon, which means somebody likes it.

60 beers, good food, a cozy atmosphere and Shannon…yep, the PubScout heartily recommends Anthony's Micro Pub and Pizza in Harrisburg, PA.

©Kurt Epps 2011 All rights reserved