A Matter of Taste: Pol-I-Tesse

Pol-I-Tesse
540 Race Street, Harrisburg, PA
717-236-2048

by Dawn & Andy Eckenrode

This month’s restaurant review will take you to a small, intimate, eclectic place that was an absolute joy to experience. It is also one of the two favorite Harrisburg restaurants of a discerning diner friend of mine. As she put it, "It’s like a big city restaurant right here in Harrisburg." Not to disparage the culinary offerings of Harrisburg and the area, but well-traveled diners might get a little restless for something along the lines of a Washington, or New York, or even Baltimore establishment. And so I offer you Pol-i-tesse, on Race Street in Harrisburg. Pol-i-tesse serves "innovative American cuisine" for lunch as well as dinner. I must tell you right up front, this is one of those wonderful places that you can go to and order anything on the menu, and it will be a tasty, well-composed, and properly prepared dish. The restaurant is situated in a brick building with parking on a quiet street. The entrance is a small foyer with a place to check your coats. Through the interior door, we were greeted by a gracious host who seemed to be on friendly and familiar terms with the obviously loyal patrons. I felt very much at ease in the sophisticated-yet-simple single room dining area, which was paneled in rustic tongue-and-groove, and hung with interesting original art.

Our server was very knowledgeable about the evening’s specials, as well as the entrées on the menu. She described to us the special grilled duck with orange-ginger sauce, the veal chop with a Bourguignonne (brown sauce with red wine) and wild mushrooms, and a third special which escapes me, but was equally mouth-watering. There were also three soups offered - a creamy mushroom chowder with shitakes and sherry, a lobster bisque, (both on the menu) and the evening’s special. We declined the soups, but I did see two of them delivered to a couple across the room, served in large, flat-bottomed soup bowls - and made a mental note to go back at lunch to have some. I was in the mood for seafood, and chose the ‘Pol-i-tesse Pasta’ from the menu, while I convinced my friend to order the veal. Salads were brought out, simple mixed greens with a pleasing house vinaigrette. The wine list offered a very nice collection of imported as well as domestic varieties, but we opted to order by the glass, which was also an option with a fairly wide range of choices. For hors d’oeuvre, you must try the baked brie, wrapped in phyllo and served with a chutney of tomato, apricot, and golden raisins. It is great to share, perfect for the season, and oh so yummy. My fettucine arrived in my choice of an olive oil sauce (you could also choose lemon pepper or marinara) topped with very fresh New Zealand mussels, large shrimp, scallops and salmon. The salmon was fresh, and not overcooked, and was an interesting treatment to this classic dish. My friend’s veal was a lovely thing to behold, and even better to taste! It was a thick sirloin cut, grilled to a perfect medium rare, resting atop a pool of very good Bourguignonne and served with the chef’s vegetables.

After the meal, we ordered an after-dinner cordial, and asked about the desserts. We picked a chocolate cake confection that proved a perfect finish to our evening.

Pol-i-tesse offers a modest but extremely well-rounded selection of entrees from about $15 to $25. Lunch entrées run from about $8 to $12, with a nice range of soups and salads under $10. I thoroughly enjoyed my meal, the atmosphere, and the service, and I would highly recommend Pol-i-tesse for anyone who is interested in properly prepared and artfully presented cuisine.

Pol-i-tesse
Checklist

This Meal’s Total:
$70.00, incl. tip

Average Dining Time:
1 hour

Location: Easy to Find
Parking: Self Serve

Handicapped Access:
No Specific

Exterior Appearance:
Well Maintained

Initial Interior:
Coat Check Area

Reservations Necessary:
No

Preferred Dining Attire:
Neat & Clean

Wait (to be seated): None

Wait (for service): None

Lighting: Subtle

Meal-time Music: None

Dining Area Appearance:
Well tended to

Noise: Light Chatter

Climate: Fine

Tables: Cloth covers

Chairs: Comfy

Booths: None

Table Setting:
Full with cloth napkins

Your Meal:
Entree from Dinner Menu

Appetizers:
Creative Selection

Salads: House Specialty

Dressings: House Specialty

Vegetables:
House Specialty

Desserts: Fair Selection

Coffees: House Specialty

Staff Attitude: Friendly

Staff Appearance:
Neat & Clean

Hospitality: Felt at Home

Cleanliness:
Above Average

Wash Rooms: Very Clean

Crowd (Qty): Half Full

Crowd (Attitude): Casual

Food (portions): Satisfied

Food (prices): Fair

Overall Service: Attentive

Payment Accepted:
All Major Credit Cards