Harvest Seasonal Grill and Wine Bar Creating Sustainable, Health Conscious, and Locally Sourced Cuisine

Give, Love, and Serve is the motto of Harvest Seasonal Grill and it is emblazoned over the kitchen wall, where customers can see it every time they visit the restaurant for a delicious locally sourced meal. Their belief is that if you give, love, and serve in everything you do, it all comes back to you. If you genuinely love what you do and provide valuable services to others, you’ll get it back. Harvest also has the slogan, Know Your Farmer, Know your Food, and every menu has a list of local farms that have provided the ingredients for their specially prepared meals. “We even get specific with letting our customers know what type of soil the products are grown in,” Executive Chef, PJ Folk adds. All items used are organic or transitional. Transitional is the term used for foods that are not yet certified organic by USDA but are moving along that path. Harvest also has a hydroponic program in partnership with Commonwealth Charter Academy (CCA). Students in this program get the opportunity to come to the restaurant and eat the fruits, or vegetables of their labors.

PJ Folk, a Steelton native, started with Harvest Seasonal Grill nine years ago as a sauté cook. “I was hired by Corporate Chef, Josh Short, who was then Executive Chef here at the Harrisburg location. I was immediately put on the line. It was my sink or swim moment but with Josh’s help and expertise I was able to work my way up.” Working side by side with Short, Folk became a corporate trainer for the other eight restaurants in the Harvest Seasonal Grill and Wine Bar family. Within six years Folk was able to work his way up to Executive Chef of the Harrisburg location. “I give credit to Short for molding me into what I am now because of his diligence in working side by side with me. It was the turning point in my life,” says Folk.

Folk began cooking at an early age alongside his parents and grandmother. “It began with breakfast, and I pressed forward with cooking skills, learning as I experimented and opening other doors as I moved along. I guess I knew that this would become my life pathway,” he says.

Folk heads up twenty-three back-of-house employees. Along with a

Story by Christina

Heintzelman: cheintzelman@benchmarkmediallc.com

Photos by Will Masters

Food Photos provided by Harvest Seasonal Grill prep area there are four stations and the expo station, which expedites the speedy delivery of prepared meals to the customers.

Harvest is a chef run organization and chefs from all the restaurants meet on a seasonal basis to discuss the upcoming menu, which is based on the farm-to-table business model. “All chefs within the organization get a chance to suggest dishes which will appear on the seasonal menu. I’m proud to say that along with the executive chefs, our line cooks get the same opportunity to suggest menu ideas,” says Folk. Although the menus for the various restaurants will be similar, there is always room for the executive chef to add specials to a daily menu based on availability of local produce. “I may be driving down the road, see a roadside stand with some beautiful vegetables and fruits, and make the decision to purchase some items for daily specials,” he adds. Folk states that the restaurant works very closely with Lancaster Farm Fresh Co-Op, an organic farmers’ co-operative of more than one hundred local farmers who work tirelessly to provide communities near and far with the best of organic produce and pastureraised animal products.

In addition to the locally sourced special items for the food menu, Folk also works with the bar and bartenders in developing signature drinks that will match food items used on the menu. “Our lead bartender, Casey Frank, and I have a great relationship and often share suggestions for a seamless pairing of drinks and food. I am completely blown away by the quality and creativity of what comes out of the bar.”

Loyalty runs deep in this organization and Folk says, “The company has been very loyal to me and in return I have a loyalty to them and all the staff. Our common goal is to prepare and serve the best possible meal to our customers in a beautiful and relaxing setting.” This is more than apparent whether you sit at the bar area for a meal or drink, or find a quiet nook, next to the gas fireplace, that is slightly removed from the large open dining room.

In addition to serving organic foods, the menu includes many gluten free or vegan offerings. And many of the meals served consist of five hundred calories or less. These items are all specially marked on the menu.

Sunday brunch is served from 11:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. with a boundless menu of traditional breakfast choices of special upscale toasts with avocado or smoked salmon. Or try the prosciutto and ricotta toast, all of which can be served with a poached or fried egg. There are soups, salads, sandwiches, and amazing brunch entrees, such as Butterscotch Mochaccino French Toast or or a flatiron steak served with andouille sausage, two eggs, spicy potato, and pickled serrano chili. If you are looking for a plant-based option, the Cuban Black Bean and Rice, served with adobo sweet potato, avocado, chickpea, and a plantain chip should not be missed. After Sunday brunch the regular menu is available until 8 pm.

Lunches are served Wednesday through Saturday from noon until 3:30. The Butternut Squash Soup is a favorite and has stayed on both the fall and winter menu. How about a flatbread? There are various combinations, one of them being pear and bleu cheese crumbles with a fig glaze and micro arugula. Various appetizers are served, each one large enough to fill you for the rest of the day. One of the many creative appetizers is a Grilled Chili-Lime shrimp served with spicy crispy smashed potato, Andouille sausage with romesco sauce and pickled serrano chili with cilantro – it is the perfect bite of spicy and slightly creamy sweet flavors. Add in the wide variety of salads, entrée salads, lunch entrees, plant-based entrees, and farm fresh sides and it could be a challenge to go through each seasonal offering before the menu changes up for the next season.

Happy hour? Harvest has you covered with specials on wines, beers, and seasonal sangrias. A smaller and deliciously varied assortment of various flatbreads, sandwiches, gluten free, and vegetarian dishes complete that after-work need to relax and meet up with friends for a tasty nosh before returning home.

Since brunch and lunch have been discussed, it is necessary to talk about the dinners, which are available Sunday through Saturday, served after lunch, until closing time. Start with a soup, or flatbread, moving through to a salad and entrée, farm fresh sides, and perfectly sized desserts. If you can’t decide between the Grilled Filet Mignon or seafood treat yourself to both by ordering the filet with a side of scallops, shrimp, or crab cake. For those who prefer a smaller meal, there is an assortment of entrée salads of chicken, Thai beef, or salmon which are bountifully served with varying greens and dressings depending on your protein choice. A kids’ menu is also available for guests twelve years of age or under. A catering menu is available by contacting Harvest.

“Harvest has shown me what my life can be from working in a supportive team-driven environment, creating amazing recipes with the best products available, and learning how my health can be better by choosing to eat high quality foods prepared with top quality ingredients,” Folk says in closing. This sounds like the perfect model for a life well lived.

Harvest is located at 2625 Brindle Drive, Harrisburg. Their hours are Monday - Tuesday 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., Wednesday - Thursday from noon until 9:00 p.m., Friday - Saturday from noon until 10:00p.m. and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 8 p.m. Their website is harvestseasonal.com/harrisburg-restaurant/. Find them on Facebook: harvestseasonalgrillharrisburg.

With Love

CELEBRATE VALENTINE’S ALL WEEKEND FROM FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10TH - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14TH WITH OUR CHEF’S ADDITIONS AND FULL, FARM-TO-TABLE SEASONAL MENU .