For nearly 30 years, Peachtree Restaurant & Lounge has been a Harrisburg staple known well for home-style comfort food and neighborhood charm.
In mid-November, the restaurateurs of Peachtree (husband and wife Nick and Jackie Giannakopoulos along with Nick’s brother, Alex) opened a new venture next door, Roots eatery.
With a metropolitan atmosphere, modern decor and an open kitchen, Roots eatery boasts an enticing menu filled with unique and delicious Mediterranean-inspired, Southern-influenced dishes.
“My husband always wanted to do something different,” says Jackie Giannakopoulos. “…The idea was to get back to the cooking my husband really loves – some traditional Mediterranean dishes he grew up with. …The menu has items that we’ve eaten and grown to love while traveling in Europe and in the South.”
In addition to a tasty selection of culinary palate-pleasers, Roots eatery offers 15 craft beers on tap, wine, cocktails and nitro, cold-brewed coffee.
“Guests feel like they are somewhere else when they come into Roots; they feel like they are in New York City or Washington, D.C.,” says Giannakopoulos. “The ambience has a big-city feel but is also really comfortable.”
Top 3 Must-Sample Appetizers
1. Smoked Ham and Mussels: Ham hock, mussels, IPA broth and house sour dough.
2. Roasted Oysters: Half-dozen with country-ham compound butter.
3. Saganaki: Kasseri cheese, pickled peppers, preserved lemon and pita.
Top 3 Must-Order Entrées
1. Shrimp & Grits: Shrimp, Anson Mills grits, country ham and tomato gravy.
2. Bakalao: Crispy fish, Roots tartar, tomato, hot sauce and brioche.
3. Chicken & Waffle: Crispy chicken, candied jalapeño waffle and black-pepper honey.
Top 3 Happy-Hour Must-Haves
1. Roots Screwdriver: Jalapeño vodka, fresh-squeezed orange juice and basil simple syrup.
2. Cold Brew Martini: Nitro, cold-brew coffee, brown-sugar simple syrup and vodka.
3. Bourbon Bash: Woodford Reserve, chili-infused honey and lemon.
Roots eatery (251 N. Progress Ave., Harrisburg) is open Tuesday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Roots eatery also offers call-ahead, carry-out family meals, which include their popular whole rotisserie chickens. For more information, call (717) 695-4182 or visit roots251.com.
