'Gilligan's' bring class and leisure By VINCENT DANGOLOVICH Time and again, when the people around me want to STAFF WRITER sit down for a meal and a few drinks, they suggest the vwDsoo6@psu.EDu restaurant chains that populate our highways. Although the Olive Garden and Charlie Brown's can deliver on promises of good service and food, it is not their property. This is why Gilligan's Bar and Grille have survived over fifteen years in the Harrisburg area. According to the Gilligan's website, George and Leah Lois established their first location in 1993. Situated Just minutes from campus at 987 Eisenhower Blvd, the couple later opened a second location at 10 S. Houcks Rd. Still thriving, they offer casual dining and fantastic service. A recent trip to the N. Houck's rd. location demonstrated the best the restaurant has to offer. Upon walking through the lounge entrance, bartender Jason Raess immediately caught my party's attention asked for our drink orders. This was harder than it might seem. In addition to 11 drafts, Gilligan's regularly keeps a large stock of bottled brews from around the nation. Tom Gallager, an experienced and friendly bar keep, guided my focus to a favorite of the week—Sea Dog Blue Paw. The blueberry wheat ale was a welcome departure from the usual mass produced beers. It was a definite reminder to trust your bartender at Gilligan's. When it came time to order food, the restaurant's diverse menu had many intriguing offers. For help Jasmine Peck, PSH Criminal Justice major and 3-year veteran of the Gilligan's wait staff was happy to help. "The lobster tail," she said emphatically, "all our seafood is fresh." It is true. Most of Gilligan's menu from soups and salads to seafood and steaks are prepared fresh daily. The broiled, garlic buttered, cold-water lobster tail of Jasmine's desire is no exception. She also recommends the jumbo lump crab cakes. If you have the cash, I would have to agree. For the red meat fans, the Gill team also endorses the Delmonico steak, described as the chefs favorite in the menu. However, if you come to the dining room after 4 on any Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, get your wallet and spring for the prime rib. The slow roasted meat practically melts in your mouth. For the vegetarian, the pasta list has a section just for you. The pasta primavera is a medley of vegetables and creamy Alfredo that pairs well with a white wine from the house list. Although, for a lighter meal, the penne Mediterranean combines artichoke hearts, purple onions, sundried tomatoes, olives, and feta cheese with extra virgin olive oil for a tasty meal with a Greek twist. While the price tag for some of these items may scare the average student, do not worry because Gilligan's has plenty of options the cash deprived. "I normally get a cheeseburger sub because I'm cheap," laughs Jasmine. "The rolls are baked fresh and the sandwiches are really good." Good and well priced. Most burgers, subs and sandwiches are under seven dollars and are large enough to save half for another meal. Also worth a try are the Reuben (corned beef, swiss, sauerkraut on grilled rye with Russian dressing) and the Knickerbocker (sliced ham, smoked turkey, and swiss on grilled rye with Russian dressing). If you need munchies at the bar, you can choose from a list of bar classics like nachos and potato skins, but the fried zucchini sticks are definitely worth a try. A crock of French onion soup is another must. For dessert you can follow the advice of Miss Peck and get the chocolate peanut butter pie or the carrot cake, both prepared on site, or the classic tiramisu. If you are on a date, you can't get a more delicious, romantic ending than splitting a slice of triple chocolate cake. While the food is well worth a visit, Gilligan's offers pool, gaming, and sports television to round out the experience. However, the secret to Gilligan's draw and its numerous repeat customers may be the people on staff. "I really enjoythe people I work with," says Jasmine. "Everyone who works here has been here at least 3 years. Kind of like a little family." If you want a restaurant away from the corporate world with great food and better service, make Gilligan's Bar and Grille a stop. THE CAPITAL TIMES `Psych' returns to cult By TOM KLEMICK This is one of the happiest times of the year for TV STAFF WRITER fans. Those annoying mid-season/holiday breaks that GTKsoo2@psu.EDu relegate us to watching re-runs of our favorite shows for almost a month are coming to an end. Thankfully, "Psych" returned from its three and a half month hiatus last week. It couldn't have come too soon. Last fall, USA Network's best night of programming was Friday when its biggest hit, "Monk," aired at 9 PM followed by "Psych" at 10. Sadly, the former came to an end after eight wonderful seasons this past December. Now "Psych" has moved to Wednesdays and taken up the mantle as the network's flagship program. Its mid-season premiere proved that the series is more than ready to shine on its own. In a very solid episode entitled "You Can't Handle This Episode," TV's best fake psychic detective (sorry "Mentalist"), Shawn Spencer (James Roday), and his invaluable partner and life long best friend, Burton "Gus" Guster (Dule Hill), find themselves disproving a soldier's apparent suicide. They get a little extra help from WIVE superstar and guest star, John Cena. We've seen what Cena can do in "The Marine," but here he is surprisingly good in a different military role as Detective Juliet O'Hara's (Maggie Lawson) older brother, Ewan. Cena has to be commended. I fully expected his performance to be the weakest part of the episode. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised by his comedic ability. Is he the next Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson? That's a discussion for another day. "You Can't Handle This Episode" is chock full of Shawn and Gus' super quick banter, plenty of eighties pop-culture references ("An Officer and a Gentleman" was a nice touch) and Detective Lassiter's (Tim Omundson) confrontational ways. As for the plot, the whodunit wasn't impossible to figure out but the episode was still as action packed and fast paced as any all season. As Shawn puts it, he was right. Then he was wrong. Then he thought he was right about being wrong but it turns out he was right, then wrong, then right again. And it turns out the move to Wednesday wasn't the only big change fans were treated to. In "Shawn Takes a Shot In the Dark," October's mid-season finale and best episode of season four so far, Shawn's life hung in the balance after being shot and taken hostage. He struck up a rather poignant conversation with one of his abductors and received permission to make a final phone call to say goodbye to his girlfriend, Abigail (Rachel Leigh Cook). With his would be killer listening in, Shawn instead called Juliet, dropped clues as to where he was being held and told her he loved her. Before Jules could respond (was she going to say it back to him?), Shawn was forced to abruptly end the call, saying "goodbye, Abigail." Last week's premiere introduced a major obstacle to the Shawn/Abigail love story. Has their romance come to an end? Overall, it was a great way to start the second half of season four. The "Psych" crew is very adept at crafting specifically-themed episodes. We've seen cowboys, models, werewolves, soap operas, "The Exorcist", John Hughes movies, Boyz II Men and now the military throughout its run. The most memorable episodes of "Psych" seamlessly blend the main characters' sharp, witty humor with high drama on the crime end. Fans have been treated to the show's transition from a series that relied heavily on jokes and comedy to one that has begun to explore darker themes. Whether it's a fake murder camp that turns out to be more "Friday the 13th" than "April Fool's Day" or a serial killer who likes to pose riddles to law enforcement officers and treats murder as a game, the show really matured in season three and it's continued the trend into the second half of season four. And what a second half it's shaping up to be. There are plenty of guest stars set to appear in upcoming episodes. Cook will appear at least one more time as Abigail herself told Shawn that she'd be back on February 24th. Gus finally gets a girlfriend when Sarah Shahi guest stars on February 3rd. Cast favorite and oft-mentioned Judd Nelson joins Shawn and Gus on February 17th. But the most anticipated event of the entire season has to be the return of Ally Sheedy as the Ym/Yang killer in the season finale on March 10th. Creator Steve Franks describes the episode as probably the darkest thing they've ever done on the show. Sheedy's first appearance came in "An Evening With Mr. Yang," the series' best episode to date. If her second time around can match the first, viewers are in for another classic. "Psych" has attained something of a cult status. Those who have seen the show love it. Those who haven't seen the show probably have never heard of it. For those who are lucky enough to follow it, they are witnessing the prime of the series run. Good things are happening with the show. The story arcs are the most interesting they've ever been. Some very exciting guest stars will be appearing in upcoming episodes. Juliet and Lass are becoming an even bigger part of the show (I also expect Corbin Bemsen and Kirsten Nelson to have more screen time). But the biggest reason for the show's success is the chemistry between the leads (Is this the year Roday finally gets his well deserved Emmy nomination?). Watching the show one would think that Roday and Hill had been best friends off screen before joining the cast. That however, was not the case. The way their able to bring the funny by playing off of one another's personalities has made them one of the best television duos in recent memory. TV fans rejoice. The break is finally over. "Psych" is back. And it's 3 2010 Februa ravings
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