From May to September, the small town of Media, Pennsylvania is transformed into a piazza full of café dining. Traffic is halted on State Street, from Jackson to Orange — a large part of downtown, and pedestrians are in charge. And they better bring their appetites, because 30 different restaurants participate in this al fresco meal experience known as Dining Under the Stars.
For the 12th year, this Wednesday night tradition continues as a weekly celebration of summertime. “When the weather is great, it rocks,” says Zubair Khan, the event’s founder and executive director of the Media Business Authority. “The event is really growing, and we sell between 6,000 and 7,500 dinners every night.”
Options include a pint of local beer and some artisan snacks at 320 Market Café, where the Up & Out, a hazy IPA from 2SP Brewing Company in Aston, Pennsylvania is the perfect accompaniment to a salumi board and marinated olives. Or diners can choose Ariano for signora loretto — a veal stuffed with prosciutto and mozzarella and topped with braised beef tomato sauce. There’s also Scooped Ice Cream, which offers a world-class chocolate hazelnut gelato, or Media’s Iron Hill Brewery, which offers Hudson Stout, a robust oatmeal stout aged on vanilla beans and freshly roasted coffee.
Expect live music and family-friendly activities, including balloon art and face painting, as well as summer breezes, a relaxed vibe and a seasonal experience you can fondly remember long after it’s too cold to eat outside.
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