The Rocket

Issue date: 11/16/07 Section: Focus

Media Credit: Kristen Baselj The Crane Room Bar & Grill, located in New Castle, offers a bar area with 6 TVs and steel-topped tables. [Click to enlarge]

Settled in an old tin-planting mill, The Crane Room captures the 1900s historical industrial period of New Castle.

With remnants of the mill's equipment still present in the décor and its trademark feature-a 10-ton crane that runs along the high ceilings-in between the industrial beams of the dining area, The Crane Room offers a beautiful setting for dining.

FOOD & BEVERAGE

My guests and I started out with the chicken tostada appetizer that consists of a corn tortilla topped with chicken, tomatoes, lettuce and cheese.

I would not recommend this appetizer because not only was it hard to eat and split among all the guests, but it was also just not very appetizing.

The chicken quesadilla was average at best. It was filled with chicken and cheese and that's it. It could have used some extra fillings or seasoning to spice it up a bit.

I decided to go with the Crane Chop, a 12-oz., Porterhouse-cut pork chop, covered in olive oil and rosemary sauce, which gave it a strong, almost overwhelming, lemon flavor. Accompanied by a cup of wedding soup and rice pilaf, it was not a meal that I would get again.

I decided to go with a slice of the Tollhouse pie for dessert. Topped with a warm, thick layer of hot fudge and a scoop of vanilla ice cream, this soft chocolate chip cookie-pie was absolutely worth the calories!

PRICE

Appetizers fell between $4.95 and $11.99, with their signature appetizer of a full pound of smelts being the most expensive. You can build your own pizza for $7.95, while selections from the "Sandwich Factory" ranged from $5.95 to $8.95.

Seafood, pasta, items from the grill and other entrees fell between $8.95 and $24.99, with an average price of $13.

Monday night specials from 6 to 10 p.m. take wings and select appetizers to half price and on Wednesday nights, pizzas are $5.

ENVIRONMENT

The bar area, which has six TVs, is marked by its handmade, steel-topped tables.

Don't feel like sitting at the bar to watch the big game? No worries here, as the dining area is set off by a huge, theater-like screen and projector.

An outside covered patio, with two gazebos and 10-foot high waterfall, would be the perfect place to host a summer special event or go on a romantic date.

Attached to the Crane Room and accessible from the outside patio is the New Englander Banquet Center. The hall is able to accommodate parties with 25 to 700 guests.

Three huge, sparkling chandeliers light this absolutely gorgeous room, which also has its own bar and plenty of room for a buffet.

SERVICE

I have no complaints about the service. Our waitress was sociable and courteous. She was sure to repeat her name so if we needed anything we could get her attention.

Our entrees came in a timely manner and were not too rushed or overlapped.

The Crane Room
Bar & Grill
3009 Wilmington Rd
New Castle, PA 16105
(724) 656-1553

Kristen Baselj is a senior communication major and a regular contributor to The Rocket.

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