I remember the night Eclipse Nightclub opened for the first time in downtown Harrisburg. It was a pretty exciting season — Fisaga, the cornerstone of the 2000’s nightlife, and Mars had recently opened. The Brick Haus would be next.
Almost 11 years later, Eclipse and Mars (which has been formerly known as Zephyr, South Street Saloon, Smalls), reopen this week with new identities. Eclipse is now Second Street Comedy Club and Mars, which was most recently known as Egypt, is Buddha Buddha.
Dance clubs are on the decline while pubs continue to thrive. But the two new spots dare to provide something in short supply in the city.
Second Street Comedy Club will be just what its name implies. The club takes up the top two floors above the Harrisburg Hardware Bar. The first floor will serve as a lounge where you can grab drinks before shows and meet comedians after shows.
The top floor, which previously held the main dance floor, has been gutted and restructured to hold a stage and seating — and that’s pretty much it. The focus will be on comedy.
Some of you probably remember when 5:01 Downtown (now Bourbon Street Saloon) offered live comedy in its basement. I went there almost every weekend. It was just $5 and I saw my share of nationally touring comedians — no one we had heard of beforehand, but a few who went on to make it.
Josh Blue
You’ll probably see a similar degree of comedians at Second Street Comedy Club. Once a month, it will feature “premium” talent such as Josh Blue. The winner of Season 4 of NBC’s “Last Comic Standing” will be the grand-opening star and will take the stage at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Blue, known as “the comedian who puts the cerebral in cerebral palsy,” had a successful comedy career on the college circuit and won “Last Comic Standing” in 2006. He has since had a special on Comedy Central and Showtime, plus landed guest spots on a variety of shows.
Tickets for the Blue shows are $10 and are available at www.secondstreetcomedyclub.com.
All proceeds from the two shows will be donated to the American Red Cross Hurricane Relief Fund.
Second Street Comedy Club will feature new talent each week. Upcoming comedians include Collin Moulton, Alex Ortiz and Mike Green. You can sign up for the comedy club’s email list on its website.
Details: Second Street Comedy Club, 236 N. Second St., Harrisburg. 717-681-8012.
Buddha Buddha
Down the street at Buddha Buddha, a darkly lit lounge offers food and nightlife in one. You'll find your groove in the soundtrack, which was programmed by longtime DJ Jamie Pascotti to take the mood from happy hour to dinner to late-night munching.
The space provides bar seating, cozy round booths and more casual seatings in the back near the Buddha statue.
The menu is small and focuses on shareable Asian-style bites — hot and cold tapas such as spicy tuna tartare, steamed edamame, beef and chicken satays, plus a handful of sushi rolls and a trio of Asian tacos. Fresh fish dishes are prepared by a sushi chef at the sushi station in the front of the lounge.
While Buddha Buddha’s sushi and tapas offerings might sate your sushi cravings (at dinnertime only), the bar and its martini and cocktail menu provide something different.
If you’ve been around as long as I have, it’s hard to think “martini lounge” in this space and not imagine Mars’ lengthy — but now much passe — martini menu loaded with dessertlike cocktails. However, Buddha Buddha’s cocktail list provides an inventive drink menu that isn’t overwhelming.
Missy and Rick Galiardo, the owners of the new Buddha Buddha, at Second and South Streets in Harrisburg.
Its namesake is the Blu Buddha, featuring Stoli Blueberry, St. Germaine, fresh lemon and white cranberry juice. I liked the cucumber martini (Hendrinks Gin, fresh lemon), and loved the Hot and Dirty (Absolut Peppar, dry vermouth, olive brine). All martinis are $10.
Signature drinks are the Buddha Cup, which updates the Pimms Cup, with pomegranate and ginger beer ($10). The Skinny “T” ($9) combines green tea-infused vodka, agave nectar and fresh lime ($9). I have my eye on the Tokyo Lights ($9) with sake, prosecco and grapefruit bitters.
Buddha Buddha also offers a small menu of red and white wines, bottled beers and premium bourbon and scotch.
Happy Hour is from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, during which you can get $1 domestic beers and certain martinis/specialty cocktails for $5. The $5 drinks are the Asian Pear martini (recommended), Blu Buddha martini, Spiced Apple martini, Good Thyme (Absolut Citron, fresh thyme, fresh lemon) and Hong Kong (sake, Campari, Angostura Bitters).
Details: Buddha Buddha, 400 N. Second St., Harrisburg. 717-412-0573. www.buddhabuddha.us. Facebook: www.facebook.com/buddhax2. Twitter: @BarBuddhaBuddha.
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