Torina Espresso at Fort Hunter Park (a.k.a. TOEspresso)

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Torina Espresso at Fort Hunter Park (a.k.a. TOEspresso)

29 May

In previous posts, I said that the Journey’s schedule would be determined largely by festival season in Pennsylvania and beyond. Well, festival season has begun in earnest, and this find is an indirect consequence of it.

An indirect consequence, you ask. Yep. Let me explain:

It was a dark and stormy day. The Wetlands Festival had begun in Wildwood Park in Harrisburg, PA. As per usual, the weather was not cooperating. The first few hours were moderately dry, but right after lunch, the skies opened, and rain poured. I’d just finished a fantastic burger by Williams Catering (my favorite festival food, by the way) and was looking for shelter. So was someone else! Trapped under a white vendor tent by circumstances, I started playing a bird-identification game with a woman named Eden… who, as it would turn out, would lead me to a coffee paradise.

I’ve been to Fort Hunter Park more times than I can count. Festivals, events. So many things happen here over the course of a year. That said, I rarely head further up the road because there’s rarely a need to. What’s north of Fort Hunter besides an on-r/amp to US-22? There is coffee. Specifically, there’s a coffee cart-cum-food-truck with a drive-through window; a setup that’s becoming increasingly popular around here. I knew nothing about it. Certainly, Google Maps had been silent until I zoomed in on Fort Hunter Park and typed ‘coffee.’ I only did that because Eden told me that some sort of coffee place was extant somewhere north of the park. The mystery deepened until I saw some photos of the coffee spot: It was a craft coffee drive-thru!

A bit of context: Roadside coffee trucks have been a staple of life in the Pacific Northwest for years. Only recently have I begun to see this institution explode into other states like Pennsylvania. It fundamentally makes sense, though. Pennsylvania is in many ways a drive-thru state. It’s a transportation hub, and chain coffeehouses like Dunkin’ Donuts are ubiquitous. Why not something more small-batch and artisan?

Enter Torina Espresso at Fort Hunter Park. Or, TO Espresso as it’s also known (the T.O. standing for Torina Original). Torina has been around for only about two years, and it’s an operation built on partnerships. As implied by the name, Torina has recently partnered with Fort Hunter to bring roadside craft coffee to park-going families, riverside anglers, and road-weary travelers alike. There’s another partnership worth mentioning: Torina sources its coffee from what might be my favorite roaster: St. Thomas Roasters in Linglestown, through which they formulate their own proprietary espresso blend.

Finding the place was a bit of a struggle, unfortunately. There are signs, but the location is deceptive. You’ll see what I mean in the photos below. There’s a gorgeous, historic stone building that would be perfect for a coffeehouse…if it weren’t empty. There are plans in the works to fill it, but for now, just know that this is emphatically not the coffeehouse. The cafe is right behind it in what would be the back parking lot.

The ambience is gorgeous. One side abuts a green space, and the other overlooks a fishing spot next to the mighty Susquehanna River. I parked in the front lot and walked to the cafe, hoping I wasn’t parked illegally. I should say “we.” Eden met me there, with neither of us knowing exactly where it was or what the rules were for entering or leaving the cars (of course, if you like this type of adventure, that’s part of it…). Parking is a funny thing in Harrisburg.

The coffee here is no joke, though. It was fantastic. No surprise, given that the beans come from my favorite roaster. Even so, this was expertly prepared. The owner obviously knows her craft. I was especially impressed by the variety. When I heard the phrase “espresso bar,” I worried that it would be the only offering. Check the menu below. Espresso is most certainly not the only option. I got a Colombian roast. It was a textbook Colombian, nutty and rich. She makes it nice and strong, too, even in the morning.

I should mention this location isn’t static. Torina travels. The espresso truck is set to pop up at several upcoming events in the region. We need more of that. Festival victuals are everywhere. Good ones are hard to find. So are reasonably priced ones, and this came in at about seven dollars for two 16-ounce coffees. That ain’t bad at all. At a festival last weekend, I saw a lemonade stand charging seven bucks per cup. Torina will thus be a welcome sight on many levels when they show up as part of the food truck constellation at carnivals and such this summer.

It’s often been the case that the best festival experiences I’ve had involved chance encounters. Whether that means meeting a fellow adventurer like Eden, or finding a great band (or great coffee), it’s been the unplanned (and, dare I say, cheap) events chalking up win after win in terms of quality and fun. That feels like the tone for this summer: Let the journey take you on it.

Until next time, stay caffeinated.