A Third Helping of the Boilermaker in 2012 (Utica & Rome, NY)

FRIDAY JULY 6, 2012 - For the 2nd weekend of July I trekked back to Central NY to run my 3rd consecutive Boilermaker 15K Road Race in Utica, NY.  Mom picked me up at the train station in Utica, NY (it was 2.5 hours late getting in!) and upon exiting the train I felt an immediate kinship with pottery as it bakes in a kiln!  Definitely concerned for race day conditions tomorrow morning.  We made our way to the RF-reviewed Teddy's Restaurant in Rome, NY (my hometown) for dinner.  

I started out with a crock of tasty French Onion soup...

..and moved on to my usual entree of Chicken Parmesan with angel hair pasta.  Great, just as I expected.

I always look forward to their desserts and I couldn't resist trying a piece of their peaches & cream pie.  This was more like a cake in terms of texture: super-moist, peachy, with a topping of whipped cream cheese mixed with some else (sweet) and coated with cinnamon on top that was baked in.  The edge had a nice crisp feel to it and it was like no other pie I have ever had.  I hope they have it on the menu again.  

As much as I loved the peaches & cream, my mom's slice of warm blueberry pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream really blew me away.  Lots of fresh blueberries and a buttery, flaky, homemade crust was a perfect end to this meal.  We've been coming here for almost 20 years and have had many great meals.  We had my mom's retirement party here back in April and they catered my uncle's wedding a few weeks ago.  Brian and Carlos (the owners) are great guys who are really active in the local community and are on a first name basis with just about everyone who comes in.  If you want to try really good versions of the local specialties of Chicken Riggies and Greens, as well as some stellar homemade pie, Teddy's is the place.

 
SATURDAY JULY 7, 2012 - Borrowing mom's car, I made my way to the Boilermaker Expo in Utica to pick up my runner's bib and goodie bag.  Naturally, I gave myself some extra time to explore a some Roadfood options before arriving at the Expo!  An early lunch at the RF-reviewed Voss BAR B-Q was in order.  

 

I just found out on this visit that they now have an outpost at the Utica Zoo.  I'll have to check it out and report back.  

8 was the number of the day and I couldn't wait for them to call it out over the loudspeaker.

A Mexi-Dog, BBQ Ham sandwich (with extra sauce) and fries.  I wanted to order twice this much but I figured with a 15K to run the next morning I should probably go easy.  

One of the best hot dog chilis I have ever tasted on top of a quality Honest John's frank and nestled in a buttered and griddled Freihofer's split-top bun is perfection to me.

A BBQ Ham sandwich is a taste of my childhood and Voss' sauce has had me hooked for over 20 years.  I was recently in touch with Chris Ayers as he and Amy Briesch had been in CNY and had made a couple of visits to Voss'.  While he liked the BBQ sauce he thought that the turkey had a "lunchmeat-y" texture to it.  I've always struggled to describe the meat at Voss', especially to those who may have grown up in the BBQ belt(s).  That word probably sums it up (at least in terms of the turkey).  It's something I grew up with and I will always crave it but I can see how it would be a hard sell if smoked meats are what one is accustomed to. In doing some research online for what I hope is a Summer 2013 BBQ Ham/Hot Ham sandwich smack down I found about 19 places in Central NY that serve one or both of these specialties.  Looking forward to it!

And to wash it all down AND double as my dessert, a heavy pistachio shake, which was just right.  

 
As I got closer to the Expo I made a slight detour on to Bleecker Street in East Utica to pick up some tomato pie from Roma Sausage & Deli to bring to the pre-race pasta carb-loading party in Rome later that evening.  

They don't keep very late hours and have a tendency to run out of tomato pie early in the day.  Good thing I stopped here BEFORE the Expo as the line was almost to the door and there was a bit of a wait as they were making them as quick as they could.  The upside of waiting was that I received a fresh, warm one right out of the oven.  Now, they are really good a few hours and even a few days later but they are definitely at their peak while still warm.  

And amidst all of the hanging cheeses were many signs and a Terrible Towel indicating that someone here is a HUGE Steelers fan!

 

Lots of olives to choose from as well.

The Steelers fan and I had a nice conversation and he handed me my pie over the counter whereupon I promptly set it down and took this shot (among others) as many other line dwellers snickered and pointed at the goofy guy photographing his food!  I do it for YOU, people!!

I have yet to buy a tomato pie that makes into the car intact.  They idea of NOT eating 3-4 slices from the hood just seems silly to me!

 
Off to the Jorgensen Athletic Center at the Mohawk Valley Community College campus for the Expo.  

The bib has been acquired!  Less than 24 hours until my toes are on the race course!!  I get excited about this race every year!

For the past 5 years members of the 2nd Battalion of the 108th Infantry based out of the Parkway Armory in Utica, NY participated in a "shadow run" in Kandahar, Afghanistan.  

For more info on the run and the results, check out this link from the Boilermaker site:  http://www.boilermaker.com/news/entry.php?id=545

I wouldn't mind getting behind the wheel of this car!

And a very sweet and energetic doggie I met before leaving the Expo.  I forget his name but he was very huggable.

 
After the Expo I made my way back to Bleecker Street, to the RF-reviewed Florentine Pastry Shop to pick up some pusties for the party.

 

 

The only down side to this visit was they only had vanilla pusties left and only 7 of them.  So, I bought them all.  Six for the party and one for me to "sample" in the car in the parking lot before I left.  Quality control, you know?  

These seem to get better every single time I eat them!  Many more pusties to try in the area but these are still the yardstick by which I measure all others.

 
More to come...
 

Billy, spectacular report thus far!  And I am happy to say that I know exactly what you're talking about with most of the food -- thanks for the fabulous recs and I am eager to see what else you discovered!    Chris

Your pre-race goodies look delicious!!

Thanks for taking the time Billy, the pictures and Report are great. It looks like you had a fun time......pnwc

billyboy, That style of BBQ is also available in my area.  What's not available is the sauce.  No matter what you order, Voss'(not Bill)sauce elevates it to a higher level.

This is a great report! 
 
Walt

ayersian, so glad you and Amy enjoyed your time in Central NY.  I even found a few more places that make "upside down pizza", another "garbage plate" spot with three variations on the dish and lots of sights to see and places to hike to work off that delicious Roadfood!
CC, thanks so much!  I think that pusties are a very photogenic food.  That golden crust really seems to love the camera.
pnwchef, I had such a blast and it was really great to be able to spend quality time with my family and friends.  The Roadfood was just icing on the cake.  
joerogo, I seem to remember buffetbuster mentioning a similar style of BBQ sandwich in the Pittsburgh area.  Perhaps I'm thinking of Chipped Ham?  I think he had said that the BBQ sauce had pickle relish in it which is a variation I remember eating at The Pie Stand in Rome, NY when I was a little kid.
walt, thanks!  More on the way!

Until this I never knew pusties = pasticciotto! Beautiful one...for sure!

If only Teddy's sold T-Shirts. He's cute.

It was as hot as blazes here on the day of the run! You're my hero!!

Gotta play your number 9237 in Pick 4...for the week!

In addition to the vanilla pusties I popped into Holland Farms Bakery & Deli for some half moon cookies to bring to the party

It was killing me not to buy a pie and also to not whip out a marker and correct the grammar and punctuation on this sign!

A classic chocolate base half moon with white & chocolate frosting.

And a new favorite of mine...a  carrot cake half moon with cream cheese and (I think) a brown-sugar cream cheese frosting!
 
Our group shot at the pasta party.  It really was terrific to spend time with all of them.  Lots of laughs, great stories from our school days, discussing upcoming races and guessing how the race tomorrow was going to play out.  I look forward to this party every year! 

 
SUNDAY JULY 8, 2012 -
Billyboy, ready to run!

My friend and coach, Doug, geared up for the race!

They were selling these commemorative 35th Anniversary medals at the finish line and I couldn't resist getting one (though Doug picked one up for me as he finished well before me).  It was definitely the toughest one I've run so far.  I ran better than I did in 2010 but not as well as 2011.  I was hoping to finish in under 2 hours but I came in at 2:04:51.  The local paper said the temperature was around 65 degrees at the start at 8:00am but the humidity was over 90%!!  I definitely felt as if I was burning up almost a 1/2 mile in which almost never happens to me.  I stopped at every water station, person giving out ice, kid with a sprinkler or water gun, etc just to cool off.  Much relief was provided by my mom, sister, brother-in-law, niece, cousins and many friends handing me water, ice chips, sweaty hugs and a ton of moral support from the sidelines.

Finishers don't receive a medal but a Finisher's Pin at the end of the race.  My pins from my three Boilermakers.

Each runner also gets a free pint glass at the Expo as part of their goodie bag.  The design changes from year to year and is usually chosen as part of a contest where local students submit design ideas.

The blue "Long Distance Relationship" is the last one in a trio of shirts that I acquired in the three successive years I've run this race.

 
The graffiti on the wooden walls at the back entrance of Tom Cavallo's Restaurant in New Hartford, NY has been a long standing tradition.  Doug and I have been coming here since our college days when a whole dorm floor would carpool here for all-you-could-eat 99 cent pasta Mondays or 20 cent wing Tuesdays and it was always our go-to spot whenever I'd come back into town after I had moved to Boston.  We had thought about having hot dogs and BBQ sandwiches at Voss BAR B-Q as our post race meal like we did in 2011 but with the humidity still being high we opted for somewhere indoors with air conditioning. and Cavallo's was the perfect choice.

 

A complimentary loaf of their crusty bread is always a great start to any meal here.

While the Utica/Rome area is not the birthplace of the Buffalo wing, it is close enough to bask in the hot glow of wing sauce from the Nickel City and as a result I grew up chowing down on excellent Buffalo-style wings from numerous restaurants in the area.  I've been eating wings at Cavallo's for over 20 years and they are still some of the best I have ever had.  They nail the three basic elements that for me, define the perfect Buffalo wing:  1.)  crispy skin (no rubbery wings here), 2.)  meaty, moist wings (no dried out chicken) and 3.)  a sauce that is a perfect balance of spice and flavor (their "hot" level packs a nice punch without being overpowering and has some great tangy, vinegary, peppery and buttery notes to it).  It brought me right back to my college days!  The blue cheese dip was very chunky, cool and creamy too.  As much as I love NYC and the variety of food it offers, a decent plate of Buffalo wings is hard to come by.

A local specialty that I was looking forward to trying was a hot "tunnel" sandwich.  As many of you know, sandwiches have different names in different regions (hot brown vs. turkey devonshire, Jucy Lucy vs. stuffed cheeseburger, subs, heroes, grinders, torpedoes, wedges, etc...).  A tunnel is a hot sub (meatball, sausage, chicken/veal/eggplant parm, etc...) served in a long roll that I believe has been hollowed out somewhat to allow for more filling and baked to crisp up the bread.  

I opted for the meatball and sausage tunnel and I requested roasted long hots (Italian long green peppers) as well as getting it split-top and covered in mozzarella.  A truly great sandwich.  There were little bits of blackened skin still on the long hots which gave them a smoky, charred flavor and while the sausage was good I had forgotten how much I truly loved their meatballs until my first bite.  Next time, a meatball only tunnel!  

Being that my friends love food as much as I do, we split some of our dishes so we could sample.  I gave away parts of my sandwich and was able to sample some chicken riggies as a trade-off.  For some reason I have never tried them here but I shall not make that mistake again as these were terrific, though I might wait for cooler weather.

On my way back to Rome for the night I stopped in at Holland Farms again to treat myself to a couple of half moons and I passed this sign and couldn't resist taking a picture.  Oh, long have I wondered when the worlds of Vietnamese comfort food and Snoop D-O-Double G would at long last collide!  My wait is finally over!

 
Later that day my family wanted to have dinner at Symeon's, a local Greek restaurant, which Roadfooder ynotryme has been wanting me to go to for some time.  As much as I wanted to I REALLY needed to sleep for a while so sis, brother-in-law and my niece headed back to Syracuse and after some much needed sleep, mom and I had a late dinner at Nicky Doodles in Rome, NY.  

I went for a Nicky Doodle Dog (a grilled Hofmann hot dog with their spicy meat sauce in a buttered and griddled bun).  A tasty dog but made even better by adding some of their Gold BBQ sauce on top.  Spicy and sweet with possibly some mustard in it.  

And a side of cool and creamy potato salad.  I really like how the kids working there seem to have a great work ethic and usually go the extra mile for the customer.

Ice cream was a given and so much to choose from...

but the Peanut Butter Caramel Cookie Dough isn't something I see very often which is too bad as this was fantastic.  Creamy with a healthy swirl of caramel and lots of rich chunks of peanut butter-y cookie dough.  

 
A couple more stops to come.  Stay tuned!!
 

Congratulations Billyboy!!

Half moons. I've seen them before!

MONDAY JULY 9, 2012 - Before I headed to the train station I called my friend Marissa and we agreed to meet up for lunch.  She is originally from the island of Antigua and knows her Caribbean food so when she told me of a new Caribbean restaurant in Rome, NY I paid attention.  Caribbean Restaurante is a new and welcome addition the area.  I love my red sauce Italian-American as well as my sub shops and pizza & wing joints but it is nice to have some variety that extends to cuisine found beyond the U.S. borders.  

Marissa had been here before and asked the owner if she could assemble a combo plate of small portions for us to try as it was my first time here.  Clockwise from the top:  Rabo (Stew Oxtail), beans (pigeon peas?) & rice, Cerdo (roasted pork), Pollo (chicken, though I forget exactly which one) and beans.  Everything on this plate was incredible.  Being somewhat squeamish, I've never had oxtail before but it was so tender, the chicken had a nice spice to it and I could have just taken that whole pan of roast pork and a large spoon and been happy for many hours.  The rice & beans as well as the other beans were very tender and soaked up some of the flavorful juices from the meats so I didn't miss a drop.  

We also tried a Bola de Papa (potatoes filled with ground beef and deep fried) which was really good...

and an Empanada de Carne de Res (filled with ground beef) which was also really good,  Crispy on the outside and moist on the inside.  

As delicious as everything was it was all elevated by this slightly spicy, vinegary sauce the name of which I cannot remember.  

We also tried two sodas I have heard of but never had before.  Goya Malta had a malty flavor that to me also had a raisin-y profile and the Country Club Merengue had a cream soda/bubble gum flavor.  I can see their appeal but I wasn't crazy about either one.  

When I first walked in the wood and brick for some reason reminded me of the "rumpus room" that Goldfinger had in Kentucky in the James Bond film of the same name.  The owner was really nice, the food was incredibly tasty (and inexpensive) and I definitely look forward to branching out and trying much more of the menu.  

My last stop of this trip was a late lunch with my mom at a local favorite, LaRoma Pizzeria & Restaurant.  

We split a pepperoni, roasted red pepper and mushroom pizza.  It was as good as I remember but the crust was thicker than I am accustomed to after many years in NYC.  

And my parting shot, from the train station in Rome, NY.  I love this view from the platform.  I feel as though those tracks will take me anywhere I want to go.  Thanks for coming along!

 
"Eating is an adventure, enjoy the ride." - billyboy, 2012
 

I've had Malto Goya once. I didn't care for it at all.
 
But the report was great. I'm surprised to learn that ham barbeque extends to CNY; I thought of it as a Pittsburgh thing.

Always love your reports and pics - am seriously craving a chili dog right now, and still trying to find decent wings here in CT that have that crispy skin....thanks for sharing!!

Careful...Fawn Liebowitz died in kiln explosion! 

Thanks Ralph!  I've been eating those BBQ ham and hot ham sandwiches since I was a wee lad and hope to do them proud next summer as many of the places I want to try are seasonal and the owners go south after Labor Day.
Tim & Terri, thanks so much!  I could totally go for a hot dog from Blackie's right now with mustard and some of that spicy pepper relish.  I haven't been but Chris & Amy really love the wings at the Bidwell Tavern in Coventry, CT.  
Gregg, Oh My God! I just talked to her last week... She was going to make a pot for me.

And heard from buffetbuster who heard from The Travelin Man that Carolina Bob heard you were engaged to be engaged...wow, small world!

The 411:
 
1.)  Teddy's Restaurant
      851 Black River Blvd. 
      Rome, NY 13440
      Ph # 315-336-7839
      Website:  http://www.teddysrestaura.../ordereze/default.aspx
 
2.)  Voss BAR B-Q
      Rte 5A (aka Oriskany Blvd.)
      Yorkville, NY 13495
      No phone or website
 
3.)  Roma Sausage & Deli
      2029 Bleecker Street
      Utica, NY 13501
      Ph # 315-792-1445
      No website
 
4.)  Florentine Pastry Shop
      667 Bleecker Street
      Utica, NY 13501
      Ph# 315-724-8032
      No website
 
5.)  Holland Farms Bakery & Deli
      50 Oriskany Blvd (aka Rte. 5A)
      Yorkville, NY 13495
      Ph# 315-736-6044
      Website:  http://hollandfarms.com
 
6.)  Boilermaker 15K Road Race
      Utica, NY 
      Date:  SUNDAY JULY 14th, 2013
      Website:  http://www.boilermaker.com
 
7.)  Tom Cavallo's Restaurant
      40 Genesee Street
      New Hartford, NY 
      Ph# 315-735-1578
      Website:  http://www.cavallos.com
 
8.)  Nicky Doodles 
      1159 Erie Blvd. West
      Rome, NY 13440
      Ph# 315-339-5395
      Website:  http://www.nickydoodles.com
 
9.)  Caribbean Restaurante
       401 West Dominick Street
       Rome, NY 13440
       Ph# 315-336-0505
       Website:  http://www.caribbean315.com
 
10.)  LaRoma Pizzeria & Restaurant
        600 Floyd Avenue
        Rome, NY 13440
        Ph# 315-336-1113
        Website:  http://www.laromapizzeria.com
 

Engaged to be engaged?  Nope.

Billyboy, so good as per usual! I always enjoy your reports! This was top notch!

Great report  Thanks. About that ham barbeque, I just had a ham barbeque sandwich Tuesday near Beaver, in Western Pennsylvania. I've had them there before at Bert's Wooden Indian and I've never been able to figure out why they call it barbeque as it's just thinly sliced baked ham. It's terrific, but puzzling.

Billyboy.
  I enjoy your visits to your old homestead very much. My first teaching job was up the road in rural Oneida County back in the late 60's. I still recall the "HOT HAM" sandwiches that Michael mentioned, from EDDIES in Sylvan Beach. 4 years of those Upstate winters taught me a lot...and earned me a graduate degree from Oswego State. But the Rome Drive-in with a nearby soft-serve stand on the west side was the only thing my kids have any memory of today.  BTW two of my sons were born in Rome..in '68 and '70.

TnTinCT

...and still trying to find decent wings here in CT that have that crispy skin....

TnTinCT, you're missing out if you haven't been to Bidwell Tavern for wings (you got that right, Billy!) -- but what about Archie Moore's in Wallingford?  That's even closer to you and they have some of the best wings in the state! 
 
And Billy, when shall I expect a review of Tom Cavallo's?  Because I have a lot to say about the place, too!    Chris

Great report as usual Billyboy! I appreciate how very thorough you are, even listing for us the addresses, phone numbers, and websites of the places you visit. Now I'm craving a "tunnel" sandwich!

Thanks agnesrob!
Michael, I'm guessing barbeque is a name that has probably been used for many decades and it just stuck.  All of the places that serve them in Central NY automatically come with sauce, some of which are homemade.  
Mayor Al, they recently closed the twin screen West Rome Drive-In to make room for a car dealership but a LOT of people complained and so they rebuilt it but it's now just a single screen.  Lots of great memories from that place.  Eddie's is the first place I had ever tried a HOT HAM sandwich and it seems that the Sylvan Beach area is the epicenter for HOT HAM.  Hoping to report on a number of those next summer.  
Chris, I remember you telling me about the wings at Bidwell and my mouth was watering!  Not planning to do a review of Tom Cavallo's just yet.  As much as I loved my visit there I feel I should make 2 more visits and try more menu items first.  I don't want to base my review mostly on fond memories from college (as on point as I think they probably are).  Post away, good sir!
tcrouzer, thanks so much.  I like to be as descriptive as possible letting people know specifically why I did/did not like something.  I know that it certainly helps me when I read someone else's trip report or review and I can gauge if I will like the place and the food.  

Great report, Billy!  Along with the "usuals" the plate from Caribbean Restaurante really looks tasty!

We've had both Bidwell's and Archie Moore's - both are at least at 45 minute drive for us so selfishly wanting something a little closer to home ;-) Neither of them stack up to Anchor or Duff's in Buffalo ;-)

Great report. Really enjoyed reading it.

Mayor Al, I was just reading over this report and remembered the name of the soft serve stand near the West Rome Drive-In.  It was The Frozen Cow!  My parents used to take us there before going to see a film at the drive-in.