My summer trip to Central NY (with pics!)-UPDATE

Billy..
Please do try to go to 7th Lake house just north of Inlet.

I am curious if Jim still has held up to his standards....
Check out the link for his place on the "where shall I eat thread"-Adirondacks, by Wheregreggeats......

And take a gander at the Inlet Golf Club/Mulligans, just to see how pretty it is. I bet there are a couple leaves starting to turn up there!
(At least by the time you get there!)
(Hard to think I am talking about leaves changing already!)

Roadfooding in CNY Monday 8/18/08-Day 6


Dropped sis off at work today and Dayna & I headed to Baldwinsville, NY for breakfast at the B'ville Diner. I found their website in my research, but no current menu was available. I knew it was a good choice when we stopped at the bank. As I discussed it with Dayna, the teller told us she goes there all the time and it is great!


In front of the diner.


I knew good things were in store when I saw this pie case upon entering the diner!


A close-up of the pies.


Check out the boomerang pattern on the table.


Inside the diner. They are really going for the 50s thing with the decor and they also have lots of framed prints of 50s cars, Elvis, Marilyn, James Dean and the requisite "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" print. Each of the tables has the mini jukebox selector on it. They're not the old ones I remember from my youth, but a nice touch nonetheless.


Dayna's Egg Substitute Western omelette (ham, red & green peppers) and rye toast. I tried a couple of bites and it just wasn't my thing. For me, the egg substitute doesn't taste like the real thing.


And a side of home fries. These were really good. A slight crust outside, creamy inside with good potato flavor and spiced just right. I could eat these all day.


Corned beef hash. This is exactly how I love my hash. A good crust on the outside and creamy on the inside. I think this may have gotten broken up a bit when they transferred it from the griddle to the plate, but the preparation was perfect. I mixed in some black pepper, ketchup and hot sauce and I was in hash heaven!


My thick cut Raisin French Toast. Really great french toast!! Thick and yet the custard really soaked into the bread. They cooked this so it got nice and brown (especially on the other side). Some butter and maple syrup (not real unfortunately, but at least the only refer to it as "syrup" on the menu". Not sure if they offer real maple syrup). Best french toast I've eaten in a really long time!


A slice of Chocolate Meringue pie. I asked our waitress what pies they had and she had a list off some tasty sounding ones. She mentioned a Reese's peanut butter pie and I asked where they got it from. She said that and some of the other pies were sent in by SYSCO and the Reese's one was pretty good. I asked if they had any made "in house" and she said that the banana cream, coconut cream, lemon meringue and chocolate meringue were all made by "Howie" in house and he made enough pie crusts in one day to last the week.


and the close-up. This was a truly great piece of pie! Huge, and with a deep chocolate flavor. The meringue was stiff and had a nice brown crust on top. The pie crust, though, is what really did it for me. It was like the crust I had as a kid at my Grandma's house at Thanksgiving and like the slices of pie I ate at the now closed (for many years) Pie Stand in Rome, NY. It had this wonderfully nutty flavor as though it had been cooked more than most crusts usually are.


I couldn't believe how cheap all of this was!


The jukebox


Lots of locals here. When I went to take this picture, the waitresses kept kidding one another about getting into the picture. I definitely received some odd looks here while I was shooting.


For dinner, we decided to order delivery from the local pizza institution, Twin Trees. Here is our order of a dozen hot Buffalo style chicken wings. These were not the best wings I've ever had. The buffalo flavor was not strong at all. I didn't think these were very hot and the texture of the skin was soft, rather than crispy. These fell very short of what I feel a Buffalo style wing should be, Very disappointing, especially considering that Buffalo style have been big in CNY for over 25 years.


Our large pizza with meatballs. This was really good! A nice balance of flavors: they let the cheese brown a bit which I think I key in almost any good pizza, there were a good amount of meatballs which didn't overload the crust and they were moist and tasted like meatballs should (not just ground beef), the sauce was good with a slight hint of savory herbs, although I prefer mine a little more on the sweet side. The crust had a great balance between crispy and chewy, which for me is an another earmark of a good pizza. What sets this style apart from others is the way that it is cut. One long cut through the middle, then about six cuts perpendicular to that. Some slices have a lot of crust and some don't. I didn't eat at Twin Trees as a kid, but I was very familiar with this style in CNY. Definitely a different way than most are used to, but it's a way I grew up with, so I don't think of it as strange. A great pie and worth trip if you're in the area. I believe they have four locations and I'm honestly not sure which one this was from.


A closer shot. The slices towards the wend of the pie end up being the ones with the most crust. It was always interesting to see who would lunge for those first when I was a kid.




1.) B'ville Diner
18 East Genesee Street
Baldwinsville, NY
Phone # 315-635-3180

2.) Twin Trees Pizza
Website: http://www.twintreestoo.com/links.html (provides a weblink to all of the other locations)


STARRING IN DAY 7-THE FINAL CHAPTER...some sights on the Syracuse University campus, "M" Street and some Middle eastern food, a stroll through Onondaga Lake Park, ice cream at HEID's Sweet Treats and a picnic on the train!

You were definitely smart to ask about the pies as I have finally learned to do. That is one fine looking piece of pie. Way to go Howie! That omelette looks terrific, too.

Roadfooding in CNY Tuesday 8/19/08-Day 7 (S.U., Marshall Street,
Onondaga Lake Park, Salt Museum, Sweet Treats, Picnic on the train,
etc...)
So, Dayna and I arranged to meet my sister for lunch today. Before picking her up, I made a side stop at a place I have wanted to check out for years. These stairs are on Euclid Street just a few blocks from the main S.U. campus and not far from the Carrier Dome (where the S.U. Orangemen play). My sister and my uncle both lived near here when they attended S.U. and I have wanted to climb these steps forever. It was a bit of a hike, but I made it to the top...


The view from on high. As much as I was glad I finally climbed them, it was a bit disappointing. They are in a serious state of disrepair. Lots of loose concrete, missing railing and more broken 40oz malt liquor bottles than most Nice-N-Easys have in stock! It probably wouldn't do to be around here after dark.


The white dome is the top of the Carrier Dome (home of the 2002-2003 Men's Basketball NCAA Champions and the 2008 National Lacrosse Champions). Sorry I couldn't get a better shot.


A nice little park at the top of the steps.


Some of the houses on Euclid Street. Many of them had "for rent" signs in front as this is a student heavy neighborhood.


Marshall Street on the main campus. It's known locally to most as "M" Street. Lots of shops, bars and restaurants.


and another angle of "M" Street.


Dayna, my sis and I decided to grab to Middle Eastern food at one of my sis' favorite spots.


The menu.


My Homous and Chicken (sliced grilled chicken breast served over a plate of homous, topped with diced tomatoes and parsley-text from the menu). This was good, but not my favorite humous ever, there seemed to be a bit too much tahini in it for my taste. I like it more on the garlicky side. The texture was right on though and the tomatoes, chicken and parsley lent a nice textural and herbal contrast.


The pita was soft and just right for scooping.


I ordered a side of rice pilaf which was fluffy and had a good flavor to it that I can't quite identify (chicken stock?).


We passed this shop on "M" Street and I loved all the choices.


I thought buffetbuster and cecif would appreciate this shot!


We stopped at an Insomnia Cookies for dessert. They have branches at many major college campuses, but I didn't see anything that interested me today, except this backseat of a van as part of the decor. Dayna had a creme brulee frozen yogurt that I didn't think tasted much like its namesake.


This is Crouse College. A little history (from the virtual tour on the S.U. website): Built in 1889 the Romanesque Crouse College, designed by architect Archimedes Russell, was for many years home of the nation's first degree-granting College of Fine Arts. The building cost about half a million dollars and was the gift of John Crouse, a local merchant, banker, and SU trustee, and his son D. Edgar Crouse. The building now houses the main hub for SU's College of Visual and Performing Arts, the School of Music, several art studios, music practice rooms, a beautiful 1,000-seat auditorium, and Crouse's Holtkamp Organ. The Crouse Chimes, atop Crouse College, entertain passersby several times each day. I how this sits up on that hill and the contrast of the building, green grass and the blue sky!


The S.I Newhouse School of Public Communications. Some history (also from the S.U. website): Built in 1964, Newhouse I was designed by the world-renowned architect I.M. Pei and won a first-place award from the American Institute of Architects in 1965. President Lyndon B. Johnson delivered his famous Gulf of Tonkin speech on the Vietnam War during the building's dedication. The building allowed for the creation of SU's public communications school. Newhouse II (the one in this photo) was added in 1973 to make room for the expanding broadcast journalism, and television, radio, and film programs. The Newhouse Communications Center was the result of a gift from newspaper publisher Samuel I. Newhouse, whose $15-million gift remains the largest in the University's history. His son, Donald, is a University trustee and former SU student. The Newhouse School launched the careers of Ted Koppel and Bob Costas, among others.


The Hall of Languages. A bit more history: Opened in 1873, the Hall of Languages is Syracuse University's oldest building and stood as its sole structure for 14 years. Constructed under the tenure of SU's first Chancellor, Alexander Winchell, the Hall of Languages was built of Onondaga limestone in the then-popular Second Empire style for $136,000. Originally, there were to be six more buildings erected in the same style, including the Hall of Science, the Hall of Philosophy, and the Hall of History. A harsh economic recession ended those plans, however, leaving the Hall of Languages as the sole monument to the University's earliest campus plan. Home of The College of Arts and Sciences, the building was renovated in 1978, but retained its elegant exterior architecture. The Hall of Languages now provides classrooms that can accommodate 2,235 students and offices for many departments, including English and textual studies, philosophy, and religion. Some have said this was the inspiration for the house in Charles Addams' cartoons. I'm not sure if that is the case, but it does look suspiciously like a place that Gomez and Morticia would inhabit!


On the far side of these pillars is The Place of Remembrance. Text taken from the S.U. website-It honors the 35 Syracuse University students who lost their lives in the Pan Am Flight 103 disaster over Lockerbie, Scotland, on December 21, 1988. It was a scary time as my sis was a freshman that fall at S.U.


Text from the S.U. website-At the corner of Comstock Avenue and Colvin Street you reach the headquarters of Syracuse University athletics: the Joseph and Shawn Lampe Athletics Complex. Located there is Manley Field House, which is named after George L. Manley, a University trustee and graduate of the College of Medicine. Manley Field House, built in 1962, is well known as the former site of men's basketball games before the construction of the Carrier Dome. It now houses the Roy Simmons Sr. Coaching Center, administrative offices, the Ann and Milton Stevenson Educational Center, practice facilities, and a state-of-the-art weight room. It continues to host several sporting events, including track and field and women's basketball competitions. Adjacent to Manley Field House are several athletic fields and a new outdoor track. In 1991, the Iacolano and Petty wing was added to the field house for the football program.


Manley Field House.


We dropped my sister off at work and said our goodbyes. We then made our way to Onondaga Lake Park. I had heard this was a wonderful place to spend a nice day (too few) in Syracuse.


The views were amazing and the park was so peaceful!


Onondaga Lake


A shot of the park.


Some history of the park...


A shot from the jetty.


Billyboy, by the water. I could have spent all day here, but we had a train to catch.


The Salt Museum (it's free).


Some more history...


I really liked this path. I think it goes for about 5 miles. there are some nice houses near it with great views of the lake. The path on the right is for those on wheels and the left is for walkers. I really like that as too many paths I have walked (Boston, NYC come to mind) don't make that separation and it REALLY is important, for safety's sake.


The yacht club.


The marina. Lots of beautiful houseboats here. Would have loved to have taken a tour on some of them. Love boats, love them even more when I know someone who owns one!


Some more beautiful skies. I couldn't believe how perfect the weather was for us on this trip! So much sun and blue skies!


Even more history...


We left the park ands went across the street to HEID's where their Sweet Treats ice cream stand was open for the summer. I had been here a few years back and was hoping to get some before departing for the city.


The flavors. They do sell Turkey Hill brand ice cream, but I'm not sure if the handmade flavors signs are made in house or if they are also Turkey Hill.


The order window.


My small dish of Muddy Sneakers ice cream. I have to say that I was very disappointed with this. It was very sugary and a lot of the flavors just got lost in the shuffle. After about three spoonfuls, I was done. And for me, throwing away ice cream is a sin!! There was supposed to be some chocolate covered peanuts in there, but none were found. I do recall having good ice cream here before, so I would give it another try (after I had a dog or two from HEID'S next door, of course!).





Another shot of the order window.


When we arrived at the platform of the train station, I couldn't believe how much the leaves had changed already! It's only mid-August! This really is a great place to be in the fall. The colors are quite vibrant


A shot of Alliance Bank Stadium from the train platform...


and a closer shot (formerly known as P&C Stadium).


On the train, we wanted something to eat, but not an "empty" snack. I saw this behind the counter and it reminded me of the salami and crackers "Lunchable" that Ayersian (Chris) had on his trip to Italy. I don't think that this was as simple or probably as fresh, but it's a big step in the right direction.


The sunflower seed spread tasted just like peanut butter, but with a strong sunflower seed presence. A nice snack that tided us over until breakfast the next morning.


A little info on the company. They say these are a shelf-stable food, but I wonder what exactly makes them stable?



1.) King David's Restaurant
129 Marshall Street
Syracuse, NY 13210
Phone # 315-471-5000
Website: www.kingdavids.com

2.) Syracuse University Virtual Tour
Web Link: http://emc.syr.edu/tour/#

3.) Onondaga Lake Park
Website: http://onondagacountyparks.com/parks/olp/

4.) Sweet Treats (and HEID'S)
Roadfood review: http://roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=5179

5.) GoPicnic meals
Website: http://gopicnic.com/

6.) Table Hopping (a CNY newspaper and website listing local goings on and places to eat). Not neccesarily roadfood, but a good jumping-off point.
Website: http://table-hopping.com/


We really had a wonderful time visiting my family and I'm glad we took a week instead of the usual long weekend. It gave me a lot of time to explore the sights and check out some Roadfood I've been sorely missing and find some new places that make me hunger to find more RF in CNY. The local favorites such as Frettas, soft-serve in the summer, late summer sweet corn, salt potatoes, Byrne Dairy, local orchards, half moon cookies, bread and butter pickles, homemade potato salad, Italian toast, NYS Cheddar, BBQ sandwiches and ice cream are just a part of the charm of this region and some of them are things I feel I have known my whole life and slip on like a comfortable shoe whenever I return. Central NY has had its share of tough times and is known for some harsh winters (especially if you didn't grow up here), but there is a wealth of great sights to see and Roadfood waiting to be eaten!

The best time to explore all of this bounty is in the summer and fall. If you are passing through CNY, grab a local newspaper. Chances are you will see an ad for a local church supper (chicken dinners in summer, roast pork, oyster stew in the fall), pancake breakfasts, spaghetti suppers and much more. The local farms have plenty of great corn, tomatoes and peaches in the summer as well as many "U-Pick" berry fields (blueberries, strawberries, blackberries and raspberries). The BBQ sandwich-ice cream stands are mainly a seasonal thing usually lasting from May thru Labor Day.

They say you can never go home again and that may be true, but I feel as though I came about as close as one can get. As I boarded the train back to New York City I was definitely full: of tastes from my past, memories of my youth and of new foods, new people and new memories of time spent with my family.

Til next time...Happy Eating!

Billy we never heard about the wedding--how'd it go? And you should try your hand sometime at writing promo copy for colleges--nice job!

The B'Ville DINER!
Yay!!!!-(clapping hands)... I used to date a cutie pie from Baldwinsville, and we went there late one night.
Now.. THAT really brings back some very fine memories!

I was right about the leaves!.. Thanks for showing us.....

I knew if you took enough photos, you'd get one of my office's projects...We recently completed the drawings for re-roofing Syracuse Universities Hall of Languages Building. All that gorgeous colored slate was recently installed per our documents. The building originally had slates, but they were replaced with asphalt shingles in the '70's. We worked off old photos to replicate the colors and patterns..Should be good for another 100years now..

Have been enjoying your report so much. I lived in that area for the first 35 years of my life and know most of the places very well. I loved the B'ville diner. We would stop there many times before a Saturday afternoon football game at SU.

If you ever want a terrific breakfast head for Wade's diner in Oswego. I know it is a little further away but worth avery mile and you will not believe the food and service. You can also get some great shots of the lake there and then go to the 'loop" for a fish sandwich for lunch.

Thanks for a very, very nice report, as usual, Billyboy...
next time in that area you might want to go to St. Marie among the Iroquois, right on Onondaga Lake, a recreation of the original French settlement of Syracuse...costumed "re-enactors" take you through the beautifully reconstructed old fort. It, and the attached museum, are well worth it for history buffs.

buffetbuster, I find sometimes it's also HOW you ask about pies that gets the truth out of a waitperson! If I start with, "Are all of your pies homemade?", some pleople will just say yes a little too quickly and be super eager to agree. I sometimes ask, "Where do you get your pies from?" and that will involve a bit more thinking rather than just a yes or no.

Nancy, the wedding hasn't happened yet. We're heading back next month for it (and I hope to sneak in a bit of Roadfooding in my spare time!). I wish I could take the credit, but all of those descriptions of the S.U. buildings came right from the S.U. website. I just copied and pasted them.

Cosmos, looks nice! I hope to get up there again and take a tour of the campus to get a closer look.

Greymo, I've got some friends in Oswego, so hopefully I can make a stop at Wade's next time I see them.

tacchino, I drove right past St. Marie almost every day I was there and never knew what it was. Thanks for the info!

quote:

originally posted by billyboy

I couldn't believe how cheap all of this was!

What jumped out at me was the price of the side of home fries being the most expensive item on the bill. (looked good, though)

Don, thanks for pointing that out. I double checked the menu I brought home and that price is for 2 orders of home fries ($2.09 each). I am surprised though, that HF don't come with an omelette.

Billyboy---
I want to thank you...
I was googling Vernon NY restaurants, read a couple reviews about The Only Cafe, and I saw this website about your trip to Central NY.  SO-O-O I discovered this website because of your roadtrip up here in 08/2008; the pictures are great too.
I live in Rome, NY,  so I am very familiar with many of the places you stopped at....  Heid's, The Brooklyn Pickle, Voss's, they're all great.  The Only Cafe is not far but I never had heard of it-- and NOW, I need to go check it out...  all because of you!

For some reason I had missed this report.  Wow!  Great pictures and commentary.  And no whining.

Biilyboy. My friends in Syracuse affectioniately call it doc's little germ.  I've been going to Voss's since I was a toddler. when I lived in the area. Karen Voss, one of the granddaughters would make me batches of their bbq sauce and their chili. My wife and I are going up in late August for the fair. I know while we are there we will be eatng at Symeons & Voss's on commercial drive,Tiny's grill in Utica, Joe's pizza in whitesboro, and Eddie's diner and the Mayflower for fried wontons in Rome. Hope you had pepperettes when you were at Leihs and steigerwald. just recieve a shipment wed.

nywoman
as a forner Roman, let me be the first to welcome you to roadfood.com. my brother still lives there. He has a carlot Guy Pirillo's autosales on erie blvd.

nywoman, welcome to Roadfood!  The home of sweet tea wishes and deep fried dreams!  Voss' may be my all-time favorite place.  So many memories and so many BBQ sandwiches!  I think they just opened last weekend for the season.  

Susanll, thanks so much.  This may have been my favorite trip last year.  A whole week in CNY and no rain!  It was gorgeous the entire time.  I try to view the Turkey Joint jar as half full, rather than half empty.

ynotryme, love that nickname.  I wonder if they are still open.  I had read some articles saying that they might be closing.  I had read a Joe Kelly article in the Utica O-D years ago that described Voss' in such detail I nearly tripped over myself getting there!  I hope to make the fair this year too.  Where is the Mayflower??  Black River Blvd in Mohawk Acres?  What would you recommend at Tiny's Grill in Utica?  

I too read they might be closing. The article said that since the smoking ban they had lost 60% of their business.
The mayflower is in Mohawk Acres. I saw that you like dumplings well their fried wontons have  pork slivered onions etc but they are deepfried. delicious. They come with sweet/sour sauce but I never use it. We use to stop and get them on the way to the West Rome drivein. In my opinion best Chinese in Rome.
Tiny's on state st for kielbasa polish food live jazz and don't know if they still serve them but they use to have stuffed hot cherry peppers I  use to make a meal out of them.
Also I  love Eddie's  Diner,their  special of the day is the best deal in town. I know you would like their turkey dinner. there must be a reason they are the oldest restaurant in Rome                                               

If the Mayflower is the one I'm thinking of and the management is still the same as it was when I was in high school, I don't think I'd frequent the place.  Not sure I'd like the deep fried as I'm a big fan of boiled and pan-fried.  Ahhhh, the West Rome Drive-In!  I'd love to get some pics of that and the Capitol Theatre!  Great places to visit when in Rome.  My cousin has been working on a lot of the Capitol renovations and they have lots of live theater, old silent movies and other events there.  I can't believe how long Eddie's was below my radar as was Stan's Seafood.  I'm hoping to check both of them out on my next visit as well as the Prescription Center Pharmacy on Liberty Street near City Hall.  I called them last summer and they still have a lunch counter!  Curious to see if it is any good.