Sunday September 21st-Day 5
We checked out of our hotel today, saying goodbye to some of our friends and heading to brunch with my uncles. They had told us about a good place up the road a bit called the North Woods Inn. I didn't take any pics here and the food was good, but nothing special. Standard brunch buffet suspects such as an omelet station, pancakes, corned beef hash, bacon, sausage, fruit, etc. We all enjoyed it, but nothing "jumped" at me that would make it a special trip the next time I'm in Central NY.
The Mountaineer Restaurant at the North Woods Inn.
The Tap Room at the North Woods Inn. They have drink specials, local bands and feature beers from the F.X. Matt Brewery in Utica, NY (makers of the Saranac Line of beers).
The view of Fourth Lake from the back of the restaurant.
The only sign I could get a picture of. They have a big snowmobiling clientele in the winter.
A BIG moose head.
The back patio. The view from these seats is breathtaking, although it was a bit chilly on this day, so we sat inside.
A loon on the lake.
Another take on Fourth Lake.
The leaves haven't quite reached their peak yet, but the colors are still very beautiful.
We parted ways with Uncles Peter and Paul and headed for Rome for a bit of rest. We mulled over where to eat dinner and Applebee's was thrown out there. I quickly suggested Eddie's Restaurant in Sylvan Beach, NY, a family favorite and everybody agreed. Whew!! Food crisis averted!! Situation normal. hehe
74 years strong and still going!
I think this was part of the original hot dog stand.
The next three shots are of Eddie's in the beginning. I apologize for the quality. I couldn't seem to get one without a reflection, no matter what angle I shot from.
Eddie and Fifi, founders of Eddie's.
How many in YOUR party?
This is a beachside community, so they have their share of folks ambling in from the sand, a little too casual perhaps.
Mmmmmm, the dessert case. This is a HUGE childhood memory for me! I used to come here a lot on Fridays (fish fry night in CNY) with my family and some times my grandparents. We would stand in the 5 or more line and I would ogle the dessert case until we were seated.
A close-up of the Pineapple Cream Pie. I don't know that I had ever heard of Pineapple Cream Pie (or maybe just wasn't on my radar) until I saw a picture of it in Buffetbuster's recent pie thread. BB, when it comes to pies, you sir, are the Obi-Wan to my Luke Skywalker (minus the whole "getting killed by Darth Vader" thing and I don't whine nearly as much as Luke did, ugh!!
Eddie's menu (and they do make a mean hot ham sandwich)
Some backstory.
I've been coming here for the pork BBQ sandwich since I can remember.
I have yet to try the Fifi's Special, but I think it's up to the plate next summer.
I spied this at the bottom of the dessert case when I walked in and just had to try it! It was like a mix of Sprite and cherry juice, yet it wasn't cloyingly sweet. I loved it.
A fairly typical CNY iceberg lettuce salad. Ok, nothing to write home about.
A good, but not great roll. I like them light and fluffy and this one fell a bit short.
This place hasn't changed much in the past 28 years.
They still have the wrought iron work up inside after all these years?
Love that trippy pattern on the back of the booth! The Rat Pack called, they want their 1960s Vegas booth back!
The reason (#1) why I come here. I was lucky enough to special order this. Our waitress was as sweet as could be and so accomodating, especially with a shemp like me. I have almost always ordered the Pork BBQ sandwich on each visit, but curiously enough, had never tried the specialty of the house, the Hot Ham sandwich, in all these years. I really wanted to give it a go (plus report on it), so asked if the kitchen would be able to make me a half & half. She said that the last time she asked, they turned her down, but before I could say, "No worries", she was off to the kitchen and came back saying that it was my lucky day. I ordered the Giant Platter, half Hot Ham/half Pork BBQ (sauce on the side). It came with fries, a couple of pickle chips (not seen in photo), and a side salad. The spice in the Hot Ham was right on and it was piled high, but there was an assertive fennel flavor to it that just didn't work for me. I think of that more as a seasoning for sausage. The barbeque sauce really reminded me of McDonald's sauce used with the McNuggets, so I'm glad I asked for it on the side. I'm glad I tried the ham, but I don't think I would get it again. Perhaps next summer I can embark on a CNY Hot Ham sandwich quest. It's not quite the Holy Grail, but if a sandwich doesn't measure up, then "None shall pass!".
The first time I had a Roast Pork sandwich from Tony Luke's, I had a flashback to this sandwich. I think I may have only been a few sandwiches shy of having a plaque hung in my honor at Eddie's. It's a really, really good sandwich with moist, piggy pork piled high and as a kid, strangely enough, I doused it in ketchup and loved it! This is not a spicy one as the Hot Ham is, but I'd eat it every day of the week and twice on Sundays. The crinkle cut fries aren't hand cut, but they are the perfect complement for this sandwich.
Dayna's Spaghetti and Meatballs with Mushrooms. She felt the mushrooms were too salty, but I loved them.
Sis' Spaghetti and Meatballs. The reason (#2) why I come here. This dish is branded on my brain. My grandmother, who didn't have a drop of Italian blood in her, made the best spaghetti and meatballs I have ever tasted . She would simmer the sauce all day and let the fennel-y sausage and her homemade meatballs perfume the sauce for hours like vacationers in a hot tub. Eddie's version with Fifi's sauce is the closest I have ever tasted and always reminds me of good meals at my grandparent's house. This is the yardstick by which I measure all other spaghetti and meatballs. My mom, Aunt Barbara and I came here about 3 years ago and I ordered this, worried that it might not measure up to the rosy memories I had in my head. But it was just as good, if not better. Foolishly though, like a high schooler with a crush, I emailed them as soon as I got home and went on about how much I loved the food (and the sauce-yeah this is leading up to something), the good times I had there as a kid and I was hoping they might be willing to share (notice I didn't ask them to "give me") the recipe for the sauce. I received a very kind reply and they said they would see what they could do. I never heard back. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be able to reply either if I were laughing as hard as I figured they were! I knew I should've waited three days. I probably seemed so desperate!
The tray of all that is good and right in the world! Some folks call it pie. Clockwise, from top left, bread pudding with raisins, Banana Cream Pie, Pineapple Cream Pie, vanilla soft serve, Rice Pudding with raisins, Coconut Cream Pie and Chocolate Cream Pie. Sis wisely suggested that we pass them around so that all could have a taste. I concur! Word of advice though: if your fellow diners are not Roadfooders, don't hold up the sharing line by taking excessive amounts of pictures thereby angering the mob. I thought I saw a pitchfork and a torch for a moment there!
The bread pudding tasted great, but I don't much care for the texture of it in a solid block. I like mine more loose. The Banana Cream Pie was excellent, although I prefer bananas in pudding, go figure! The Pineapple Cream Pie was stellar: creamy custard with lots of crushed pineapple bits throughout. The Rice Pudding was very creamy and the rice had a good firm, yet soft texture. The Coconut Cream was just amazing and I think the Chocolate Cream was great too, but I may have been in a custard/pudding coma at that point. The crusts on all of those were homemade and top notch. Someone in that kitchen loves what they do. I'd recommend Eddie's even if you were just coming in for a slice of pie and a cup of coffee.
If you hadn't guessed by now, I'm the wallflower of the family! I knew the staff was on to my picture taking when the waitress brought these out, put them in front of me and said, "I can leave these with you so you can get some good shots!", at which the whole table erupted in laughter (at me, I think, rather than with me). I don't think most of the people I dine with really get the whole Roadfood thing and probably are thinking, "Hey, what's the deal with Freakboy snapping all of the pictures of the food?" It probably doesn't help explain it when I snap away at a sandwich or a slice of pie like a papparazzo jumping on Britney Spears fresh out of rehab. Nonetheless, I simply couldn't resist this pose!! MINE, ALL MINE!!! Yes, I'll rule the world with my pies!
Pineapple Cream Pie
Chocolate Cream Pie
Coconut Cream Pie. After Eddie's, we said goodbye to my sis and her family and headed for home.
Monday September 22nd-Day 6
On the way to the train station, we stopped here for a bite to eat. One of the many seasonal hot dog-ice cream-BBQ sandwich stands in the area.
Lots to choose from. One picture I forgot to take was of a new special they had, Thai Spring Rolls. I couldn't believe it! I'm not sure that I wanted to experiment with that at a hot dog-ice cream stand. Maybe at a Vietnamese restaurant in Utica, but not here.
I went to order the salt potatoes, a local favorite, but they had run out. Boo!
I saw this sign and Roadfood came to mind. When I got back to the city, I saw that there was a review for it on the site. The woman at the counter said it was 14% butterfat ice cream. The newlyweds each had an Almond Joy cone (served in double cones, like the one in Ayersian's Iowa State Fair post). Mom let me try some of hers and it was wicked good: creamy with lots of coconut in the ice cream and chocolate covered almonds. I'll have to hit them next summer for more flavors.
The daily specials.
I noticed these signs at Papa Rick's as well, but I don't think I've ever tried them. Not homemade ice creams, but basically a series of flavor extracts to be mixed in before serving. Has anyone tried them?
I had the chili dog and Dayna went for the dog with sauerkraut and mustard. We split an order of fries. I loved the dog, but realized I don't like chili with beans ON anything. I prefer it in a bowl with some crackers. If I'm going to have chili on a sandwich/dog, I like the meat sauce/coney sauce style much more. The beans just seem to get in the way. I'm just a mess of contradictions. The fries were alright, but I'm thinking now that I don't want to eat any more fries unless I can confirm that they are hand cut on site. There really is a huge difference in quality and taste.
A close-up.
Mom and Harold waited with us at the train station and sent us on our way back to Gotham. We had such a wonderful weekend with them and I was very happy to see them so happy together. The time spent with our many relatives, friends, great food and travels made it that much richer. Hope you enjoyed the trip.
-Eating is an adventure, enjoy the ride!
1.) The North Woods Inn (Mountaineer Restaurant)
4920 NYS CRT 28, Fourth Lake
Old Forge, NY 13420
Phone # 315-369-6777
Website:
http://www.northwoodsinnresort.com/ 2.) Eddie's Restaurant
901 Main Street
Sylvan Beach, NY 13157
Phone # 315-762-5430
Website:
http://www.sylvanbeach.com/eddies/ Open seasonally from mid-March to the last weekend in October
3.) Sam'z Eats & Sweets
8200 Turin Road
Rome, NY 13440
Phone # 315-533-5614
No website
