82 Things That Make Syracuse a Great Food Town

Source: eatfirst.typepad.com

**UPDATED 3/3 at 7:50 a.m. **

I’ve condensed the additions into the original list for the sake of organization. Thanks to everyone for stopping by. If you like what you have seen, click the Follow by Email link to the right or Like Us on Facebook.

Syracuse is going through a sort of rebirth in terms of civic pride. In addition to the usual suspects — local chambers of commerce and young professionals groups — there is also Believe in Syracuse, a grassroots organization committed to showcasing all that is good about living in Syracuse (Disclosure: I used to work with its founder and know members of its advisory board.), Syracuse365, Syracuse Guru and Syracuse First, to name a few.

I’m not one of these cheerleaders. (One, I’m not a cheerleader by nature. Pessimist? Not quite. Pragmatist? Yes. Cynic? Very much. I prefer to call myself a skeptical realist. I look at Syracuse like my family: I’ve been around it all my life, it’s a part of me and there are very, very good things about it, but there are so many problems that no one will deal with and our economic condition has been teetering for years.) But, there is one thing about this town I will jump up and down about: the food.

I’ve been to some great cities in the past couple of years (Washington, D.C., San Francisco, New Orleans, Dallas) that have cool food scenes and I would put Syracuse’s food culture up there with any of them. Yes, we lack the name-brand chefs like Donald Link, Emeril Lagasse and Stephan Pyles. But, we have an area full of food built on the back of family-owned enterprise. And that can be even better than a trip to Peche, Emeril’s or Stampede 66.

A story on Syracuse.com on Tuesday about the venerable Ascioti’s Market in Solvay made this resonate with me. So, indulge me for a moment on my list of the 62 74 78 Things That Make Syracuse a Great Food Town. In no particular order:

ANOTHER NOTE: It bears repeating that this is not a list of the best restaurants, places or things to order in Syracuse. This is about the elements that make Syracuse/CNY a great area for food. 

1. Wegmans. Yeah, I know it’s based in Rochester, but we have them too. We were talking with friends about where we would move if and when we sell our house. Towns like Baldwinsville, Tully, Lafayette, Jamesville and Marcellus were eliminated immediately for one reason: too far away from a Wegmans.
2. Driving on a warm day within 1/4 mile of the Dinosaur Barbque with your windows down. There’s not a better smell than flying down I-690 and getting hit in the face with the smell of pork smoking.
3. DiLauro’s bread. Columbus Baking Company is nice, but it’s for amateurs. It’s for medigans. The Italians get their bread at DiLauro’s.
4. Personal feelings aside, I cannot deny the popularity of Columbus bread. The line on Christmas morning is quite a sight.
5. Unless we’re buying the stretch bread at Pasta’s Daily Bread. Speaking of which…
6. Lunch at Pastabilities, cafeteria-style.
7. Nichols Supermarket. A first-rate deli and meat market, plus it’s the only supermarket in the area that carries all of the Italian fish (smelt, baccala, eel).
8. The sound of the bandsaw at Ascioti’s when you walk in an ask them to cut strip steaks for you.
9. The meatball mix from Ascioti’s. And the braciole. And the sausage. You really can’t go wrong there.
10. Ordering cold cuts at Lombardi’s on Butternut Street. You want prosciutto? They have about 60 different kinds. You like olives? Scoop your own from the buckets in front of the deli case.
11. The calamari salad at Asti Caffe. It’s like my father makes it.
12. Speaking of squid, the calamari steaks at Francesca’s.
13. Soft serve from Hafner’s. Yeah, all soft-serve is basically created equal, but Hafner’s is the ice cream stand of my youth, therefore it’s the best.
14. The bleu cheese at San Remo’s Pizza in Liverpool/N. Syracuse. Homemade with this garlicky flavor to it.
15. The Lobster BLT and the Bonsai Beef from The Blue Tusk. If they only cleaned their beer taps more often.
16. The Big Mamou platter (at right) at Empire Brewing Company, rivaled only by
17. The Tres Hombres at the Dinosaur.
18. Pico de gallo and homemade chips from The Mission, they are a perfect segue to…
19. The Mission‘s seafood enchilada.
20. While we’re on the topic, pork al pastor from Boom Boom Mex Mex.
21. Mussels from Moro’s Table.
22. The Syracuse Real Food CoOp. Ever been there? I don’t get there enough.
23. Green Planet Grocery in Fairmount. It’s within walking distance to my house and has been a great help since The Kid was diagnosed with Celiac disease.
24. And the niche filled by Natur-Tyme is unquestionable.
25. Byrne Dairy Chocolate Milk, which is the perfect accompaniment to…
26. A Hoffman’s hot dog from Heid’s (mustard and onions only).
27. Basilio’s sausage. The only reason to visit the New York State Fair.
28. Okay, so there’s the pizza fritte from Villa.
29. Speaking of outdoor events that I dislike, when the Solvay Festival is on the calendar, you must hit the Tyrol Club for polenta carbonara.
30. Mezza for Two from King David’s. The only appetizer in Syracuse that serves as a meal. And leftovers.
31. The smell that comes from the big oven at the Ironwood in Manlius. If you’ve never smelled sauce and dough while it’s in the oven, you’ve missed out. (at right)
32. Of course, Pavone’s Pizza across the street is the best in town.
33. Wake Robin Farms’ Farmer’s Fromage.
34. Thought I’m partial to their Mona Lisa.
35. That Syracuse supports multiple gluten free bakeries, like Deborah’s Sweet Treats and The Cookie Connection.
36. A Dog Days of Summer from Freedom of Espresso. Half iced coffee, half iced tea. Full brilliance.
37. Driving through Downtown when Smith’s Restaurant Supply is roasting coffee.
38. The rotating lineup of small plates at Laci’s Tapas Bar.
39. There are 100 different N.Y. style pizza joints in town, but Twin Trees is the only Syracuse, NY style pizza. Always cut in strips, it makes the perfect lunch, dinner, breakfast and/or snack.
40. Hinderwadel’s Grove. Not the clambake part, but the seafood market where you can buy bushels of clams, enormous bags of enormous shrimp and salt potatoes all in one stop.
41. The Clam Bar around the corner. Probably the best seafood restaurant in Syracuse you’ve never heard of.
42. The Retreat in Liverpool, which is the best seafood restaurant in Syracuse that you have heard of.
43. The snowflake nature of Provisions‘ ultimate chocolate chip cookie. I nearly broke my tooth on a hunk of white chocolate in one of these. The best cookie in Syracuse.
44. The Harrison Bakery‘s chocolate chip and half-moon cookies.
45. The CNY Regional Market. Every city has one, but this one has opened my eyes to Wake Robin, Deborah’s, Flour City Pasta, and
46. Bostrom Farms pork and
47. Apples from Belle Isle Terre Farms and
48. Corn from Delaney Farms and
49. Green beans from the Sunburst Farms. The organic farm from Cayuga County sells some of the best produce at the market.
50. The reuben or schnitzel from Danzer’s.
51. Tully’s tenders. Yeah, it’s a chain but it’s a local chain and that’s okay right? Right??
52. Being greeted by Bobby Angotti while he makes pizzas and calzones in the closet-sized kitchen at Angotti’s.
53. Mrs. Angotti’s eggplant parm.
54. A banh mi from Ky Duyen.
55. French fries from Zebb’s. Think Five Guys but better.
56. Breakfast from Stella’s at 5 p.m.
57. The frittata at the Gardenview Diner in Liverpool.
58. This Little Piggy Goes To Utica, a sandwich with pork and greens from Darwin on Clinton.
59. Catfish burrito at Alto Cinco, though I’ve been told that I need to have the paella at Otro Cinco.
60. The weird gastropub menu at Beer Belly Deli.
61. The angel hair roll from Koto (at right).
62. The semolina bread from Nino’s Italian Bakery on Lodi. They’ve gone old school and adopted the recipe used by Ragusa’s, the long-shuttered bakery that once resided in that space.
63. Pretty much anything being scooped at Gannon’s Ice Cream.
64. The iced pour over at Cafe Kubal. I’m a Starbucks devotee, but if Kubal had a better location I would be there every morning.
65. Liehs and Steigerwald’s. Founded in 1936, they are babies compared to Ascioti’s. But, there is no where else in Syracuse you can buy rabbit. That’s important, kids.
66. Santangelo’s. They’ve been open and busy forever. An elegant little restaurant in Liverpool that is still family owned.
67. The handwritten and always changing menu at Riley’s. Nothing extraordinary, but consistently good day in, day out.
68. Same thing with Parker’s in Auburn. Consistency and warmth goes a long way. Plus they use Bostrom Farms pork!
69. Fins & Tails. You wouldn’t expect Syracuse to have a really good fish market. Not only is F&T good, but whenever you walk in there is something on the stove. Their fumet is spectacular to cook with.
70. The Farm at Elderberry Pond. Some of the best fine dining in Syracuse and probably the best example of farm-to-table dining. I had a mediocre experience the last time I was there, but enough people have rang in that I’ve decided to add it.
71. And since we are talking farm-to-table, let’s add Circa and its use of the awesome agricultural resources in Madison County.
72. Roast pork on rye with mayo and onions from the Brooklyn Pickle. When was the last time you went to a deli and ordered roast pork? When was the last time you went to a deli and found a report on the doneness (rare, medium rare, etc.) of the roast beef? It’s also the only non-Kosher deli in town where you can get a Dr. Brown’s black cherry soda.
73. Living within walking distance of Peter’s Polar Parlor makes me appreciate the neighborhood ice cream stands like Hafner’s (mentioned above), Big Dip in N. Syracuse and Sno-Top in Manlius. Soft-serve is soft-serve, but everyone claims their own as the best. You don’t get that in a lot of other towns. (Friendly’s, fro yo bars and the rest of Big Ice Cream don’t count.)
74. You can keep Festa Italiano, Polish Fest, Irish Fest and all of those. It starts and ends with St. Sophia’s Greek Cultural Frestival. I need some spanakopita.
75. At the urging of Cheyenne, Wyo. Bureau Chief Jim Walter: The Brewster Inn, which passes time during the winter months by offering cooking classes in its kitchen for local gourmands.
76. If imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, think about all of the copycats of the original Pastabilities‘ hot tomato oil. For years people exchanged their recipes for it in an attempt to crack the code. Now it’s sold in grocery stores.
77. I’ve never particularly enjoyed it, but Funk N Waffles is one of Syracuse’s cooler concepts and does make CNY pretty special. Homemade sweet and savory waffles plus great coffee. My problem is that I have an allergy to hipsters. 🙂
78. I don’t like Thai food but the people have spoken on Bangkok Thai. Every commenter on Facebook, Twitter, Reddit and down below have told me that you are not a customer, but an extended family member. And if the overly-caffeinated Jon Rogers says the coffee is good, it must be darn good.
79. Speaking of Thai food, Max Chutinthranond’s Lemon Grass has been around since the dawn of time. I’m not a big fan of the cuisine, but they have a loyal following, an endless line of diners and a rabid fan base. And the kitchen is now run by All-World chef Chance Bear.
80. Syracuse once had a proud tradition of family-owned grocers like Peter’s, Sweetheart and Smith’s. Nichols remains. So does Nojaim Bros., which provides jobs and nutritious foods to a very poor part of the city.
81. And while we are on the topic of grocers that aren’t named Wegmans, Tops or Price Chopper, let’s talk about the cult-like following of Green Hills Farms. Their produce section champions local growers, the aforementioned Fins N Tails supplies the seafood, and their bakery is no slouch either.
82. I totally whiffed on Beak & Skiff Apple Orchard and the fact that it is the epicenter of the fall season in Central New York.

And I’m sure there are things I have missed. I didn’t include any beer or wine here. There are some I eliminated because they are overrated (Dominick’s). Some are loved by people but not me (Dominick’s). Some are just outright terrible (Dominick’s). Tell me what I missed and make your case for adding them to the list.

There are so many things that have been lost to time:

• Grocery shopping at Williams in North Syracuse, from parking under the gigantic metal canopy to the big cowboy sign to the pizza, was always a treat.
• So was the Pu Pu Platter at Frankie’s Chinese Restaurant. Ragusa’s.
• Pat’s Pizza in Mattydale.
• Roast beef subs the size of your leg from Kegs and Cases.
• Going to the old Serpico’s on North Salina Street for post-drinking breakfast at 2:30 a.m. and winding up at the counter seated between a hooker and a drug dealer, and having them work a deal like you aren’t even there (remember kids, dining is an experience and the food was SO good). All lost to the ether.
• Grimaldi’s and Giovanni’s on Erie Boulevard. I went to both as a child and remember them fondly.
• Duck Two Ways at Kettle Lakes (R.I.P. Brian Shore).
• How did I forget Steak Au Poivre at To The Moon, the restaurant where I proposed to The Wife? I’m really a terrible person.
• Reubens from Weber’s on the North side. It was the only restaurant of note that did takeout near St. Joseph’s hospital. I ate a lot of those reubens during the 90s when various members of my family decided to get cancer.
• Donuts from P&C. Nothing short of awesome.
• Plainville Turkey Farms. Big Farm came to town and bought them out so I don’t count it as local anymore. Mostly I’m mad that they closed the store and restaurant in Cicero.
• Aunt Josie’s. I asked my father why we never went to Aunt Josie’s. He said that the line was always too long. With a dining room the size of my laundry room and an excellent menu, I can see why.
• Greg, a friend, former college roommate and Syracuse expat to NoVA, suggests Aunt Fannie’s in Solvay to the lost but not forgotten list. I don’t remember Aunt Fannie’s and neither does The Wife (a Solvay native). Can anyone toss an assist to me here? UPDATE: See the comments below.
• People who remember such things also say that Caroma’s is missed. The longtime family owned restaurant was named after the three sisters that worked in the kitchen: CArmel, ROse & MAry. Ca-Ro-Ma. Pretty cool, eh?
• Leaving The Wife’s house at night, back in the days when she was The Girlfriend, and driving past the old New York Bakery in Solvay. The smell of fresh bread is a beautiful thing. New York Bakery is still around and providing bread to just about every deli in town, but they are no longer a retail outlet.
• Poodle’s and their frittatas but it had closed long before my parents had even met.
• The Aunt, alerted to this list by one of her Internet-ready friends, informs me that I missed Squadrito’s. I love the woman but she was convinced that there were no fillers in their sausage, as if the pig ate a steady diet of garlic and fennel.
• As a kid, we would drive down Route 11 in North Syracuse and pass Angelo’s Cornucopia. The sign out front had a, wait for it, gigantic cornucopia on it. I always thought it was weird that there would be a restaurant that served only vegetables. It turns out I might have taken the sign a little too literally.
• Where Barbieri’s Restaurant in North Syracuse sits today was once Oscar’s Restaurant. A mom-and-pop shop (Literally. The husband worked in the kitchen. The wife worked the front counter.), Oscar’s had awesome soups and a menu written on an enormous chalkboard behind hanging from the wall.
• I’ve been reminded that I’ve missed Clark’s Ale House. It was a Syracuse landmark with a great beer selection. It has been gone a long time and talk of its reopening has been out there since, well, the day the doors were locked. Count me in the minority of “believe it when I see it” when it comes to this place reopening and surviving in an otherwise mediocre location.

NOTES:

• Multiple people have told me that I have whiffed on Eva’s European Sweets in Solvay. Though a favorite of The In-Laws, I have never been. I’ll have to work on that.
• Someone mentioned Liehs and Steigerwalds on Facebook. That’s one I missed, if for no other reason than they have exceptional customer service.
• Former teacher and current resident of John Boehner’s Congressional district Linda Wiehl mentioned Santangelo’s and Joey’s below. Santangelo’s is one I missed and will add. As for Joey’s, well, I’ll be at Asti.
• bc fell off the list because they tinkered with the lobster and crab salad. When you play with my emotions like that, you get banished.
• I need to get to New Century for some pho.
• Brooklyn Pickle isn’t my favorite, but it is very reliable. Find it at #69.
• I’m not getting into the chicken wings discussion. The Blarney Stone does a nice job, as does Twin Trees Too and III, but in the world of wings there is Duff’s and everyone else.
• Apparently, I need to try the Better Brittle Company.
• Based on what people have said, I need break my Starbucks habit and try local roasters some of the other local roasters. I’ve always been partial to Freedom, so we’ll see how they stack up.
• A note on Marshall Street. I included King David’s. I will likely pass by Cosmo’s and Varsity. Yes, the atmosphere and experience are pure “college,” but the food is not all that good. Plenty of St. Bonaventure graduates will sing the praises of the long-passed S&G Pizza in Allegany. It had nothing to do with the food. It was “our” 24-hour outpost for grease.
• I still don’t like Thai food, but have acquiesced because you, dear reader, have been insistent. And they are probably right.
• Just like this list isn’t necessarily about the best, it’s also not about my personal feelings. I can’t deny what Columbus Baking Company’s bread means in this town.