Sunday, April 19, 2015
I have to upload some pictures
So I have to get some pictures of one my adventures from my camera to here. It's shaping up to be a much longer post than normal, so it will probably be a ways out - not that I have been wonderfully postifying already....
Post XIV - Nikkou Sushi
Another review of an older visit...this one to a fantastic little sushi place in Camillus. It is attached to an ice cream stand (sort of. They share a building, but are not connected inside.) which is unusual, but adds to the interestingness and since they are near the BEST miniature golf course a great local destination for a fun night out.
This is a smallish restaurant, but very clean and brightly lit. The waitstaff was attentive and friendly, without being overbearing. The menu was decently sized - sushi, sashimi, bento boxes...and a variety of Asian beers. One of these days, I am going to have to go when I'm not working so I can actually imbibe. My meal started with a bowl of miso soup. It was mild with small pieces of tofu. I am normally not a fan, but this was a nice, sweet soup and just about right for a starter.
Back to the menu for a moment...it includes "make-your-own" katsu (fried) and tempura (battered and fried) as well as kids options. That makes it a nice way to ease people in to eating/enjoying sushi without throwing them in the deep end right away.
I had a basic stand-by - tuna roll with salmon and tuna sashimi, The rice was well-seasoned and the fish was mild with almost no fishy taste. The portions were a good size for the price and the roll and pieces came out very quickly.
While the food is all made fresh and to order, this means that there is no conveyor belt. While that is one of the joys of going for sushi (being able to grab what looks good as it passes by), not having it also allows for a quieter dining experience. Honestly, it's kind of a toss up as to which is the way to go...let's just say that for all you can eat/choosing what you want when it looks good go to a place with a conveyor belt. When you want to have a nice sit down dinner and know what you want? Come here (or a similar place) for a relaxing dinner.
This is a smallish restaurant, but very clean and brightly lit. The waitstaff was attentive and friendly, without being overbearing. The menu was decently sized - sushi, sashimi, bento boxes...and a variety of Asian beers. One of these days, I am going to have to go when I'm not working so I can actually imbibe. My meal started with a bowl of miso soup. It was mild with small pieces of tofu. I am normally not a fan, but this was a nice, sweet soup and just about right for a starter.
Back to the menu for a moment...it includes "make-your-own" katsu (fried) and tempura (battered and fried) as well as kids options. That makes it a nice way to ease people in to eating/enjoying sushi without throwing them in the deep end right away.
I had a basic stand-by - tuna roll with salmon and tuna sashimi, The rice was well-seasoned and the fish was mild with almost no fishy taste. The portions were a good size for the price and the roll and pieces came out very quickly.
While the food is all made fresh and to order, this means that there is no conveyor belt. While that is one of the joys of going for sushi (being able to grab what looks good as it passes by), not having it also allows for a quieter dining experience. Honestly, it's kind of a toss up as to which is the way to go...let's just say that for all you can eat/choosing what you want when it looks good go to a place with a conveyor belt. When you want to have a nice sit down dinner and know what you want? Come here (or a similar place) for a relaxing dinner.
Post XIII - Longway's Diner
Before I start, I want to tell a quick story. A few years ago (never mind how many!) I stopped here with some friends. We got some of the best food I've ever had at a diner. Fantastic chicken fried steak, hash browns, and then homemade doughnuts....like FRESH. Like "you mind waiting? They're still frying them." Just really delicious and a great cap to a great meal. The waitress was friendly and cheery (despite it being something like two in the morning). Also, there was an Irish Lumberjack and possibly God.
We were driving there and in the opposite lane, there was a DWI checkpoint. So we started joking that maybe we died and those were the officers investigating. We further supposed that the restaurant was the waiting room for Heaven....just then the door opened a dude who was 6 feet tall and rail thin. Also, he was wearing all black - including his cowboy hat.
It was a touch trippy. Just a skosh.
Anyhow - back to the review.
I actually had two visits, and this deals with the first.
It was Lent, so a meatless Friday....no worries though, odds were good there would be fish fry. EVERY diner has fish fry during Lent on Friday. They had a seafood platter which sounded good - shrimp, scallops, fish - all in all a good choice and they had cocktail sauce. The shrimp and scallops were pretty good, slightly over what I like, but DOH standards are rough to deal with,and that might be part of it. The breading was nice and crunchy,but lacking a little "oomph". It was almost like a plain breading with no flavoring. Not unforgivable, but hard to recommend. The fish was....being generous, not good. It was a very thin piece of fish, and kind of chewy. Definitely not a future eat.
It came with applesauce, which was a double whammy.
It's a shame because this used to be a great place to eat....I did give it another shot (which will be dealt with a little later), but you'll have to wait on that.
We were driving there and in the opposite lane, there was a DWI checkpoint. So we started joking that maybe we died and those were the officers investigating. We further supposed that the restaurant was the waiting room for Heaven....just then the door opened a dude who was 6 feet tall and rail thin. Also, he was wearing all black - including his cowboy hat.
It was a touch trippy. Just a skosh.
Anyhow - back to the review.
I actually had two visits, and this deals with the first.
It was Lent, so a meatless Friday....no worries though, odds were good there would be fish fry. EVERY diner has fish fry during Lent on Friday. They had a seafood platter which sounded good - shrimp, scallops, fish - all in all a good choice and they had cocktail sauce. The shrimp and scallops were pretty good, slightly over what I like, but DOH standards are rough to deal with,and that might be part of it. The breading was nice and crunchy,but lacking a little "oomph". It was almost like a plain breading with no flavoring. Not unforgivable, but hard to recommend. The fish was....being generous, not good. It was a very thin piece of fish, and kind of chewy. Definitely not a future eat.
It came with applesauce, which was a double whammy.
- It came from a can
- It did not come with a spoon.
It's a shame because this used to be a great place to eat....I did give it another shot (which will be dealt with a little later), but you'll have to wait on that.
Friday, April 10, 2015
Post XII - Eva's European Sweets
It's been a while, and for that I apologize, but we are back in the swing of things!
This week's(?) entry deals with Eva's European Sweets. This is a smallish restaurant located in Solvay, NY specializing in Eastern European dinners and desserts.
My notes, at this point are a year old and reading them over seems....well, odd at best, I'm not sure, for example, what the "soup" I ordered was, but I think it was chicken? Maybe?
Anyhow.
I sat in a corner (always a good choice - no one can sneak up on you!) on a day when there was medium crowd. The restaurant was not packed, but I was far from the only one there. All in all, it was a decent noise level - if a place is too tomb-like it is unpleasant, but if it is too loud, the ol' appetite decreases.
As a starter, I had soup - home made chicken - it had a nice lemony underflavor, and the pieces were almost large enough to need a fork and knife (I managed with just a fork, but only because I eat my food like a barbarian). At this point I have a note. An odd note, and because I am almost as dumb as I look, without any kind of explanation - "waitress was discussing cannibalism". I think it was something to do with Walking Dead, but am nowhere near sure on that.
My lunch was galumkis. For those not in the know, a galumki is a blend of rice and hamburger lightly seasoned and wrapped in a cabbage leaf. The whole magilla is then stewed in a tomato sauce and it. Is. Amazing!
It is also crazy filling. Like - crazy filling. You can order three or five as a meal here. I would say that three would fill all but your hungriest of diners - especially with any kind of appetizer or dessert. Five is great for two people or for a group who all wants to try some of everything....but for one person it would just be too much.
As a last couple of notes, they have an extensive beer list - almost all European, but because of work and driving, completely untouched. One of these days though....additionally there are many, many homemade desserts...everything from cheesecakes to cookies to baklava, and they are all out of this world!
This week's(?) entry deals with Eva's European Sweets. This is a smallish restaurant located in Solvay, NY specializing in Eastern European dinners and desserts.
My notes, at this point are a year old and reading them over seems....well, odd at best, I'm not sure, for example, what the "soup" I ordered was, but I think it was chicken? Maybe?
Anyhow.
I sat in a corner (always a good choice - no one can sneak up on you!) on a day when there was medium crowd. The restaurant was not packed, but I was far from the only one there. All in all, it was a decent noise level - if a place is too tomb-like it is unpleasant, but if it is too loud, the ol' appetite decreases.
As a starter, I had soup - home made chicken - it had a nice lemony underflavor, and the pieces were almost large enough to need a fork and knife (I managed with just a fork, but only because I eat my food like a barbarian). At this point I have a note. An odd note, and because I am almost as dumb as I look, without any kind of explanation - "waitress was discussing cannibalism". I think it was something to do with Walking Dead, but am nowhere near sure on that.
My lunch was galumkis. For those not in the know, a galumki is a blend of rice and hamburger lightly seasoned and wrapped in a cabbage leaf. The whole magilla is then stewed in a tomato sauce and it. Is. Amazing!
It is also crazy filling. Like - crazy filling. You can order three or five as a meal here. I would say that three would fill all but your hungriest of diners - especially with any kind of appetizer or dessert. Five is great for two people or for a group who all wants to try some of everything....but for one person it would just be too much.
As a last couple of notes, they have an extensive beer list - almost all European, but because of work and driving, completely untouched. One of these days though....additionally there are many, many homemade desserts...everything from cheesecakes to cookies to baklava, and they are all out of this world!
Monday, April 28, 2014
Post XI - Brenda's Diner mk. II
I ordered a decent breakfast....sausage and gravy over biscuits, home fries and corned beef hash. You might think that this is a meal guaranteed to give me a heart attack, but the cholesterol and blood pressure both seem to be good at every visit to the doc...so that's good!
As always, I had black coffee (I assume - my notes don't include it, but it is my standard breakfast beverage) with my meal...Brenda's usually has pretty good coffee so I assume it was good now.
The biscuits had a clearly homemade taste and texture, which served as an excellent base to the gravy and sausage. The gravy was smooth and mild- not at all gritty. It may sound like an odd attribute for gravy to have (grittiness), but when not properly cooked, it can develop this...which is a shame. You can have a gravy that is awesome across the board and have it ruined by grit.
Grit. It might be a great newspaper, but it's a terrible gravy additive.
Anyhow! The home fries were awesome. I've never had home fries quite like these...they have great blen of spices which is unique to Brenda's as far as I can tell. Black pepper, paprika, sesame seeds (which get a great toasty flavor from the griddle)....as well as some I can't quite place. Garlic is a maybe as are poppy seeds....just a terrific melange of flavors and textures. The home fries alone are worth the trip.
Also worth the trip out is the corned beef hash...it seems unlikely at best, but i would swear they corn their own beef for this. There is a flavor which goes well beyond the corned beef I have had anywhere else. It's almost a spicy sweetness like clove or caraway or cardamom. Going along with the fact that the texture and mouth feel of the beef is that of a really good brisket...it's a work of art on a plate fried on a griddle. This time around wasn't quite as crispy as I normally prefer, but since I like it that way to off-set mushiness, this was OK. A good high quality hash stands up on its own...and this one certainly does. It didn't need salt or hot sauce or anything else to add to the flavor - it stood on its own.
This is a great little place and well worth the trip up to Port Byron. Something for almost everyone (Vegans may be a little out of it), friendly and attentive service, great food and prices make this a favorite place to go again and again and again.
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Post X - That Little Diner
This is little place (very little) near my work. Seen it several times, but have never been in...this was a huge mistake, which I'm glad I rectified.
I decided to stop down for lunch and eventually found a parking spot (not an easy task- Pro Tip: the U-Haul next door is OK to park in front of, just don't block the garages). The diner itself was small, but clean and not cramped at all. There was some fairly odd discussion (a prostitute of mutual acquaintance of some of the patrons and genetics. Yes, really.) but it was still entertaining.
The special of the day was a Philly cheese steak. Hot and fresh, the standard toppings were cheese (provolone, I think), onions, peppers, and bacon. The roll was pretty good- ordered in from Harrison Bakery, so it was substantial without having the thick God-awful crust that a lot of rolls have. The sandwich itself was more than the roll could take (this is a good thing), which forced part of it to be eaten with a fork. Pretty sweet deal when it comes to a cheese steak. Normally, when you resort to eating one of these with a fork, it's because the roll has given up the ghost and disintegrated.
The fries were fresh out of the fryer, steaming hot and well salted. There was a fair amount of crispiness to them without an overwhelming potato flavor, but without a LACK of potato flavor.
The iced tea was good- fresh-brewed, but in a coffee pot, which gave it an unusual flavor. Not bad per se, but not exactly what I was expecting. Still: fresh brewed, nu?
I was going to get dessert, but as it turns out they only get pies in on Fridays...which is kind of a shame, but I get the reasoning. If you buy in too much that people don't order, you're going to lose money. And when you run a small restaurant, you DON'T want to lose money.
I'd go back again (and have, and have ordered from them- the fish fry is outstanding) and recommend it to pretty much everyone. It's not high end food, but it is delicious.
I decided to stop down for lunch and eventually found a parking spot (not an easy task- Pro Tip: the U-Haul next door is OK to park in front of, just don't block the garages). The diner itself was small, but clean and not cramped at all. There was some fairly odd discussion (a prostitute of mutual acquaintance of some of the patrons and genetics. Yes, really.) but it was still entertaining.
The special of the day was a Philly cheese steak. Hot and fresh, the standard toppings were cheese (provolone, I think), onions, peppers, and bacon. The roll was pretty good- ordered in from Harrison Bakery, so it was substantial without having the thick God-awful crust that a lot of rolls have. The sandwich itself was more than the roll could take (this is a good thing), which forced part of it to be eaten with a fork. Pretty sweet deal when it comes to a cheese steak. Normally, when you resort to eating one of these with a fork, it's because the roll has given up the ghost and disintegrated.
The fries were fresh out of the fryer, steaming hot and well salted. There was a fair amount of crispiness to them without an overwhelming potato flavor, but without a LACK of potato flavor.
The iced tea was good- fresh-brewed, but in a coffee pot, which gave it an unusual flavor. Not bad per se, but not exactly what I was expecting. Still: fresh brewed, nu?
I was going to get dessert, but as it turns out they only get pies in on Fridays...which is kind of a shame, but I get the reasoning. If you buy in too much that people don't order, you're going to lose money. And when you run a small restaurant, you DON'T want to lose money.
I'd go back again (and have, and have ordered from them- the fish fry is outstanding) and recommend it to pretty much everyone. It's not high end food, but it is delicious.
Post IX - Hometown Pizza
I was here a few weeks ago, and had the fish fry. It's all take out, as there is just one table, and that appears to be mostly for people waiting. This is both a good thing and a shame. On the one hand, it'd be nice to be able to sit and eat a nice dinner without having to schlep it home to eat. On the other, having seen what happened to Pizza Man when they expanded (quality of food/service dropped quite a bit) I would feel bad if something similar happened here.
Back to the fish though. Hometown uses a batter dip rather than breading, which is always good. There are people who will argue that breading is a better way to go....I disagree. Fish fry is good either way, but better when batter dipped. There's a better crunch and the fish always seems to be moister. The roll which comes with it was store bought, but a fairly high quality- think King Hawaiian and that's about right.
Rolls and fish fry go together, but I'm not really sure why. The roll is never warm, but there is always a pat of butter in the container. This makes spreading the butter an impossibility, and I am left to fashion a sandwich out of the roll...which just makes a mess. Like I say, this roll was good...but other than a McGyvered sandwich, didn't serve much purpose. This is endemic of all fish fries and not really an indictment on Hometown.
The fries, as always, were pretty darn good. Still hot and fairly salty they were steak fry-sized. Normally these are a mistake- too large, and the potatoeyness takes over....too thin and they are all crisp and no potato. These were pretty crispy, without a lot of mush-factor.
Lastly, was the cocktail sauce. I loathe tartar sauce...it is the Devil's own condiment. This was pretty good as cocktail sauce goes...I prefer Heluva Good, but this was a pretty good homemade substitute. Could have used a squeeze of lemon juice, but was a nice spicy yin to the fish's mild yang.
I'd definitely go there again....their pizza is even better than the fish- which is saying a lot. On top of which, they have a fair amount of specialty pizzas, grilled wings, fried wings, tacos and so on.
Back to the fish though. Hometown uses a batter dip rather than breading, which is always good. There are people who will argue that breading is a better way to go....I disagree. Fish fry is good either way, but better when batter dipped. There's a better crunch and the fish always seems to be moister. The roll which comes with it was store bought, but a fairly high quality- think King Hawaiian and that's about right.
Rolls and fish fry go together, but I'm not really sure why. The roll is never warm, but there is always a pat of butter in the container. This makes spreading the butter an impossibility, and I am left to fashion a sandwich out of the roll...which just makes a mess. Like I say, this roll was good...but other than a McGyvered sandwich, didn't serve much purpose. This is endemic of all fish fries and not really an indictment on Hometown.
The fries, as always, were pretty darn good. Still hot and fairly salty they were steak fry-sized. Normally these are a mistake- too large, and the potatoeyness takes over....too thin and they are all crisp and no potato. These were pretty crispy, without a lot of mush-factor.
Lastly, was the cocktail sauce. I loathe tartar sauce...it is the Devil's own condiment. This was pretty good as cocktail sauce goes...I prefer Heluva Good, but this was a pretty good homemade substitute. Could have used a squeeze of lemon juice, but was a nice spicy yin to the fish's mild yang.
I'd definitely go there again....their pizza is even better than the fish- which is saying a lot. On top of which, they have a fair amount of specialty pizzas, grilled wings, fried wings, tacos and so on.
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