Eat First

In a New York (food map) State of mind

Where do we live?

North of Spiedies. South of Thousand Island Dressing and Croghan Bologna. East of  Beef on Weck, Chicken Wings, Garbage Plate and White Hots. West of  Peppermint Pig, Chicken Riggies, Tomato Pie and Utica Greens.

We live in the land of Salt Potatoes and Dinosaur BBQ. We are firmly planted in soda country, well east of the Empire State’s Soda vs. Pop line.

If you love food and love to discover local and regional favorites, none of this is breaking news. But New York’s diverse food terrain is officially noted on an appetizing and entertaining map, “New York State by Food Regions,’’ created by Shannon Glazer, a Geographic Information Services specialist with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

“Inspired by my visits to all corners of New York State, I recently decided to map different food regions in the state,’’ Glazer notes on the New York State Food Map Facebook page. The map has been “shared” more than 2,500 times. 

“After the first version of my map spread like wildfire, I decided to edit the map based on some of the comments I received. … 

“I'm starting this page to continue the conversation! Post your thoughts on local food here...Check out the "likes" on the page for more info about some of the restaurants and foods on the map!’’

My editor at Central New York: The Good Life Magazine turned me on to Glazer’s accomplishment. The May/June issue features a story on the treasure-filled foodie map, as well stories on Upstate travel destinations in all directions of Syracuse.

I can live without Michigans (a Plattsburgh specialty; hotdogs piled with onions and smothered in mustard and meat sauce) but I am bound and determined (translation: hellbent!) to get to Brooks Chicken BBQ country (Oneonta), possibly on the way to Mozzarella Sticks with Raspberry Sauce (Albany/Capital Region).

Thanks, Shannon. Happy food trails!

Birthday doldrums? Pamper them away at Mirbeau

Your birthday at 20 and 30: You hit so many clubs, mingle with so many people and have so much fun, it’s all a blur. You don’t remember anything.

Your birthday at 50:  You’re greeted with black balloons, “Over the Hill” cards, a bottle of Centrum Silver and a subscription to AARP Magazine. They say your memory is in decline, but you remember EVERYTHING…

Especially the daytrip to Mirbeau Inn & Spa with your sisters and/or sister-friends!

Yes, friends, birthdays call for something special, and MILESTONE birthdays call for something REALLY special. Some people want to paint the town and others prefer a more relaxing, low-key celebration – which we happily arranged for my sister last month on the occasion of a mile-marker birthday.

A visit to to Mirbeau is special, indeed – for the person having the birthday AND for those treating him or her to a day of pampering.

The special treatment can be something as simple as a manicure or pedicure, but we recommend something a little more indulgent, like a 50-minute Swedish massage. Surrender. You’re in the best of hands, pun intended. Nearly every inch of you – from your scalp to your slumped back and shoulders to your over-used typing-texting hands and tired, neglected feet – will say thank you.

For the ultimate in luxury, pad upstairs in your slippers and bathrobe and sit down to an elegant three-course spa lunch. The menu changes regularly, but usually includes a choice of soup or salad, entree (chicken, beef, seafood) and dessert, like crème brulee, Hummingbird cake and the PB&J: chocolate-peanut butter bombe with Concord grape puree and homemade marshmallows.

On a recent Friday, the soup of the day was a puree of romaine lettuce, to which nothing more than broth, salt, pepper and a touch of cream had been added. That might sound a little strange, but if you can make smoothies with romaine lettuce, why not hot soup?

Mirbeau’s Orange Flower Essence Crème Brulee: In a word, divine.

Add a glass or bottle of wine to lunch and you might be tempted to return to the Relaxation Room and stretch out in a chaise. And that’s OK. Visit Mirbeau on a “day pass’’ and you’re encouraged to make full use of the facilities – gym, saunas, outdoor hot tub – and explore the grounds, which, before long will be in full flower. 

Go ahead, enjoy being the Birthday Queen or Birthday King for a day. Breathe, relax and say “Ahhhhh!’’

Mirbeau Inn & Spa is at 851 W. Genesee Street Road (Route 20), about a mile outside the village of Skaneateles. A 50-minute spa treatment and three-course lunch costs roughly $200, depending on treatment and meal options. For more information, call 315-685-5006.

Still savoring delicious memories of Cape Cod

We have so many excellent food memories from our trip to Cape Cod in October:

The Portuguese soup from the famous Lobster Pot restaurant in Provincetown. Tomatoes, linguica, potatoes, kale, spices. Mmmm, mmmm good!

The trutas (delicate pastries with sweet potato filling) and other beautiful baked goods from the Portuguese Bakery down the street. Unlike any we’ve ever had before.

The fully loaded cioppino at the Chatham Squire. And the lobsters from Dennisport Lobster Co. that Robert rolled up his sleeves and prepared in our borrowed kitchen.

But the most delicious take-away from this trip is the memory of our delightful weekday brunch at Hangar B Eatery, at the teeny-tiny Chatham Airport. If every airport had food this good, air travel would be much more enjoyable!

On a sunny and breezy autumn morning, we climbed on our bicycles in Harwich Port and rode five miles east on the Cape Cod Rail Trail to the popular breakfast and lunch destination, which occupies a small spot upstairs at the airport.

There, Chef Brian Erskine, a graduate of Johnson and Wales University, holds forth – solo – in a small kitchen with all the tools of his trade in easy reach. In peak season, he prepares and plates 300 meals a day, without benefit of a sous chef.

As for his food, it’s fresh, local and creative. The coffee is from Chatham Coffee Roasters, the juice is fresh squeezed, the jams, jellies and granola are homemade, as are the baked goods, like muffins and donuts. Made fresh each morning.

Robert ordered the omelet of the day, which was stuffed with roasted tomatoes, arugula and Vermont cheddar cheese and served with well-done home fries.

I feasted on Huevos Rancheros, a Mexican breakfast I am highly unlikely to make at home. It paired fried eggs, black beans, roasted tomatoes and avocado with toasted tortillas on the side for sopping things up – or slathering with jam.

Huevos Rancheros, Hangar B style

You’ll also find pancakes and waffles on the menu, as well as healthy fare like smoothies and oatmeal. Brunch for two, with juices, coffee, tax and tip, cost about $40.

We were so impressed with this place and its talented owner and so glad we visited in the off-season, when Chef Brian gets a breather and inquisitive diners like us get a chance to bend his ear.

From Hangar B, we pedaled to downtown Chatham, strolled its streets and park and browsed its shops, before hitting the rail trail again for the ride home – and to burn off some of that brunch.

Hangar B Eatery is at the Chatham Airport, 240 George Ryder Road, Chatham, MA. The restaurant is open for breakfast and lunch year-round, and has outdoor seating in season. In the off-season, Hangar B is closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Information: 508-593-3655.

 

 

 

Syracuse resident wins ticket to the Pride of NY Harvest Festival!

Update to Tuesday's post: Tracy Tillapaugh, of Syracuse, is the winner of the ticket to this weekend's Pride of New York Harvest Festival at the state fairgrounds -- and not just because she is so excited to attend! There were just three entries. Thanks to Maureen and Ryan for entering as well.  And stay tuned. You never know when there might be another giveaway here!

It’s that time of year again: Time to be thankful for and celebrate the harvest. 

And time to celebrate New York’s farm, field and artisan food producer bounty at the Pride of New York Harvest Festival.

This year’s Harvest Festival runs 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday (November 5) and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday (November 6) at the state fairgrounds, in Geddes.

There will be an array of homegrown and homemade NYS foods to tempt your taste buds: cheeses, spreads, toppings, sauces sweet and savory, cookies, mustards, muesli – you name it. There will also be wines from all corners of the state to sample.

I’m looking forward to trying/taking home and baking with locally produced, sweet cream Meadow Butter from Kriemhild Dairy Farms and picking up some of the “java-licious” dry rubs from Keuka Lake Coffee Roasters – to single out just two of the many food vendors who will be there.

Tickets to the Pride of NY Harvest Fest are $20 in advance or $25 at the door.

I have in my possession one admission ticket to give away to a reader.

TO ENTER TO WIN: Leave a short and sweet comment below telling me why you’re looking forward to the fest OR how you like to eat/buy local. The giveaway is open to Central New York residents only and IMPORTANT NOTE you will need to pick up your ticket in person.

The deadline to enter is 9 a.m. Thursday and a winner will be selected at random. Good luck!

 

Destination NYWCC: FLX/NY food, wine and fun

 Life's short. Eat dessert first?

Woo-hoo! Another weekend is upon us. But we’re still savoring the soul-satisfying day trip and leisurely lunch we had last weekend in the Finger Lakes.

For Christmas, we received a gift certificate to the New York Wine and Culinary Center in Canandaigua. As happens with gift certificates sometimes, its expiration date was nearing.

We visited the website and considered signing up for a culinary class or kitchen skills workshop. There are plenty of them, including pie making, bread baking and farm-to-table outing and meal prep in the center’s state-of-the-art kitchen.

In the end, we decided to make a reservation at the Taste of New York restaurant. The restaurant had just introduced its early fall menu, which still features many summer flavors.

Among the things we enjoyed:  

Wine flight ($12; choose three) with Anthony Road dry Riesling, Long Point Ciera (semi-dry rose) and Dr. Frank Old Vine Pinot Noir. I would be happy to have a bottle of each of these wines in our cellar. Robert’s beer flight ($8; choose four) featured a couple pale ales and an interesting fruit ale (blueberry) from Long Island.

Cold smoked salmon with capers, red onion, radishes and arugula salad ($11).

White pizza with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, caramelized onion, pepper Flakes and garlic oil ($11).

Chilled gazpacho with basil, cilantro, avocado and heirloom tomato, swirled with spiced sour cream ($8).

Butternut squash ‘flan’ on a thin layer of spice cake, garnished with what appeared to be browned bits of candied ginger. A dessert made to match the changing seasons.

Canandaigua is a great walking town on a nice day (don’t miss the historic boat houses at the city pier), and we intentionally parked a distance from the NYWCC, in the shopping distance on South Main Street, knowing a walk after lunch would be in order.

It wasn’t our first trip to the New York Wine and Culinary Center, and it definitely won’t be our last. Thank you, Eileen and Dave, for a great day!

The New York Wine and Culinary Center is at 800 S. Main St., Canandaigua, overlooking the pier. Information: 585-394-7070.

 

Pumpkin Hill Bistro: Country comforts on Cayuga Lake

I can drive by the Mackenzie-Childs store and Vintage Lighting in Aurora (sometimes), but I can’t be anywhere near the lovely village on the east side of Cayuga Lake without feeling the pull of Pumpkin Hill Bistro.

It hasn’t happened yet, at any rate. A business and pleasure trip brought me to Aurora last week, and I was seduced, once again, into having lunch on the back porch at Pumpkin Hill, overlooking the fields and rolling hills leading to the lake.

It was a perfect day for it, too: Sunny and breezy with temperatures in the mid-‘70s. What a nice way to celebrate the first official day of summer and the longest day of the year.

THE VIBE:  The restaurant is in a rehabbed 1820s farmhouse, the Sellen House, which was moved to Pumpkin Hill and parked in the middle of more than 20 acres. The dining areas are very country. Owners Terry Dewis and Andy Casas have described Pumpkin Hill as “a little like ‘Little House on the Prairie’ crossed with an English pub.’’

LIQUID ASSETS: Fresh-brewed iced tea and freshly-squeezed lemonade served in mason jars, plus beer, wine and other adult beverages to wet your whistle.

THE MENU: That’s the realm of Susanne “Cookie” Wheeler, Pumpkin Hill’s executive chef, and country-comfort food with gourmet touches sums it up. You’ll find old favorites like Cookie’s chicken pot pie and shepherd’s pie and new favorites like tapas, the chef’s twist on small plates, designed for sharing.

The restaurant sources much of its produce locally, and shines the light on center-of-the-plate items, too, like Finger Lakes Maple Farm duck breast.

DECISION TIME: I took a pass on soups, hot and cold sandwiches and lunch-sized entrees in favor of the Aurora Salad ($8.99). It features fresh spinach leaves packed into a small colander, along with sliced apples, candied walnuts, crumbled bacon and cubes of sharp New York State cheddar cheese, tossed with just the right amount of house-made maple vinaigrette dressing. It was served with a warm roll and was delicious down to the last bit of bacon.

Eat cute: The Aurora Salad.

WHAT IS SOMEONE WHO DOESN’T EAT MEAT GOING TO FIND? Multiple choices, including a black bean burger on grilled ciabatta bread, topped with greens, tomato relish and cilantro dressing. And the day’s harvest, a selection of fruit, vegetable and grains that changes according to the season.

WHAT’S FOR DESSERT? I opted out, but a chef named Cookie does not disappoint in this department. You’ll find cakes, cookies, cobblers, crisps, pies, puddings and more. The check was delivered with two tiny Snickerdoodle cookies, each about the size of a quarter.

THE DAMAGES: $14.81, including tax, tip and a glass of iced tea.

VITALS: Pumpkin Hill is at 2051 state Route 90, on its namesake, Pumpkin Hill, about four miles south of Aurora. During the summer, the restaurant is open daily for lunch and dinner. Reservations are accepted by phone only: 315-364-7091.

NEXT WEEK: Read about a charming food and wine store in the village of Aurora. 

The view from the back porch at Pumpkin Hill Bistro

Cuba cheese, please! It's a Western New York favorite

Some people come home from Cuba with cigars and rum.

We come home from Cuba with cheese.

I’m talking cheese from Cuba, NY, a village in southwestern New York State, about 15 miles east of Olean (my mother’s hometown and my college town) and 75 miles southeast of Buffalo.

The Cuba Cheese Shoppe is best known for its own award-winning white cheddar cheese and cheese products, like Old York cheese spreads. For more than a century, Cuba cheese was available only to wholesale and select mail order customers.

The retail shop in downtown Cuba opened in 1976 and has expanded over the years to welcome hundreds of domestic and imported cheeses, like Manchego from Spain, Ricotta Salata from Italy and Stilton from England. We’ve been going there since childhood, and always pack a cooler when our travels take us to that corner of New York State.

In addition to a world of cheeses, you’ll find cheese boards, slicers and spreaders and shelves-full of crackers to complement selections. The shop also stocks oodles of gourmet foodstuff: jams, jellies, mustards, barbecue sauces, spice rubs and more. There’s also syrup and other maple products from local favorite Sprague’s Maple Farms (and restaurant) in Portville.

On a recent visit, we came home with a brick of Cuba reserve cheddar (aged two years), a slab of Palatine Valley Dairy tomato, basil and garlic cheddar (from the Mohawk Valley), a container of Cuba cheese curds (a form of cheddar; slightly chewy and squeaky and a great snack) and a tub of Old York sharp cheddar spread – a souvenir for my sister.

Cuba cheese, please!

Cuba Cheese Shoppe is at 53 Genesee St., Cuba. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.  The online shoppe is open 24/7.

The Cuba Cheese Museum chronicles Cuba’s (and the region’s) rich cheese-making heritage. Click here to find out more.

(From a postcard image)

 

Oh, the mouth-watering places we'll go!

The year is young, but I've already crossed one delicious Central New York destination off my 2011 foodie "bucket list.''

Following is a list of the Top 10 (now Top 9) places on my radar screen for this year. One of them isn't even open yet!

 

1. Bittersweet Wine Bar and Desserts, 121 W. Fayette St., Syracuse,  This downtown dessert and wine bar, which also serves light fare, like soups, salads and paninis, opened in the fall. I haven't been there yet but will soon, thanks to a discount deal purchased through Living Social.

Not to mention the menu, which includes creme brulee, carrot cake, Death by Chocolate Cake, cheesecake, "Fun-Due,'' and other temptations.

Exposed brick in a cozy corner of Prime.

2. Prime Steak House, downtown Syracuse. I'm not the world's biggest steak fan, but the bacon-wrapped scallops, calamari, crab and Roquefort tart and other "small plates" on the bar menu at this downtown newcomer are calling out to me. Besides, it's nice to see the lights on again in the long-vacant lower-level space in the historic Gridley Building in Hanover Square.

 

3. Anyela's Vineyards, Skaneateles: World-class wines are right in our backyard, on Skaneateles Lake, and I'm itching to get out to Anyela's Vineyards. Bestsellers include Noiret, a red wine made with a grape developed by the New York Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva. It's said to be a nice complement to everyday foods, like pizza and pasta.

4. Moro's Table, Auburn:  Chef Ed Moro is known for searching out fine ingredients, utilizing the culinary bounty of the Finger Lakes and preparing food with flair.

He served as executive chef at Mirbeau Inn & Spa in Skaneateles and the Hotel Clarence in Seneca Falls before opening his own restaurant in Auburn last year. I HEART that many menu selections are available as small plates as well as entrees.

 

5. Red Newt Cellars Winery and Bistro, Hector (Seneca Lake): Whether it's lunch in the Winternet cafe in the slow season or a daytrip and dinner as the days grow warmer and longer, I'm determined to get to this winery and restaurant on the east side of Seneca Lake.

David Whiting runs the winery and his wife, Debra, is the "locavore'' chef whose focus is seasonal, local and regional ingredients. The bistro boasts an all-Finger Lakes wine list, including selections from Red Newt and many other wineries.

6. Middle Ages Brewing Co., Syracuse:  A pint of their Syracuse Pale Ale, ImPaled Ale, Swallow Wit and others always hits the spot at our local pubs, but somehow I've never visited the tasting room.

It's open six days a week, and I hear it's the place to be on Friday and Saturday. A thoughtful friend gave us a "growler'' of Syracuse Pale Ale for Christmas, so we'll be stopping by for a refill soon.

7. Green Planet Grocery, Fairmount:  Organic produce. Bulk foods (grains, cereal, legumes, herbs and spices). Packaged health foods and free-range meats. Vitamins and supplements. A vegan raw food cafe where you can enjoy lunch or dinner.

I went to Green Planet Grocery once last year and need to make an effort to get there more often this year. The natural foods store makes it easy to eat healthy.

8. Nonpareils, Manlius:  Cake artist Jen Comfort makes and sells sinfully delicious and beautiful cupcakes out of her wedding/special occasion cake showroom on Route 92. Favorites include Chocolate Chambord, Erin's Fave (vanilla almond cake with lemon and raspberry fillings and almond buttercream icing), Lemon and Red Velvet, but my vote for most creative goes to Jen's Chocolate Stout Bacon (yes, BACON!) cupcake. I visited Nonpareils for a cupcake "flight'' on Friday and KNOW I will be back!

9. Ethnic eateries in CNY: Byblos Mediterranean Cafe in downtown Syracuse, Azteca (Mexican food) in Oswego. Dosa Grill (Indian cuisine) in DeWitt... all sorts of interesting little ethnic eateries are popping up all over the region. I'm looking forward to checking some of them out.

  

10. Dey's Fresh Market, Syracuse:  I'm counting the days until spring and the opening of Dey's Fresh Market at the former Dey Bros. department store, now called Dey's Plaza, at 401 S. Salina St. in downtown Syracuse.

The owners aren't ready to share the vendor list yet, but the market is great news for people who live and work downtown and anyone else who loves fresh, locally sourced food. 

 

FarmshedCNY: Down(load) on the farm

How many times have you sat down at your computer to plan a Central New York foodie excursion? Using Google and GoogleMaps, you chart your course to farmstands, specialty food shops, wineries and restaurants in the region, push "print" and hop in the car with a pile of papers and maps.

Say good-bye to all that. A new application for iPhones and other smart phones, developed by Central New York resident Neil Brody Miller (a food and wine blogger at Stressing the Vine), puts seasonal and local food information at your fingertips. It's called FarmshedCNY, and this month, it's being updated to include wineries and apple orchards.                                                                                                                      

 The free (make that FREE!) app is a comprehensive listing of more than 800 delicious destinations in Central New York, the Finger Lakes and beyond. Categories include organic/sustainable farms, farmers markets, natural food stores, CSA (community supported agriculture) farms/shares and locavore restaurants.

I met Neil for lunch at Circa in Cazenovia (appropriately enough!) to talk Farmshed and get a quick demonstration of its features. I don't have a smart phone (yet), but I was impressed to see the detailed information, map views and geo-located directions.

No more getting lost on the way to a farmstand or U-pick place in the CNY countryside, unless, of course, you want to.  

But don't just take my word for it.

Erica Strong, a resident of Syracuse and newcomer to the area, has been using the Farmshed application to help her better discover the region's agricultural and culinary bounty.

"The app encompasses many Google searches I have done in the past to find the food I want,'' Strong says.  "I'm really glad I downloaded it."

You will be, too. For more information on FarmshedCNY and to download the app, click here.

Swimming in Thousand Island dressing

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

You probably know that Thousand Island dressing has roots in -- where else? -- the Thousand Islands region straddling New York and Ontario, Canada.

But do you know the story behind the tangy, slightly sweet condiment that adds color (pale pink or pale orange) and flavor to salads and sandwiches?

I didn't, until I suggested a story on the region's signature foodstuff to my editors at The Good Life Central New York Magazine, a bi-monthly publication of The Post-Standard. My piece on the dressing, along with a spread on Thousand Island cottages, is featured in the July-August issue of the magazine, available on newsstands now.

In the course of sinking my teeth into this story, I learned more than anyone really needs to know about Thousand Island dressing. Some of the highlights:

1. Thousand Island dressing is the only salad dressing named for a region of the United States. It's not as popular as Italian, Ranch and Caesar dressings, but it's an American favorite all the same.

2. At the Thousand Islands Inn, in Clayton, owners Allen and Susan Benas make, bottle, label, sell and serve what they proudly call “the original’’ Thousand Island dressing. It sells for $6.95 at the inn and at local stores, like the River Rat Cheese shop in Clayton.

Allen and Susan inherited the "secret recipe" for the dressing when they bought the inn in 1972, and trace its origins to the shore dinners served at the turn of the century by fishing guide George LaLonde. His dinners included a tossed salad and special dressing made by his wife, Sophia.

Photo of Sophia LaLonde courtesy of Allen Benas, Thousand Islands Inn

On one fishing outing, according to Allen Benas, George LaLonde served Sophia's dressing to stage and silent screen actress May Irwin, a frequent visitor to the region. Sophia LaLonde shared her recipe with Irwin, who is believed to have given it the name “Thousand Island,’’ and with Ella Bertrand, whose family owned the Herald Hotel in Clayton (now the Thousand Islands Inn).

It is said that Irwin gave the recipe to fellow Thousand Islands regular George Boldt, owner of New York's Waldorf Astoria Hotel, who put the dressing on the Waldorf's menu, giving it national and international exposure.

3. A dressing dispute:  Up the road in Alexandria Bay, you might not hear the same story. A souvenir postcard of the Thousand Islands includes the “secret” recipe for Thousand Island dressing and a blurb crediting George Boldt with its creation:

“This dressing was first served aboard a yacht to George Boldt, owner of the Waldorf Astoria and Boldt Castle. He began serving it in his hotels and named it in honor of the area.’’ Bottles of Thousand Island dressing, made in Canada, are available for purchase at Boldt Castle, on Heart Island.

4. Dressing ingredients vary depending on who's making it, but usually include oil and/or mayonnaise, eggs, vinegar, lemon juice, tomatoes (or catsup), cucumbers, red pepper, onions, horseradish, garlic powder and sometimes a bit of sugar.

5. I am not a big fan of Thousand Island dressing, so I was pleasantly surprised by the "original'' dressing at the Thousand Island Inn. It's creamy and pale orange and not very thick, with chopped eggs adding texture and bits of chopped pickles adding flecks of green. The dressing has a fresh, homemade taste, with a noticeable but not overwhelming zing from horseradish.

If your travels take you to Clayton this summer, pick up a bottle of "original" Thousand Island dressing and see for yourself.

And pick up a copy of The Good Life Central New York Magazine. Included with my story is a recipe for Thousand Island dressing created by chef Gerry Brinkman as an homage to his summer home. Brinkman serves the dressing with house salads at  The Wellesley Hotel, on Wellesley Island, which he owns and operates with his wife.