Eat First

Excellent food + excellent cause = Savor Syracuse

It’s a win-win situation: Buy a ticket to Savor Syracuse on Thursday (April 28) and you A) graze for two and a half hours on a gourmet buffet of sample-size servings and B) support the mission and programs of the Food Bank of Central New York.

Win-win! Here’s a run-down.

The food: Tasting stations showcase some of Central New York’s most interesting restaurants, including Zabroso (Spanish-Latin American cuisine), Kabuki (sushi/Japanese) and Mai Lan (Vietnamese). Newcomers this year include Francesca’s Cucina  and Peppino’s Restaurant and Catering.

Several CNY-based food producers will also be offering samples, including C’s Cheese (cheese balls) and Ramona’s Dressings.

The desserts: Hello, cupcakes (Nonpareils, shown at left; Sweet Endings Bakeshop), hand-painted artisan cookies (Oven Artistry), chocolates (Em’s Specialty Candies) and pastries (Patisserie).

The beverages: A selection of Finger Lakes wineries will be offering pours (Heron Hill, Fulkerson, Dr. Frank’s Vinifera Wine Cellars and others, etc.) as will brewers like F.X. Matt (Saranac) and Ithaca Beer Co. Need a little pick-me-up? Sample some Paul de Lima and Starbucks coffee.

The chefs challenge: A panel of top chefs representing participating restaurants will try their creations on a panel of judges (myself included), who will decide a favorite. The winner takes home a flat-screen TV.

The details: Savor Syracuse takes place 6 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday at the Holiday Inn, Electronics Parkway, Liverpool. Tickets cost $70 (a portion is tax-deductible) and can be purchased online in advance or at the door.

The cause: Last year’s Savor Syracuse raised more than $54,000, according to the Food Bank of Central New York. When you buy a ticket, it helps the food bank work toward its goal of eliminating hunger in Central and Northern New York. With so many people unemployed and under-employed, hunger is a very real problem in our communities, with some people having to choose between paying bills or buying food for their families.

Please consider helping the food bank by attending Savor Syracuse, making a financial contribution or donating your time as a volunteer. Learn more here.

 

When in Rome: Dine at Vescio’s Franklin Hotel

When in Rome (Oneida County), do as the Romans do: Eat at a local Italian-American restaurant.

Following a recent art opening at Siena Arts in downtown Rome, we took the advice of a friend who works at the Oneida County Courthouse and made our way to Vescio’s Franklin Hotel for an early dinner.

We weren’t alone. Shortly after 5 on a Saturday, the restaurant, in a rundown former hotel in a somewhat rundown neighborhood, was full of families and large parties enjoying classic Central New York “red sauce” fare at easy prices.

THE VIBE: Casual, unpretentious, lively and friendly. The main dining room is long and narrow, with a bar to one side and tables topped with paper placemats.

THE MENU: Extensive. The printed menu soups, salads, appetizers, chicken and veal dishes and a long list of pasta specialties, like homemade gnocchi and lasagna. There’s also a handwritten list of nightly specials.

WHAT’S A VEGETARIAN GOING TO FIND? Plenty of meatless options, like ravioli, stuffed rigatoni and the house special gnocchi with sundried tomatoes and basil cream sauce.

CHOWING DOWN: We started with a mound of the Greens Vescio ($8.50), a heavier version of the region’s signature dish than some we’ve sampled. The generous plate of escarole and cherry peppers was extra meaty and extra garlicky and loaded with cheese and breadcrumbs. We went easy on it, not wanting to spoil our appetites for our entrees, which come with soup or salad.

Shrimp fra diavolo ($13.99; off the regular menu) featured about eight nicely cooked shrimp, tossed with cherry peppers, mushrooms and capers in a chunky and spicy marinara sauce, served over perfectly cooked linguine.

Shrimp fra diavolo, Franklin Hotel-style

Less successful was Robert’s eggplant Parmesan ($10.99; a special that evening). The heavily breaded eggplant was mushy and overcooked – disappointing, in a word – and served with the same chunky sauce as the shrimp. The penne served with the eggplant was cooked to perfection like the aforementioned linguine.

WHAT’S FOR DESSERT? What isn’t for dessert? Pasticiotti, cannolis, cheesecake, layer cakes, Italian cookies and pastries. We exited the pastry counter cradling a small box holding a lobster tail and a lemon pasticiotti. Robert called the lobster tail, beautifully brown and crispy on the outside, oozing heavenly vanilla-scented pastry cream and dusted with powdered sugar, “one of the best things I’ve ever put in my mouth.’’ The lemon “pustie,’’ a single-serving Italian pie, featured a more flaky, delicate pastry than some we’ve sampled. The lemon cream filling was a refreshing change from the usual chocolate or vanilla.  

THE DAMAGES: Just under $50 for two draft beers, one appetizer, entrees, tax and tip. Dessert cost an extra $6.83.

WOULD WE GO BACK? Yes, but we might not go for dinner.  Robert’s recommendation: “Go for the desserts.’’

THE DETAILS: Vescio’s Franklin Hotel is at 301 S. James St., Rome. The restaurant is open Monday to Saturday for lunch and dinner. Stop at the ATM on the way; credit cards aren’t accepted. Information: 315-336-9974.

Glug-glug: A brown jug of Syracuse’s Middle Ages beer

The empty brown jug sitting on the basement landing finally made me do it: go straight to the source for a refill “growler’’ of pale ale from Middle Ages Brewery.

I’ve enjoyed many a pint of Middle Ages beer at our favorite Central New York taverns, and at the Middle Ages anniversary party held each year at Syracuse’s Leavenworth Park.

But I had never visited the brewery on the near west side of Syracuse until last Saturday. I arrived in the mid-afternoon to find a full house in the tasting room and gift shop and a lively, happy hour vibe.

The brewery, owned by Marc and Mary Rubenstein, is known for its small-batch, hand-crafted British-style ales with names like Wailing Wench, Dragonslayer and Druid Fluid to match the medieval theme.

Step in the entrance and down a stone-lined hallway, past a knight’s armor, into the tasting room and gift shop.

You’ll find about six beers on tap to sample. Start with something mild, like Apricot Ale or Swallow Wit (a wheat beer), then work your way down the list to the more full-flavored (higher alcohol content) varieties like Old Marcus (extra special bitter), ImPaled Ale (Middle Ages’ version of India pale ale) and Duke of Winship (a rich, dark porter).

At 4:40, the young woman pouring samples yelled “last call,’’ and there was a surge to the counter to get growlers (half-gallon brown bottles) filled.

We received a growler of Middle Ages Pale Ale for Christmas, and it’s the gift that keeps on giving. Empty it, wash it and visit the brewery to filler ‘er up.

A refill of Middle Ages Pale Ale cost $9 plus change. That’s good bang for the buck, when you consider that you’ll spend about $7 for a couple of pints at a bar. And the beer will stay fresh for about a week.

Which reminds me… I refilled that growler almost a week ago. Better head home and crack that puppy open. It’s Friday and getting on beer o’clock!

Middle Ages Brewery is at 120 Wilkinson St., Syracuse. The tasting room and gift shop are open 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Friday and 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. Information: 315-476-4250.