Eat First

Baked fish dinner, St. John the Baptist/Holy Trinity Church, Syracuse

It seems like every restaurant in Central New York has a fish fry on Fridays -- or a seasonal fish fry on Fridays during the Lenten season leading up to Easter. And then there are the fish fries served at churches, American Legion posts, fire departments and so on.

 

Standing apart from the sea of seasonal fish fries is the baked fish dinner offered during Lent at St. John the Baptist/Holy Trinity Church, on the North Side of Syracuse. Each Friday during Lent, baked fish dinners are served in the church's Parish Center or available to go. On April 5, the Friday we visited, more than 200 fish dinners were served before volunteers (who call themselves paFISHioners) called "sold out.''  The finale of the 2019 baked fish dinner season at St. John's is this Friday, April 12. Dinners are served 4 to 7 p.m. Get there early so you don't miss out.

 

How it works

 

Pay for your dinner or dinners as you walk in the Parish Center. Dinners are $9 (adults; $5 for children ages five to 12) and come with your choice of two sides, roll and butter and dessert. Side dishes include baked beans, macaroni and cheese, coleslaw and French fries. Additional sides are available for an upcharge of $1.50. A small bowl of New England clam chowder goes for $1.50.

 

Take a seat at one of the long tables. Volunteers will ask what you would like to drink and what sides you want with your fish -- and tell you about dessert.

 

About the fish

 

If you've had clams oreganata or shrimp oreganata at an Italian-American restaurant, the fish at St. John's is prepared in the same style. Fillets are topped with a mixture of seasoned Italian bread crumbs and dried herbs (we also noted some paprika in the mix) and some butter or olive oil before baking. The contrast of the mild, flaky fish and the seasoned, crunchy bread crumb topping is delicious.

 

Baked fish is the star here, but the side dishes were decent, too: Nicely browned French fries and baked beans (slightly sweet) for me and mac and cheese and coleslaw for my other half. Add on rolls with butter and slices of Red Velvet cake and Key lime cake and we had more than enough to eat.

 

Dinner for two for $18 -- that's a bargain, dear readers. Get there Friday, get there early and be sure to bring cash. Bring a couple extra bucks for the 50-50 raffle.

 

St. John the Baptist/Holy Family Church is at 406 Court St., Syracuse (corner of Park). The final baked fish dinner of the 2019 Lenten season will be served 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, April 12. Information: 315-478-0916.

 

 

Water Street Bagel Co., Syracuse

I am not a bagel expert, by any means. Growing up in an Irish-American Catholic family, bagels were not a common bread option at our house. I still remember the first time I had a bagel, at the home of a Jewish family who lived in our neighborhood. The exterior had a kind of sheen to it and the interior was dense and chewy. They ate their bagels untoasted, sometimes with lox and cream cheese, all totally foreign to me and my developing taste buds.

 

I had no preconceived notions when I visited Water Street Bagel Co. for the first time, except that I expected the surrounding neighborhood and the restaurant itself to smell of wood fire. Surprisingly, it didn't. Instead, the smell of just-made coffee perfumed the air. I visited close to closing time on a bitter, cold day in February, during Dining Weeks in downtown Syracuse. The place had been slammed at lunch, a staff member told me, but I arrived to have a choice of seating and excellent service at the counter. 

 

House-made, wood-fired bagels, house-made cream cheese toppings, sandwich options -- I couldn't decide what to order for a minute. Something simple, like a bagel with almond butter and honey? Or a more elaborate bagel sandwich, like The Maple (with breakfast sausage, scrambled egg, sharp cheddar cheese and maple drizzle) or The Nice 'n' Spicy (with egg, cottage bacon from The Piggery in Ithaca, pepper jack cheese, sriracha sauce and pickled jalapeño pepper slices)? The menu includes about 15 rotating flavors of  wood-fired bagels, a dozen cream cheese flavors made fresh each day and schmears, like peanut butter, almond butter, Nutella and jam.

 

Knowing I was undecided between a couple sandwiches, the patient woman at the counter asked if I liked the combination of a little sweet and a little heat. I replied yes and she suggested The Maple, with the addition of pickled jalapeño. I ordered said sandwich on a rosemary sea salt bagel. The bagel was lightly toasted and fully loaded, rendering it a two-fisted sandwich, lest the whole thing fall apart when you take a bite or two. I chatted with a couple seated next to me, also first-time visitors. On my way out, I grabbed a couple everything bagels to enjoy at home and a cup of Recess coffee for the road.

 

Water Street Bagel Co. is a welcome addition to the dining scene downtown. The restaurant is casual and chic at the same time, with high ceilings, exposed brick walls and refurbished wood floors uncovered in the remodel of the building. You might be hard-pressed to find a seat inside during the breakfast or lunch rush, but come warm weather, there will be seating outside or you can enjoy a bagel sandwich picnic at nearby Hanover Square.

 

Inside, a row of about four seats faces the street and floor-to-ceiling accordion windows will open to allow an open-air feel. Co-owner Meg Dellas was present when I visited, speaking with food vendors on the phone and inquiring if guests liked their meal.

   

Water Street Bagel Co. is at 239 E. Water St., Syracuse.  Hours are 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday to Friday and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Information: 315-802-6925; website.