Eat First

Sweet Life of a Baker, Sherrill

Do you ever wonder what becomes of the contestants on competition shows like “The Great British Bake Off’’ and its stateside spinoff, “The Great American Baking Show,’’ after the cameras stop rolling and all the episodes have aired?

Andrea Maranville, of Sherrill (Oneida County), a self-taught home cook and baker who appeared on season four of “The Great American Baking Show’’ in 2018, has been immersed in both the art of baking and the hard work of getting a small business up and running.

She was named “star baker’’ on the first week of the show -- when she impressed the judges with her cinnamon blueberry coffee cake and great grandmother’s chocolate cake -- and after weeks of challenging "bakes'' finished as a runner-up. Four years later, she has transitioned to life as a professional baker in her hometown. In October of 2021, Maranville opened Sweet Life of a Baker, a boutique bakery and cafe in “the Silver City.’’ 

I’ve been following Andrea on social media since I heard her interviewed on the Eat Local New York podcast, and took a drive to Sherrill recently to have lunch at Sweet Life of a Baker. I had the opportunity to meet her – thanks to her mother, who was helping out at the bakery and facilitated an introduction. Andrea was coming off of a busy Mother's Day weekend that left the dessert case empty and said she was gearing up for graduations, weddings and other special events.

Lunch did not disappoint. I was immediately drawn to the bakery case and cake servers filled with muffins, scones, cookies, cakes, macarons, brownies, biscotti, creme brulee, panna cotta and other treats, but knew I’d be getting a dessert to take home and enjoy later. So I went somewhat light for lunch with a spinach and Gruyere quiche for one, which is built on the all-butter, flaky crust Andrea perfected during pie week on “The Great American Baking Show.”  The quiches are served with your choice of mixed greens (with citrus or balsamic vinaigrette) or a cup of mixed berries. If you’re dining in, like I did, a server will heat up the quiche and bring it to you.

Other lunch offerings include a soup of the day, several salads (including a wedge salad and panzanella salad) and gourmet deli sandwiches, like ham off-the-bone with Hornbacher cheese from Callee 1945, a cheese shop in Oneida, served on bread from Salt City Bread in Manlius. Nothing too fancy or froufrou – Andrea’s approach is to serve high-quality foods she and her family love and to support other small businesses. The housemade chips served with sandwiches are from Crust Kitchen and Bar in Rome. And the coffee served at Sweet Life of a Baker is a special “baker’s blend” roasted for the cafe by Cracked Bean Roastery in Syracuse (where you can also find Andrea's baked goods). Click here for the lunch menu.

I brought my planner with me and got some work done from the seating area. Andrea has given the small space, with seating for about 20 people, the ambiance of a home dining room, with wooden tables, upholstered chairs and area rugs. Now that it’s warming up, there’s also patio seating.

As for dessert: I brought home a sweet little four-inch cheesecake. It was dense and rich, with a graham cracker crust on the bottom and berries and swirls of whipped cream on top. It was the perfect size for sharing.

Sweet Life of a Baker takes its name from the food blog Andrea launched in 2015. She’s a wife and mom of four children and was looking for a creative outlet and a place to share recipes. Look how far she’s come in that time. When your travels take you to the Oneida area, be sure to check her place out.

Sweet Life of a Baker is at 552 Sherrill Road, Sherrill. Hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday. Custom orders are available. Information: 315-280-4975

All photos © Margaret McCormick unless otherwise indicated.

 

Here., in Hector

You could easily drive by here., on Route 414 in Hector. There are so many scenic vistas and so many wineries to check out on the east side of Seneca Lake that you might miss the big sign with an arrow reading “here.,” and calling attention to the unassuming restaurant in a former fruit stand/market.

I heard about here. on social media, but it’s the kind of diamond in the rough you always hope to find on the road: local owners (previously of Just a Taste in Ithaca), local ingredients, creative menu and a casual, convivial vibe. The place was full of locals dining in and getting food to go, a good sign in an area that sees lots of tourist traffic. (Editor’s note: I’m spelling here. as the restaurant does in its branding, with a lowercase h and a period, unless at the beginning of a sentence.)

Here. is a great place to get some food in your belly before or between wine tastings, or just because. The restaurant is open for breakfast and lunch Friday to Monday (in season) and the menu changes each week. You order at the counter and can get something as simple as a cup of coffee and a buttermilk biscuit with honey butter and homemade rhubarb preserves or as stick-to-your-ribs as The Hot Mess: pulled pork, coleslaw, BBQ baked beans and cornbread.

I ordered the huevos rancheros, corn tortillas layered with refried pinto beans, cheddar cheese, sour cream, salsa fresca and ancho chili sauce, topped with two over-easy eggs. I like to order huevos rancheros when I see it on a menu because I’m unlikely to take the time and effort to make this hearty, flavor-packed, Mexican-style breakfast at home. Multiple orders of huevos rancheros were lined up at the counter, so maybe others feel the same way.

The bakery case caught my eye and I headed on my way with a ginger spice cookie and slice of Linzer torte, one of my favorite desserts, to enjoy later. They even included a small container of whipped cream for the torte. I love that kind of attention to detail (and always pack a cooler this time of year).

Here. is at 5646 NYS route 414, Hector, about 90 minutes from Syracuse. Summer hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday to Monday.

P.S.: Next time I’m having the Spicy Scramble or the focaccia French toast.

Note: All photos © Margaret McCormick unless otherwise indicated.

Millhouse Market, Pulaski

One Sunday, on our seasonal outing to Angus Hill Antiques & Flea Market, we pulled off Route 11 onto Route 13 for breakfast at Millhouse Market in Pulaski. What a nice surprise that turned out to be.

Millhouse Market is a deli, restaurant, bakery, coffee stop and gift shop under one roof. It’s pretty much everything, including a small bar. On Sundays, table service is offered in the dining room (orders are normally placed at the counter). The breakfast menu includes sandwiches, bowls, burritos, omelets and wood-fired pizzas. Breads are baked in house, so breakfast sandwiches and/or French toast are also worthy of consideration.

I’m not usually a pizza-for-breakfast person, but the food coming out of the wood oven smelled amazing. Several vegetarian options are offered, and we selected the broccoli cheddar pizza. The pie, plenty big enough for two, delivered a crisp, rustic crust topped with fluffy eggs, red sauce, broccoli, cheddar and salsa. The eggs were sort of tumbled in among the other ingredients, and the layer of red sauce gave this breakfast pizza the look of regular pizza. It was excellent, and a couple leftover slices reheated well in a dry pan on the stovetop the next day.

Robert ordered breakfast meat in the form of pastrami hash. He loved it, and described it as less salty than  corned beef hash. The pastrami pieces were tossed with small cubed potatoes, and a light sauce, maybe a white sauce, held everything together. 

Millhouse Market takes the typical diner breakfast to another level. The restaurant serves Recess Coffee and the menu includes hot and cold espresso/barista drinks.

Millhouse Market is at 3790 NY 13, Pulaski, about 40 minutes from Syracuse. Hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday.

Speaking of coffee: Mobile coffee bar Rhodes Coffee Company was doing a BANGING business at the intersection of Routes 11 and 13 in Pulaski. In a town with a Dunkin, that’s nice to see. We didn’t need any more caffeine, but will check it out the next time we’re up that way. We also want to visit the Deer Creek Flea Market. 

Exterior image courtesy of Millhouse Market, on Facebook. All other images © Margaret McCormick, unless otherwise noted.

 

 

At last: Dinner at Eden, Syracuse

Only one thing is going to get me out of my warm abode on a frigid winter night, and that’s dinner at a restaurant I’ve been wanting to visit for a long time – one where just about everything on the menu is cooked over a wood fire. That restaurant is Eden, in Hanover Square in downtown Syracuse.

Eden is a 30-seat upscale-yet-casual restaurant with a focus on locally sourced ingredients and wood-fired cooking. It opened in 2019 with chef and partner Rich Strub at the helm. It’s intimate and unpretentious, with a menu that changes seasonally.

Here are some other things to know:

• The menu at Eden is limited to four small plates and four large plates, plus a “choose your cut” beef option with choices noted above the hearth (priced per ounce). Robert loved his New York strip steak, served on a bed of creme fraiche and smashed potatoes and topped with a chimichurri sauce. (Chimichurri is a condiment made from finely minced flat-leaf parsley, olive oil and seasonings.) As a vegetarian I had several options, including a beet salad served warm from the hearth, made with red and golden beets from Grindstone Farm, Pulaski, plus orange segments, garnished with fluffy goat cheese from Two Kids Goat Farm, Cuyler (shown above). Goat cheese also was used to fill the house-made cappelletti (below) tossed with brown butter and bread crumbs I ordered as an entree.

• The commitment to local/regional sourcing extends to the restaurant’s award-winning wine list. From a long list of New York State selections, we chose a 2020 Blaufrankisch, a red wine from Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery in the Finger Lakes. It paired well with both of our meals.

• Dessert is limited to a trio of treats: chocolate mousse, panna cotta and a lemon tart. The panna cotta (above) arrived in a small mason jar, and the milky pudding was topped with a blueberry compote that tasted like summer on a winter night. It was served with a shortbread cookie.

• Its price point makes Eden a special occasion restaurant for us. Our special occasion was a date night courtesy of the generous Eden gift my partner gave me for my 65th birthday. “As luck would have it,’’ he said, “you invited me to join you.’’ No luck involved there. I wouldn't have invited anyone else. Small plates run $15 to $18 and large plates range from $32 to $46 or more. Dinner for two, with a bottle of wine, two small plates, two large plates, one dessert, tax and tip came to $220. 

• A veteran Central New York restaurant owner I’ve written about in the past was seated at a table across the room. As he and his party were leaving, he stopped over to say hello. "Your first time here?," he said. "I think it's the best restaurant in Syracuse.'' He's not alone in that opinion, and we agree. It's going to be hard to top this top-tier date night. We look forward to returning in summer, when an abundance of local produce is in season, to experience the creativity of chef Rich and his team.

Eden is at 118 E. Genesee St., Syracuse, in Hanover Square. Dinner is served from 5 to 9 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday. Reservations are recommended.

All photos by Margaret McCormick unless otherwise indicated

Nothin’ But Noods Pasta Company (ghost kitchen)

I don’t do Grubhub and I don’t do DoorDash and I don’t do Uber Eats. But I do order takeout food sometimes and I did order dinner from a local ghost kitchen, so don’t say I don’t keep up with the times.

What is a ghost kitchen? It’s a sort of virtual restaurant/food hub that offers pick-up or delivery only: no dining room, no bar, no reservations, no walk-ins. Orders are placed online, usually, or by phone. Delivery is sometimes available, but not always.

After following the Nothin’ But Noods account on Instagram and seeing the weekly menus, I was curious about this new food option. The pasta-to-go business is owned and operated by John D’Amore, a chef who has worked at a long list of Syracuse-area restaurants, including the former Genesee Grande Hotel and more recently Strada Mia. He’s gone solo and shares kitchen space on Brewerton Road in Mattydale with the owners of Phokouttahere (Vietnamese food and food truck) and Fat Brother, which specializes in Laotian and southeast Asian cuisine. 

Each week, D’Amore posts a build-your-own pasta menu on Instagram and Facebook, which is also where he takes orders. Choose your style of pasta (from Rochester’s Flour City Pasta; everything from traditional linguine to squid ink linguine) then choose your homemade sauce (marinara, vodka sauce, puttanesca, pesto, creamy pesto, etc.) and any extras, like meatballs, garlic broccoli and brown butter mushrooms. D’Amore also offers an entree special each week.

I sent the chef a direct message on Instagram to ask him which sauce he would recommend with the garlic chive pappardelle (creamy pesto, he replied) and placed an order for that and a side of garlic broccoli. I requested a 4 p.m. Saturday pickup, pulled into the parking lot and called the phone number provided with my order confirmation. Out came the chef with my food. He handed me a bag and I handed him money. 

In the bag was a plentiful serving of pasta in an aluminum container, a container of extra sauce, two slices of Italian bread, butter, and two small containers with Parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper flakes. A separate container held the garlic broccoli. The pasta was cooked to a perfect al dente and could have easily served two. I removed half of it from the container when I was ready to eat and drizzled it with some extra sauce before reheating it. It was delicious – and nice to not have to cook.

Will I go back? Absolutely. I love that D’Amore is using Flour City Pasta (whose owner is a fixture on Saturdays at the Central New York Regional Market) and I want to try his vodka sauce. Next time I’ll probably skip the broccoli, which was too crisp for my taste.

The cost of this feast before tip was $18. That’s reasonable for a restaurant-quality meal-to-go.

Note: Nothin’ But Noods accepts cash only.

Food Rescue Food Truck, Syracuse

The 1988 Grumman rescue vehicle that chef Gerald "Jerry" Bolton and partners rolled out as a food truck this summer had a long life traveling to fire scenes a couple counties away, in Geneva. Now it's a state-of-the-art mobile restaurant kitchen, serving upscale, firehouse-themed food at public and private events around Syracuse and Central New York.

"It's fun,'' says Bolton, who is best known as the executive chef at The Oncenter in downtown Syracuse. "We have a good following. We change the menu up every time we go out.''

 

Partners in the project are Bolton, his wife, Susan, and Chuck Wilhoit. They purchased the retired rescue truck, which had 100,000 miles on it, in May of 2019 and left it in the capable hands of Edward Pacelli, a retired steelworker and metal fabricator in Auburn. Pacelli stripped out the truck's interior and added a four-burner stove, fryer, charbroiler, salad unit and work station with a large cutting board. A two-and-a-half-foot aisle separates the stations in the 16-foot space, so it doesn't feel cramped, Bolton says.

 

The food truck became a welcome stay-at-home project for the partners when Governor Cuomo ordered restaurants and event venues to close in March to help stem the spread of the coronavirus. The Boltons and Wilhoit used their new-found free time to work on menu items and make plans to launch the food truck. The Food Rescue Food Truck made its debut at a private event in July and started making appearances at local breweries, including Middle Ages Brewing Company in Syracuse and ONCO Fermentations, in Tully. They've also been doing a lot of corporate/business/employee events. They hope to eventually collaborate with local fire and police departments on events and donate a percentage of proceeds to first responders.

 

At each gig, the chalkboard menu features about five items. The partners keep an eye on the weather when deciding what to serve and have started adding in cool-weather fare, like soup, chili and chicken and biscuits. Some favorite menu items so far include EMS Chips 'n Dip (housemade seasoned potato chips with caramelized onion dip); Pyro Piggy Poutine (crispy french fries topped with pulled pork, barbecue sauce, cheese curds and creme fraiche); Firehouse SPO (grilled sausage, peppers and onions on a toasted roll); Smokin' Quattro Formaggi (four-cheese grilled cheese with smoked gouda, asiago, fontina and sharp cheddar on sourdough); Hook and Ladder Chicken Riggies (chicken breast, cherry peppers and pink sauce over rigatoni, "with just enough fire''); and the Stop Drop 'N Oyster Roll (fried oysters with lettuce, tomato and “Rescue Sauce” on a toasted hoagie roll). Desserts (by Sue Bolton) might include jumbo chocolate chip cookies or  brownies.

 

                EMS chips and caramelized onion dip

 

                   Chicken riggies

                    Pulled pork quesadilla

 

We caught up with the Food Rescue Food Truck on a recent Saturday at ONCO Fermentations, a small farm brewery in Tully. We ordered more than we could realistically eat, but wanted to sample several of the items on the menu. All three items were easy to share. Potato chips of any kind are my downfall, and the seasoned EMS chips with caramelized onion dip ($6) were outstanding -- warm, thick, crisp and lightly seasoned. The chicken riggies ($12) had plenty of fire and the pasta was perfectly cooked. The serving was huge and more than half of it came home with us. The pulled pork quesadilla ($10) featured shredded pork tossed with a savory bourbon barbecue sauce, topped with cheddar cheese, garnished with scallions and a drizzle of sour cream. The quesadilla was nicely grilled, so everything was hot and melty inside the crispy tortilla.

 

We hadn't been to ONCO since it opened last year. Owners Erin and Brian Bullard make a wide range of beers and their plum saison and signature session New England IPA hit the spot on a warm fall day. ONCO has added outdoor seating and the doors to the warehouse space roll up, making it nice and airy inside.

 

Chef Bolton recently returned to his position at the Oncenter, where he has worked for 26 years, overseeing the food end of events for hundreds and sometimes thousands of guests. He's there two days a week, for now, preparing for the time the facility gets the go-ahead to resume special events. Prior to COVID-19, he figured he'd work on the food truck on his days off. He's glad to have the food truck "side hustle" and grateful for the positive reception it has received so far in the community.

 

 "It's something different,'' Bolton says. "We get along well and work well together. We're learning as we go.''

 

The Food Rescue Food Truck will be at Middle Ages Brewing in Syracuse the afternoon of Saturday, October 3 and at ONCO Fermentations on Oct 10, 16, 23 and 30. Hours are 3 to 8 p.m. Oct. 10 and 4:30 to 8 p.m. the remaining dates. Check the food truck Facebook page for more details and updates. 

 

For more information or to book the Food Rescue Food Truck, call 315-516-6770 or email [email protected].

 

 

 

The Ultimate Fruitcake: Black Cat Cafe and Bakery

The handmade fruitcake baked by the thousands at the Black Cat Cafe and Bakery in Sharon Springs (Schoharie County) came to my attention on Facebook. They caught my eye because they are golden, studded with fruit and nuts and resemble my Mother's Lemon Extract Cake -- also known as fruitcake. I clicked like and shared the photo. Later, when Tony Daou, the restaurant's owner, asked if he could send me a sample, I said yes. I rarely accept or request food samples, but sometimes make exceptions for local products -- and this was an offer too good to turn down.

 

 

Two 10-ounce fruitcakes and a mini fruitcake arrived in the mail a couple days later. They were neatly wrapped in brown paper and also wrapped in cheesecloth. Stored at room temperature, the cakes will last for months, the package notes. I gave one to a fruitcake-loving friend who made several boozy Jamaican rum cakes at Christmastime, stashed one in the freezer and shared one with Robert.

 

Fruitcake gets a bum rap. I spent many years not eating it, before becoming a grown-up with an adventurous palate who also likes to bake. The fruitcake from the Black Cat is dense and buttery, like pound cake, and based on a British recipe handed down for generations. It's loaded with pecans and dried fruits, including figs, dates, pineapple, orange, apricots, dark and golden raisins. The cakes are made with brandy and Laird's Applejack (a blend of apple brandy and neutral spirits), but the booze is a really subtle note in the background -- unwrap the cheesecloth and brush on more liqueur if you like. Front and center is the sweet figs, which also add nice chew to the cake. The cake goes great with coffee and tea and I thought about having a slice or two of it with vanilla ice cream.

 

For 15 years, the Black Cat fruitcakes were known as Drunken Blonde Fruitcake. They've been rebranded as The Ultimate Fruitcake and that's fitting. Robert and I agreed we've never tasted a better fruitcake (aside from my Mother's). 

 

The Black Cat offers the cakes through March and they're on sale now for $22 each (with further discounts if you order two or more). So why not give your loved one or ones a fruitcake for Valentine's Day?

 

If your travels take you to Sharon Springs, the Black Cat Cafe and Bakery is at 195 Main St., across the street from the American Hotel. It's open seven days a week. Fruitcakes and other Black Cat products, like fig balsamic drizzle and Lebanese lemon dressing, can be ordered online. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION or call 518-284-2575.

Dining out: A Mano Kitchen & Bar, Syracuse

Several restaurants have opened in downtown Syracuse in the last year or so and we're slowly getting around to checking them out. For my birthday earlier this month, I mulled the options and went back and forth over a few before finally settling on A Mano Kitchen & Bar, knowing that my partner would like it, as well.

 

The restaurant is owned by Anthony Fiacchi and his son, Alex Fiacchi, who is also the restaurant's executive chef. Alex Fiacchi has worked on farms in Italy and in some of the finest restaurants in Philadelphia and has a deep appreciation for locally sourced ingredients. His approach to Italian is not the "red sauce" Italian-American food that so many restaurants in Central New York are noted for. You could call it "modern Italian" or "elevated Italian.''

 

THE VIBE: Lively, friendly and a bit noisy. It's a big space with high ceilings. The Open Table reservation form suggests "business casual" attire, but plenty of diners were in jeans and sweatshirts. 

 

THE MENU: Not too big, not too small -- just right. There's something for everybody and every appetite -- from wood-fired pizza and salads to steak, seafood and chops. Pasta, pizza dough and breads are made in house each day and the menu changes seasonally.

 

LIQUID ASSETS: The seasonal cocktails sounded fantastic, but we consulted with our server and decided to share share a bottle of Dynamite Vineyards Zinfandel 2013 from California's North Coast ($38). It was full-flavored, jammy and smooth and I will be looking for it in local wine stores. 

 

THE FOOD: I started the meal with the misticanza salad ($9; above), a mix of baby lettuces, fennel and herbs, dressed with a light vinaigrette sweetened with local honey and topped with an oversized focaccia crouton. A bread basket containing housemade focaccia and cheese crackers arrived with the salad.

 

Both of us ordered from the pasta section of the menu. I had scoped out the menu in advance and was excited to try chef Fiacchi's Pumpkin Cappelletti ($20) because I like to order things I'm unlikely to make at home when we go out for dinner. The dish featured tender cappelletti pockets, stuffed with smooth pumpkin (with a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg?) and dressed in a sauce of brown butter, crispy sage leaves and taleggio cheese. The chew of the al dente pasta was a nice contrast to the smooth pumpkin interior and buttery sauce. I could have cleaned my plate but tend to mentally divide restaurant portions in half and take some home to enjoy the next day. Robert ordered the spaghetti bolognese ($19), which was plenty meaty yet not as meat-dense as we've come to expect when ordering bolognese. He also ordered a side of broccoli rabe ($6; a somewhat bitter cruciferous vegetable that's similar to broccoli) and found it to be too crisp for his liking. It was returned to the kitchen for some extra time on the heat to soften it up (and was well-dressed with olive oil and garlic).

 

As a birthday bonus, the chef sent out a plate of francobolli, small, ravioli-like pasta with ruffled edges. It was filled with cauliflower, tossed with a light butter-dill sauce and garnished with poppy seeds, which added interesting texture to the delicately flavored dish.

    

DESSERT: Several choices were offered, including chocolate cake, cannolis and housemade ice cream. We shared a petite, photo- friendly apple crostada, served on a slate flecked with powdered sugar. The pastry shell holding seasoned apple slices was nicely browned yet tender and the dessert was topped with a small scoop of caramel ice cream and toasted walnuts. A few bites apiece was a just-right sweet ending to our meal.   

 

THE SERVICE: Our server was professional, helpful and present at our table regularly without being intrusive. She deftly managed several large tables (it was Friday of Parents Weekend at Syracuse University) while also checking in on our two-top, refilling wine glasses, offering a second bread basket, etc.

 

WHAT'S A VEGETARIAN GOING TO FIND: Wood-roasted cauliflower, burrata Caprese, Margherita pizza, roasted garlic pizza with wilted arugula (and several other pizzas that could be made vegetarian), mushroom fettuccine and the aforementioned francobelli dish, to name a few options.

 

THE DAMAGES: Dinner for two, with a bottle of wine, one salad, two entrees, one vegetable side dish and one dessert (including tax and 20 percent tip), came to about $133. 

 

THE NEXT TIME: Wood-fired pizza. We're definitely coming back for the pizza. 

 

DETAILS: A Mano Kitchen & Bar is at 344 Warren St., Syracuse. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner Tuesday to Friday and for dinner only on Saturday. Phone: 315-303-1630. Parking is available on the street. The restaurant is accessible to the disabled.

 

Note: Reviews on this blog are based on one visit (usually) and are reflective of our budget and how we like to eat. It's not unusual for me to order two appetizers or an appetizer and a salad and save room for dessert.

 

All photos by Margaret McCormick unless otherwise indicated.

 

 

 

 

Farm to Fork 101 Community Dinner at Commonspace

Chef Sarah Hassler (background) and Farm to Fork 101 founder Mark Pawliw (back, left) speak to Commonspace residents at a community dinner in August.

If you've attended a Farm to Fork 101 event in Central New York, you're familiar with Mark Pawliw. He's the founder of the series of pop-up dinner events that shine the light on locally grown and sourced food and serves as a conduit between farmers, chefs and diners. He also works in the restaurant industry and is the coordinator of cooking events at the Wegmans Demonstration Kitchen in the Art and Home Center during the New York State Fair.

If all of that isn’t enough, Farm to Fork hosts dinners about once a month at Commonspace, a co-working and co-housing community on Jefferson Street in downtown Syracuse. Commonspace calls itself "a neighborhood in a building.'' The small apartments offer both privacy and opportunities to mix and mingle with other residents. Each apartment has a kitchenette and residents have access to spacious, fully outfitted kitchens on each floor. Commonspace's first apartments made their debut in 2016. The developers have since expanded the concept to two other historic buildings downtown.

Farm to Fork founder Mark Pawliw (left) and Eden chef Rich Strub prep for a community dinner at Commonspace earlier this year. (photo courtesy of Commonspace)

Mark invited me to attend the August dinner at Commonspace Jefferson, which was held on the rooftop of the building on a beautiful summer evening. Guest chef was Sarah Hassler, formerly of The Stoop Kitchen, who's now a consulting chef with her own business, Hassler Hospitality Group.

Mark and Sarah planned the meal in advance and Mark did much of the shopping/procurement of ingredients by visiting Graber Farms, Haas Farms, Main Street Farms and other vendors at the Central New York Regional Market. The ingredient list included kale, tomatoes, peaches, garlic and ethically raised chicken.

Sarah had done chef duty for a previous dinner, so she felt comfortable in the Commonspace kitchen. She kept her menu simple and prepared enough food for 15 people. Any leftovers are stored and left in the common refrigerator for residents to enjoy.

"It feels like cooking for family and it's good to do family-style sometimes,'' Sarah said. "It’s relaxed. You get to cook anything you want, which is pretty sweet.'' Besides, she added, "I like working with Mark. He’s chill.”

Sarah's menu for the evening: oven roasted tomatoes with garlic marinated zucchini, hot honey and fennel seeds (pictured at right); Filipino-style adobo chicken (simmered with vinegar, garlic and other spices); chickpea and kale stew with basmati rice; and peach crisp for dessert. Everything was prepared on site and carried up to the rooftop "dining room,'' where Mark had set a series of tables to create one long table.

Diners enjoyed both the food and the fellowship. Several Commonspace residents said their jobs keep them super-busy, so they "meal prep" on weekends in the common kitchen and enjoy "reheat and eat" meals in their own spaces during the week.

Past dinners have featured chefs from The Mission, Otro Cinco, Eden and other downtown restaurants. Mark gives each chef or chefs the opportunity to explain the dishes they've prepared for the evening and ends the meals with an invitation to meet up with him at the Regional Market on Saturdays.

Ethan Suttner, one of the first Commonspace residents, moved out recently to share a house in the Westcott neighborhood with two other former residents. During his time there, he said, he enjoyed the diversity of the chef-prepared community dinners organized by Mark. "There have been so many good dinners... it's hard to pick a favorite,'' he said.

"The one constant for the history of Commonspace has been the dinners once a month that Mark puts on,’’ Suttner added. “There are some people that I only ever saw at the dinners. That was one social aspect that I appreciated. And Mark is a great guy. He knows where all the best food in the area comes from.’’

Farm to Fork 101 has several events open to the public coming up:

• On October 28, Syracuse University’s Center for Sustainable Community Solutions, in partnership with Farm to Fork and LoFo, will host a zero-waste community dinner at Chuck Hafner’s Farmers Market and Garden Center in Liverpool. The event (6 to 9 p.m.) will team five local chefs with five local farms to create a five-course meal from gleaned produce (that is, produce that has not been brought to market or otherwise used by the farm). For more information and to purchase tickets, CLICK HERE.

• On November 11, Farm to Fork will host a community dinner at Eden, a new restaurant in downtown Syracuse that features foods cooked over a wood fire. The five-course tasting menu-style dinner begins at 6 p.m. For more information and to purchase tickets, CLICK HERE.

Note: Photos by Margaret McCormick unless otherwise indicated.

 

 

Fresh Herbs of Fabius

Clockwise from top left: Mahogany tomatoes; a Parisian carrot; lettuce leaf basil and a handful of white currants, all grown at Fresh Herbs of Fabius.

 

Like many farmers, Ken and Elizabeth Nevius grow a lot of produce for chefs. They started out growing herbs exclusively -- hence the name of their business, Fresh Herbs of Fabius -- but before long branched into microgreens, heirloom vegetables and some fruits.

 

They started out on a small plot of land at their home in rural Fabius, in southeastern Onondaga County, and have since expanded to five acres of tiered growing space on the hillside behind their home. They now grow hundreds of varieties of herbs and specialty produce.

 

A field of fingerling potatoes at Fresh Herbs of Fabius

 

I visited the farm on a recent weekday, in the prime of the growing season. Elizabeth showed me around in a golf cart and Ken walked the land. They pointed out a long field of fingerling potatoes, many of which will be used by chef Damien Brownlow at Kitty Hoynes Irish Pub & Restaurant in downtown Syracuse. I was introduced to short and stubby Parisian carrots and Mexican gherkins, which look like tiny watermelons but are said to taste like cucumber. There was so much to see: baby eggplants in various shades of purple, baby summer squashes, pole beans, peppers, heirloom cucumbers and heirloom tomatoes, cherry tomatoes and mahogany tomatoes slowly starting to ripen.

 

And then there are the herbs, too numerous to mention all by name: spicy bush basil, opal basil, Thai basil, lettuce leaf basil as big as your hand, which chefs like to use for beautiful wraps and roll-ups. Parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, tarragon, chamomile, chives, cilantro, borage, fennel, oregano, lemon balm, lemon grass -- the list goes on and on. They also grow fruits, including tiny, tart red and white currants, sour cherries, white cherries, pears and apples etc. Last but not least, they grow nasturtiums, pansies, roses, bachelor buttons and other edible flowers to add color, flavor and artistry to plates.

 

Come fall, they'll have winter squashes and sugar pumpkins. They start everything from seeds in a small greenhouse and are able to grow and offer microgreens, salad greens and some micro flowers year-round. 

 

The Nevius' didn't plan to be niche growers for restaurants. Ken grew up in Connecticut and worked for many years as a manufacturing and production engineer at the former Philips Broadband Networks plant in Manlius. When the company shut down, he worked as a custodian for the local school district and he and Elizabeth researched how to grow herbs.

 

They launched their business in 1999, showing up at restaurants like the former Kettle Lakes Restaurant in Tully with beautiful micro greens and herbs. The late chef Brian Shore, who owned and operated Kettle Lakes and later served as executive chef at the Arad Evans Inn in Fayetteville, was one of their early customers. "He really was an advocate for local farmers and locally grown produce,'' Ken Nevius recalls. Shore helped to spread the word about Fresh Herbs of Fabius.

 

Both Ken and Elizabeth work on the farm and share in the marketing of their produce. Their list of clients includes many fine dining restaurants in Central New York: Defi Cuisine Corp. and The York in downtown Syracuse, and Mirbeau Inn & Spa, Rosalie's Cucina and The Krebs in Skaneateles, to name a few. Clients are emailed each week with a list of what's available on the farm. Produce is harvested and packed by hand, delivered to restaurants and often served the same day it's picked.

 

The Nevius' sometimes grow specific items for specific chefs and restaurants -- like the potatoes for Kitty Hoynes. Chefs are invited to take field trips to the farm and sometimes they do, when their schedules allow.

 

"We're focused on quality, not quantity,'' Ken says. "We grow things for flavor.''

 

For more information on Fresh Herbs of Fabius, call 315-683-5159.

 

Note: All photos by Margaret McCormick unless otherwise indicated.

 

Deep purple opal basil at Fresh Herbs of Fabius.

 

A food lover's day trip: Little Falls Cheese Festival, Utica Bread, Pho Mekong House of Noodles

Cooperstown Cheese Company display at the Little Falls Cheese Festival.

 

 

Do you like to fill your leisure time with food-related activities and pursuits? Check here regularly for Central New York- and Upstate New York-focused ideas and itineraries. And feel free to leave ideas for future visits/posts in the Comments, below. 

 

Destination: Little Falls Cheese Festival

 

The line was so long at the Jake's Gouda stand at the Little Falls Cheese Festival that it would have taken 15 minutes or more to get a sample and make a purchase. That's not a complaint as much as an observation: the annual celebration of New York State-made artisan cheese has become wildly popular.

The festival, now in its fifth year, is held each July on Main Street in the city of Little Falls (Herkimer County; about 65 miles east of Syracuse). This year's festival was on July 13. It featured hard cheeses, soft, spreadable cheeses, fragrant blue cheeses, cheese curds, cow, goat and sheep milk cheeses, yogurts -- and all sorts of things to complement cheese, including beer, wine, cider, crackers, breads, honey, maple products, spices and hand-crafted wooden serving boards. The festival covers about five city blocks and features about 120 cheeses from more than 20 cheesemakers.

 

These are not cheeses one finds in the grocery store, as a rule -- and that's the fun of the Little Falls Cheese Festival. I came home with:

 

• Cooperstown Cheese Company Toma Celena: a rich, Italian-style "table" cheese with a slightly nutty flavor.

• Three Village Cheese Co. dill havarti: A buttery, Danish-style cheese that looks lovely on a cheese plate and also melts nicely.

• Windy Hill Goat Dairy herb garden chèvre: a crumbly, slightly tangy, spreadable goats milk cheese.

• East Hill Creamery Underpass and Silver Lake: These European-style raw milk cheeses are recommended for cheese plates -- and melting on everything.

 

As for Jake's Gouda: I'll hunt them down some Saturday at the Cazenovia Farmers Market.

 

Destination: Utica Bread

 

  Utica Bread was scheduled to be a vendor at the Little Falls Cheese Festival but canceled at the last minute, leaving festival organizers and attendees disappointed. I didn't know that when I made plans to go there. If you've ever had the pleasure of dining at The Tailor and the Cook in Utica, you've probably sampled Utica Bread. A basket filled with several varieties of bread from the bakery makes a great first impression at dinner. The bakery is owned by The T&C's owners and is next door to the restaurant. With a menu that includes baguette, brioche, sour dough, ciabatta, sesame Italian, deli rye, raisin walnut and multi-grain loaves -- plus croissants and other pastries -- it's a carb lover's dream.

 

I arrived at the bake shop about an hour and a half before closing time and the bakery shelves and case were close to empty. Just a few baguettes and a couple loaves of ciabatta and multi-grain bread remained. But I was in luck because I had planned to purchase the multi-grain bread anyway. It's a dense, moist loaf, with seeds on the outside and the inside, giving it a really nice texture and chew. It makes excellent toast. Slather on the butter and fruit jam.

 

Utica Bread is at 106 Genesee St., Utica, in the Bagg's Square neighborhood. It's open 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday to Sunday. Get there early for best selection.

 

Destination: Pho Mekong House of Noodles

 

Usually when we have noodles in Utica, they're the Italian variety: a big plate of pasta or "hats,'' enrobed in tomato sauce or vodka sauce. I wanted to try something different.

 

The menu at Pho Mekong is extensive, with rice dishes, vermicelli dishes and 12 varieties of pho (Vietnamese noodle soup), among other things. To start, I settled on an order of fresh spring rolls, stuffed with lettuce, mint, cucumber, vermicelli, shrimp and chicken, served with a thick peanut hoisin sauce for dipping.

 

The drunken noodles, a specialty of the house, will long linger in my memory. The dish features fat, wok-fried egg noodles, tossed with onion, peppers and Chinese broccoli (bok choy) and a chili-garlic sauce that's full of flavor and mild heat. I ordered the dish with minced chicken, but it's also available with beef and without meat.

 

I headed home with enough leftovers to serve as supper for two the next day -- and a Vietnamese iced coffee to keep me cool and wide awake on the ride home. If you've never had Vietnamese iced coffee, it's a tradition and a treat: a strong brew tempered by sweetened condensed milk, served with lots of ice.

 

Pho Mekong House of Noodles is at 601 John St., Utica. Hours are 11 to 9 p.m. Monday to Friday and noon to 5 p.m. Saturday. Information: 315-797-7171.

 

Note: All photos by Margaret McCormick unless otherwise indicated.