We walked in at 1:30 on a Thursday afternoon. Very loud Bollywood music was playing and a large flat screen was flashing some program. (I will never understand the purpose of a TV in a restaurant that isn’t also a sports bar.) The “Open” sign in the front window was lit, but there was only one wall light on in the whole place, above the kitchen door. We were not even sure that they were, in fact, open. Nobody was there at first, although soon we were greeted by a smiling hostess who was also the server.

This building was formerly a mechanic’s garage, and it still retains a garage-like ambiance, despite the restaurant’s attempts at creating a comfortable environment. The room is essentially cavernous, with cement floors and a very rough cement ceiling that, sadly, was painted a light color that only highlights the roughness. Tables look good, covered with glass and nicely set. But the lack of lighting was second only to the lack of heat. I was not able to remove my hat or coat during our stay (Dave removed his, but he’s hot anyway).

We asked for menus and found that the prices were a tad higher than we’ve seen in local Indian restaurants. I get that; it’s in the university area where the density of potential diners is good. But we have been spoiled by better prices at a great Indian restaurant closer to home, so we opted for the buffet.

Oh dear.

I tried everything. Granted, it’s hard to taste the full richness of food that quickly turns to ice on the ice-cold plate. But I took only two bites of everything in rapid succession and was, to put it mildly, extremely disappointed. I was really hungry, and this usually makes food taste better. But it didn’t help here. Whoever is in the kitchen may be making the family happy in a home setting, but they simply do not have the chops for a restaurant.

The vegetable pakora was very salty and lacking flavor nonetheless. Chicken Chana and a couple other forgettable curries were stale, over-seasoned (you had better like your Indian food plenty spicy, because that’s all you get on this buffet), and oddly bland despite all the spices. Good chefs know that if you don’t treat the basic ingredients with respect, no amount of seasoning will save the dish.

My favorite vegetarian dish in any Indian restaurant is Saag (or Palak) Paneer, and I often eat it from buffets as well as from the menu. We even make it at home. The paneer (homemade cheese) was okay. The spinach, my friends, had crossed The Line. You know this line, the one between great Brussels sprouts and overcooked ones tasting of sulfur, or fresh, lightly cooked spinach and the stuff that comes in a can. Sadly, this was the first time any ethnic food actually reminded me of hospital food.

About halfway through our meal, a couple came in. Then some lights got turned on. (What were we, chopped liver?) We were given naan. It was fine. I tried the tea. It was fine. The gulab jamun, alas, were deflated (I have never seen this before!) and overly oily. There was some very light seasoning in the syrup but none of the rose water after which this dish is named.  I couldn’t eat more than one.

Hoping to find one nice thing to say about this restaurant (aside from the lovely table settings and the general pleasantness of the hostess/server), I hit the ladies’ room. Is it clean? (see Bourdain’s disdain for filthy bathrooms). I am happy to report that it was very clean. Good.

Only after I paid did the hostess/server ask me if everything was okay, not back when something might have been done about it. Gosh, what an awkward moment! I am a terrible liar, so I just said, “I have to be honest; I’ve had better.” Then I tried to make some sort of compliment. It was weak.

I don’t know how the owners might rescue this place. It’s got location location location, being so close to Westcott Street.  Alas, it is not actually visible from Westcott, and it’s set way back on its Dell St. property. It is also competing with beloved Alto Cinco and Munjed’s. If they replace the chef, if the food were truly stupendous, then there would be no problem. I’d even put up with keeping my coat on, as I’ve done in multiple restaurants in other countries. But the food had better be an improvement over every other Indian restaurant in the city.

As we walked out, Dave noticed the sign over the door and laughed: Taste of India – Finest Indian Cuisine.  Not.

Dave and I went down there this morning for breakfast. There are two places in Syracuse where you can get a superior cup of coffee with a great breakfast: Sparky Town and L’Adour French restaurant (and for the latter, that’s only Friday, Saturday and Sunday). To be honest, I’d rate Sparky Town’s coffee a notch or two better that L’Adour’s.

Dave had a breakfast sandwich of egg, ham and cheese on an “everything” bagel, a delicious and very affordable option. I went gluten-free: an egg scramble with fresh grated zucchini, summer squash and carrots, with home fries done right. That means each bite has lovely crunchy caramelization on at least one side. Gluten-free muffins were available, as were some pretty yummy-looking scones that we were too full to eat. The breakfast menu is quite complete and we know from experience that everything is fresh fresh fresh.

For total foodie happiness, a restaurant has to be successful in six areas: food, beverage, service, lighting, music, value. Very few places hit all six, but Sparky Town is one of them.

We know the food is good, we adore the coffee and teas. What we didn’t realize was that Sparky Town had just gotten its liquor license a few weeks ago, so now wine and beer are available. Some of the beer selections had us considering how well they would go with breakfast. We will definitely be back soon to try them out with dinner.

Service is attentive and friendly in an honest, non-corporate sort of way. You know what I mean. Nobody says, “I’m Jessica and I’ll be your server tonight.” We love hanging at Sparky Town because of the really cool people who run it and who walk in!

The atmosphere is what a cafe should be: welcoming, warm (love all the exposed brick), but not dirty-grungy. It’s a charming place to which you could take your grandmother or your attorney. The lighting is right, too. Not too bright, not stupid, not dark. And today’s music was perfect for a gentle wake-up: reggae. Easy on the ear, with that great groove that makes you want to begin to move.

There is only a small handful of restaurants in Syracuse that are as complete a value as Sparky Town. If you’ve never been there, it really is worth trying something new, something local, and something so thoroughly satisfying.

Sparky Town is at 324 Burnet Avenue, on the corner of Catherine Street and Burnet Avenue in the historic Hawley Green District.
Open Mon-Fri 11am-8pm, Sat 8am-3pm
(315) 422-8401

Upon entering the night of the grand opening, I saw a table with a little fishbowl full of business cards. So, seeing that some sort of prize give-away was in the works, I threw in one of our Puente Flamenco business cards and thought nothing more of it. After all, I simply never win anything.

Much to my surprise, I was one of the first winners of a gift certificate, the perfect excuse to come back, sit down and really focus on the food. Which is exactly what we did a week later, the night before Thanksgiving. That is, after most of the students and all of the faculty have vacated the area.

Where people had been crammed in the week before, it was, quite to be expected, quite empty. Ashley, our very pleasant and professional bartender, brought us menus, got us our glasses of Shiraz (good, not mind-blowing), and took our orders.  She also ended up being a lot of fun to talk to.

I had the jumbo lump crab cake served with lettuce and fried tomato. It came with three mayonnaises on the side, one nicely green and herbal, another very mild made, I believe, with roasted red peppers, and a third that was very spicy which I adored. The crab cake was just a tad more mild than I usually like, but with the trio of mayos, anyone could make it taste just as they desired. House specialty potato chips were heavenly.

Dave ordered the grilled Gorgonzola pizza with candied pecans and caramelized onions. If this sounds too sweet, it was not. As I told beverage manager John Gallagher, I love it when a dish teaches me something new. This pizza was the teacher, and what better place to go for a lesson than university hill? You already know what each of those ingredients tastes like, but to convey what they did all together is essentially impossible. You live in Syracuse (or perhaps will be visiting?). Just go there and try it.  It’s well worth the small tuition you’ll pay.

Sitrus on the Hill
Sheraton Syracuse University Hotel
801 University Ave, Syracuse, NY 13210

Open daily 2:00 pm to 11:00 pm
Weekly jazz nights
315-475-3000

I had the rack of lamb, which was succulent and gently flavored, a perfect fall evening dish.  It was delightfully augmented with tiny fried gnocchi.  Lonnie’s duck had a luscious sauce with cherries just bursting with flavor.  We were repeatedly cooing with pleasure.

Another great thing about Gentile’s is the service.  It has been so friendly and professional every single time we’ve been there.  We waltzed in fairly late without a reservation, and managed to get a seat at their gorgeous bar.  It was an especially convivial spot, and the bartender was incredibly sweet, friendly, and helpful.  Sometimes at fine dining places you get a certain reserved distance from the servers, which can be just fine and unobtrusive, but friendly repartee is a bonus to me.

Chef Kevin is incredibly skilled, and highly creative, two things that don’t always go together.  You can have a killer red-sauce Italian place and just crank out the 50-year-old classics ad infinitum, and many eaters wouldn’t have it any other way.  Since we’ve had that type of food since the Jefferson administration, we like things that are more bold.  The list of specials that night was almost mind-bogglingly inventive.

Someone commenting on Jim Johnson’s blog mentioned that Gentile’s will tweak a dish at a customer’s request, and though I have no need of that with Kevin’s masterful food, I have seen people do it.  So diners who are chicken picky less adventurous can make requests within reason.

There are quite a few Syracuse restaurants that are very good.  But very few can compare with Gentile’s.

Yes, this pepper does have an intriguing appearance, doesnt it? I didn't see this particular one at Chipotle.

Usually I’m too much of a snob to review chain restaurants, but this one is interesting. I had heard about their emphasis on fresh ingredients and positive reviews here and there. They are expanding so rapidly that there are two in the Syracuse area already. I tried out the one on Marshall St. on the SU hill, sporting my helpful two-fer coupon I’d received in the mail.

We are very interested in Mexican food, especially having visited there and eaten some incredible food, much of which doesn’t make it to the US except maybe at Rick Bayless‘ places. The first thing that struck me was the complete absence of any Mexican imagery in the restaurant.  Instead, they have opted for very hip modern urbanity, with metal surfaces and minimalist layered wood chairs and tables.    Though it has plenty of tables, it’s counter service without any waitstaff.  So the overall effect is like a very fancy take out place.  So you could eat pretty cheaply here.  The air conditioning was strong, and on that day I appreciated it.  Modern ambient music played in the background, which fit the decor.

Let’s Eat!

Taking advantage of the coupon, I got to try two types of burritos, the barbacoa and carnita, beef and pork respectively.  I was very impressed with the flavor, freshness, and quality ingredients.  Like many such places, they ask you a lot of questions on which options you want, so you can customize quite a bit.  I like spicy, so I asked for hot.  It was muy picante, quite hot!  So I’d probably do medium next time.  It’s good to know if a restaurant means hot when they say it, and good to have a choice as well.  The burritos and other meals run around 6 or 7 dollars.  I liked it, and I’d consider going back!  I remembered to ask if they had gluten-free stuff, and I was told that their corn taco fits the bill.

[I also photobombed some poor guy who was taking photos of the place from the outside.  It was great fun, and I wonder if he'll catch it.]

I had read awhile ago that Chipotle was having some difficulty sourcing fresh chicken.  I suppose that this is one of the problems that arises when you want to use quality purveyors.  I’m not sure what became of that, maybe one of you knows.

Other Places

We really like Ponchito’s, which does roadside South American style food, a concept that is like a more rustic variation on what Chipotle is doing.  Since they’ve expanded to the Valley Drive area, we miss seeing the original owner and his family here in Eastwood.  There’s also another company downtown that is attempting this general idea, and we dutifully tried it, but although the staff was friendly, the food really wasn’t so good.  You know you’re in for it when you’re looking at what seems to be a series of Sysco food trays.  So they’re not really worth mentioning.

So apart from being possibly having the most misspelled restaurant name around, Chipotle is quite good for a chain!