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.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Syracuse, NY January 16, 2012

What do a Norwegian liquor, the island of Bali, fish cookbooks, and Syracuse’s own Better Brittle all have in common? Each were chosen as part of the Saveur 100. Every year Saveur Magazine scours the planet for the best meals, restaurants, cook books, kitchen tools, beverages, and food products. They call these 100 items “instant classics” and feature them in their first issue of the year. Saveur is one of the premier food publications in the world, having won dozens of publication and food awards, including 15 James Beard journalism awards.

After four years of hand making their brittle three pounds at a time, lugging cases of product, tables, and displays to the farmers market, knocking on doors, and many long days turning into late nights, it’s fair to say that Better Brittle wouldn’t call their success instant. But those who’ve tried the sweet treat will testify, the instant you taste it, you’ve got to have more.

Based on a Ghanaian snack called “nkati cake”, Better Brittle finds its sublime flavor in the balance of three simple ingredients: peanuts grown in Virginia and the Carolinas, organic fair trade cane sugar, and salt from the Seneca Salt Company in the Finger Lakes. Sweet and savory. The perfect storm of taste.

Better Brittle started by selling only direct to consumers at the Central New York Regional Market on Saturdays, then started selling at a few stores around Syracuse, and in the last 2 years has been spotted on the shelves at natural and gourmet retailers around the Northeast. Is 2012 the year Better Brittle takes over the rest of the country? Saveur thinks they could.

To see Better Brittle in the Saveur 100, pick up a copy of the Saveur January/February 2012 issue, or visit their website: http://www.saveur.com/article/Kitchen/saveur-100-better-brittle

Better Brittle is available at natural food and gourmet retailers across the northeastern U.S., at the CNY Regional Market every Saturday, and at Bluetree, Better Brittle’s storefront at 558 Westcott St. in Syracuse.

For more information about Better Brittle please visit www.BetterBrittle.com

Media inquiries and additional questions may be sent to Christiana Semabia. Contact information is below.

Ph: 315.380.8877
Email: sales@betterbrittle.com
558 Westcott Street, Syracuse, NY 13210

I’ve written a lot of posts about plastics and food, and now Chris has convinced me that we’re on the right track with the way we prepare and store food. We essentially don’t let plastic ever touch our food or drink, not if we can help it. This includes making coffee, which I do in a completely glass coffee maker – a vacuum coffee pot. We drink from glass or china cups, of course.

One of my favorites has always been the Duralex Gigone espresso-size (3.75 oz.) tumbler. I first saw this marvel of design in the Canary Islands in the 1970′s. It’s been a staple of cafes in Europe for decades. The Canarian cortado, an insanely delicious combination of sweetened condensed milk and espresso, is served beautifully in a Duralex glass.  I’ve been waiting for years for this size to become available in the USA, and finally it is… right here.

Which would you prefer? The glass cup, above, or the paper cup below?

You can learn much more about how to get plastic away from your food and drink by reading this post on Walkable Eastwood.

Sparky Town News!

Mon-Thu, 11AM-8PM – Fri, 11AM-10PM – Sat, 8AM-8PM

Thank You!

All of us at Sparky Town want to thank you for your support.
We are carrying on the goal of offering Fresh Healthy Comfort Food in a place that is welcoming to EVERYONE.
Your part in that means so much to us.

Pasta Wednesday is Back!

Joe is in the kitchen cooking up “Lauren’s Delicious Meat Sauce” and serving it with Spaghetti tomorrow.
Sparky’s Pumpkin Soup will also return this week.

Friday Night Music!

Friday from 7 to 9PM

Kirsten Joy Kerlin Piano and Vocals

Come join us for Dinner, Beer and soothing Dinner Tunes.

Art Expo!

Sparky Town is pleased to display: Quilts & Collage by Sharon Souva!

This Amazing show will run up through January 2nd.

Thanks to everyone who attended her reception this Sunday.

Gift Certificates!

Sparky Town Gift Certificates are always a welcome Holiday Gift and a great way to introduce your friends to our restaurant.

Friend Sparky Town on Facebook!

And get access to daily specials and news

as it happens!

All of us at Sparky Town want to wish you and your loved ones a wonderful holiday season.

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