Sneakers - Winooski, VT

On a recent weekend trip to Burlington, VT (where I went to college and many of my friends still live) I stopped by my ALL TIME FAVORITE breakfast place in Winnoski (well, pretty much my favorite place anywhere).  Sneakers has recently relocated down the street from it's original location on the main rotary in downtown Winooski.  It is still on the rotary, but now in a slight larger and more modern location just down the block.  They still have some of the original booths from the previous location, but now there is a bit more seating and it's a LOT more spacious.  I chose to eat early, as the wait can get a bit long as the day progresses, especially on the weekends.  If you do get there and there is a wait, you can get coffee and juice next door at The Monkey House (they have games and the paper to keep you occupied).  Don't worry, they know to look for you there when they are ready to seat you.  I haven't tried to eat there with a party larger than 4 people, but I've also never seen it and I don't know if they have a table large enough, so be warned and call ahead if you plan on bring more friends there.  Also be warned that generally they won't seat your party until everyone is there. 

I've never been disappointed in the service.  I don't even know if it could be truly terrible unless someone was downright rude because it is always easy to get someone's attention.  I will say that considering how busy they can get, they never make you feel rushed.  When I was there the other day meeting up with a friend, we spent about 20 minutes chatting after we had gotten the check and no one bothered us. 

I got there early and ordered a green tea as it was chilly and raining outside.  I was impressed that they utilize loose leaf green tea and presented it in a traditional chinese teapot.  My friend hadn't quite had his coffee yet and ordered the watermelon mojito thinking it was a mimosa.  Even with the mistake, it was not a disappointment!  The watermelon flavor was almost intense, not watered down or artificial in any way.  It was a beautiful red, ripe watermelon in a glass.  The mint added a pop of brightness and freshness, making the drink very reminiscent of a mint and watermelon salad I grew up with.  I have to admit that I could not take the alcohol at all and could have downed this in about 30 seconds if it was mine to consume.

Now, I have several favorites at Sneakers, and there are always interesting sounding specials. But today I branched out and tried something new.  To be completely honest, I couldn't decide so found an option that let me have a few different things going on.  I got "The Homer" which is one slice of Kahlua battered french toast, one scrambled egg and normally comes with a side of home fries.  Now, if you've read other posts, you know that I do enjoy a good side of potatoes, and Sneakers does theirs well, but what they do even better and which can't be found many places, is a great side of fresh fruit.  I don't think I've ever gotten a side which wasn't fresh and ripe, and from living in Vermont for several years, finding ripe fruit in the winter is not an easy task.  So if you like fruit, this is the place to replace those empty carbs and fat of potatoes and replace it with a healthy and fantastic option (all for the tiny price of an additional $1).  Now, on to the rest of the dish.  I haven't had the french toast before, but their pancakes are also amazing, and I've been tempted by these Kahlua flavored treats in the past and never indulged.  Well, I'm going to have a hard time not ordering a side of them at my next visit.  They were warm and moist on the inside, almost custard in consistency, with a nice crust from the griddle on the outside.  The bread they used feels like challah so you get that great chew factor from the edges of the slice where the bread was browned more during the first cooking.  The Kahlua flavor was definitely prominent, but not overwhelming and all the alcohol was cooked off, so it didn't feel like drinking a mudslide or something like that.  I wouldn't even say it was strong on the coffee flavor, but more of a liqueur feel.  It almost could have been amaretto or something else, but did taste like kahlua. I also got to sample their scrambled eggs for the first time.  Now, scrambled eggs can bit a hit or a miss with me.  I liked the way sneakers made then, scrambled but folded together kind of like an omelet without anything in it.  They were slightly soft, almost undercooked, which is how I like my eggs.  Take this as a warning if you don't like your eggs this way, you might want to specify that they be cooked a little longer.  I would rather they be light, fluffy and slightly moist than overcooked and rubbery.  I find the latter option far more common at breakfast locations.

Now, even though I didn't actually eat these items at this visit, I would like to mention my other favorites at Sneakers in case any of them strike your fancy.  The California Benedict (veggie sausage, portabello mushrooms and avocado) is a frequent on my plate, along with the crab cake Benedict (how can you go wrong with crab).  My fiance thinks the pancakes are some of the best ever!  I was also able to try the chicken-n-waffles that day with my friend, but my general dislike of gravy kind of made the dish a "miss" for me.  I also felt that the chicken and gravy generally overpowered the waffle, which I think was a shame.  However, my friend enjoyed it very much!

Well, the fact that I frequent Sneakers on the way home from every trip to Burlington is a testament to how much I love the place.  I encourage you to try it and form your own opinions.

First Crush - Potsdam NY

I have eagerly awaited the opportunity to review The First Crush Wine Bar in Potsdam, NY.  The opportunity presented itself as my fiance and I had errands to run in Potsdam on a Sunday afternoon and we were on the market for a late lunch.  First Crush is a small restaurant with a bistro feel but also is attempting to fill the coffee bar niche as well.  They have a smaller but thoughtful menu and an impressive wine list.  Save room for dessert as each option sounds more tempting than the last.  We had lunch, which is a selection of salads, wraps, paninis and sandwiches.  Their dinner menu has fewer things on it, but has a selection of tapas (an order of several of these makes a great meal to share with a lot of variety) as appetizers, dinner sized salads which can come with a duck breast (would love to try this since I am a huge fan of duck - see previous post about attempting to cook duck) and some entrees and paninis.  They have some great sounding wines and some of our favorite types - my fiance loves dry reds and they have what looks like a great selection.  Everything also comes by the glass, so you can try all the options.  We didn't partake in this as it was only 3pm.

Service was quick, but considering the time of day, I would have been disappointed had it been otherwise.  We ordered our drinks - they have a great selection of wines and some good options for beer.  If you're interested in coffee, they have options to rival starbucks.  We each got sandwiches.  I got the Crab-L-T sandwich which was one this hearty whole grain mulberry bread with a crab cake, bacon and lettuce and tomato with a garlic aioli.  The crab cake was excellent and would have been perfect on its own, full of large lumps of crab meat.  There wasn't a large amount of fillers in it and it wasn't too peppery.  I do think things like crab with a subtle, delicate flavor are easily overwhelmed with pepper - either ground or bell, and this cake was definitely allowed to shine.

My fiance ordered the High-On-The-Hog panini, which was also a good choice.  I think this sandwich definitely was better as a panini than it would have been as a regular sandwich.  The crisp bread against the melted cheese (havarti) and the tender pulled pork in BBQ sauce provided good texture.  The havarti was buttery in its smoothness and melted really well with the pork.  It is a milder cheese which was almost lost in the BBQ sauce with occasionally added a bit of sharpness.  Now, pulled pork is one of my favorite things in how tender and succulent it can be, and this was a good version.

For dessert, we shared the bananas foster flambe.  This was a great idea as it is a dessert intended for 2.  I don't know where the ice cream came from (might be local or made on site, definitely tastes high quality) with a traditional vanilla, rich and creamy and melting from the heat of the flambe.  The bananas are lightly sauteed in sugar and butter to create a caramel sauce.  Although the sauce was very tasty, it still had a bit of texture from the sugar.  I can understand why this is a dessert for 2, I could never have eaten both portions, although, personally, I could have done with a smaller portion of the ice cream and a larger portion of bananas and caramel sauce  :-D  but of course, I did order it for that component.  Definitely bang for your buck though since it is less expensive than 2 desserts separately and were a very generous portion. 

 Worth a repeat visit for dinner and wine!

The Hideaway - Colton, NY

To me, Mother's Day is a Brunch event.  Maybe because it's so traditional to cook your mother breakfast in bed, that the adult version is to take them out for the breakfast you used to cook them.  Certainly, there are many places out there that do a better job than I could with breakfast, and that way mom gets whatever she's in the mood food (although I know most moms are just pleased for the thought and effort).  Well, this Mother's Day didn't quite go as planned, however, that did mean I had another opportunity to try a new place and write another review!

We had called in advance to find out if we needed reservations, and were told that they shouldn't be necessary for the party size we were anticipating.  We got there right before noon (peak lunch hour) and with a party larger than expected as well, and although they did not have a big enough table for all of us right off the bat, they were will to accommodate us however we were most comfortable - we could either take 2 tables or wait for a larger table to open up.  We came up with an even better solution, and settled into the picnic table just off the porch since the weather was fantastic.  Because of the timing, they were willing to offer breakfast and lunch, so our party took advantage of both menu options.

This restaurant is pretty basic - simple, good food with no frills to detract from the at home atmosphere.  The small space has a short counter for about 4 people to mosey up and eat and about 8 to 10 tables, mainly 2 and 4 tops with basic banquet chairs.  This is your basic country, maintain restaurant caters to the local community.  It is right off the main road near a gas station and not even in the center of town.  Give it's "off the beaten path" location, you know it's good since it's stayed in business.  The simple atmosphere is also reflected in the down to earth prices - this is definitely a contender in the "best food for the price" category...  If I were to give awards.

While service was good, all of our needs were met, although I wasn't overly impressed.  However, I do have to give our waitress credit since refilling our water and checking in on us did require going outside - out of sight, out of mind, and I never really felt forgotten about.  Given the circumstances, I think they did a good job.  I certainly could have gotten up and gone inside to ask for something if it was needed.  Our waitress was certainly personable and friendly, which is always nice.  That aspect of it definitely made me want to return.

The Hideaway is known for its homemade bread and their omelets.  I had been craving baked goods, so indulged in the french toast with a side of strawberry topping.  These came with a side of home fries, which I always enjoy and was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked these home fries.  Let's start with the french toast - now, I think the fact that this was made with homemade bread was key!  Much better than the average french toast.  The crust was a little crunchy, almost chewy and inside was tender and fluffy.  It definitely didn't even need maple syrup (real syrup available for a small fee).  The fruit gave it a nice extra sweetness, although I was really adding that because I thought it would be fresh fruit and not the stewed fruit topping I normally expect at IHOP or one of those places.  There were home fries on the side and I must say they were excellent.  Small cubes of potato nicely cooked so that the exterior was crunchy and the interior soft and delicate.  I think the size of the potato is always key - too large and there is too much baked potato inside compared to crispy exterior, too small and they end up too crunchy.  These were just right, and came as a side with most of the breakfast options.

My fiance got the western omelet with a side of home fries and homemade toast.  The omelet was perfect, with the eggs perfectly cooked - not runny, not rubbery and with a fluffy smooth texture.  The filling was good in proportion and the fresh vegetables were really able to shine through and sing.  They were bright in your mouth, not over cooked as if they might have been cooked beforehand, these tasted fresh.  The side of homemade bread was amazing - beautifully toasted for some crunch and well buttered.  I normally ask for toast dry, but as this was not my meal, I took what I could get.  And in this situation I was so pleased for the butter.  A perfectly butter piece of bread is almost sinful.  This bread is almost texas toast in character, but not quite as dense, more soft and fluffy.

I had the opportunity to also try the breakfast sandwich.  A few highlights:  fantastic english muffin, suspicious that it is also homemade, but didn't ask.  Wasn't a huge fan of the cheese, but I think that's more a reflection on my tastes than the sandwich itself.  I don't normally eat american cheese (didn't grow up eating it, don't have a taste for it), so I think I would prefer it with cheddar cheese instead.  I think the bite of cheddar might add some good flavor in contrast to the saltiness of the bacon.  The egg was done very well!  I think this would not have been a sandwich easily eaten as sandwiches are intended to be eaten - there is far too much food in this little sandwich, but I don't know of many who would complain about that!

The club sandwich was also good - packed with fixings!

Overall a great spot for a weekend breakfast off the beaten path.  Down home food with great prices and good service.

Blackbird Cafe - Canton, NY

The Blackbird Cafe is one of the few restaurants in Canton, NY and are attempting to support local agriculture by purchasing local meats and produce when in season.  If you go to their website (here) there is a list of what ingredients are local and where they are from.  They have an eclectic menu featuring comfort foods with a twist to some Mediterranean favorites.  They also feature an extensive beer list with many unique microbrews available, and there is always something interesting on tap if you prefer that option.  Open Monday through Saturday for breakfast, lunch and dinner they are an interesting combination for coffee shop with the ability or order paninis and coffee for a quick bite and restaurant for a full sit down dinner.  Almost a conflict of identity but it seems to work for them.  To add in an additional component, they are definitely catering to the college crowd and have live music through their "concert series."  They are definitely going for the eclectic/ethnic/worldly vibe.

 Now, I've been there several times before, but like with all of these reviews, I am definitely trying to focus on the one visit that I am writing about.  Certainly at the end of the review, I might comment on if this was "normal" for the restaurant or if I felt like there might be some irregularity in the experience.

Let us start out with service.  My fiance and I made a last minute decision to go out for dinner on Friday night.  I believe we arrived between 6:30 and 7 - definitely peak dinner hour.  While the place was busy, we were quickly seated at a table and given menus and water glasses.  It took a bit longer to hear the specials for the day, however, our drink order was not taken at that time.  When we got the opportunity to order, we quickly found out that the regular menu was not as self explanatory as we were lead to believe when we discussed the specials with our waiter.  My fiance attempted to order the chicken colorado - which they were out of; he then switched his order to the capanota with the local spicy italian sausage - and they were out of the sausage.  Well, he was definitely craving some pasta but wanted the meat component as well, so asked if he could get a side of the fettuccine (I can see how this might be a hard option if they are making each serving of pasta to order and don't just have a big pile of it ready to serve).  Again, this was not a possibility unless he was willing to order and entire entree.  He settled on the pork chop Marsala and I ordered the falafel.  We also agreed on the brie quesadilla from the tapas part of the menu (this is pretty much equivalent to appetizers, since there's not really enough variety to the tapas to make ordering a few of the tapas into a complete meal... if you're interested in tapas, hit up First Crush in Potsdam, I'm looking forward to another visit in order to write a review).

The brie quesadilla came out within a reasonable amount of time.  The quesadilla is a combination of crisp apples, tender, earthy spinach and smooth and creamy brie.  It is drizzled with a raspberry coulee, most of which I scraped off because while it added an interesting sweet note, the amount applied would be overpowering to the subtle taste of the brie.  I wasn't expecting to like the combination so much, but the warm creamy and melting brie next to the cool and crisp apple was fantastic, and the whole wheat tortilla gave a nice crunch and texture to the otherwise softer contents.  I also enjoy that it was whole wheat (better fiber) as it also contributes a nice nutty flavor.  The spinach was mostly at the outer edge of the tortilla and was almost unexpected and a welcome change from the richness of the brie.  While the spinach was cooked and wilted, it still added some fresh and green tenderness.  I think if I were to order it again, I'd ask for the raspberry coulee on the side.

There was a significant wait between the appetizer and the entree, which was made slightly worse by the fact that the pork chop was delivered with an incorrect entree (which wasn't even the falafel done incorrectly, it was an entree for another table).  We dove into the pork chop as I waited for the falafel, because we were anxious to try something (and didn't want it to get cold).  Starting at the top of the pork chop, it was covered in a mushroom and onion medley that was obvious wonderfully sauteed in butter.  I think I could have eaten an entire bowl of this alone.  The mushrooms were earthy and tender, filling the mouth with richness and full of flavor.  The onions were browned to sweet perfection, almost like a dry french onion soup.  The pork chop was tender and juicy, but compared to the wonderful mushrooms on top and the mashed potatoes below, it's purpose was almost just a vehicle for the other flavors.  It's true that pork is the other white meat, making it a perfect medium for other flavors, and this dish was certainly full of other flavors.  The pork did add a meaty texture, and as my fiance likes to say (he picked this up form the food network):  umami!  Everything was moist and juicy with the marsala gravy and while I am not a gravy fan normally, this was silky and velvety, not heavy or dense.  You can certainly tell it was finished with a magic ingredient of butter.  Now we get to the mashed potatoes.  They were wonderfully whipped, but not gummy or overworked.  They were not quite smooth, which is nice to add that slight texture.

Within a 5-10 minutes, the second entree arrived.  The falafel was fancier than expected.  I was anticipating half a pita stuffed with a few falafel and the appropriate salad fixings stuffed inside with it.  While certainly that presentation is a convenient package for eating this traditional middle eastern dish on the go, the presentation for this dish was much more upscale.  3 wonderful jewels of falafel on a tender flatbread and a small salad.  I was surprised at the composition of the falafel.  They were well seasoned, and you could tell not deep fried as many traditional ones are, making them less greasy.  They were also different in texture - normally a falafel is a homogeneous texture of ground chick peas.  These are slight heterogeneous with large chunks of chick pea present - I love being able to see and identify the ingredients I am eating.  The falafel were warm and tender with the crisp and cool lettuce salad.  The tzatziki sauce was on the side (I always get sauces on the side) and added a cool and creamy component.  Definitely will get this again.

The Blackbird also has some wonderful desserts - we took some to go.  A baklava for me and a vanilla cheesecake for my fiance.  The baklava was excellent and the cheesecake rich and creamy with an intense vanilla flavor (almost like eating a vanilla bean).

Crystal Lake Cafe - Americana Vineyards

On the way down to Ithaca to speak at Cornell's Vet school, my fiance and I stopped at Americana Winery to do some quick wine tasting and we sat down for a quick snack at their cafe, which turned into quite the meal!  The place was empty, although it was also 3:30 in the afternoon on Thursday, which isn't a happening time for any restaurant, anywhere, so we won't hold that against them.  It's a very quaint little cafe with simple white 1950s diner tables and chairs, and sunny with pots and pots of beautiful green plants and herbs in the windows.

We started with a special - steamed mussels in Americana's Pinot Gris wine with onions, tomatoes and herbs.  We didn't know that it also came with garlic bread, but oh, we were glad it did.  The mussels were tender and fresh, wonderfully flavorful from the wonderful broth, that I could have put into a mug and just sipped for an hour.  The broth was light and buttery, but rich and smooth with the crispness of the wine and the earthiness of the tomatoes creating a roundness and fullness in your mouth.  The garlic bread was crisp italian bread wonderfully toasted without being overly browned, and doused in a garlic and herb flavor - enough butter that make it super yummy and sinful, but not dripping with butter.  The bread was wonderful dipped in the broth.

From there we moved on to an appetizer of flatbread with goat cheese, roasted red peppers and asparagus.  Now, this bread wasn't what I was imaging.  I was picturing something thin and crispy, almost like a pita or tortilla, but this was more was foccacia bread - thinner, but about an inch thick and a soft dough texture.  The goat cheese was soft and creamy without that overwhelming goat cheese tang which many don't like - so don't let this component of the meal intimidate you if you aren't a "goat cheese person."  I also believe that the goat cheese was from a local goat farm.  The asparagus was tender and wonderfully grilled with those flavorful grill marks.  Now the part I wasn't a huge fan of was the roasted red peppers - and this isn't a comment on the peppers or the dish, simply a comment on the fact that I simply don't like red peppers in really any form.  This dish has really inspired me to go out and buy some good goat cheese and do something yummy with it!

Our third entree was the roasted vegetable quesedilla with  black bean mash.  This was fiance's choice, and if you knew him, you'd know just how good it must have sounded to get a meat lover such as him to be excited about a vegetarian dish.  It says even more about the dish that we both LOVED it.  The quesedilla was filled with lightly roasted sweet potato, spinach and zucchinni and lightly mashed black beans.  It was all held together with a bit of cheddar cheese.  Now, I loved how lightly they used the cheese.  The cheddar didn't overpower or coat the vegetables, but was just a light glue.  This also came to a lovely fresh salsa.  This wasn't your traditional salsa, but more of a pico de gallo, but very finely chopped, so that it had a softer consistency and was not chunky.  The other thing I was very impressed with was how the salsa wasn't wet.  It was almost like the tomatoes had been squeezed of all their excess fluid before being diced.  I'd love to know their secret.

The desserts looked great, but to be honest, we were so stuffed from lunch that we weren't ready for dessert before we left.  Instead, we picked up some fudge from the winery to eat later.  We got 2 types - a chocolate/red wine and a chocolate/raspberry.  We've only tried the chocolate wine, but it certainly is sweet and melt in your mouth succulent.  If you don't like sweet wine or grape juice, this is not the fudge for you.  It does remind me of eating chocolate and grapes together - although the grape flavor is intense.  I'm not a huge fan of a semisweet red wine, but the flavor does bring back childhood memories of manischewitz wine.

I can't wait to go back!  Bring on the wine and fantastic food - my favorite combination.

Julian's - Potsdam, NY

I've been super excited to return to Julian's as an excuse to blog about it.  Well, who am I kidding, Julian's is one of our favorites and it's only been a matter of time before we went back!  They came out with their new spring menu just a few weeks ago and this was the first chance we had to get there to try it.  When we were ordering, we found out some interesting information which I will share at the beginning of the blog, as we felt it might have impacted the experience.  The kitchen has recently switch chefs!  The current menu was developed by the previous chef, and next week they will be coming out with a menu developed by the new/current chef.  Now, what that tells me is that this new chef is cooking another chef's ideas, so while he/she did great and we were disappointed at all with the food, we could certainly tell the difference between the specials that the current chef developed and the menu items that had been developed by the predecessor.  We are super excited to go back again and taste the new menu!

We love the atmosphere at Julian's - it's a casual feeling with comfortable booths, but not too casual.  The elegant white table clothes lend class, along with the fresh flowers on every table.  When I walk in, I know I'm in a good restaurant, but it's not intimidating.  It's a jeans and a nice sweater to business casual attire kind of place.  The attitude is a bit more formal on special occasions and we've enjoyed the special menus they develop for New Year's Eve and Valentine's Day.   Be aware that they also serve Sunday brunch which we're enjoyed several times - I'll try to do an individual review on that meal in the next few weeks as well.  Reservations are recommended on busy nights and holidays, but we've never had a hard time getting a table on regular week nights.  I think this was the first time we were there on a Friday night, and it was definitely busier than we've seen previously, but we got a table without a problem.  Our waitresses are always pleasant and happy to make suggestions when trying to decide between meal options.

We are always excited for the bread before the meal.  Generally it is a crusty italian bread and served with an herbed butter and pesto.  The pesto is my favorite as it is full of bright flavor from the parsely and garlic (bring on the garlic for this girl), and my fiance loves the butter.  We found out today that they normally get their bread from the Potsdam Food co-op, although this day they got a basic white bread, which we were a bit disappointed in.  It was a dry, crumbly bread and didn't hold the oil of the pesto well.  We were told that there is a possibility the new chef might start making his own bread, and we are very excited at that prospect.

We started out with 3 appetizers.  I could have had an entire meal from the appetizer options alone, they all sounded so good!!  I did find an entree option I wasn't willing to pass up though, so we only chose 3 to share.  Only!  I went with the pork wantons which were homemade and served with a sweet chili sauce.  On first impression, I thought the wantons were a bit small, but let us remember that as Americans I think we have a warped perception on what a true portion is!  The wantons were hand made and beautiful little purses of flavor.  I was a bit disappointed that they were fried and not steamed, but I think that is a lot of personal preference, and I do very much try to avoid friend food.  They were crispy on the outside and the wrapper was nice and tender.  The filling was moist with good pork flavor, although I do think it was missing a bit of pop - maybe some ginger or scallions.  I do think the sweet chili sauce did add the pop I was looking for though!  It started off as a sweet tang and then about 15 seconds later hit you with the heat as a little surprise.  I liked the sauce so much, I actually dipped the little greens which were on the plate as a garnish into it!

We also ordered the Soup Du Jour - Bean and Bacon soup.  Now, my fiance was super excited to see this as a special.  I'd never heard of it or had it before, so I think it might be a North Country thing, although considering the ingredients, I'm surprised I never encountered this is Boston.  Now, I was informed before I tried this that it is an acquired taste, so I don't know if it is something that would grow on me in time, but it wasn't something I was head over heels for.  It had good bacon flavor and tasted like it was in a white or cannellini bean base.  The bean base did give it a nice creaminess that was homey and comforting.  My fiance enjoyed it but he also wasn't blown away.  I guess this was one we could had one without in exchange for another one of the appetizers.

The third appetizer we ordered was Grilled shrimp with a black bean and corn salsa with a lime-tequila vinaigrette.  Now, I think one of the biggest faux pas that restaurants commit is overcooking seafood.  I've probably had more overcooked lobster, shrimp and fish than I care to even remember.  These shrimp were succulent and tender, the way nature intended.  And the slight char from the grill added that smokey, early flavor that pairs so well with those tex-mex flavors.  The salsa was good, fresh and provided nice texture, but we were missing the tequila lime flavor in the vegetables.  They were really crying for some acidity and freshness/brightness. Maybe next time we would ask for more of the dressing on the side and that way we could control the flavor a bit more.

Now on to the entrees.  As you might know from my previous post about making duck for a birthday, I love love love duck!  They had a pan seared duck breast on the menu with a side of spring vegetables and mashed potatoes.  Needless to say, this was far superior to my attempt at duck breast - although I don't think the playing field was level in the ingredients used.  The duck breast was glazed in a citrus sauce - very light but a bright flavor.  The skin was crispy but luscious and succulent with the yummy fat layer underneath, almost luxurious with how it felt in your mouth.  The meat itself was tender and juicy, cooked perfectly to medium!  It was the perfect marriage of the earthy meat, the bright citrus glaze and the decadence of the fat.  The potatoes were also excellent.  They were smooth and creamy, just perfect the way you want every set of mashed potatoes to be.  And pairing them with the duck just made both things better.  I am not a gravy person, I don't normally like my foods touching (if you know me, you are probably not surprised by this revelation), but this was one instance of when mixing foods resulted in synergy - the sum was better than the parts!

I also got the taste the rack of lamb that my fiance ordered.  He actually attempted to combine 2 of the specials into a meal.  He got the rack of lamb, but there was also a special of crab legs on top of a israeli couscous salad.  He's had israeli couscous before when I've made it, which isn't often as I haven't found it around here lately, but stock up when we've gone to New Jersey to visit my aunt and uncle (shout out to Whole Foods).  I make it into a warm salad with veggies and shrimp which is an easy quick cooking meal.  This was with more Mediterranean flavors - red onions, peppers, some cheese (I think it was feta), but we were slightly disappointed with the temperature of it.  We had asked the waitress if it was a warm salad, and she had said yes.  And to her credit, the outside was warm and the inside was still room temperature.  I have a feeling it was a room temperature salad that sat under the warming light and the exterior layer got warm.  Now, on to the lamb...  Let me just say there were only bones left on the plate at the end of the meal.  When someone uses the phrase finger licking good, that applies to this, but it was bone licking good.  Just like the duck, the lamb was perfectly cooked, seasoned well and tender and juicy.   We were blown away.  I am a huge fan of simple cooking and letting the natural flavor of the food shine through, and this was the perfect example.  This lamb didn't need any rubs or mint jelly, all it needed was salt and pepper and the lamb just sung.

Now on to dessert.  Julian's hasn't always had a large dessert menu - they have a standard chocolate mousse, in winter had a spice cake and has a creme brulee that I love and whose flavor changes based on holidays/seasons.  All these were still on the menu, but we are seeing an expansion of the dessert menu with this new chef!  We got a pecan maple pie and a apple pear cobbler.  I got the fruit and the fiance got the pecan pie - and while we were nice and gave each other a taste, we were so pleased with our choices that we didn't share more than that!  The cobbler was very different from what I expected.  I was picturing the fruit almost falling apart in a moist ooey gooey pot of warmth and sugar topped with a crumble.  This was almost pie like with large pieces or pear and apple which were soft but not mushy, and I don't think a lot of additional sugar was added as the natural sugars of the fruit seemed to be enough.  The topping was so light and airy!  I don't know what it was!  It was reminiscent of puff pastry with lightness and some crunch and flakiness, but was almost cake like in texture, giving you something to sink your teeth into.  A scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side gave a good temperature contrast along with the dairy creaminess I love :)

The pecan pie was very well done,  I do think the maple syrup just added more sweetness and I am not sure I could have been able to eat a whole piece - who am I kidding?  I could have eaten the piece, just maybe not the whole pie in one sitting.  It was full of pecans and all about the nut and the maple.  I don't really like pecan pies that are full of the sweet filling with only a layer of pecans on top, and this pie did not make that mistake.  I can't really comment on the crust.  I do think the fact that I wasn't offered any to be a testament to how good it most likely was :)

We look forward to how the menu develops as this new chef becomes comfortable at Julian's.  We hope others try it and love it as much as we do!

L'Adour - Authentic French food in Syracuse

So, my fiance and I were going to head down to Syracuse to do some wedding errands at the mall yesterday.  As we had just survived a very overwhelming and busy week, I was hoping to make it a special day.  I'm not too familiar with the Syracuse area, so I used my handy-dandy google search for some ideas.  The one restaurant that kept popping up was L'Adour with excellent reviews....  AND they even searve brunch, our favorite meal!


L'Adour

We cut it pretty close by walking in the door at 1:57pm, 3 minutes before they close.  They graciously sat us and kept the kitchen open to serve us the brunch we were so looking forward to eating.  Everything on the menu looked interesting, I don't think we could have made a wrong choice.  The atmosphere was very authentic of a Parisian Bistro - the warm wood work of the wall paneling, the checkered napkins, all the way down to the hexagon floor tiles.  I do think the music was a bit stereotypical, and a bit over the top.  I couldn't put my finger on it, but it reminded me of the background music that would be part of a romantic comedy with a scene at a french restaurant/bistro along the Champs Elysees, sitting at one of the outdoor tables, kissing.  But the feel of the setting was warm and inviting with not attempts at pretension or stuffiness.  The fact that all the staff seem to be imported directly from Paris also works wonders at setting the scene, and in a few minutes, you could actually believe that you're in France.

As I was saying, I don't think we could have gone wrong with our choices for brunch.  You can find the menu itself on their website if you want to scope it out first.  We started with coffee and I splurged and got a cappuchino which came with an aromatic sprinkle of cinnamon on top. I couldn't make up my mind and went with the House-Smoked salmon and greens (I am always a sucker for good lox) and Quiche au Crabe.  My fiance went with an almond croissant and Gallettes Forestiere (a savory crepe with onions, mushrooms and bacon).  

  Above is the crab quiche.  My fiance was astounded that quiche could taste like this.  The eggs were so light and fluffy, that the HUGE chunks of crab actually all settled at the bottom of the quiche.  The softness of the eggs compliments the flakiness of the crab chunks.  The meal also came with a side of home fries which I loved.  They were small enough chunks that they were cooked well, but not crumbling and falling apart.  The parsley gave them a nice freshness.  We also have to be honest, that to our American palates, these potatoes were screaming for ketchup, and we were so embarrassed to even ask, thinking that they would think we were trying to drown out the flavor of the potatoes with the terrible condiment that is ketchup.  We did find a fantastic solution - the provencale tomato on the side.  This was basically a fresh tomato with seasoned bread crumbs that was gently baked.  Eating this tomato in conjunction with the tomatoes added the acidity and texture from the bread crumbs that really complimented the tomatoes.

 This is the savory crepe!  I was surprised to see that it was a whole wheat crepe - I was really expecting to see that basic white flour based crepe that we see with a traditional dessert crepe.  Not too many places offer a whole wheat option, but it was very appreciated by this foodie.  I have a feeling it is a slightly harder batter to perfect, but that might be my imagination.  The filling was sweet sauteed onions, crispy smoked bacon and earthy mushrooms.  It was all combined with a cheese sauce, which I could not place with the one bit I was able to steal away from the hungry man across from me. 

I was super excited to try their homemade/home smoked salmon off the menu.  I also felt like it was a healthy addition as salmon is always a great protein source and who can argue with a salad.  I have to admit that the salad wasn't my favorite.  I did think it was too heavily dressed, although the basic vinaigrette was tasty, I just don't like it when greens feel wet with dressing.  I do personally try to keep salad dressing to a minimum since it is packed full of hidden calories, but I felt that with the moistness of the salmon, that so much dressing just made the greens feel like they were drowning in dressing when paired with the salmon.  Now, the salmon was amazing!  You might not be able to really see it on the plate, but the salmon was the bed to the lettuce, so if you can notice some texture on the palate - that is the pink of the salmon against the pink of the plate.  The salmon was slightly smokey, not over salty and tender.  I personally don't like smoked salmon that's a drier, flakier consistency so this really hit the spot for me since it was exactly the opposite and exactly what I love.  Almost as if the salmon was still raw, but with a slightly smokey flavor.  (sorry that the picture is out of focus, I was avoiding using the flash since I didn't want to disturb the other patrons).  As an additional note, the meal came with a french baguette, fresh!  And a side of what felt like very fresh butter - yum yum!

Last but not least, the amazing almond croissant!  It was a good thing we left this for last, as there would have been a risk that we would have foregone the other components of the meal and just ordered more of these until we burst.  Now, no one is going to argue that croissants are amazing in and of themselves.  I thought this was excellent for 2 reasons.  The first of which is that it was flaky and tender as any good croissant should be, but not dry, so it didn't crumble and flake all over when you bit into it.  The inside was still slightly doughy and warm, making it feel fresh out of the oven.  I didn't think that the almond aspect would have such a large impact, but boy was it wrong.  The croissant was covered with an almond sugar drizzle that almost reminded me of the praline swirl in ice cream.  It added sweetness with a toasted almond flavor.  We ordered 2 more to go to bring home to share, but once we left and started to digest the food in our bellies, we knew we should have gotten more so that we could share another one ourselves.  We know now that we will need to stock up every time we are down there.

The other area of praise that I have for this meal is it can certainly be budget friendly.  Many of the options are only around $10 and are complete breakfasts themselves.  It is certainly not necessary to order 2 meals as I did :)

Next Syracuse dining priority looks like it's going to be L'Adour's dinner menu (check out the seasonal specials that they have examples of!).  It looks like another amazing meal, and they have a extensive french wine list with options that look to cover a range of budgets.  I didn't see any by the glass options, but I can imagine that with such an extensive list that they don't want to keep a lot of bottles open only to pour one glass from each in a week.  I do think that there are some options that are economical enough that if you can share a bottle, you definitely get more bang for your buck with a bottle!

Bon Appetit!