Review: Strong Hearts Cafe

Name: Strong Hearts Cafe
Address: 719 E Genesee St Syracuse, NY
Neighborhood: Near Eastside
Website: www.strongheartscafe.com
Menu: View Menu
Cuisine: Vegan, Cafe
Restaurant Hours: Monday 8 AM - 6 PM, Tuesday to Thursday 8 AM - 12 AM, Friday 8 AM - 2 AM, Saturday 10 AM - 2 AM, Sunday 10 AM - 12 AM
Parking: On-Street
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Take-Out: Yes
Delivery: No

For the record, I am not Vegan. I love chicken. And cheese. And shrimp. There are just too many foods out there that I would never want to not eat ever again. However, I do respect the choice and the right to do so. To each his own, as they say. While I've known about Veganism for a while, my first true experience with it wasn't until last year with a piece of wedding cake. I suppose up until then, I had always thought that Vegans would never be able to eat certain things. The little things. Like ice cream or buttered popcorn. But that's not the case at all. You can essentially make and eat a lot of really creative things within Veganism that are not only good, but good for you and everything around you. Personally, I understand the logic, but I suppose I just haven't been interested in making any kind of self-fulfilling or moral jump to Veganism. But who knows where the road leads. Right now, I like steak too much to be able to give it up forever.

At any rate, Strong Hearts would be my first real run-in with a Vegan restaurant. The location is nice: right in the up-and-coming-soon-to-be-connective-corridor East Genesee Street district. The building itself looks like an old-school library or school. Through the entrance, you'll see a massage studio on your left and Strong Hearts on the right. Go right (unless you're feeling up for a massage).

The interior is colorful, cozy, and hip (almost what you'd expect from your cliche, collegetown coffee house or cafe of sorts) complete with indie music on the speakers, organic hoodies for sale hanging from the ceiling, and Vegan cookbooks and local Veganism happenings along the front counter. It's a cool and laid-back kind of vibe inside and took me back a little bit to my college years in Ithaca.

The menu is really nice here. When available, Strong Hearts uses fresh, organic and local produce and it's really cool to see what kind of foods are on the menu: breakfast (like tofu scrambles, sausages, pancakes, and waffles) which is served all day, sandwiches, salads, coffees, teas, and milkshakes. The milkshake menu is really creative with a lot of fun and interesting names and combinations of flavors going on.

The order...

Small Chicken Caesar Salad: $3.50
BLT: $5.50
John Brown Deluxe Milkshake: $5
Total Money Spent with Tax & Tip: $18.50

So I had actually asked for the "Citrus Salad" and was brought a "Chicken Caesar Salad" (does Citrus sound anything like Chicken Caesar?). I'm kind of a wimp when it comes to re-ordering so I decided not to make a big deal about it. More often than not I always order a Caesar salad if given the option anyways, so I figured I'd try it out. The salad was sub-par though and the layering was a bit strange as well. It was essentially a small bowl of lettuce, with a few cherry tomatoes, covered in a huge layer of faux-chicken. I wasn't too keen on the imitation chicken either. For what it's worth, it was my first experience with anything of the sort so maybe it's just a matter of getting used to it, but it's an odd texture and consistency to get used to (I'm assuming it was some concoction of tofu or soy). The croutons were really good - crunchy and soft and I believe they are made from the same bread that they use on their sandwiches. The dressing was nice, almost like a Thai peanut sauce. It was a bit nutty. Overall though, nothing really resembled that this was a chicken Caesar salad to me - it was missing a white-esque dressing and something cheese-like to act as the Parmesan. They probably could have gotten away with some of the similar ingredients that are in their BLT (vegan cheese and a vegan mayo - maybe mixed with lemon juice?). The rest of the ingredients tasted fresh, so I wouldn't rule out any of their other salads, I just wouldn't order this again.

The BLT was really good - crispy soy bacon, lettuce, tomato, sprouts, vegan mayo and Teese vegan cheese on grilled white bread. Everything was fresh and I was really surprised with how similar the soy bacon was to real bacon. It was not as greasy and a bit less chewy than real bacon, but you could have fooled me. It was a good sandwich. I'd get it again. My only small issue was that it seemed like it should've had a garnish of some kind.

Pictured above is the John Brown Deluxe Milkshake (with Oreos and cream).

OMG. So tasty. Not only was this the best non-milkshake that I've ever had, but it was also the best milkshake that I've ever had. I mean, I'm sure if you add Oreo cookies to anything, it will taste better, but this milkshake was awesome. Sweet, creamy, sugary and absolutely delicious. I can't believe somebody can make a shake this good without a dairy product.

Other notes about Strong Hearts....

- Friday nights are pizza night (from 6 PM to 2 AM)

- They offer free Wi-Fi

- All of the take-out food packaging is 100% biodegradable and compostable

I feel like it's tough to make an objective review of a Vegan eatery by someone who is a non-Vegan. The food was good and the milkshake was amazing, but some of it (most notably the meat) tasted off. I suppose anything that's made to act like real meat isn't going to taste the same in some way. And I'm sure that's the non-Vegan voice in me. The food combinations and menu offerings are very creative, original, and in some cases, superb. And I can understand how Vegan restaurants might have a finite audience to cater towards, as it can be an uphill battle for them to broaden their audience. I suppose if I was Vegan, I would rate this place higher and come here more often - seeing as how there are currently very little Vegan options in Syracuse. Objectively speaking, it was a good meal and better than what I had expected. Though I'm not a 100% convert quite yet, you can label me convinced that Vegan meals are almost deceivingly good. I would return for a milkshake (without a doubt) and to test out pizza night or maybe some breakfast options. All and all, I liked it here. It's a smart place with a good vibe that serves convincingly tasty offerings.

My rating of Strong Hearts Cafe:

Review: Funk 'N Waffles

Name: Funk N' Waffles
Address: 727 S Crouse Ave Suite 8, Syracuse, NY
Neighborhood: University Hill
Website: www.funknwaffles.com
Menu: View Menu
Cuisine: Waffles, Sandwiches, Smoothies, Coffee
Hours: Wednesday-Saturday 9 AM to 9 PM, Sunday 9 AM to 4 PM
Parking: On-Street
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Delivery: Yes (available through TakeOut Xpress)

Opened in January of 2007, Funk 'N Waffles has been serving up coffee, smoothies, sandwiches, and most importantly great waffles to the Syracuse University crowd for two years now.

But hold your horses. Before you head over for waffles, you may need some directions first. Funk 'N Waffles is located in the Campus Plaza alley off of South Crouse Ave and behind Marshall Square Mall. Or better yet, walk north on Crouse Ave at Marshall Street, take a right after Bruegger's, walk to the end of the alley, go to the last building on the left and walk down the set of dangerous stairs underneath Chuck's Cafe.

The interior is set up a bit more like a funky, thrift store-esque cafe than a restaurant, with old tables, chairs, and a few couches with SU students lounging around in. It's a perfect spot to unwind, enjoy some free wi-fi, and listen to live music - with local bands and touring artists performing just about every night of the week.

For a small cafe, the menu is excellent with sandwich and panini options, made-to-order smoothies, Purity Ice cream direct from Ithaca, NY, and fresh tea and coffee (more info on their coffee is available here). But let's not forget the waffles. Creative combinations of savory and sweet waffles include the Pulled Pork Waffle (with pulled pork and Dinosaur Bar-B-Que sauce), the Brownie Waffle Sunday (brownie topped with two scoops of fresh whip cream), and for the vegans, the Aunt Miriam's Vegan Waffle (a secret family recipe and free of any animal products). And if you can't make up your mind about which type of waffle to get, just create your own. A few of the waffle topping options include strawberries, spinach, feta, walnuts, ice cream, fried chicken, and Nutella.

The order...

Pineapple Smoothie: $5
Buttermilk Waffle with Bananas and Blueberries: $5.50br> Total Money Spent with Tax & Tip: $10.50

Just a really great smoothie. Real fruit, no sugar, and the pineapple tasted incredibly fresh. I honestly do not order smoothies that often, but this was really tasty.

If that couldn't be topped, the waffle was amazing. A perfectly cooked buttermilk waffle. Nice and crispy on the outer edges and topped with powdered sugar. And even though I didn't ask for them, the blueberries on the inside of the waffle were a really nice surprise. I also couldn't get over how fresh the bananas and blueberries tasted. So flavorful. These were the best blueberries that I can ever remember having in winter. Fresh ingredients, especially fruits, are so critical if you want to put out good food and it's refreshing that Funk 'N Waffles knows this.

The table syrup was good too. Word on the street is that the syrup here is "vegan friendly". I'm not really sure what that entails exactly, but it was really good none the less. If this wasn't real maple syrup, then you could have fooled me because this is about as close as you can get to it without being the real thing. Though it didn't have that overly distinctive maple flavor, it had a really nice, light nutty flavor. And yes, I coated most of my waffle with it.

However, looking around I couldn't get past the incredibly poor and obvious interior design flaws: inadequate lighting, exposed wires, the cheap painting job, dingy tables and chairs, uncoordinated and chipped plates...

It begs the question: does it really matter if restaurant decor is incoherent? Hypothetically, the best Vietnamese food that you've ever had could be located in some dank, hole-in-the-wall. Wouldn't that great meal still warrant a 5-star rating despite its shoddy interior? Then again, you almost expect and prepare yourself for a rough aesthetic experience if you're eating a rustic cuisine - not when consuming smoothies and waffles. I think that I'm going to go with my gut on this one and dock Funk 'N Waffles a half a star because of chairs and tables that look like they were brought over from the local Salvation Army. Furthermore, and perhaps more importantly, the place was not clean. Dirty floors and syrupy tables. If that kind of stuff doesn't bother you then take it with a grain of salt. For me, the uncleanliness combined with the shanty feel of the surroundings made it a little confusing and maybe even disappointing - mainly because it's really cool in there (great location, great food, great vibe), but they could easily make it a flawless place instead of what looks like a poorly managed, run-down cafe. Though, my nitpicking didn't distract me from having a really great meal. I'll be going back again - maybe even to check out some live music too. All they really have to do is fix the interior up a bit.

So close, Funk 'N Waffles. So close.

My rating of Funk 'N Waffles:

Review: Eva's European Sweets

Name: Eva's European Sweets
Address: 1305 Milton Ave, Syracuse, NY
Neighborhood: Far West-Side
Website: www.syracuserestaurants.com/base-website.asp?sn=evaseuropeansweets
Cuisine: Polish, European, Pastries
Hours: Tuesday-Thursday 11 AM to 8 PM, Friday 11 AM to 9 PM, Saturday 12 PM to 9 PM
Parking: On-street
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Takes Reservations: No
Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only

Despite only opening in 1997, Eva's feels like it has been located at a storefront on Milton Ave for generations. The interior feels a bit more like a cafe than a restaurant, but has that sit-down and homey quality to it - complete with Eastern European knickknacks and paintings on the walls.

The menu is really unique and has an extensive list of European and Polish specialties like Goulash, Potato Pancakes, Goloabkis, and Hunters Stew. The beer list should also not go unnoticed and features an interesting variety of European beers from Poland, Russian, Ukraine, and Germany. (Note: Eva's should really be given some much deserved credit for having these kinds of beers here, because most, if not all of them, you can't find anywhere in Syracuse).

There are two staples you MUST get when ordering for the first time at any Polish restaurant... say it with me: kielbasa and pierogis.

The order...

Zywiec Porter (16 oz): $4.50
Kielbasa Sandwich with onions and sauerkraut on marble rye: $7.75
Pierogis with sauteed onions, bacon, sauerkraut & butter: $6.95
Slice of Banana Mousse: $3.50
Total Money Spent with Tax & Tip: $29.52

The porter was good - a heavy, Polish beer with a slight chocolate and coffee taste to it.

The kielbasa sandwich on marble rye (served with pickles and homemade mustard and garnished with a cherry tomato, olives, and parsley) was the best sandwich that I've had since starting this blog - juicy kielbasa with a crisp and snappy casing combined with the sweet onions and tangy sauerkraut. It was really hard to put this sandwich down and try anything else. The homemade mustard was a bit more like mayonnaise and horseradish than mustard but gave the sandwich an overall, nice kick. And I liked the pickles too - way better than that place that claims to serve awesome ones...

The pierogies were delicious - sauerkraut boiled in a soft, doughy casing and topped with parsley, onions, sauerkraut, and crispy bacon. I had never had pierogies that weren't filled with potatoes before, so these were a nice change of pace. Very filling too.

Aside from the actual restaurant, Eva's also serves their own homemade pastries as well. The pastry menu changes daily, so you'll have to see what's at the display case for yourself. On this stop, there was a nice range of chocolate and fruit cakes available. I went with a slice of Banana Mousse to-go.

The mousse was very light and airy, filled with chunks of banana and topped with a chocolate frosting. Mmmm. No picture for this one... mainly because I ate it so fast when I got home.

By no means is this fine dining, but overall, I thought Eva's was excellent and essentially flawless: a nice variety of traditional food, a nice drink list, and a homey and comfortable atmosphere with extremely friendly service. It's even good enough for a date, but more importantly has that sense of home style atmosphere where you almost feel like you're part of the family while dining. Not a bad feeling to walk away from after only my first visit. Welcome, Eva's, to my list of Syracuse's best dining experiences.

My rating of Eva's European Sweets:

Review: Biscotti Cafe & Gelateria

Name: Biscotti Cafe & Gelateria
Address: 741 N Salina St, Syracuse, NY
Neighborhood: Washington Square (Little Italy)
Website: www.biscotticafe.com
Cuisine: Cafe, Cakes, Sandwiches, Pastries, Gelato, Wraps
Hours: Tuesday-Thursday 7 AM to 7 PM, Friday-Saturday 7 AM to 11 PM, Sunday 7 AM to 7 PM
Parking: Private lot and on-street
Accepts credit cards: Yes

I went into Biscotti Cafe & Gelateria on a Sunday morning. Parking was pretty easy as there were available spots in the private lot. The interior of Biscotti Cafe is great, and from a personal standpoint, looks exactly like a cafe straight out of Boston's Little Italy. Everything was clean - from the freshly painted walls to the checkered pattern tiles. And most importantly, when approaching the main counter you get a great sight of all of the homemade pastries - from eclairs and half moons to cakes and pies.

Inside was a little packed. I assumed that most of the people in here had just gotten out of Assumption Church service. Somehow this made ordering a bit chaotic 1) because there were a bunch of people ordering pastries and cakes to-go and taking up floor space near the counter while they waited 2) because nobody was really standing in a line. It felt like I was at a deli counter at Wegmans except that there was no machine to take a number. Chaos!

The actual lunch menu is a tad small - about six or seven sandwiches and a few salads. But they have a wide selection of pastries, cookies, and other deserts that would satisfy a sugar craving. I have to admit I was a little agitated when it came time for me to order so I regrettably did not get any pastries. Though, I really should have and in hindsight am a little embarrassed to say that I didn't. I was just agitated, so I ended up playing it simple.

The order...

We Call It The Rapper: $5.15
Apple Cider: $1.25

There were only a few girls working behind the counter and none of them informed me that I should sit down at one of the tables after I placed my order, so I stood up there waiting for someone to either bring me my food or to ring up my bill. My food was handed to me while I was still up near the counter, so I then brought it up to the register to pay for it. After paying for my meal, one of the waitresses informed the other waitress that she already put my order in on the other cash register and had my tab in that one. All of this is just null and void, but it was just confusing. When ordering in a cafeteria-style setting, I guess I just felt weird by placing an order at the counter and not paying for it immediately afterwards. At any rate...

The cider was great. Served in a warm glass. This hit the spot on a chilly October morning.

The Rapper was chicken breast with pesto mayonnaise, field greens, tomatoes, red onions, Gorgonzola cheese in a tomato wrap. Pretty tasty and I loved the pesto mayo. This was a good wrap and all the ingredients were great. Not a bad price either. The chips were alright, though I must admit I am not a fan of those Kettle Chips or any variation thereof. A bit too stale-tasting for my taste. And the pickle was blah. Fairly soggy.

Looking out the window while eating, it's clear to see that Little Italy still needs some aesthetic work. Many of Salina Street's store fronts are still run down. Having more residential apartments in vacant buildings would improve local business and give the neighborhood more of a unique vibrancy and less of an area that feels half forced and half underutilized. Right now it seemed too much like all the patrons at Biscotti were driving their cars from some other spot in the city, parking outside (this includes myself), finishing their meals, and then driving away. Something like a nearby, used book store (for example) would be a business that could easily coincide with a cafe and could keep Biscotti's patrons in the neighborhood for a bit longer and thereby pump some money into the local economy. But I digress.

I just HAD to get something sweet while I was here no matter what, so I made my way over to the colorful array of gelato on display and made another order...

Mint Chip Gelato: $2.70
Total cost of meal with tax and tip: $10

So airy and delicious. (And this is just a small!). There are really a bunch of different flavors that Biscotti has for gelato, and if you've never had it before, you should really give it a try at this place.

All and all, Biscotti Cafe was decent. I would say that it is way more suited if you happen to be looking for tea, coffee, pastries, and of course, gelato, but I am not so sure if it should really be a destination for an actual meal. Though, it's nice to know that if you're in the city at 10:30 PM on a Saturday night and get the sweet-tooth-urge for homemade fudge squares or a canoli, Biscotti Cafe can fill that void.

And yes, pastries will by my top priority when I come back here.

My rating of Biscotti Cafe & Gelateria: