Review: A Taste of Philadelphia

Name: A Taste of Philadelphia
Address: 2533 James St, Syracuse, NY
Phone: 315-463-9422
Neighborhood: Eastwood
Website: www.atasteofphiladelphiasince1976.com
Menu: View Menu
Cuisine: Cheesesteaks, hoagies, sandwiches, fried foods
Restaurant Hours: Monday-Friday 11 AM to 8 PM, Saturday 12 PM to 7 PM
Parking: On-street and private lot
Accepts Credit Cards: No
Take-Out: Yes
Delivery: Yes

I rarely get a craving for cheesesteaks. But despite eating on the vegetarian side of the spectrum with cooking and ordering out as of late, I had a hankering for a greasy, meaty, and cheesy sandwich and figured A Taste of Philadelphia would be my best bet in not only filling that void but also maybe bringing something new into the common rotation of weekly restaurants.

A Taste of Philadelphia is situated on James Street in the busy section of the city's Eastwood neighborhood. Parking is available on-street as well as in a lot behind the building. (A sign in the window said this. I couldn't find the actual lot so I risked parking in a lot that I probably wasn't allowed to do so in).

Inside is a homey interior mixed with plenty of table and booth seating as well as a ton of Philadelphia city and sports memorabilia lining every space of the walls. Posters and framed pictures of things like Rocky, The 76'ers, Benjamin Franklin, and Dr. J are plentiful and interesting to look at. Thankfully, The Phillies stuff wasn't overboard. I was expecting it to be thrown in my face given their rise in popularity lately. Or maybe I'm just a self-loathing Mets fan...

Menu items include classic cheesesteaks and varieties like the original (with steak and cheese), pizza style (with mozzarella, pizza sauce, and optional pepperoni), hoagie style (with onions, lettuce, and tomatoes), and the special (with onions, hot or sweet peppers, mushrooms, and pizza sauce). And according to wikipedia, their variations are right on the mark. Other menu highlights include the chicken parm sub, chicken bacon ranch wrap, roast beef, Italian sub, grilled ham and cheese, and sides like garden salads, potato and mac salad, cheesesteak salad (yup, you read that correctly), mozzarella sticks, fries, and cookies.

The order...

Onion rings: $3.25
Classic cheesesteak with onions and sweet peppers: $6.80
Coke: $1.75
Total Money Spent with Tax & Tip: $14

After ordering at the counter, I grabbed a seat in a corner booth. Aesthetically, the room was somewhat smelly and the booth seat really needed a good scrubbing. The table itself was very clean, but most of the seats and chairs that I saw, as well as the carpeting, needed some heavy recycling from being old, dirty, and worn out.

Pictured below is my meal. Yum yum!

I couldn't pass up the opportunity to get onion rings. I had heard some good things prior to the visit and they must've been true because a customer walked in after me and ordered them as well, only to be disappointed that I had gotten the last batch of the day. Cha-ching!

The rings were excellent. Large, golden fried rings were found to be very oniony and crunchy; most of which were perfectly fried revealing that great crunch (a couple rings were overly fried though). Biting all the way through didn't string the onion out of its shell either. I would definitely order these again.

Deliciously juicy and finely chopped prime rib mixed with small pieces of onions and sweet green and red peppers filled the inside of the cheesesteak that was held together by a row of melted white cheese. Despite the cheese giving off a heavily processed feel (I'm guessing provolone?), I thought it was a perfect fit. Especially for a greasy sub. It probably could have used a bit more cheese as well as onions and peppers, but the meat held up on its own and didn't disappoint. It was very juicy and even a little fatty in spots (it was delicious - and if I've learned anything from my mom about her meat loaf and her lasagna, it's that you want a bit of fat in there for better flavor).

A little bit of grease emanating from the meat lined some of the bread on the outside. The roll was fairly soft and a bit generic. I think a heartier or stronger bread would've helped, but that didn't stop me from scarfing the entire sandwich down. And according to their website, the bread stays true to the south Philly style from the 1930's.

Like I've said, I rarely eat cheesesteaks so my take is probably a little subjective in that I don't know what constitutes good or bad cheesesteaks other than what tastes good to me. Overall, I thought the food was very good and the cheesesteak was a nice change of pace from what you'd expect to find in Syracuse. It's something that I'm more than happy to introduce into my rotation of places when I need some quick food. The meal probably wasn't the best decision for my heart, but it was tasty and well worth it.

Additional notes...

- It's cash only!

My uneducated guess would say that this is about as close as you're going to get to a Philly-style cheesesteak in Syracuse. Again, the interior could use a major cleaning overhaul as some of my dining experience was overshadowed by fairly noticeable uncleanliness. I'd go back though. Either for the same meal or to try some different varieties of cheesesteaks, most of which sounded very good. And if the classic style that I ordered is any indication, I'd bet that they're equally as good. As far as dining goes... I'm probably doing take-out next time.

My rating of A Taste of Philadelphia:

Review: NY Gianni's Bronx Style Pizza

Name: NY Gianni's Bronx Style Pizza
Address: 1428 Burnet Ave Syracuse, NY
Phone: (315) 425-7770
Neighborhood: Eastwood
Website: www.nygiannispizza.com
Menu: View Menu
Cuisine: Pizza, Italian
Restaurant Hours: Monday to Thursday 11 AM - 9 PM, Friday to Saturday 11 AM - 10 PM, and via their Facebook page, now open Sundays 12 PM to 8 PM
Parking: On-Street, Private Lot
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Take-Out: Yes
Wi-Fi: Yes
Delivery: Yes (with a $10 minimum)

It's not too often Upstate New York gets to legitimately contend with something from our NYC neighbors. We know the story. They have better restaurants, better bagels, and even better pizz.... Wait. Could it be that Syracuse can now lay claim to great pizza in comparison to its New York City brethren?

Classic New York style pizza, as we've all known, originated and will always dredge up images of New York City pizzerias. There's a distinct look, style, and taste to the pizza that some even claim is in the water. Whatever the difference is, NY Gianni's Bronx Style Pizza, has now ushered in great, New York style pizza right here in Syracuse all the way from the borough of the Bronx.

With a location that's less than a block east of Shifty's, parking is available on-street or in the lot that's easily accessible from the entrance on Burnet Ave. When you've pulled into the parking lot with a sign that reads "Liberty Bakery / Gianni's Pizza", you've reached the right place.

Pizza is the main focus here as your toppings include traditional ones as well as spinach, broccoli, hot peppers, eggplant, and roasted red peppers. Their specialty pizzas all have clever Bronx-style nicknames like the "Grand Concourse" (the meat lovers), "Morris Park" (thick crust grandma), " White Plains" (white pizza), and "Botanical Garden" (veggie deluxe) among others. Aside from pizza, Gianni's also offers calzones, rolls, lunas, subs, wings (and dart wings), salads, and appetizers like garlic bread, jalapeno poppers, garlic knots, and breaded mushrooms. Visit the actual restaurant and you'll find a few desserts in the display case like cookies and half moons.

Inside is quite tiny with a few small, adequate tables to enjoy a slice or two. However, I opted for take-out on this occasion.

The order...

Medium Pepperoni Pizza: $13.22
Total Money Spent with Tax & Tip: $15

With a quarter of it missing because I got hungry.

Temperature: perfectly hot.

Style: it's thin crust, but not insanely thin. Enough to provide some give in the dough and partnered with a little bit of crunch on the bottom. The texture was great.

Cheese: perfectly layerd and while a bit greasy for some (I prefer a slightly greasy pizza anyway), the cheese had that classic gooey and stringy texture.

Topping: I love pepperoni and it was perfectly cooked here, but I'd think I'd opt for something else next time. Combined with the cheese, it encouraged a somewhat greasy pizza.

Pizza crust: get this - perfect. It's a bold statement coming from yours truly. For anyone that knows me personally, they know I've never been a fan of the outside ring of a pizza. It's not uncommon to see a plate of mine lined with the aftermath of several scattered crusts after downing a few slices. I usually don't enjoy crust because more often then not it tastes like cardboard and is a mere depressing shadow of its former glory. However, at Gianni's, even the crusts were consumed. The crust is that good. It's chewy on the inside, slightly charred and crunchy (but not overly crunchy) on the outside, and didn't dry out at all near the ends.

Sauce: absolutely amazing. Spicy, garlicy, and sweet. And while every other attribute of the pizza is good or above average, the sauce is pretty much the stand-out here.

Overall pizza reaction: outstanding.

My confession is that after visiting this place over the last several months, I have yet to order pizza from anywhere else inside Syracuse.

My second confession is that their tomato pie, although served warm, is awesome and would go out on a limb and say that it may rival anything in Utica, mainly because the sauce is that good.

What else can I say that The Pizza Geek, Chus On Chow, and Wandering Through Syracuse haven't already said? I'm hooked. I'm on the Gianni's bandwagon and can't get off. I have to give this 5 stars. Even more impressive is that it's served with very friendly service. I have no complaints whatsoever and their pizza is awesome. Probably some of the best I've ever had. I look forward to trying out some other things on the menu very, very soon.

And yes, taste the flava!

My rating of NY Gianni's Bronx Style Pizza:

Review: Shifty's Bar & Grill

Name: Shifty's Bar & Grill
Address: 1401 Burnett Ave, Syracuse, NY
Neighborhood: Eastwood
Website: www.shiftysbar.com
Menu: View Menu
Cuisine: Traditional Bar Food
Alcohol: Full Bar
Kitchen Hours: Monday to Friday 11 AM - Midnight, Saturday to Sunday Noon - Midnight
Bar Hours: Monday to Friday 11 AM - Close, Saturday to Sunday Noon - Close
Parking: On-Street
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Take-Out: Yes

Opened in 1969 as a small, corner bar on Burnett and Greenway Ave, Shifty's Bar & Grill has been home to some of the best live music in the city for decades. And if that isn't enough, the slogan underneath their logo says it all: Shifty's - cold beer, hot wings, and live music.

Parking can be a bit of a nuisance. It's on-street, and Burnett can be a little sketchy at night sometimes. Personally, I've never had a problem, but you may have to do a block or two of walking depending on how busy of a night it is. As you walk in, you immediately know what kind of vibe the place has - look up and you'll notice a large, red model plane with "Burnett" and "Greenway" painted on the sides, with a brazier hanging over the back. The atmosphere is upbeat, music is loud and fun, and it's what you would expect from a good neighborhood bar. Clientele is predominantly in the 40-60 age range, but even if you are a 20-something like myself, you won't feel out of place here. Everyone is smiling and having a great time listening and dancing to live rock and roll.

Framed pictures cover all the walls: the area around the stage has black and white pictures of blues musicians and past musicians who have played on stage and the entrance area has framed pictures of former Yankee, Mets, and Brooklyn Dodgers players, Syracuse University athletes, and historic photographs of downtown Syracuse. The place is definitely a Yankee bar through and through (No worries if you are a Mets fan like myself. They are happy to change over one of the many flat screens that hang on the walls - unfortunately, I can't vouch for Sox games). Shifty's also features a pool table (which takes up a large portion of the entrance room), darts (both English style and electronic), and a pinball machine. To the right of the bar, there's a gigantic, live music schedule of everything going on during the month. It's easy to see that Shifty's prides itself on hosting local music. This also includes their open mic night on Wednesdays which is the longest running in Syracuse.

Seating is limited as there are only a few tables (they tend to put some of them away when a band is performing), so don't be surprised if you have to wait for a table to open up or stand to eat your food. Most of the food on the menu is "hand food" anyway (sans knife and fork) so it's not too big of an issue.

Unfortunately, I didn't get a good look at the beer selection. I only noticed a few beers on tap. From what I've read online though, Shifty's has roughly 99 different kinds of beers available and also features a "Shifty 50" beer tour - finish them to become a member of their "Hall of Foam".

As far as ordering food goes, there's no waiter service, so your best bet is to make your way up to the small, ordering window on the left side of the bar.

For such a small establishment, the menu actually has a lot to offer: Chicken Tenders, Fried Mushrooms, Homemade Potato Chips, Pizzas, Salads, Subs, Wraps, Gianelli Sausage Sandwiches, Burgers, and so on. But, considering Shifty's advertises it on their slogan, I had to go with wings.

The order...

Blue Moon on tap: $3.50
Dozen Hot Wings: $6.50
Total Money Spent with Tax & Tip: $11.00

The food took a little while to cook. It was a hoping, Friday evening, so maybe they were just backed up with a lot of orders on this particular night. And just a heads up: getting your food can be a bit of a hassle depending on how busy the place is. Keep your eyes (and if possible, your ears) aware of when the bartender signals to you that your order is ready.

Pictured above are Shifty's hot wings.

These wings were excellent. Just the right amount of crispy skin and juicy chicken. So tasty. My only real complaint was that there was no indication of any sauce on the outside. Normally, this would lead to a dry chicken wing, but it wasn't the case here as the meat provided just enough to contradict that. Temperature-wise, they leaned slightly on the medium side and didn't strike me as being that hot (I'm always a little apprehensive about ordering hot wings - one man's "hot" is another's "medium"), so I think next time I order wings here I may be a bit more inclined to ask for their award winning "F-Bomb" sauce. At any rate, these were really great chicken wings.

Some other notes...

- They have a 25 cent wing special on Mondays

- There's never a cover charge at the door

Overall, I liked pretty much everything about the place: it was a fun and lively atmosphere, the wings were great, the music assures you that you are in Syracuse, NY and it's an excellent spot for local flavor and local pride. I'll be going back in the future.

My rating of Shifty's Bar & Grill:

Review: Laci's Burger Joint

Name: Laci's Burger Joint
Address: 2700 James St, Syracuse, NY
Neighborhood: Eastwood
Website: www.yelp.com/biz/lacis-burger-joint-syracuse
Cuisine: Burgers, Traditional American
Hours: Monday-Saturday 11 AM to 7 PM
Parking: On-Street and Private Lot
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Take Out: Yes

Opened in the fall of 2008 in Eastwood, Laci's Burger Joint is Syracuse's newest burger restaurant. The James Street building itself was at one time a White Tower. Since then, it has changed hands quite a few times. More history about the Eastwood location can be found here and here.

The interior is very small, but definitely cozy and welcoming enough where you don't feel cramped. You'll only find a few stools and tables inside (maybe 7 seats tops?). Just a heads up if you plan on going there with a few people.

There was only one employee behind the counter who was grilling, taking orders, and answering phone calls. It wasn't that busy of a night, but I thought he at least deserves a hat tip on this blog post for doing his job(s) well and with a positive attitude. As someone who once worked at a college deli on his own and thought it was hellish, doing one, much less all three simultaneously on a Saturday night, can be enough to drive you batty sometimes. Mondo props.

It's predominantly burgers and fries on the menu, but they also have things like a soup-of-the-day, smoothies, and fried fish on Fridays. All nine of the burgers on the menu sounded good - especially the Hot Mama Burger (with jalapenos and pepper jack cheese) and the 'Cuse Burger (with velvetta, 1,000 Island dressing and coleslaw). Laci's also boasts a create-your-own burger known as the Diva Burger, but I thought I go with the one at the top of the menu and what sounded like the house special.

The order...

Laci's Burger with Waffle Fries: $6.95
Total Money Spent with Tax & Tip: $8

The waffle fries were OK. Nice and crunchy, but nothing spectacular. The portion was good, but I thought the fries could have used some salt. I couldn't taste any on there.

Pictured here is the Laci's burger with rosemary mayo, feta cheese, roasted red peppers, lettuce and tomato.

First off, I love the black and white checkered wrapping that comes with the burger and fries. It gave the meal that old-school vibe. That being said, I did like this burger. It was a good portion size and I really liked the buns (soft, airy, and almost gourmet-tasting). However, I thought the inside of the meat could have been juicier and the outside of the meat could have been crunchier. Perhaps it was not salt and peppered enough before being thrown on the grill? Or the heat could have been turned up higher? At any rate, something about the burger was slightly mushy - though that could have been due to the feta which was watery and made it a little drippy. I think it could have used some pickles for brightness and snap and more rosemary in the mayo as it didn't really provide that much presence. Overall though, I thought it was tasty. Sweet roasted red peepers with crunchy lettuce and fresh tomatoes. Thumbs up.

I would say that the conceptual aspect of the menu is great, but I think some of the ingredients of the nine main burgers need to be slightly tweaked. For instance, they don't put onions on their burgers. Though I'm sure you can ask for them, I thought that was crazy. They're still a young restaurant, so I'm willing to cut them some slack on the minor tweaks. I think it would go a long way if they added a veggie burger of some kind. Also, a Friday or Saturday late night offering of burgers would be an amazing addition for Syracuse. I feel like they could really ring up some more businesses if they had a small and quick late night menu of just a few burgers (or maybe even mini-burgers or sliders?) available until 2 AM for that rowdy, late night crowd. But that's just my opinion.

Of course taste is a huge part of the realm when reviewing a restaurant, but conception and originality are vital elements too. Laci's has found a really nice formula of putting out fresh burgers quickly. Despite being relatively new to the Syracuse restaurant scene, I think that they do the "burger joint" thing very well. They've also found an good niche for it here in Syracuse. Without a doubt I will be going back.

My rating of Laci's Burger Joint:

Review: Brooklyn Pickle (Eastwood)

Name: Brooklyn Pickle (Eastwood)
Address: 2222 Burnet Ave, Syracuse, NY
Neighborhood: Eastwood
Website: www.yelp.com/biz/brooklyn-pickle-syracuse-2
Menu: View Menu
Cuisine: Deli, Sandwiches, Subs, Soups
Parking: Private lot
Take-Out: Yes
Accepts credit cards: Yes

On a Monday evening, looking for some cheap eats on my way out to the east side of the city, I figured I would stop in to Brooklyn Pickle. I've been to this place multiple times and each time have enjoyed my lunches. But this was my first time coming here at night and as fate would have it, I would have a fairly lousy experience.

I got there a little bit before 7 PM and pulled into the parking lot. There were only a few cars in the lot and hardly anybody inside. Upon entering, I saw one of the busboys stacking chairs on the tables. I was a little confused because there were workers behind the cash registers and some of the lights were off. It really just looked like they were closed or in the process of closing. I asked the busboy what time they close and he said 8, so I still had a good hour until they actually close. I made my way to the counter to order my meal only to see 3 workers behind the counter: One asked what I wanted to order and the other two were blatantly chatting away about their social lives at Syracuse University.

The order...

Roast beef on white with mayo, lettuce, tomato, and onions: $3.50
Can of root beer: $1
Total money spent with tax and tip: $4.82

This sandwich took incredibly long to make. Not only that, but one of the other workers was re-filling seafood salad into a container right in front of me. It was really rude. Just given the slow service, it made me feel like I wasn't even supposed to be there. Did I already mention how long it took to make a roast beef sandwich? I almost feel like I could have gone to the grocery store, made homemade mayonnaise, and stacked a sandwich at my house faster than it was made here.

After it was stacked, the worker started putting it into a brown paper bag and I had to inform him that I was going to eat here. I eventually got my sandwich put onto a tray and sat down at one of the nearby booths.

The proportions were out of whack. Way too many tomatoes and the roast beef was uneven and wasn't stacked properly. Though the portions are big, especially given the cheap prices, the roast beef just didn't do it for me. Maybe it's because I'm so used to the roast beef at Clark's Ale House. Again, just looking around, it looked like I was here after closing with half the lights being turned off and the entire staff cleaning up around me.

As for the complimentary pickles, they really weren't anything to rave about. You would think with a name like Brooklyn Pickle that they would at least offer a couple of gherkins or something instead of two tiny slices of pickles. Although I admit I didn't actually get a whole pickle, I think you can find much better pickles in the Northside (try Liehs and Steigerwald for starters).

While I was finishing up my meal, a cop walked in and was immediately served a sandwich. Evidently, if you have a gun, you can get a meal really quick here. Maybe I should look me into getting one of those for next time...

I know this wasn't exactly the ideal time to go to a deli, but even so, when you close your business at 8, make sure you close it at 8 and not 7 because you essentially just lost yourself a night time customer. The only thing Brooklyn Pickle really had going for it was the fact that I finished my meal and it was cheap.

My rating of Brooklyn Pickle: