Review: Steve's Cantina & Grill

Name: Steve's Cantina & Grill
Address: 401 Milton Ave, Syracuse, NY
Neighborhood: Far West-Side (Tipperary Hill)
Website: www.yelp.com/biz/steves-cantina-and-grill-syracuse
Cuisine: Mexican
Hours: Wednesday-Thursday 5 PM to 8 PM, Friday-Saturday 5 PM to 9 PM
Parking: On-street
Accepts credit cards: Yes

Note: I will hopefully be using a better camera for the reviews. The ol' iPhone just isn't cutting it apparently.

So the Cantina and Grill part of Steve's is hidden. And by hidden I mean you feel like you're walking into somebody's house. Don't be fooled. There are two parts to this establishment: the bar entrance located at the corner of Milton Ave and Hamilton St and the restaurant entrance which is up on a porch and feels more like it's located at a house on Hamilton St. Either entrance is fine to go in.

Walking in and it's clear that this place is quite small. Two small rooms with about 7 or 8 tables. You get the sense that you are walking into a friend's house: from the fake-wood paneling lining the entire perimeter to the circular dining room table which seats a larger group in what feels like, well, a dining room. No issues here though. The restaurant has a very homey and down-to-earth feel to it.

Steve's has a relatively small menu and a very small kitchen, but that didn't bother me at all. I found it encouraging because I assume the smaller the place, the more likely they are to serve those few dishes well.

Chips and Salsa were brought out before ordering.

The chips were OK. To be picky, I much prefer the style that are triangular cut than to the pale, circular kind. These resembled your generic store-bought brand except a bit more saltier and crunchier. The salsa was interesting. I'm almost positive that they use stewed tomatoes here for the salsa. I was a little skeptical at first, but after a few tastes it was enjoyable.

The waitress then brought some complimentary guacamole. Score!

This is how guacamole is supposed to taste and I'm so glad that I've found a place in Syracuse that does it well. And as a treat, topped with stewed tomatoes, homemade green sauce, and cilantro for garnish. So tasty. Fresh avocados too.

While ordering, I was informed by the waitress that the chef at Steve's, David Walker, also has a great vegetarian meal that he'll make upon request. By no means am I a vegetarian, but it's something that I'll have to remember for next time as I do quite like Mexican-style vegetarian dishes.

The order...

Margarita: $3.50
Bean Smothered Burrito with Red Sauce: $8.50
Total cost of meal with tax and tip: $15.84

Immediately after placing my order, a couple of SU students walked in and told the waitress that they have a group of 15 showing up. She didn't seem too happy about it and I felt sorry for not only her, but the chef as well. This isn't like Chilli's or Red Lobster where you can just waltz in unannounced with 15 people and expect that it won't be a problem, especially for such a small place like this. But the waitress and chef both seemed to manage it well given the small space and small staff. Oh, to be a clueless undergrad. I was once like you...

Pictured below is Steve's standard Margarita with Jose Cuervo and a big ol' lime slice. Served in a pint glass, this was more than enough to get me excited about my meal. Quite strong!

So. Much. Food.

The smothered burrito was good. Though, it did taste like it had been left in the oven (in order to stay warm, I assume) for a bit too long as it was a bit crunchy. Did I mention how much food was here? It was literally dripping off of my plate and onto the table.

The main entrees come with 2 sides. I chose the vegetable special (which on this day was a corn and onion mix) and beans. I regrettably do not know too much more about the vegetable side dish - corn with a couple different kinds of onions. I'm not sure what the sauce was, but it was very good: almost sweet and spicy. But I'm wondering if this side dish would have tasted a bit fresher had it been cut from corn right off the cob. Then again, it's kind of hard to do something like that in the middle of November. As for the other side dish, I was a little too overwhelmed by beans halfway through the meal (this is my own fault as I ordered a bean dish and beans as a side - a rookie mistake at this place). Roughly 3/4 of the plate was covered in beans. Next time I will be sure to change it up a bit.

Odds are that chef Walker will go up to your go up to your table afterwards and ask how your meal was. Even though he didn't stop by my table personally, I thought it was a nice gesture to give customers and I really think that more chefs should partake in doing this sort of thing after meals.

I really wanted to try the lime cheesecake for dessert but the waitress told me that they were out of it. At any rate, there was no way that my stomach would have fit it in (even though I really wanted to as it sounded delicious!).

Would I go back again? Absolutely. However, I suppose I am still looking for the best Mexican restaurant in Syracuse.

My rating of Steve's Cantina & Grill:

Review: The Mission Restaurant

Name: The Mission Restaurant
Address: 304 E Onondaga St Syracuse, NY
Neighborhood: Downtown (Columbus Circle)
Website: www.themissionrestaurant.com
Menu: View Menu
Cuisine: Mexican and Pan-American
Alcohol: Beer and Wine
Hours: Monday 11:30 AM to 2 PM, Tuesday-Thursday 11:30 AM to 9 PM, Friday 11:30 AM to 10 PM, Saturday 5 PM to 10 PM, Sunday 4 PM to 9 PM
Parking: On street and occasionally free parking in a private lot on E Onondaga St (call for details)
Accepts credit cards: Yes

Note: I had had only two experiences at The Mission prior to this one: the first being about 8 years ago when they first opened and I remember the food being sub-par, and the second time was this Summer for a birthday dinner (where my family and I were treated to some of the worst service ever). Needless to say, I was hoping on this occasion that The Mission could make me forget my two prior visits. And yes, they succeeded.

I got into The Mission on a Tuesday evening around 5:30. Parking wasn't a problem as I found a spot on Jefferson St and walked about a block and a half to the restaurant. The Mission is uniquely situated in an old Wesleyan Methodist Church at Columbus Circle (complete history here). Inside, you'll see a wide range of colors and some of the best decor in any Syracuse Restaurant: An extended bar on the left side with giant, ordinate columns, stained glass windows letting in natural sunlight, booths on the right for more intimate dining, and a kitchen in the back where you can see the chefs preparing Pan-American and Mexican dishes.

The menu is great and has a nice range of standard Mexican fare (like tacos and burritos) mixed with creative new dishes. And in case you can't figure out what pasilla means, the back of the menu features a Spanish to English dictionary and pronunciation guide of sorts to help out with Mexican cuisine terminology that you might be unfamiliar with.

You are treated to fresh pico de gallo salsa and chips after you sit down...

The salsa was extremely tasty. Perfect chunks of tomatoes with onions, jalapenos, and cilantro.

The order...

Salsa Tasting Menu: $2
Basic Margarita: $5
Puerco: $17
Total cost with tax and tip: $29.68

The margarita was very good and had quite the kick!

The table salsa was so good that I just had to order the "salsa tasting menu". Salsas include a roasted tomato chipotle (pictured on top), tomatillo serrano (pictured in the middle), and a papaya habanero salsa (pictured on the bottom). The roasted tomato was smokey and had just the right amount of heat and garlic. The tomatillo serrano, though my least favorite of the 3 on the plate, was sweet and the blackened tomatillos were a nice change of pace. And the papaya habenero, which turned out to be my favorite, was a extremely hot and citrusy. This salsa was great and I loved the unique combination of tomatoes and papaya as a salsa.

The entree Puerco was: Rum and pineapple glazed, oven-roasted pork loin medallions topped with a grilled pineapple and red onion salsa. Served with sweet plantain fufu and vegetable del dia.

The rum and pineapple glaze was excellent except for the fact that there was a puddle of it at the bottom of my plate. Though, should I be complaining about having too much rum in my dish? Me thinks not. The fufu (mashed sweet plantains cooked with onions and bacon) was great and had a similar constancy to stuffing: sweet with the plantains and hearty with the bacon and onions. I would recommend giving this side-dish a shot, even if you have never had plantains before. The vegetable del dia (vegetable of the day) was cooked zucchini and squash. Although squash was one of the foods that was on my "would-not-eat-unless-it-was-a-life-or-death-situation" list, after trying them at The Mission, hey what do you know, I love squash now. Both vegetables were a great compliment to the fufu. The pork loin was cooked perfectly with just a little pink on the inside and the grilled pineapple and red onion salsa mixture was very sweet and tangy.

I suppose if I had to change one or two things about this place, it would be to exchange the tortilla chips at The Mission with El Canelo's. Not that The Mission's are bad by any means, but El Canelo's were thicker, served warm, and tasted more like corn tortillas. Again, not that this should warrant a star rating in either direction or be a big deal to anybody, but it's merely a small judgement call on my part. And I thought the music could have been a little more authentic. I have no problem whatsoever listening to Steve Miller while I'm chowing down on awesome Mexican food, but I think The Mission should set themselves apart from other places in the area and maybe play some Mexican-style music instead of Rock 'n Roll, as it might be better suited with the decor and food. Some instrumental music like this for starters.

Some other things of note...

- Salsas and guacamole can be ordered to go.

- Catering services and gift certificates are offered. Call for info.

- Free parking is available. Call for details.

- I'm not quite going to label The Mission a "date spot", because it can get fairy loud in here at times depending on when you visit

All and all, the entrees may be on the pricier side for some (and if that is the case, I would highly recommend their lunch menu with more affordable offerings) but your palette will be treated to a wide-range of flavors and ingredients that you will just not get by visiting most, if not all Mexican places in the area. And from a personal standpoint, The Mission deserves praise not only for totally redeeming themselves on the terrible service that I had prior to this visit, but for also reversing my view on squash. The service this time was very good and the food was excellent.

My rating of The Mission Restaurant:

Review: El Canelo

Name: El Canelo
Address: 2740 Erie Blvd E, Syracuse, NY
Neighborhood: Salt Springs (Erie Boulevard East)
Webste: www.syracuserestaurants.com/base-contact.asp?sn=elcanelo
Menu: View Menu
Cuisine: Mexican
Alcohol: Full Bar
Hours: Monday-Thursday 11 AM to 10 PM, Friday-Saturday 11 AM to 11 PM, Sunday 11 AM to 9 PM
Parking: Private lot
Accepts credit cards: Yes
Happy Hour: Every Sunday through Thursday from 5PM to 7PM with $.89 drafts
Buffet: Sundays from 11 AM to 4 PM

I don't at all claim to be any kind of expert on Mexican food, but it is one of my top three favorite cuisines and I have eaten at Mexican restaurants in at least a few places of note: New York City, Boston, LA, and on two separate visits to Mexico - once to the Baja Strip and once to the Yucatan Peninsula. At any rate, I was by no means expecting El Canelo to out-do any of the restaurants in these places, especially given the fact that most Erie Boulevard eateries are either chain restaurants or are relatively sketchy. However, I was expeting the food to be quite good being that they stated "Authentic Mexican Food".

Just by walking in through the door, you can almost tell that El Canelo in located in what used to be a Chinese restaurant. It's just setup that way. You walk in and there's a bunch of boxes of gum on the counter next to the cash register. Where else do you find boxes of gum when you first walk in to a place other than a Chinese buffet? The booths and carpet, although very clean, looked like they were left over from a previous establishment. And my theory on the whole "Sunday Buffet" is probably because El Canelo claimed the extra vats and heat lights from a Chinese buffet and decided they could still use them on their own. Although, I will admit, a Mexican buffet is a great concept. The interior could use some work, or at least some direction. It's really just a mass of former Chinese restaurant gimmicks and confusing Mexican restaurant additions. Kind of a let-down because from the outside, it looks like they might know what they're doing in here, but on the inside it was jumbled confusion.

The menu reads like a Chinese menu as well, with such things as "Lunch Specials" and "Combination Dinners". It can be a little confusing ordering, not only because of the amount of choices, but for the limited amount of descriptions on most of the dishes. (For a pdf file of El Canelo's menu, click here). The waitresses do not speak English very well, so you may or may not have to repeat yourself or ask the waitresses to repeat themselves. Not a big deal in my book, but just a heads up. The order...

Regular Lime Margarita: $4.95
Burrito California: $7.95
Total money spent with tax and tip: $13.80

Before the meals, you are served complimentary chips and salsa. The tortillas were very good and were served quite warm, so I'm guessing they had just made them before I had walked in. The salsa was a puree mixture - not necessarily what I'm used to for table salsa, but it was still good none the less. Although, I thought it could have had a little more heat to it.

Check out my huge margarita...

There was a rim of salt on the outside (which I'm a big fan of) but the grains were pretty small. Not that it really matters, but I'm used to sea salt on the rims and this looked a bit more like table salt. It wasn't really a big deal because the drink tasted limey and delicious. A great value for $5. Is limey a word?

The Burrito California was listed on the menu as "one big burrito rolled with carne asada, refried beans, Spanish rice, and pico de gallo, served with lettuce and guacamole".

The burrito was served with half a plate full of shredded lettuce with a large piece of tomato and small dollop of guacamole in the middle. A little too much lettuce for decoration (or for eating) and not nearly enough guacamole - especially being that this dish has the word "California" in it. And something was just off with the guacamole. I couldn't quite put my finger on it. It was very acidic and it wasn't because it had too much lime juice or anything like that. It just tasted funky so I didn't finish it.

As for the carne asada, it was fairly dry. Which was strange because as far as my understanding goes, carne asada is supposed to be marinated strips of grilled beef. Come to think of it, most of my burrito was dry: the tortilla, the meat, and the Spanish rice. And there really wasn't any pico de gallo in the burrito. Pico de gallo is essentially freshly chopped salsa, but there were hardly ANY tomatoes in it - there was just way too much meat for my taste and not nearly enough refried beans or salsa. I did end up finishing most of it, but I thought the proportions of ingredients could have been way better.

Overall, the prices were cheap, but I wasn't blown away by anything. In my opinion you can have cheap prices and still serve awesome Mexican food - hence the whole concept of roadside stands throughout much of Mexico. I guess I was just really expecting their "Authentic Mexican" food to be better. Instead, I left feeling let-down and confused. I doubt I'll be going back.

Oh, El Canelo. I had such high hopes for you.

My rating of El Canelo: