Alto Cinco's Tacos and Calamari

I do love Alto Cinco, but I tend to get stuck in an ordering habit when I go there, more often than not opting for their California Burrito (yellow rice, black beans, cheese, salsa, sour cream, roasted red peppers, and tons of guacamole). I've been wanting to try their tacos out and I remember someone telling me once that their calamari was amazing, so I gave them both a shot for take-out recently.

Shrimp Soft Tacos: $9
Fried Calamari: $10

The tacos were superb. I essentially inhaled these in several minutes. Lightly grilled flour tortillas came wrapped around shrimp, pickled cabbage, sour cream, fresh lettuce, and mango salsa.

I do like that they semi-grilled the tortillas, which helped them stay together (there's nothing worse than ordering soft tacos and getting a soggy mess in return). A good amount of bright and surprisingly fresh mango salsa along side plump and perfectly grilled shrimp (seriously perfect - and I'm picky about my shrimp) and sprinkled with tangy pickled red cabbage (vinegary, but not overly pungent). It was a great balance of ingredients and textures, a good portion size, and they didn't skimp on the shrimp either. $9 or not, I'd order them again.

Pictured above are the calamari fried in peanut oil and served with chipotle mayo and lime wedges.

There was excellent flavor with the calamari and the sauce was spicy, creamy, and great for dunking, but the calamari suffered from being kept in a hot container for too long which unfortunately made the breading really mushy. A victim of take-out, I suppose. I'd be curious to order these again next time I actually dine-in. The rings were big and tender and the spicy flavor from the mayo was great, but the fried-ness were just lacking that necessary crunch.

All and all, the shrimp tacos and calamari both complimented each other really well. The saltiness of the calamari, spiciness from the chipotle mayo, and light, tropical feel from the tacos were all a great combination of flavors.

Thumbs up.

Review: La Taqueria Fresh Mexican Grill

Name: La Taqueria Fresh Mexican Grill
Address: 409 S Clinton St, Syracuse, NY
Phone: (315) 422-8811
Neighborhood: Downtown (Armory Square)
Website: www.lataqueriagrill.com
Menu: View Menu
Cuisine: Mexican
Restaurant Hours: Monday to Wednesday 10:30 AM - 10 PM, Thursday to Friday 10:30 AM - 3AM, Saturday 11 AM - 3 AM
Parking: On-Street
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Take-Out: Yes
Catering: Yes

I hesitated stopping in here for dinner as I walked by it on my way up Clinton St (I was heading towards Lao Village and in dire need of some red curry). After arriving at my destination only to find it was closed for the day for no apparent reason, I walked back to Armory Square and decided to give La Taqueria Fresh Mexican Grill a try.

In what was the former Cafe Gyro Basha (a mediocre gyro place that used bagged lettuce with carrots as filling. Blel!), and the former Slices (a decent pizza substitute for Armory Square late nighters whenever Nick's was too crowded) is now home to La Taqueria Fresh Mexican Grill - a Mexican-style off-shoot of Dolce Vita World Bistro on E Genesee St. Since opening earlier this year, the place began its mark with a complete interior and exterior makeover that brought in a cafeteria-style ordering station, foundation restructuring and expansion, separate dining areas, and was completed with a tasteful, Hacienda-style look on the outside. It was a huge overhaul and a major improvement from the shoddiness and badly lit interior that existed there just a couple of years prior. The inside also features clean and cohesive looking tables and chairs, a huge flat screen TV over a fireplace, and stools up near the window overlooking Clinton Street. It's a very warm and relaxing atmosphere (at least on this occasion - I can't necessarily vouch for the lunch crowd rush).

Again, ordering is cafeteria-style with a few members of the staff hosting different stations and handling each aspect of the food. While they specialize in mostly burritos, tacos, and quesadillas here, there's a few other surprises on the menu like potato salad (with red potatoes, avocado, and jalapenos), stuffed peppers (baked green peppers stuffed with beef and rice and topped with cheese), and the grande nachos (with with about every topping choice available). The tacos and burritos come with your standard choice of fillings as well as choices like tequila-lime marinated tofu, chicken marinated in chipotle habanero sauce, homemade salsas, and fresh jalapenos and cilantro. It's nice not to be charged for each individual ingredient for the burritos, but opt for sour cream and guacamole and it will run your meal a little higher. Bottled drinks and fountain drinks are available and are mostly Coca-Cola products. And I did spy me some Jarritos.

The order...

Carnitas Burrito: $6.50
Soda with Chips & Salsa combo: $2.00
Total Money Spent with Tax & Tip: $10

Chips and salsa? Meh. Not terrible. The mild salsa was kind of bland, had scallions in it, and had a ton of cilantro (which is one of my favorite herbs, but it was a bit overbearing). Chips were a tad on the stale side. In the small paper cup, that's a free sample of the habanero pepper salsa. Unfortunately, I don't really remember anything else about it.

Also pictured (in foil) is the Carnitas Burrito with Mexican pulled pork, cilantro lime rice, black beans, mild salsa, cilantro, fresh jalapenos, and red onions.

Honestly, I wasn't too keen on the burrito. The cilantro lime rice sounded good in theory, but didn't really have any noticeable cilantro presence or lime taste, the red onions were really strong and over-whelming, and the floor tortilla was a really strange texture - it's hard to explain, but it was really, really dry, pulled apart easily, and one of the oddest flour tortillas I can remember having. As for the large portion of pulled pork inside, it was relatively dry (despite being dredged in the traditional meat liquid before serving) and was really off-putting. For lack of a better description, it tasted like powdered beef jerky and was a taste that I really couldn't get past, especially because there was so much of it. Beef jerky isn't so bad on its own, but I'd rather not have it in burrito form. It kind of through off the entire experience for me.

I'm not really sure if this was a bad meal or if I just wasn't in the mood for it. I'd rather not give a bad review based on being unmotivated before even walking into a place. But at the same time, nothing really excited me. It caters towards the lunch and late night crowds, but it's also not a bad stop for a sit-down meal and a quick dinner. Points for fast and friendly service (a great spot for food on-the-go), a nice menu, and a comfortable, fresh, and clean interior. I'd give the food a low rating for this particular experience, but I wouldn't rule out going back again. The menu has some other enticing options that I'd be willing to give a try for next time.

My rating of La Taqueria Fresh Mexican Grill:

Review: Alto Cinco

Name: Alto Cinco
Address: 526 Westcott St, Syracuse, NY
Phone: (315) 472-3633
Neighborhood: Westcott
Website: www.altocinco.net
Menu: View Menu
Cuisine: Mexican
Early AM Coffee Hours: Monday to Friday 8 AM - 11 AM
Restaurant Hours: Monday to Saturday 11 AM - 11 PM, Sunday 11 AM - 10 PM
Late Night Hours: Monday to Sunday 11 PM - 2 AM
Parking: On-Street
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Accepts Reservations: No
Alcohol: Beer & Wine
Take-Out: Yes
Delivery: Yes

Opened since 1995 (and currently celebrating its 15th year serving westcott), Alto Cinco has been the go-to destination for Mexican and Vegetarian cuisine for SU students, local Westcott residents, hippies, and the like. It's not technically Mexcian cuisine or something you'd fine at a random roadside taqueria (let's cut to the chase: it's more like Mexican influenced cuisine made by California hippies with a moderate earthy and organic vegetarian focus). But don't let that deter you from enjoying yourself at Alto. The food, including all mole, chips, salsas, and soups, are made fresh daily here.

Upon entering, there's a take-out counter with an chalkboard overhead displaying the menu with an open kitchen and view of chefs and food preps preparing all the meals. If you're doing take-out, you can place your order there, grab a seat inside, and read the local papers and neighborhood happenings (including signing an anti-Subway petition). If take-out is not your bag, you can opt for the more formal dining aspect. Just let the bartender know you'd like to dine in or at one of the tables outside.

The dining room is really nice and very original - with funky decor, copper-topped bar and tables, tasteful overhead and candle lighting, mixed with a relaxed and rustic kind of ambiance. Despite how small cramped the dining room is (and how busy it can get at times), it's very inviting and cozy. Depending on what time you end up going, it can even border on the romantic and intimate side on certain weekday nights if you're lucky.

Alto boasts several different menus including...

- An early AM coffee menu served from 8 AM to 11 AM Monday through Friday with coffee (obviously), espresso, cappuccino, spicy mocha, latte, Mexican hot chocolate, and a small list of breakfast items like breads, fresh fruit, breakfast burritos, and gluten free bagels.

- A lunch and dining menu with soups (like the vegetarian black bean or seasonal gazpacho), salads (like the berry salad with mixed greens, goat cheese, sliced avocado, and berries with a balsamic vinaigrette), sides (like pico de gallo salsa, guacamole, and mango salsa), appetizers (like the fried calamari served with chipotle mayo and fresh lime), and many creative entrees (such as the vegan tostada, catfish burrito, soft tacos, quesadillas, and Mexican pizza, to name a few).

- A take-out menu (essentially a refined dining menu with quicker prepared options).

- A late-night menu (which is a smaller version of the take-out menu, but still with a large variety of offerings).

- And a Sunday brunch menu served from 11 AM to 3 PM.

I really their dining menu a lot. Just keep in mind that it's predominantly non-meat focused (which helped Syracuse get on the list for the 5th-best small city for being vegetarian and vegan-friendly). Be advised that you will not find beef or pork anywhere here (however, chorizo can make an appearance every once in a while).

An excellent wine selection is on-hand with an affordable and extensive list offering about 40 varieties from around the globe , each served by the glass, carafe, and bottle. The beer selection is good as well: several varieties on tap with a nice bottle selection of local microbrews, Mexican, and other imports. Alto also features a decent selection of Mexican sodas and other non-alcoholic beverages too.

As you can tell, I went with take-out on this occasion.

The order...

Chips & Salsa: $3.35
California Burrito (with Cornbread and House Salad): $9.50
Total Money Spent with Tax & Tip: $14.87

The salsa (pico de gallo style) had quite the kick - filled with diced tomatoes, red onions, cilantro, and jalapenos. It was tasty, but a bit watery for my liking with what consisted mostly of tomato juice and lime juice (I think?) with a slight smokiness flavor mixed in. I'd go out on a limb and attest that this salsa wasn't made that day (the tomatoes were a bit withered and the red onions lost some of their purple color). While not a big deal for salsa, it wasn't what I was expecting. The chips, while a tad on the salty side, were served warm, fresh, and crunchy. I had a ton of them left over afterwards, so it would've been nice to have a bigger portion of salsa.

Overall, not bad. I'd think I'd opt for a different appetizer next time as it's a little pricey for what you're actually getting (I always feel weird having to pay for chips and salsa).

So... the jalapeno cornbread is absolutely unbelievable. Perhaps the best in the city (I have yet to try Empire's blue cornbread). A perfect consistency (moist and not dry at all), flakey but not falling apart flakey, served warm, and with a pleasant hotness from the jalapenos. It's just amazing and I can't say enough good things about it. I could eat a whole dish of it.

Also pictured above is the house salad with mixed greens, cucumbers, radishes, and tangy vinaigrette.

The salad left a little to be desired. Freshly chopped ingredients, but a bit too many dirty leaves (it was quite noticeable). I would've preferred a bit more dressing as well, but I suppose that's the risk you can take sometimes with take-out in general.

The California burrito consisted of a wrapped 12-inch flour tortilla, yellow rice, black beans, cheese, salsa, sour cream, roasted red peppers, and guacamole.

Before you yell and scream about the addition of yellow rice in a burrito, don't be hatin'. It actually fits in nicely here and was not mushy at all. The addition of roasted red peppers and sour cream gave it a nice tangy flavor and the guacamole was very tasty: creamy and really brightened up the burrito. Overall, a great burrito and a very good portion size too.

I've gotten this entree while dining in and I always thought it was unique how they put a small wedge of avocado sticking out of the middle of the burrito.

A few other things of note...

- It can get cramped with long wait times when school is in session (especially Friday and Saturday evenings). If crowds bother you, the best time to go is when SU is on break or weekday evenings.

- Shame on me for not knowing they're open until 2 AM.

- Alto Cinco also offers catering. Check their website for details.

Really, my one minor complaint is while the food definitely tastes fresh, I think they tend to reiterate the same ingredients over and over again in many of the dishes here. To a further extent and to do a bit of comparing, when you're at The Mission with a spread of food on the table (salsas, appetizers, entrees) they all mix extremely well together and actually heightens the overall meal. I don't know if I technically get that vibe with Alto Cinco. Not that that's a must-have attribute for any restaurant, but I think it's at least something worth noting.

Overall, Alto Cinco's a great dining experience with an original and funky vibe and creative and fresh food. I think with a couple more visits and checking out the Sunday brunch, I can see myself giving this an even higher rating. I've heard good things about their fried calamari from several people, so I'll have to try me some of that next time I'm here. Which shall be very soon. A strong 4 stars.

My rating of Alto Cinco:

Review: Fresco Tortillas Grill

Name: Fresco Tortillas Grill
Address: 214 Walton St, Syracuse, NY
Phone: (315) 472-8226
Neighborhood: Downtown (Armory Square)
Website: www.yelp.com/biz/fresco-tortillas-syracuse
Menu: View Menu
Cuisine: Mexican, Tex-Mex, Asian Fusion
Restaurant Hours: 11 AM to 9:30 PM Monday-Thursday, 11 AM to 10:30 PM Friday-Saturday, 12 PM to 10 PM Sunday
Parking: On-Street
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Take-Out: Yes
Delivery: Yes

Ummmm...

Uhhhhhh...

Errrrr...

I don't like writing negative reviews. Mainly because I don't want to bash a place that is just trying to fit in. But I have no idea what to make of this place. Objectively, I suppose you could call the food here Asian Fusion, but it's more or less a Chinese restaurant attempting to serve Mexican food.

In what was the old Movino's Pizza location on Walton Street, Fresco Tortillas and Grill has been open in Armory Square for about a year now. The name is borrowed from a family restaurant in New York City of the same. Other local family businesses include Dragon City and Oishi Sushi.

Inside are a few high tables, tall chairs, a flat screen TV playing the news, and a counter in the back for ordering. I was the only person in here sans for what I assume was the owner's child playing with toys around one of the tables.

The menu is laid out like a typical Chinese restaurant with numbers along sides of menu items. It's relatively small, but has some tempting options like nachos, taco locos (flour tortilla with cheese wrapping a hard shell taco), tostadas, chili con carne, and quesadillas (the mixed vegetable with bok choy, baby corn, and carrots is probably the perfect example of "Asian Fusion" here). A decent portion of the menu is made in-house including the beans, salsa, tortilla chips, and flour tortillas.

The order...

Chicken Burrito: $4.99
Shrimp Taco: $3.09
Sprite: $1.09
Total money spent with tax & tip: $9.60

The food came out extremely fast. Probably the quickest I've ever gotten food that wasn't fast food. There was something kind of awkward about being in there by myself the 1-2 minutes while I was waiting for my food. The interior is kind of strange and uncomfortable, so when I got my meal (which had already been placed into a plastic bag) I decided to take it over to Armory Square Park and eat outside.

Pictured here is the shrimp taco with lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese all in a hard shell.

The taco shell was good; a nice crunch and served warm, but nothing else really held up. The shrimp was more or less the stir-fry kind you'd find at a Chinese buffet and there were large pieces of lettuce with just a couple pieces of tomatoes inside. The salsa and sour cream both came in separate mini plastic containers. Although it's advertised as homemade, the salsa was essentially what you'd expect from any canned salsa. A pretty basic taco, but I didn't finish the shrimp (which is blasphemous in my family).

BURRITO BALL.

Pictured above is the chicken burrito: a grilled 12-inch flour tortilla served with chicken, white rice, black beans, lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese.

A HUGE portion size (essentially a giant rolled up ball of food), but most of which consisted of rice and beans. Very few tomatoes, large pieces of romaine lettuce, and generally bland black beans. While hot and fully cooked, the chicken was moist, albeit a little spongy, and the rice was pretty soggy (dare I say, sticky rice?). I did like the grilled flour tortilla, but the rest left a lot to be desired. Certainly edible, but I just wasn't up for finishing it.

Some other things of note...

- Fresco offers catering to nearby businesses

- They also offer delivery within Downtown with a $10 minimum

I suppose if you like the individual ingredients (say, beans, cheese, or rice) it will suffice here. Nothing was really coming together for me though. The tortillas were respectable, but what's a tortilla if the actual ingredients don't hold up? It's very quick food, so if you're stretched for time during a lunch break, it might do. I think my money may have been more well-spent had I walked across the street and picked out a roll or two at Sakana-Ya.

Sorry, Fresco. I know you're trying, but I wasn't feelin it. A half star for friendly service.

My rating of Fresco Tortillas Grill:

Review: Ponchito's Taqueria

Name: Ponchito's Taqueria
Address: 3800 New Court Ave, Syracuse, NY
Neighborhood: Northside (Lyncourt)
Website: www.ponchitostaqueria.com
Menu: View Menu
Cuisine: Mexican, Latin American
Restaurant Hours: Monday-Wednesday 7 AM to 9 PM, Thursday 7 AM to 11 PM, Friday 7 AM to 3 AM, Saturday Noon to 3 AM
Parking: Private Lot
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Take-Out: Yes
Delivery: Yes

Opened in February of 2007, Ponchito's Taqueria is a family owned and operated Mexican-style roadside eatery that has been serving up huge burritos to Syracusans for a couple of years now. The location is a bit out on the outskirts of the city. Unless I'm mistaken, Ponchito's is technically outside of the Syracuse limits and more specifically in Lyncourt, but for the sake of the blog, I'm including it because it's practically right on the edge (similar situation to Eva's).

OK. Let's be honest - the place is a hole in the wall. A crappy TV hovers over the seating area playing reruns of Seinfeld as you walk in and take in the surroundings. The interior is small, dingy, and fluorescent lights line the ceiling. Honestly, I'm reminded of Joe's office from Joe Versus The Volcano. It's a plastic forks and paper plates joint with cafeteria-style ordering so don't expect to be led to a table that receives waiter service. It's primarily take-out oriented, but there are some tables if you decide to eat-in.

The counter area gives you a good impression of what kind of fillings there are. The meat is fresh here and never frozen. And some of it, like the braised pork, is simmered in a beer broth - which makes the whole place smell so good as you make up your mind on what to order on the board behind the counter.

The menu is pretty cool - you have your standard offerings like burritos, tacos, and quesadillas, and then unique things like gringos and platos. These are all made to order and can come with a choice of ground beef "just like your mom's", carnitas, steak, chicken, or grilled vegetables. And if you have the craving in the morning on your way to work, Ponchito's also offers breakfast burritos (like a chorizo-egg burrito).

The order...

Steak Burrito: $7
Chicken Taco: $4.15
Small Pappas Fritas: $1
Jarritos Fruit Punch: $1.57
Total Money Spent with Tax & Tip: $14.82

Pictured above is a chile-rubbed steak burrito with rice, beans, cheese, salsa, guacamole, and hot sauce in a flour tortilla.

It was a tasty burrito and an insanely large portion size for being just a "regular" but I thought there was way too much meat inside and not enough beans, salsa, sauce, guacamole, etc... Not that all the ingredients have to be perfectly proportioned or anything, but this was close to 80% meat and 20% fillings. This has happened on several occasions, so I suppose if you prefer burritos this way, you may love them here. That all being said, the steak was good: Chile rubbed and very tender and juicy, but also a little salty and greasy. The other ingredients were good - the salsa tasted fresh and the guacamole was good and creamy. But again, I just wish there were more of them as I think it would have balanced out everything a bit better. The meat was just a bit overbearing. (Is that blasphemous?).

I really liked the taco: shredded, marinated, and roasted chicken, pico de gallo, hot sauce, sour cream, guacamole, cheese, lettuce, and pickled jalapenos all in a hot, corn tortilla. This was great. Also, props for having corn tortillas.

The pappas fritas were interesting (essentially, potato chips). I wasn't sure what to expect when I ordered them, but I liked them - fresh, warm, crispy, with just a little bit of salt. It was a really nice accompaniment to the burrito and taco.

All of this was washed down with a fruit punch Jarritos (Mexican pure-sugar cane soda) and it was awesome. I know Ponchito's doesn't necessarily make these, but they get serious props for selling them. It's a not too carbonated soda and just a nice, sweet, subtle and fruity thirst-quencher to the meal.

I don't know why we don't make good soda here in the States. Seems like Coke, Pepsi, and other sodas taste so much better when they come from Mexico and are served in glass bottles. Probably the sugar. But I digress...

A few other things of note...

- Service was so-so. Seems like every review I read online raves about the friendly service, but I just haven't found that. Not that they're rude or anything. They seem nice, but it just seems to come off as semi-oblivious as to what's going on and a tad out-of-touch with trying to make food for the customer. A good example: I was asked three times what kind of beans I wanted. Honestly, it's not really a big deal. Maybe it's just a fluke thing or I'm unlucky on my visits or something.

- You'll probably receive your food in a paper bag, but no worries as they have napkins, forks, and paper plates along the side of the counter.

- If you plan on going to this place during the late hours, they sometimes have run out of meat options by then. (Though, that's good news because that means business is good!).

- Although the tacos and burritos are cheap to start off, they can get a little pricey if you keep adding toppings.

- I love the wall-mounted bottle cap opener at the counter that you have to use to open soda bottles.

- There's various hot sauces scattered around on the tables if you feel like kicking your food up a notch or two.

I suppose f I had to change a few things about this place, it would be....

- You can't see the ingredients / condiments, nor can you see your food being made, as everything sans meat is hidden behind the counter. I tend to be partial to seeing my food being made when it comes to things like sandwiches, salads, burritos, etc... I think it also helps the customer to be a bit more informed of what's going in, how much of each ingredient is going in, and what kind of options there are.

- I understand it's a road-side taqueria and not fine-dining, but I think the interior could use a good cleaning. It's just a really dingy atmosphere. I have no problem eating in a run-down place, but it just struck me as a bit TOO run-down here if you catch my drift.

- Going along with the being-able-to-see-your-ingredients-theme, I feel like they should offer a couple of additional salsas - and maybe even various kinds of guacamole. I mean, yes, it's a small place that primarily focuses on quick, down-home style food, but maybe adding a few more creative toppings could really propel this place a bit further.

Overall, I liked it here - don't let my low rating fool you. It's a great place to stop in for lunch if you are craving large portions and meaty burritos. Ponchito's does get deductions for an awkward interior, being located in the middle of nowhere, and I think it could use some work in making the customer feeling a bit more comfortable and in-tune with what's going on with their order. But gets points for a nice menu, good Mexican and Latin American style food, large portions, and being a good lunch and late-night eats destination.

My rating of Ponchito's Taqueria:

The Mission Burrito & The Burrito Mission

Note: For my full review of The Mission Restaurant, click here.

So if you haven't already noticed, I am on a mission to find the best burrito in Syracuse.




Pictured here is The Mission's Peurco Pibil Burrito with Refried Beans, topped with Pico de Gallo, with sides of Spanish Rice and Cabbage Salad. Guacamole and Sour Cream on the side as well.

Peurco Pibil Burrito: $12.50

The burrito meat and filling were both good - juicy, Yucatan style Shredded Pork with Achiote and Orange and creamy Refried Beans lining the interior - but everything else on the plate was generally blase. Dry and bland Spanish Rice, Pico de Gallo that was 99% diced tomatoes, Cabbage Salad that was just awful and tasted like it had been sitting around all day, and Guacamole that essentially tasted like pureed Avocados.

As a Burrito, it was mediocre and as a meal, it was a legitimate let-down.

After visiting The Mission over the last several months, I've jumped onto this theory that its concepts are well-thought and have good intentions, but the food can come out completely bland and uninspiring. I usually end up leaving disappointed 50% of the time after eating here, and the other 50% of the time, I really enjoy my experience and wonder why I don't go back more often. It's such an appealing place, with a cool vibe, originality, and a creative menu, but such a let-down when the food doesn't suffice - perhaps because they have all of the right ingredients of aesthetics, but are missing some ingredients in their cuisine. For instance, would it kill them to add just a bit more cilantro, onions, and lime juice to the Pico de Gallo and Guacamole? God forbid we want some actual flavor in there...

I shouldn't be so hard on them. I just get picky after eating there sometimes. Mainly because some of the food could be elevated with just a few simple ingredients.

At any rate, I would say that The Mission has the best burrito from restaurants that I've reviewed on this blog thus far. A bit too early for an in-depth list, but the ranking would go something like...

1) Peurco Pibil Burrito at The Mission Restaurant
2) Smothered Burrito at Steve's Cantina & Grill
3) California Burrito at El Canelo

This also begs the question: is there a place to get a burrito in Syracuse where I do not need a knife and fork?

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: