Review: Ambrosia

Name: Ambrosia
Address: 201 Walton St, Syracuse, NY
Neighborhood: Downtown (Armory Square)
Website: www.ambrosia201.com
Menu: View Menu
Cuisine: New American, Asian Fusion, Sushi
Alcohol: Full Bar
Restaurant Hours: Monday to Saturday 5 PM - 10 PM
Bar Hours: Friday to Saturday 5 PM - 2 AM
Parking: On-Street
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Accepts Reservations: Yes
Delivery: Yes (available through TakeOut Xpress)

I arrived at Ambrosia on a humid evening around 6 PM. Parking was easy as I found rock star parking less than a block away on S Franklin Street. Amrosia has an absolutely superb location: directly on the corner of Franklin and Walton Streets overlooking the busiest intersection in Armory Square. There's some tables outside as you walk to the doors, but this was way too hot of a day to be eating outside. There's two entrances upon entering: one for the restaurant, bar, sushi lounge, and banquet area, and the other entrance for the nightclub. The sushi lounge can seat 40 and hold 70 for cocktails and oeuvres and the banquet room can seat 120 or hold 300 for parties and receptions. As for the restaurant interior, it's very nice: hip decor, subtle lighting, old hardwood floors, and a very sleek looking bar area. And with its big windows lining the exterior, you really get an outstanding view of Armory Square. Overall, I really liked the interior of the place. It borders on the trendy and pretentious side, but it's a nice change of pace from other Syracuse restaurants.

Other observations and notes...

- It seems like it would be a great place to host a business meeting or lunch

- Sushi is half-price on Thursdays.

- Happy hour is Fridays from 5 PM to 8 PM.

- The place was generally very clean, with the exception of my soy sauce bottle being extremely dusty.

As for the menus, the drinks menu looked really great. A lot of creative cocktails and twists on martinis. Though, there were no prices listed next to them (which is a pet peeve of mine).

The menu itself is predominantly modern American cuisine with a wide range of sushi varieties. The sushi portion was a little overwhelming. A lot of creative pieces, but I think the amount of offerings could be widdled down quite a bit. When you start labelling things as "#85" and "#127", I think the numbering system ends up doing your place more harm than good. And the appetizer and entree menu portion looked good. A decent selection of main entrees like pan roasted duck breast, grilled swordfish, and steaks, Though I think they could cut down on the sushi offerings and offer more than just nine appetizer options. Some of them even seemed a bit unorthodox (grilled cheese, fried mozzarella...). At any rate...

The order...

Mojito: $7
Lobster & Goat Cheese Rangoons: $14
Maki Mono Godzilla Roll: $15
Total Money Spent with Tax & Tip: $42

Pictured above on the upper left is the Mojito (lime, mint, sugar, citrus rum, and club soda)

Not only was this drink not strong, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say that this it wasn't properly mixed as well. It didn't taste muddled (it was missing those little pieces of mint that float around). It was sweet and all, which I'm sure was the "citrus rum", but it was missing that mojito-flavor. And you can tell a good mojito once it hits your lips - especially when it's 90 degrees outside. I can appreciate it for its creativity, but I was really hoping that this would be a bit more refreshing than what it was.

Also above is the Lobster & Goat Cheese Rangoons, served with sweet chili glaze.

This sounded delicious on the menu, but it really wasn't. They tasted like they were fried, left out for some time, and then fried again (they were extremely crunchy and dark-colored which leads me to believe that they were refried right before serving. You can tell by the picture that they are all dark save for the one on the end). The cheese was bland and didn't have that punch that goat cheese has and the chili glaze was relatively uninspiring and tasted like duck sauce from out of the packets of a Chinese restaurant. The lobster meat itself was the only thing it had going for it: plump and juicy pieces that tasted like the sea.

Pictured here is the Godzilla Roll: Yellowtail, scallions, kani kama, avocado, panko encrusted and flash fried, rolled with wasabi tobikko and sesame seeds.

There were a lot of ingredients here, but I thought they all blended together nicely and it looked very colorful on the plate. It was a decent piece of sushi, but it was way too large of a portion size. (It looks fairly deceiving on the plate). I could barely pick a piece up with chopsticks, let alone fit it in my mouth. The ingredients were good, but it all tasted a little dry.

All and all, Ambrosia's food was relatively mediocre. The portions and plating were both great, but the food didn't give me that "wow" feeling that I was expecting. It was all generally bland.

Some other notes...

- The music that was playing felt more like 9 o'clock music instead of 6 o'clock music. Something a little more toned down would have been more appropriate rather than drum and bass.

- There is a dress code. I've read that the policy is "no jeans and no hoodies" though I could be mistaken. I also have no idea at what hour the code goes into effect. There was no bouncer at the door when I visited, so I was fine with a black tee and shorts. But it's just a heads up if you plan on eating there later in the evening that it might be wise to stay within the dress code.

- Service was slow. It may have been a fluke thing, but it took forever to order, get drinks, and get the check.

- If you're drinking at the bar, you have to spend more than $15 on drinks in order to get your card back.

I've read a bunch of reviews online that deal with a snotty waitress staff, rude bouncers, and a strictly and unfairly enforced dress-code. Although my visit was only for the restaurant and not the nightclub, I didn't encounter any of these problems. However, this was during the evening, so perhaps the rules change once the sun goes down and the bridge and tunnel kids start showing up. I'm sure the dress requirements get stricter and the wait staff gets a shorter and shorter fuse as the hours go on. They probably don't want to have a bunch of drunk 20-somethings wandering around inside the restaurant while people are eating.

Some improvements that I would consider incorporating: more refined Asian appetizers (like a few elegant, Asian-style soups for instance), quicker service, more appropriate mood music during earlier dining hours, separate entrances for the club and for the restaurant, and an organized and easier to read sushi menu.

For the quality of food, I thought it was overpriced. It's too expensive to warrant another trip back anytime soon. However, despite its faults, Amrbosia did have good things going for it: a hip atmosphere, an interesting sushi menu, creative drinks, good sized portions, and it's located at the quintessential spot in Syracuse's most desirable neighborhood. They have their niche: trendy, Asian-style dining in the heart of Amory Square. I don't know when I'll be going back again. If I do, it would more than likely be for cocktails and half-priced sushi on Thursday evenings.

My rating of Ambrosia:

Review: Pascale Wine Bar & Restaurant

Name: Pascale Wine Bar & Restaurant
Address: 204 W Fayette St, Syracuse, NY
Neighborhood: Downtown (Armory Square)
Website: www.pascalerestaurant.com
Menu: View Menu
Cuisine: New American, Fine Dining, Wine Bar
Alcohol: Full Bar
Restaurant Hours: Monday to Thursday 5:30 PM - 9 PM, Friday to Saturday 5:30 PM - 10:30 PM
Bar Hours: Monday to Saturday 5 PM to close
Parking: On-Street and Valet
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Accepts Reservations: Yes
Take-out: No

Pascale Wine Bar & Restaurant has been a Syracuse venue for refined, eclectic, and sophisticated dining for over 25 years. Since its opening in 1982, Pascale has been home to some of the best fine-dining in the city. The interior is spacious and features an open kitchen, large bar area near the front, and plenty of intimate seating. However, something was rubbing me the wrong way about the interior overall upon walking in. The colors all seemed a little forced and really presented the place with an early 90's sort of vibe (the beige colors, the flower patterns on the booths, and the pattern of square, rainbow colors that are presented in areas like the ceiling, the windows, and even the candle holders). I mean it was fine, but it didn't seem trendy, or progressive, or romantic to me. And if that's what they're aiming for, I think they need an update on the color scheme, focus on dimmer lighting, and change the music (it was some sort of drum and bass trance music during my visit that didn't fit in at all with the rest of the restaurant). Really, they could take a few notes from Pastabilities as far as the interior is concerned. Everything seemed overly deliberate and jumbled. I'm really hoping that Pascale isn't "the most romantic restaurant in Syracuse" (per the Syracuse New Times). If it is, it implies that romantic dining is all downhill from here. Although I cannot attest quite yet, I'd like to hope that there is at least one better romantic place in the city. That isn't to say that Pascale isn't a good date spot (it is), it's just that the interior fell flat and didn't deliver what I was expecting.

The dinner menu is clear, concise, and contemporary. It's also updated seasonally and on this occasion featured a nice selection of appetizers like Seared Tuna, Risotto, and Foie Gras, and a very creative list of entrees like Venison Wellington, Moroccan Lamb Shank, and Moulard Duck Confit.

The wine list is extremely extensive and actually reads a bit like a book report. As noted by Wine Spectator, Pascale's award winning wine list features approximately 400 selections of wines from around the world. So yes, there is much to choose from. Even the liquor selection is large. I counted about 8 different types of tequila as I brushed through the selection of alcohol. If you're unsure about what to order or what you may like, the wait staff is very helpful and knowledgeable to give assistance.

The order...

Rose: Las Rocas 2007 - Spain (Bottle): $20
Seafood Salad: $8
Filet Mignon: $24
Total Money Spent with Tax & Tip: $68

Pictured above is a basket of Pascale's homemade breads with a cruet of olive oil.

The breads, which are freshly made from Pascale Cafe & Bakehouse, were very good. Unfortunately, I didn't have the exact names, but I tried two of them: one was a whole-wheat artisan bread which had a hint of nuttiness to it and the other was somewhat of a traditional Italian with olives. Thumbs up.

The green olive oil? Thumbs down. I wasn't really a fan of it. Unless I'm way off base, it tasted like it had an infused herb (perhaps sage?). It was just a little too bitter for my liking. I suppose if it was combined with a basic, rustic bread I probably wouldn't have minded it so much, but a flavored bread with a flavored olive oil was too overwhelming. There was just too much going on - especially when you're dealing with something as simple as bread and oil. Instead, I think Pascale would be better off pairing the breads with a simple, nice olive oil - which might highlight the breads a little more.

Pictured here is the seafood salad with calamari, rock shrimp, scallops, spring vegetables, and a lemon basil vinaigrette served in a bowl of radicchio on a bed of greens.

You can't really tell by the picture, but this is a deceivingly big portion of food. The ingredients were all good and fresh and the scallops were simply amazing. I'm not even a huge scallops fan, but I think Pascale may have given me a 180 on the subject as these were some of the best that I've ever had. Nice and chewy and so tender that they almost tasted a bit like lobster meat. The other seafood ingredients were good but nothing noteworthy. The calamari was a bit rubbery, even for calamari and most of the rock shrimp were a bit on the minuscule side, even for rock shrimp. Overall it was a good salad, but there was too much stuff (roughly 8 different vegetables and herbs and 3 seafoods). It's a salad so it wasn't like there was anything clashing per se, but I think something a bit more concise like seafood, cucumber, carrots, red peppers, and a garnish on greens with a vinaigrette would have done the trick.

Pictured above is the Filet Mignon with Bearnaise sauce, green beans, and a garlic mashed potato.

The Filet Mignon was very good - very tender and juicy. Though, it was served moderately undercooked (I had asked for medium and it came out rare). I usually don't mind when meat is over/under cooked as I like most varieties, but to me it was just the principle that this wasn't what I had asked for. I suppose I could have asked the waitress to send it back, but I'm quite shy when it comes to things like that and try not to be one of those people.

At any rate, the meat was topped with a perfect, buttery Bearnaise sauce. The mashed potatoes were excellent. Creamy, garlicky, and had almost a hint of onion or shallot flavor as well. So good. The green beans were crispy and cooked perfectly and creatively garnished with thinly sliced carrots, red onions, and red peppers. Very, very tasty and well-cooked green beans. And finally, the plate was garnished with what looked like chickweed or wood sorrel. I don't know the name. Forgive me if I'm talking like a Martian. Either way, I liked the garnish (which was the same one that was used on the seafood salad). It gave the dish a nice, bright texture. Though, some of the garnish on the entree plate was wilted and brown. Which leads me to a much bigger issue...

If you don't consider your restaurant to be fine-dining then I normally wouldn't be making a mountain out of an ant hill about the Filet Mignon being undercooked and topped with sub-par garnish. But if a restaurant is implying that it is elite, then I think that you reserve the right to be picky on these kinds of things. I mean, if I got a piece of brown lettuce at Brooklyn Pickle, I would just pick it out and not eat it, but if I'm paying $24 for an entree, everything on the plate should be presented impeccably. And by no means am I referring to the plating because that was excellent. I guess what I'm trying to say is that the "quality control" could have been slightly higher (i.e. a correctly cooked piece of meat with a clean garnish).

Overall though and all bickering aside, this was a great, great entree dish; a very good combination of colors, textures, and flavors.

I've been in places where once you finish your meal, it almost feels like they are trying to rush you out as quickly as possible: clearing off your table, taking your water away, throwing the bill at you, etc.. That wasn't the case at all here. The wait staff let me sit, relax, enjoy my wine, and really just take in the moment. I wasn't planning on staying too long afterwards and I also wasn't planning on ordering any dessert, but by the time they rolled that dessert trolley near my table, I almost completely changed my mind. I admittedly didn't have enough room in my stomach to fit any more food, but it was quite amusing to see every one's eyes within a radius of 10 feet suddenly glued in like a deer in headlights on the mouth watering display of homemade cakes, pastries, and ice cream being rolled around from table to table.

A couple additional things of note...

- Pascale features live jazz music on Saturday nights.

- They also offer valet parking ($3).

- Although, I'd still call it a good "date spot", the ambiance can vary. I was there on a Tuesday night and it was somewhat loud.

- The clientele was also a bit more well-dressed here than what I was expecting. I was wearing a plain, dark tee and nice jeans and felt a tad out of place. So I'd advise that the dress is dressy/classy (i.e. no Nascar shirts, dude).

Overall, it was an excellent dining experience. The food was great and creative and the service was personable, attentive, and yet very professional at all ends of the restaurant. But giving it a 5-star ranking would be a bit of a stretch for me. I have to give Pascale a half star deduction on what felt like a forced interior and a slight miss on food execution. By all means I'd go back again, but probably only for a special occasion.

My rating of Pascale Wine Bar & Restaurant: