Upstate New York Dining ?

[GordonCooks]

Any positve of negative dining experiences ?

PS when I say Upstate, I don't mean Yonkers

[jordyn]

What do you mean? Is Garrison upstate? Poughkeepsie? Albany?

[APPS411]

I used to work in a restaurant in Troy, NY (just over the river from Albany) called RIVER STREET CAFE. Awesome food. great little place, only about 20 tables. superb wine list w/ about 25 served by the glass at reasonable prices.

I reccommend it highly.

[rich]

Chez Pierre, Chez Sophie - Saratoga Springs, both are terrific.

The Old Grist Mill outside of Monroe is very good.

Yono's is a good Albany place, though better before it moved.

Pleasant Valley Inn in Hammondsport is excellent and Veritas at Glenora Winery in Dundee is an up and coming place - just got a new chef and the improvement is evident.

[APPS411]

I grew up in Poughkeepsie, NY. The SHIPS LANTERN INN in Milton, NY (Just across the river from poughkeepsie) is probably the most consistently great restaurant around that area. Superb service, outstanding food.

[jaybee]

I started a thread on Hudson River Valley dining in the New York board several months ago. There were some good posts. Some of my favorites in the mid-Hudson Valley incude I'l Cena Cola on rt. 52 in Newburgh (nothern Italian), Le Bouchon (brasserie, bistro on Main Street in Coldspring), Cafe Tamayo in Saugerties. Allyns near Millbrook is good. There was also a nice tavern restaurant in Athens New york, right on the river, but I don't know if it still is good. Tim Mulligan has an excellent guide caled The Hudson River Valley which contains some good restaurant listings.

[GordonCooks]

Waaaaaay upstate

Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse.

I'm thinking that this will be a short thread.

[jaybee]

Oh, I was in Buffalo once...I think it was 1969. Rochester too. But never Syracuse.

[Kirk]

Some upstate New York suggestions - very reasonable & quite good restaurants to enjoy along with our beauuutiful scenery!!...take a weekend off, depressurize & come on up!....

Symeon's Restaurant - rte. 5A - Yorkville, NY - excellent Greek and other cuisine..

Piggy Pat's BBQ - Washington Mills, NY & between Little Falls & Middleville, NY - Rte 167(latter not open during winter) - N.C.-style BBQ

Voss's Drive In - Rte. 5A - Yorkville, NY - Great hot dogs on toasted buns - with condiments 1 is a meal, BBQ sandwiches, burgers, home-made ice cream ..you'll notice it by the crowds waiting for their orders out front..

The Kitla Restaurant - Frankfort, NY - venerable originally Polish restaurant a landmark for years..

Buffalo Head Restaurant - Rte. 12 - Forestport, NY - known for prime rib..

Raquette Lake Navigation Co. - Big Moose, NY -off rte. 28 between Old Forge & Blue Mt. Lake in Adirondacks - excellent buffet lunch/dinner cruises on spectacular lake famous for great camps of 1800's..

Tallly-Ho Retsaurant -on rte. 20 in Richfield Springs, NY- ecxellent breakfasts, sandwiches/luch specials, pies....

Donna's Diner - rte 5 East Herkimer, NY - loads of cars/trucks ALWAYS parked around restaurant give you a clue as to the quality/quantity of their breakfasts/lunches...

The River Basket Drive-In.. a liittle further east on rte. 5 - with picnic tables overlooking scenic Mohawk Valley..good BBQ sandwiches, mexican hots..

Canalside Restaurant - in Canal Place development off rte. 5 in Little Falls, NY - excellent lunches - sandwiches, soups, etc...

further east on rte. 5 & several miles n. on rte 167 in Dolgeville, NY...

Cottage Hotel/Arthur's Restaurant -main st.-Dolgeville- excellent lunches/dinners- people come from around the area for famous Friday night fish fry..

Country Cafe - a little further up main st. on left - excellent breakfasts, lunches, fish fry, pies...

Motors In - continue on up main st. - on left - great breakfasts, lunches, Thurs. eve. chicken & biscuits special..known for variety of unsurpassed home-made pies..

Green Acres Drive-In..further up main..left on state st...rt. om Helmer to this 50+ year old drive-in icon..burgers, mexican hots, fish..

east across East Canada Creek on rte. 29 between Dolgeville & Johnstown..take rt. to Ephratah, NY - Saltsman's Restaurant - famous regionally for their home-cooked menu, lamb chops, corn fritters ..many come from Saratoga races in summer here for diinner...

further east on rte. 29 - Rockwood Rest. in Rockwood..excellent lunches, dinners....

up rte. 10 from Rockwood to Caroga Lake, NY within Adirondack Park - & then rt. several miles on rte. 30 toward Gloversville..Northward Inn..fine dining..

above Caroga Lake on rte 30/10 before Canada Lake - rt. up small mt. road to The Pinnacle - excellent lunches/dinners, Thurs. prime rib special - tremendous views out over chain of Adirondack lakes....

[phaelon56]

How to define "Upstate" is very much a question of where you're from. Some NYC natives really do consider anything North of Yonkers as upstate. Most folks living in the Poughkeepsie, Rhinebeck areas etc. call that area the Hudson valley (rightfully so). Albany and Troy are the Capital District.... Utica through Syracuse and Rochester is Central NY and Buffalo-west is most properly known as the Niagara Frontier district.

Having said that.... I'll only address Syracuse as it is my hoemtown and I still spend 8-9 days per month there for business.

BBQ - Dinosaur is the only significant place and is highly overrated but it is fun and worth a visit. It's not bad but just ain't worth the hype

French - L'Adour is the only French place in town and opened a bit over a year ago. I've only tried their bistro menu downstairs. Upstairs is price fixe $38-40 three course. Nice room and friendly people. Can't speak to the food upstairs but what we had downstairs was decent country French - akin to what you'll get at Steak Frites on W. 16th. I saw a mention on Chowhound that it was overrated but it's the only game in town for French and after a year it's still booked solid well in advance every Friday and Saturday night.

Mexican - Alto Cinco up on Westcott Street in the outer University area is fun. Has a copper topped bar serving beer and wine only. friednly neighborhood feel and it's a very small place with a NYC bistro type feel. I really like it and try to get there once a month if possible.

Polish - Eva's European Sweets in Solvay on Milton Ave (near NY State fairgrounds) is a small, casual place with no pretensions but great food. NYC wishes it had a Polish restaurant this good. Nice atmosphere and ridiculously cheap. Excelllent European style tarts and desserts.

Contemporary - Pascale's in Armory Square is really the only place in town that has an upscale NYC feel to the room and yes it has a sometimes ambitious menu and rarely hits the mark on all counts (so I'm told - I have only eaten there once and my dinner was excellent).

Contemporary - Incredibly good fresh past and an innovative menu are the hallmarks of Pastabilities. Their non-pasta dishes don't alwaus hti the mark but they should be commended for setting trends int he Syracuse area and trying hard (and you can generally get a very good meal there). It's a bit noisy and has evolved form being very hip to having plenty of wannabe's and now has loads of suburban folks lining up on weekends. The stretch bread which is produced at their own bakery across the street is nothing short of incredible. I challenge anyone to find better bread in NYC - I don't think it exists.

Italian - Regrettably few good ones to choose from these days. Antonio's on North Salina appears to still be the best of the bunch according to the local grapevine. It's packed every night of the week and reservations are needed so there must be at least a bit of truth to the rumors. It's a red sauce place - other than a Northern Italian dish or two at Pascale's there are only red sauce places in Syracuse and none are truly top shelf (or even consistently really good).

Vietnamese - Of the three in town only Mai Lan Restaurant on North State is really good. I'd hazard a guess that her food is better than any of the places in Chinatown and close to as good as Little Saigon in Nutley. I really like the people at New Century on Kirkpatrick Street (also on the North Side) and they have the best iced coffee w/condensed milk but here food is better (albeit much pricier) and she does a wonderful job with presentation. New Century does have a wonderful group called Hue Beef Noodle that is spicy and pungent - very interesting.

Thai -- Erahwan on Erie Blvd East is probably about in the same league as Pam's Real Thai on W 49th and similar atmosphere. Not the most authentic you'll ever have but better than average. Just a bit further east on "the boulevard" is Little Thai House. I eat here far moore often - it's a bit pricer and the food is just about as good but the atmopshere is far superior and I rarely have to wait for a table.

Further afield..... Etienne Merle, who once ran a well rated and loved place in the Ithaca area called L'Auberge de Cocon Rouge has retruned from a hiatus with a new place. Can't recall the name but his wife/partner is the pastry chef and it sounds promising. Keep in mind that in areas this far upstate there often have to be compromises made in [roce and concept in order to be financially successful. I understand that his menu focuses on fresh szeasonal ingredients but keeps it simple (and moderately priced). many areas that far upstate simply can't support "destination" restaurants. There may be enough well heeled folks there to support such an enterprise but people want variety and many reserve their major dining out budgets for trips to places like NYC.

Speaking of further afield.... has anyone here eaten at the Horned Dorset in Leonardsville lately? I've long heard that it's "the bomb" and reputed to be the best small inn in the state and the best restaurant in the state outside of NYC but haven't spoken to anyone who's eaten there in recent years.

[barbcutie]

To APPS 411:

I love River St. - George is an animal and he visits us often which we appreciate...

And phaelon 56:

This totally bums me out because I work at Dinosaur BBQ and we work our hearts out to give excellent food, service, etc... If I could persuade you to come back email me and I'll make sure you have a better experience, but thanks for being honest - it keeps us honest.

PS. I can't figure out how to work quotes... sorry

[Rail Paul]

Pleasant Valley Inn in Hammondsport is excellent and  Veritas at Glenora Winery in Dundee is an up and coming place - just got a new chef and the improvement is evident.

Veritas sounds like an interesting place. Would you describe menu, wines, etc?

We stopped at Glenora a decade ago, and felt it was a location that cried out for a good country restaurant. I'm pleased that's happened.

We were also trapped in a cellar with Dr Konstantin Frank for an eternity two decades + ago. Left with several cases of "educational selctions" including some gewurtz, and various vinefera selections...

[GordonCooks]

To APPS 411:

I love River St. - George is an animal and he visits us often which we appreciate...

And phaelon 56:

This totally bums me out because I work at Dinosaur BBQ and we work our hearts out to give excellent food, service, etc...  If I could persuade you to come back email me and I'll make sure you have a better experience, but thanks for being honest - it keeps us honest.

PS. I can't figure out how to work quotes... sorry

Wow, I've got friends at Dinosaur Rochester !

[GordonCooks]

How to define "Upstate" is very much a question of where you're from. Some NYC natives really do consider anything North of Yonkers as upstate. Most folks living in the Poughkeepsie, Rhinebeck areas etc. call that area the Hudson valley (rightfully so).  Albany and Troy are the Capital District....  Utica through Syracuse and Rochester is Central NY and Buffalo-west is most properly known as the Niagara Frontier district.

Having said that....  I'll only address Syracuse as it is my hoemtown and I still spend 8-9 days per month there for business.

BBQ - Dinosaur  is the only significant place and is highly overrated but it is fun and worth a visit. It's not bad but just ain't worth the hype

French -  L'Adour is the only French place in town and opened a bit over a year ago. I've only tried their bistro menu downstairs. Upstairs is price fixe $38-40 three course. Nice room and friendly people. Can't speak to the food upstairs but what we had downstairs was decent country French - akin to what you'll get at Steak Frites on W. 16th.  I saw a mention on Chowhound that it was overrated but it's the only game in town for French and after a year it's still booked solid well in advance every Friday and Saturday night.

Mexican - Alto Cinco up on Westcott Street in the outer University area is fun. Has a copper topped bar serving beer and wine only. friednly neighborhood feel and it's a very small place with a NYC bistro type feel.  I really like it and try to get there once a month if possible.

Polish - Eva's European Sweets in Solvay on Milton Ave (near NY State fairgrounds) is a small, casual place with no pretensions but great food. NYC wishes it had a Polish restaurant this good. Nice atmosphere and ridiculously cheap.  Excelllent European style tarts and desserts. 

Contemporary -  Pascale's in Armory Square is really the only place in town that has an upscale NYC feel to the room and yes it has a sometimes ambitious menu and rarely hits the mark on all counts (so I'm told - I have only eaten there once and my dinner was excellent).

Contemporary -  Incredibly good fresh past and an innovative menu are the hallmarks of Pastabilities. Their non-pasta  dishes don't alwaus hti the mark but they should be commended for setting trends int he Syracuse area and trying hard (and you can generally get a very good meal there). It's a bit noisy and has evolved form being very hip to having plenty of wannabe's and now has loads of suburban folks lining up on weekends. The stretch bread which is produced at their own bakery across the street is nothing short of incredible. I challenge anyone to find better bread in NYC - I don't think it exists.

Italian -  Regrettably few good ones to choose from these days. Antonio's on North Salina appears to still be the best of the bunch according to the local grapevine. It's packed every night of the week and reservations are needed so there must be at least a bit of truth to the rumors.  It's a red sauce place - other than a Northern Italian dish or two at Pascale's there are only red sauce places in Syracuse and none are truly top shelf  (or even consistently really good).

Vietnamese -  Of the three in town only Mai Lan Restaurant on North State is really good. I'd hazard a guess that her food is better than any of the places in Chinatown and close to as good as Little Saigon in Nutley.  I really like the people at New Century on Kirkpatrick Street (also on the North Side) and they have the best iced coffee w/condensed milk but here food is better (albeit much pricier) and she does a wonderful job with presentation. New Century does have a wonderful group called Hue Beef Noodle that is spicy and pungent - very interesting.

Thai -- Erahwan on Erie Blvd East is probably about in the same league as Pam's Real Thai on W 49th and similar atmosphere. Not the most authentic you'll ever have but better than average. Just a bit further east on "the boulevard" is Little Thai House. I eat here far moore often - it's a bit pricer and the food is just about as good but the atmopshere is far superior and I rarely have to wait for a table.

Further afield.....    Etienne Merle, who once ran a well rated and loved place in the Ithaca area called L'Auberge de Cocon Rouge has retruned from a hiatus with a new place. Can't recall the name but his wife/partner is the pastry chef and it sounds promising. Keep in mind that in areas this far upstate there often have to be compromises made in [roce and concept in order to be financially successful. I understand that his menu focuses on fresh szeasonal ingredients but keeps it simple (and moderately priced). many areas that far upstate simply can't support "destination" restaurants. There may be enough well heeled folks there to support such an enterprise but people want variety and many reserve their major dining out budgets for trips to places like NYC.

Speaking of further afield....  has anyone here eaten at the Horned Dorset in Leonardsville lately?  I've long heard that it's "the bomb" and reputed to be the best small inn in the state and the best restaurant in the state outside of NYC but haven't spoken to anyone who's eaten there  in recent years.

Have you been to Lemon Grass ?

[barbcutie]

If you get the chance you should definitely check out Mirbeau - a spa in Skaneateles. The food is really top notch - high end without being chi-chi and vapid as high end sometimes can be. They have a great, young chef named Ed Moro - very nice guy. The spa is very beautiful as well...

[phaelon56]

Barbcutie - I will try to give you a heads up before I eat at Dinosaur again although my intermittent visits are usually for takeout - it's just so darn busy and noisy in there that I rarely have the patience to wait for a table and then deal with the commotion. I hope I didn't come across as terribly negative. The food there is really decent, the side dishes very god, the pulled pork outstanding and the sauces exceptionally good. the ribs tend to be fatty - I have yet to have really good ribs fromt he Dinosaur and I've had their ribs on 4 or 5 different occasions including eat-in, take-out and at a couple events where they did the catering. I prefer Texas style dry rub where the fat is cooked off but the meat still has plenty of texture. If you've ever tried John-John's ribs you'll have an idea of what my ideal rib is like. He has a red firetruck with one really big-ass grill behind it. He's sometimes set up at the corner of South Ave and West Onondaga in the parking lot of the Rite-Aid on summertime weekends. I do ribs on my home water smoker and can duplicate what he produces but now that I'm in a third floor walk-up with my smoker on the backyard deck it rarely gets used.

I guess what bugs me is when I read accoutns from people who think it's the best BBQ in the Northeast ro even beyond - it's decent as I said but it just ain't all that (no offense intended but I have to be honest).

Lemongrass? It's okay but Erawhan has much better food at far lower prices. Little Thai House on the Boulevard is almost as good as Erawhan and IMHO better than Lemongrass. I think you're paying quite a bit extra for the atmosphere at Lemongrass and the grapevine tells me that they don't keep a very clean kitchen. That is a completely hearsay but came to me from a fairly reliable source.

Probably fortunate due to the onset of winter, but recently I've been in the 'cuse far less than usual. I did have a terrific dinner at Riley's last week and it was very reasonable. Outstanding black bean soup - spicy and tangy (lime I think) and sort of a thin broth - not like the Cuban style that I usually prefer - this is one of the best renditions of black bean soup that I've ever had. My new GF had Jambalaya - she's familiar with the version that Empire Brewing serves and pronounced this as better in that the ingredients seemed fresher and of better quality although it wasn't spicy enough. I had grilled duck breasr with some sort of mango or papaya salsa. very tasty and cheap at under $14.

[Elissa]

any new adirondack discoveries?

[melkor]

Before I moved to the Napa Valley, I lived in a different tourist trap - right next to Woodstock NY in a tiny town no one has heard of. There are a few really good places to eat around there.

the Bear Cafe Located right outside woodstock on highway 212 in an old farmhouse style building overlooking a small stream. The menu is california/american cuisine, they have a solid wine list with a reasonable markup.

New World Home Cooking on the other side of woodstock, in saugerties – caribbean/cuban/new orleans/some of everything else, the blackened string beans are an absolutely required part of any visit.

Depuy Canal House consistently serves the best food in upstate NY. They are located in the middle of nowhere, in the town of high falls. They run a bed and breakfast across the street. It's an hour and a half or so north of NYC, and a very good way to spend a weekend.

Calico in Rhinebeck, is a very small bistro and bakery. They only have 8 or so tables and are open only a few days a week, but the food is excellent and the pastries are even better.

And the thing I've now learned about all the places I used to eat regularly is that they almost all have awful websites.

Cripple Creek and Max's Memphis BBQ are both also worth checking out.

[menton1]

A couple of years back I had one of the most fun times ever at a restaurant in Corning, NY called The Upstate Tuna Company--

You pick out your meat or fish entree from a refrigerated showcase, and then you go and grill it YOURSELF on a giant grill in a special area. They help you so you don't really mess up, and you decide what sauces to bast it with. One of the most fun meals I ever had--Very unique!!

[Rail Paul]

A couple of years back I had one of the most fun times ever at a restaurant in Corning, NY called The Upstate Tuna Company--

You pick out your meat or fish entree from a refrigerated showcase, and then you go and grill it YOURSELF on a giant grill in a special area.  They help you so you don't really mess up, and you decide what sauces to bast it with.  One of the most fun meals I ever had--Very unique!!

This sounds very much like a Mongolian BBQ place we visited in Corning NY about a decade ago. Up a flight of stairs, big grills at either end of the long room? You picked out your ingredients and took them to the chef, who cooked them for you.

If it's the same place, that's a switch, throwing out the Chinese workers and outsourcing to Americans

Got a $2 parking ticket, also. If I didn't pay within 10 days, the fee went to $2.50!

[Felonius]

It's been over ten years since I've eaten there, but I remember some outstanding meals at the Depuy Canal House in High Falls. The setting (in various rooms in a restored 18th century tavern) is interesting, and the owner-chef had a creative menu based on the freshest of local/regional ingredients. If the same person is still in charge of the operation, I would bet the food is still excellent and worth a weekend trip from NYC.

Anyone been there recently? Is the same guy still the owner/chef?

[menton1]

This sounds very much like a Mongolian BBQ place we visited in Corning NY about a decade ago. Up a flight of stairs,  big grills at either end of the long room?  You picked out your ingredients and took them to the chef, who cooked them for you.

If it's the same place, that's a switch, throwing out the Chinese workers and outsourcing to Americans

No, I don't think so; this place was traditional American food, Steaks and Chicken & Fish, and you cooked them all by yourself, with someone standing on the side to offer aid and assistance if you start burning everything. I think the place is still there. All on one floor also.

[Jared SH]

Sorry to re-itteratre other's comments, but please don't knock the dinosaur, I think it is one of the best restaurants around. I hate hearing people pick at it, espesially when there is hardly anything edible in the area. Plus please try the Lemongrass, it's a little pricey, but it is light years ahead of erawan and everything else...

[GordonCooks]

Sorry to re-itteratre other's comments, but please don't knock the dinosaur, I think it is one of the best restaurants around. I hate hearing people pick at it, espesially when there is hardly anything edible in the area. Plus please try the Lemongrass, it's a little pricey, but it is light years ahead of erawan and everything else...

How is Dinosaur lately ? - thje rochester location's food seems to be off lately. Love Armory square - Lemon Grass, Pastabilities, etc

[phaelon56]

I'll have to respectuflly disagree with Jared on the Lemongrass. I like the atmosphere but really prefer the food I've had at Erewhan. Sources tell me that Bangkok Thai in Liverpool is the best of the bunch but I haven't yet had a chance to try them.

Have not tried Dino in Rochester and I only get takeout once in a rare while at the Syracuse location. I consider Dino to be the best of the easily available local BQ choices but the ribs I make at home in my electric smoker are so much better that I rarely buy from them. They've always done a credible job IMHO but it's typically and hour or two wait for a table and I lack the patience.

I do plan to try L'Adour again this week or next. Also just recieved an email from a chowhounder that I helped out with some tips - he tried Horned Dorset on a recent pass through the area and said it was very good and worth a visit. A bit pricey but they are offering a $25 three course price fixe for a limited time.