This is one of the holiest weeks of the calendar year: American Craft Beer Week.
According to a recent USA Today piece, New York ranks as the 8th best state for craft beer lovers. We think we should rate higher, but a top ten placing seems about right. Here in the Mohawk Valley, we have our pals at the F.X. Matt Brewing Company (free beer, guys?) who have spent generations contributing to the Empire State's strong brewing heritage.
In that entrepreneurial spirit, the folks that bring us Saranac have created a new brew that can be found exclusively at one of area's newest watering holes.
Here are the details:
The newest dining option at Turning Stone Resort Casino, Upstate Tavern, now has its own, locally produced house brew. Upstate Lager made its highly anticipated debut Tuesday afternoon. Upstate Lager was created exclusively for Upstate Tavern by the Matt Brewing Company of Utica, NY. To celebrate the debut, Matt Brewing Company President Fred Matt operated the tap for a ceremonial first pour Tuesday.
What's a blogger gotta do to get some free samples around here? While we're -- ahem -- waiting, here's wishing all a Happy Beer Week, Utica!
If this doesn't make you hungry, you have no stomach.
Source: Esquire Magazine
While this sandwich seems like it would be more at home in Memphis, Geneseo, NY-based food truck, "Cheesed and Confused" (LOVE IT!), dishes up something they call the "Pork & Mac." A lethal combination of pulled pork and macaroni and cheese in between two monsterous slices of toast.
So scrumdelicious is this grilled cheese on 'roids, that Esquire did a write up on it in recognition of Grilled Cheese Month (April is more than just Easter, people). The magazine included this majestic 'wich in its "Eat Like a Man" blog. For $6 (only SIX bucks), you can enjoy this at your next lunch. Based on the saturated fat content, it migth be your last. But at least you'll go down swingin'.
Now read and drool.
Hungry patrons line up outside the bright blue truck to enjoy specialties like the Pork & Mac, a Southern BBQ sampler with chunks of pulled pork, buttery mac ‘n’ cheese and pepper jack cheese on thick slices of white Texas toast.
Be still my heart.
[via Esquire]
Will Levith, a Brooklyn-based writer and beer lover, happened to marry a Mohawk Valley girl. As such, he recently fulfilled one of his civic (and legal) duties: He took a tour of the F.X. Matt Brewery.
He was so enchanted, that he decided to blog about it for the New York-based site, CityEats. Using a little literary license, he compared the brewery to Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory. Play along now.
Here's a snippet.
Like the candy company in Roald Dahl’s famous children’s book, the brewery is family-owned and -operated; and a quirky tourist destination full of oddities from the past (including a grandfather clock valued at $1 million). And in place of Dahl’s chocolate river is a steady stream of the other golden-brown elixir — beer. The brewery also has a yearly promotion where a handful of lucky patrons get the chance to “take over” the brewery for a night. They gain entry by finding bottles randomly wrapped in “golden tickets.” Sound familiar?
Now I dare you to call any of the brewmasters over there an Ooopa-Loompa. I suspect you'll wake up on the wrong end of a manually-induced hangover.
The complete piece can be found HERE.
Good stuff.
[via City Eats]
It's another made-up food holiday!
Over 75% of you have a jar of it in your house, so today is the perfect day to eat some. Make a PB&J, bake a peanut butter pie, roll around in a vat of it (well, maybe not). Today is the day we celebrate peanut butter. Here are five facts about the food that sticks to the roof of your mouth (via Fooducate):
1. Americans consume 700 million pounds of peanut butter annually, about three pounds per person!
2. Peanuts are technically legumes (like beans), not nuts.
3. One acre of peanuts will make 30,000 peanut butter sandwiches.
4. Peanuts are a new world food, probably originating in Brazil and working their way up to Mexico. The Aztecs mashed them into a paste as early as 500 years ago.
5. 75% of homes in the US have a peanut butter jar. 6. 60% of the peanuts in the US are grown in Georgia, Florida, and Alabama. Half are used for peanut butter.
There are more, but who has the time. Happy holidays!
We're told that the New York Beef Industry Council is gearing up for the 3rd Annual Best NY Burger Contest.
The contest kicks off on February 1st with voting running until March 15th.
Despite being only in its third year, our region has fared pretty well in this all-beef patty smackdown. In 2011, the South Trenton Pub won the grand prize. Last year, Crazy Otto's Empire Diner in Herkimer was a regional winner (with Syracuse's Ale 'n Angus Pub taking top honors).
So let's get the early conversation started: Who dishes up the best burger in the Mohawk Valley?
And give us all the juicy details.
A friend of a friend writes in to tell us about Downtown Utica's newest watering hole.
The Dev, 41 Devereaux Street, is billing itself as a place where you can get cheap drinks, good food and see live music (and homegrown products, like Utica Coffee and local brews).
It's actually more of a rebirth of sorts. The old Devereaux, a primarily live music haunt, closed a few years back. The new spot is going for more of a lunch/pub/urban hispster sort of feel.
From their Facebook page: Live original music from both touring and regional/local bands of all genres. Serving gourmet sandwiches and daily specials. Oh, and a totally free kick-ass jukebox!
Sounds good to us...especially with the longtime live music haunt, The Electric Company, closing its doors last year. With news that the downtown sports bar -- The Cage -- also closed recently, we'd been considering a bigger questions: Is the downtown Utica bar scene is saturated?
The Dev plans to open this coming Monday, January 14th. Guess we'll find out. But based on what we've heard, this appears to be a nice (re)addtion.
Here's a sneak peek inside (apologies for the tiny pics. The blog platform is what it is). The photos are much better on their Facebook page:
Our kind of holiday!
Grab your forks and knives and plan accordingly. This from the media folks over at IHOP:
IHOP is giving away free pancakes to anyone and everyone on Tuesday, February 5, 2013 to celebrate National Pancake Day. On this day, the family-friendly restaurant chain is aiming to raise $3 million for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals in celebration of the organization’s 30th anniversary.
Who said you can't get something for nothing?
Was cleaning out some closets this weekend and spotted this on the wall:
If only it were that easy.
Not sure how one verifies these things, but we got a note from Joanne over at Tiny's Grill who tells us all about they have the "largest Nutcracker collection in New York State." She thinks. The collections stands at attention at more than 150+.
The world's biggest is in Seguin, TX. Again, we think. Who knows? But it's on the Internet so it must be true!
What is fact is that Tiny's collection will be up on display now through January. The public is welcome and kids will receive complimentary treats during the holidays. We also know for a fact that Tiny's has a cozy fireplace to relieve some of that winter chill. The kitchen is open from 11 am to 8 pm (9 pm on Fridays).
Got a tip? Care to dispute the Nutcracker record? As always, drop us a line at UticaEats@hotmail.com.
Onward wooden soldiers!
We stopped by Cosmo's Cafe in Clinton this week (the review can be found here). Carrie from Clinton reached out to tell us that Cosmo's has an issue with the "smaller" set. Here's her note:
I read your article and im (sic) from Clinton. Cosmos food is okay, however they are not kid friendly. We have been there and there is no highchair. We asked the waitress and she seemed embarrased to say no. The owner just shrugged his shoulders. They are about $50 for the typical restaurant chair. So before you send people there, make sure they dont (sic) have children! They are not welcome!
We didn't see one their either, but we dined without the kiddos this week.
Anyone else been there? Have an opinion? Leave it in the comments section or drop us a line. And as always, send your tips to UticaEats@hotmail.com
We got a note from a reader who gives us the lowdown on a new Commerical Drive joint, BBG's (Beer, Bites, Games).
"They have a sign that says "18 Beers on tap. 3 Crappy ones!" We stopped in to grab a bite to eat. When we asked about the sign and the 3 crappy beers we were told that 2 of them were local fav's Saranac and Utica Club. Being "proud" residents of the Mohawk Valley we were surprised that someone would put out a dign (sic) only to bash a local product....Needless to say we left without eating."
Saranac? Crappy? Puhleeze! Oh, and the 3rd "crappy" beer was Bud.
Here's that sign:
What would you do?
I'm fairly certain bashing local beers doesn't make for a quality business plan -- especially ones that are brewed only miles away. Or perhaps this was BBG's attempt at sarcasm. An admittedly poor attempt. Regardless, it got these folks some free publicity.
Our tipster, taking a stand for the Mohawk Valley, left without eating.
We'll be heading over to BBG's to do our own little "investigation" in the coming weeks. Might even eat their food. For their sake, I sure hope it's not "crappy."
UPDATE @ 7:12 PM: We reached out to BBG's to get their side of the tale and Christine had this to say:
"Our sign is a marketing tool and we love sarcasm. The three crappy beers are for our customers to decide. Try them all, tell us your favorites, tell us what you would like to see, but don’t think for one minute we would put down beers we proudly carry and display, especially the home grown ones! One owner is a hometown girl, born and raised in Whitesboro and took many brewery tours in her day. Both owners are proud to have opened their business in Central New York and specifically in the Mohawk Valley region. There were opportunities in other communities, but they chose to come home and bring the business to the area, and to their family and friends. Come visit us for our great atmosphere, the awesome selection of beers, the new menu and our extended hours of operation! Heck, you can even decide which beers are the crappy ones! (That's sarcasm)"
Fine as a marketing tool, but not when an employee gives their opinion. We hope that Christine finds out which employee said the stuff about the local brews and takes the necessary "crappy" action.
And now that we're thinking about it, here's a marketing opportunity: Invite folks down to enjoy a Saranac or UC and give 'em a sticker that says: "I got 'crappy' at BBG's" or something like that. It's a work in progress, but you get the idea.
We're looking forward to dropping by and having a cold one.
We reviewed Whitesboro's Boulevard Diner this past weekend. In addition to owner Rich Grimaldi, who phoned us to take umbrage with our piece, we received this letter (below). What we do is a snapshot of a single visit to a local area eatery. What we see (and eat) is what you read. We enjoyed the diner and thought we relayed that in the review. But since we dish it out, we are always open to other points of view.
Here's one:
Hot enough for you?
In a tasty twist on the traditional, Friendly's restaurants are celebrating their 77th Anniversary this year with a special, limited-time offer. Next Friday, July 21, from 12 noon to 5 pm, the following Friendly's restaurants in the Utica area will be serving up a single scoop of their famous ice cream in cones or cups for just 77 cents!
Which means the one on Burrstone is not participating.
So do yourself a favor and comb the couch for change.
A few quick Downtown Utica restaurant-related housekeeping items:
Got anything for us, email details to UticaEats@Hotmail.com
Apologies for the hiatus, we've been busy...training.
As a relative newbie to the area, I hadn't had the opportunity to participate in the region's premier event. Not anymore.
Ran my first Boilermaker yesterday. I won't divulge my time, but anyone with an internet connection and the detective skills of a toddler can look it up. Great race, but since this is a food column and not a fitness diary, we'll focus on the grub: What does your $35 entry fee get you? And is it worth it?
Once finished, you're given a pin (Yay! You finished! And you're still breathing!), a bottled water and all the orange slices you can ingest. You've just run 9.3 miles, so you're scarfing as much citrus as you can get your sweaty hands on.
Next, you arrive at the popsicle table. These are the Hood brand grape, root beer and other flavored treats. Again, it's all-you-can-grab.
Once inside the fiesta, Price Chopper has your lunch. You'll get a banana, bag of Baked Lays™ and a slap-dash turkey sandwich. Bare bones, but the exhausted have little in them to complain. Also on hand were Chobani, doling out free Greek yogurts and McDonald's, giving away packages of apple slices.
All toll, you could buy everything you ate post-race for around $15. That doesn't include the FREE BEER!!!!
But for some reason, that ice cold popsicle was like biting into frozen Nirvana. Even better than the beer (sorry Saranac).
In the end, finishing an invigorating run with 11,000+ of your neighbors, friends and fellow Mohawk Valley residents cheering you on satisfied our appetite more than any free meal ever could.
.
First, a bit of housekeeping. Today is NATIONAL ONION RING DAY, which is fairly self-explanatory. So we ask you: Best onion rings in the Mohawk Valley can be found at ______________________?
Don't be shy. Coincidentally, fried onion discs can also be found on the Boilermaker Burger.
Speaking of shy, this guy certainly wasn't. Mississippi death row inmate Gary Carl Simmons Jr. was sentenced to death for chopping up his best pal. This extremely bad man was finally executed this week, but before he received the needle, he ordered one heckuva last meal:
Inmate Simmons requested the following as his last meal: one Pizza Hut medium super supreme deep dish (thin crust if available) pizza, double portion: tomato sauce, mushrooms, onions, jalapeño pepper slices and pepperoni. Regular portion: 3 cheeses, olives, bell peppers, tomato, garlic and Italian sausage. Ten (8oz) packs of parmesan cheese, ten (8oz) packs of Ranch dressing, One (16oz) family size bag of Doritos nacho cheese chips, 8oz jalapeño nacho cheese, 4oz sliced jalapeño peppers, 2 large strawberry milkshakes, two (20oz) cherry Cokes, one super-sized order McDonald’s French fries (extra ketchup and mayonnaise) and two pints strawberry ice cream (any brand).
The Daily Mail estimated this haul at 29,000 calories and 2077 grams of fat. However, it is unknown how much Simmons Jr. actually ate before his execution.
Word is he stuffed down at least half. Needle or meal, either way this guy wasn't long for this world.
This is most definitely a food-related issue:
Although the United States represents just 5 percent of the global population, it contributes to almost one-third of the world’s weight due to obesity, researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine concluded in a study released today. The U.S.’s rising obesity rate may lead to a future food scarcity problem, the researchers warned.
Take a peek at this chart:
Click HERE for a larger version.
Our collective heft is akin to adding another half-billion people to the globe. We're weighing it down. Anyone up for a jog?
It's called "Let's Pizza."
Clever!
A European company is thinking America's expanding waistlines could use a little additional padding.
The company is preparing to open up a US-based headquarters in Atlanta later this year and begin installing "Let's Pizza" machines in malls, airports, supermarkets, universities, gas stations, bus stations, and even hospitals all across the country. Let's Pizza claims to pump out "a healthy genuine Italian pizza" in just two-and-a-half minutes, and each pie comes with a "guarantee of total hygiene."
Hygienic, too. What's not to like?
[via Gawker]
Health, fitness....all-beef patties?
When your signature road race ends at a brewery, I guess it's fitting that it also comes with an "official" burger. Ahem, make that "The Boilermaker Burger™" -- complete with its own Facebook page.
The New York Beef Industry folks, along with Babe’s Macaroni Grill and Carmella’s Cafe, are bringing back a sumptuous half-pound charbroiled burger topped with a Tangy BBQ-Mayo sauce, Swiss cheese, Pepper Bacon and Onion Petals on a toasted Kaiser Roll.
What, no "Nike" sauce? Not sure this creation screams "boilermaker," but we'll take it.
The limited-time-only burger will be available beginning June 15th and ending July 14th for only $7.99 ONLY at Babe's and Carmella's.
A small price to pay for a little incentive to finish the race. And for those of you on the fence, feast your eyeballs on this greasy monstrosity.
Alright, we give. It looks fantastic.
[pic via Facebook]
Review coming this Sunday and it was a GOOD one -- and worth the drive.
Here's a sneak "pic."
Dan S. brings you local restaurant reviews and restaurant-related news from around the area.
Email him at UticaEats@hotmail.com
Look for his reviews in the print edition, as well.
