Dining has become possibly the most important part of this blog.  As this page has grown, many people have visited and enjoyed the listings.  However, it is now large enough to collapse under its own weight.  As a result, we have decided to open a brand new blog dedicated to restaurants and food:  ChusOnChow.com! The new location will be better organized and hopefully easy on the eyes.  We have been busy moving the content to the new site, and eventually the food listings below will be removed.  I will continue to write this blog, too, but on other topics.   The new site will continue to grow as rapidly as time allows, and I hope you will visit soon!

A City That Thinks It Can’t, but Could if It Tried.

Here we have plenty of the whitebread things that you can find in Anytown, U.S.A. We have malls, after all, and people are planning to make even bigger and better ones. Fortunately, there are alternatives to the endless array of chain stores. Here are some ideas for those of you who may be adventurous enough to explore a neighborhood or two.

Atmosphere: Relaxed, with plenty of Polish-style decor. It’s fairly spacious, with a good-sized back room, and we’ve had no problems getting seating. It’s also a very clean establishment.

Food/Menu: Although we haven’t made it through the whole menu, the dishes we’ve had were delicious and homemade. Though I am not Polish, and can’t speak to its authenticity, the number of Polish-Americans and other Central European folks frequenting the restaurant speaks volumes.

Desserts: Their strong point, and the original raison d’etre of the restaurant. I challenge you to find any restaurant in Syracuse that has this kind of quality and variety at these prices. Suffice it to say that the dessert case causes major lust, and caused me to get up twice before dessert to gawk at the selections. Eva also plates them with style and flair.

Beer selection: Syracuse’s fine local brewers and good bars notwithstanding, I believe that Eva’s has one of the best and largest beer selections in the area. The Polish beer brands were unfamiliar to me, but their menu clearly describes each beer and its makers, even giving the alcohol content. It reads almost like a wine menu. Every one I have tried has been great. They also have Ukrainian and Russian beer.

When I say this is one of the best restaurants in town, I’m not talking about the super-high-end tasting menus for $150/person that you get in New York city, but rather, high-quality food at reasonable prices served in a delightful atmosphere. I know, you’re thinking that I’ve been paid off to write this, right? Well, I’m as much in favor of reviewer corruption as the next guy, but they just haven’t come across yet, not even one free meal! And after all I’ve done for them!!?

The fact is, I do want good local Syracuse restaurants to succeed. Eva is a lovely, wonderful person! If you asked them about this blog, I’m reasonably sure that they’d have no idea what you were talking about. Having said that, if this causes you to go there, mention it to them! Dziekuje!

Eva’s European Sweets: 1305 Milton Ave, Syracuse, (315) 487-2722

Our visit began promisingly, with a young lady waitress who gamely used her brand-new Spanish. We inquired, and found out from her that she had been taking a class at Syracuse University. She was very sweet and attentive. The restaurant was nicely decorated, and was not crowded when we visited.

We ordered fairly standard Mexican fare, burritos and enchiladas, and then were stunned when the food came out almost immediately. At first I was pleasantly surprised (who doesn’t like speedy service?), but then I began to wonder. It’s true that restaurant food is often partially prepared in advance so it can be assembled, finished, and served quickly, but this fast? As we began to eat, our good moods evaporated, as the food was insipid, a term which doesn’t describe the rich flavors of good, authentic Mexican food, whether highly spiced or not.

We continued eating anyway, trying to make the best of it, when a pizza delivery man showed up at the front door. We looked at each other in amazement as someone in the kitchen staff came out to get it and brought it back to the kitchen. It’s common practice for restaurants to use their own food for what they often call the “family meal”. Not doing so doesn’t necessarily guarantee that a restaurant is second-rate, but it did make us wonder. Why order out at retail, when you’re presumably getting your own food at cost? Is there no one that could put together a quick, cheap meal? Or did the workers have to pool their own money because the restaurant didn’t feed them? Whatever the reason, I would cynically add that if a restaurant doesn’t use its own food to feed its staff, it might be a good idea to be a little discrete in doing so – it just looks fishy.

Given the abnormal arrival speed of the food, the bland flavor and textures, and the pizza-fed staff, it’s hard to come to any conclusion other than that the food is frozen and simply re-heated for serving. I wondered if they even had any real cooks in the kitchen.

We were both still hungry and unsatisfied, and we finally decided to have another meal, opting for a delicious dinner at the Dinosaur Barbecue. This is the first time in my life that I’ve eaten a second restaurant dinner in one night after an unsatisfactory first one.

I could accept the premise of El Canelo if they advertised themselves as, say, having “low prices and fast service” or something like that. But “authentic”? As a lover of Mexican food, I was offended. I would be very surprised if any Mexican person called their food authentic.

Maybe some of their food is authentic and carefully cooked. But we didn’t see it. Curiously, I think some people will like it anyway. I would describe it as Mexican food as prepared in authentic Walmart style. Blandness is a desirable characteristic to many diners. For someone who simply wants a quick meal that’s not too expensive, and enjoys some Mexican decor, this may be your place!