Syracuse, N.Y. — Think of this story as the written equivalent to “employee picks” aisle in the old Blockbuster Video stores. You remember, that section dedicated to DVDs those so-called movie experts think you’ll like.
The 25th annual Taste of Syracuse began at 11 a.m. today. More than 70 food vendors are selling $2 samples and other items from their menus. Three food writers from syracuse.com — Charlie Miller, Don Cazentre and Jules Struck —were there from the start. We tried as many samples as we could in the first hours and then picked our favorites.
Here are our “Employee Picks” of the 2023 Taste of Syracuse:
Habiba’s Ethiopian Kitchen
Location: Washington Street near Clinton Street
Sample: Ruzaf Misir
Charlie’s Thoughts: Kicking off this year’s eating fest here was a good move. Anything on the menu is healthy, but the sample offering is also vegan-friendly. Trust me, I ended up eating plenty of meats, but this filled me up so I wouldn’t be tempted to eat more than I should. It’s red lentils served over rice. Habiba, the owner of the brick-and-mortar restaurant in the Salt City Market, seasons the long, slender-grained aromatic rice with cardamom and saffron.
Pita Dream
Location: South Clinton Street near the corner of Washington
Sample: Gyro over rice
Charlie’s Thoughts: I never end a day at the New York State Fair without wolfing down one gyro. So I wasn’t about to leave the Taste without at least a smidgen of a gyro. Ahmad Zatar shaves the spiced-up lamb and beef mixture from the spit and sautes it briefly. He lays the meat bits over a unique basmati long-grain rice. The only thing missing was a grilled pita and some tzatziki sauce. But what do you expect for $2?
Ji-Woo’s Korean Seoul Food
Location: South Clinton Street, across from M&T Bank
Sample: Hot Bop
Charlie’s Thoughts: If you really can’t decide what stand to visit next, just ask Nick Sanford, the owner of Toss & Fire Pizza and the president of the Syracuse Food Truck Association. He had just left Ji-Woo’s Korean Seoul Food stand. “That’s one of my favorite food trucks of all time,” he said, still munching on his meal. “It’s just incredible.”
Thanks for the rec, Nick. This bowl of thinly sliced pork marinated in a spicy sauce is served with grilled onions over rice. It even comes with chopsticks, just in case you want to make an even bigger bigger mess of yourself.
Tony C’s Steakhouse
Location: South Clinton Street, across from the Federal Building
Sample: Bacon-wrapped scallops
Charlie’s Thoughts: Yes, we know this is a staple of the Taste of Syracuse. John Beard has probably been grilling these marine bivalve mollusks downtown for the past 30 years ... and the festival is only 25 years old. Still, you just can’t beat them. You can get one for $3 or a skewer of four for $11. (I splurged and got the full meal, thanks to my expense account.)
The official sample here is a preview to a dish Dan Karleski and his crew at Tommy C’s will be serving at the State Fair this year. They’ll be deep-frying mashed potatoes and covering them with a ladle of hot beef gravy. These fries spuds are tasty, even on a 90-degree day. But I couldn’t blow off the scallops.
Decir Algo
Location: South Clinton Street, near the Federal Building
Sample: Smash Fries
Charlie’s Thoughts: Who says you can’t find good bar food at a downtown food festival? Kyle Mastropietro, the owner of this ghost kitchen inside his Danny’s Steaks restaurant, came up with this special for those of us taking advantage of the three beers for $20 happy hour deal. It’s nothing more than a basket of shoestring fries seasoned with salt and pepper. It comes with a side of Kyle’s Smash slightly spicy and creamy sauce for dipping.
Maniltha’s Dosa Cart
Location: Parking lot next to Chase Lincoln Plaza, off Washington Street
Sample: Pakora with Tamarind Rice
Don’s thoughts: This new Taste of Syracuse vendor serves spicy vegetarian dishes from the south of India. The pakora is a deep-fried vegetable fritter, served with your choice of dipping sauce. In my sample, the red sauce packed some decent heat combined with a dense, smoky flavor. The choice of tamarind rice (instead of the lemon rice option) gave it a sweet-and-sour contrast. If you do get this as a sample, you’ll definitely be asking for more.
Firecracker Thai Kitchen
Location: South Clinton Street, between Water and Washington streets
Sample: Unicorn Color Changing Limeade
Don’s Thoughts: Yes, this drink from a regular vendor in the Salt City Market changes colors when served, from deep blue to bright purple. The change comes when the base of butterfly pea flowers is topped with acidic lime juice. The result has a mildly floral taste, with a burst of citrus. And while it’s sweet, it’s not overly so. It’s a great palate cleanser between all those other samples.
Peppino’s Pizzeria
Location: South Clinton Street, just off Clinton Square
Sample: Risotto Bomb
Don’s Thoughts: This is about as old school as it gets at the Taste: Peppino’s take on the fried rice ball, sometimes called arancini. In this case, it offers a rich gooey rice center surrounded by a crust well seasoned with Italian herbs that delivers a nice contrasting crunch. It’s not exotic, but very satisfying.
Gilligan’s Ice Cream
Location: In the parking lot at Chase Lincoln Plaza on Washington Street
Sample: Pretty Nuts (ice cream)
Don’s Thoughts: Gilligan’s, based in Sherburne, Chenango County, is well known for its booze-infused ice creams. This one has no alcohol, but does have peanut butter, strawberry jam, sprinkles and cookie crumbles. The ice cream itself is hard and cold. It’s like a PBJ in a frozen package.
Saucy Sandwich
Location: On Washington Street between South Clinton and South Franklin streets
Sample: Meatball Slider featuring the Knuckle Sandwich
Don’s Thoughts: First off, this is a good-sized portion for $2. A substantial meatball is smothered in a sweet and fruity red tomato vodka sauce, with balsamic glaze, roasted red peppers and mozzarella. It all sits on a soft slider bun that manages to hold its shape and can sop up that extra sauce. This a hefty and tasty deal.
Henry’s Hen House
Location: Along the south side of Clinton Square
Sample: Jamaican Jerk Chicken
Don’s Thoughts: Henry’s Hen House, a staple of the New York State Fair and events like Juneteenth, is well known for its way with chicken. Two versions are available as samples — Jamaican Jerk and Curry. The jerk chicken is a bone-in bit of dark meat that is fat and juicy. (Get extra napkins). The seasoning packs a bit of heat with some tangy spices. Another bargain for $2.
Kiki’s Authentic Greek Food
Location: Water Street on Clinton Square
Sample: Dolmades and tzatziki sauce
Jules’ Thoughts: Kiki’s dolmades are Taste of Syracuse staples, and there’s a reason why. You get two for $2, and a dollop of creamy tzatziki sauce on the side. They’re vinegary but not too tart, oily but not greasy. The leaves and the rice are soft and lemony and delicious. And it’s a welcome break from the sugar overload everywhere else. This one’s an easy favorite.
Glazed & Confused
Location: Corner of Erie Boulevard and S. Clinton Street
Sample: “Dizzy Pig” maple-bacon donut
Jules’ Thoughts: I mean, it’s a damn good, whole-ass donut for $2. The maple glaze is melt-in-your-mouth sugary sweet, the bacon bits are piled on generously and the actual donut is cakey soft on the inside and fried golden on the outside. In the quality-price Venn diagram, this one’s smack in the middle. Yum.
Baga Bowl on the Go
Location: N. Washington Street outside M&T Bank
Sample: Acai bowl with granola
Jules’ Thoughts: If you’re tired of ice cream, try the acai sample at Baga Bowls on the Go. The acai is tart and really cold, which is great for a hot day, and the granola on top has a tasty honey-nutty-crunchy thing going on. It’s a small sample, but there’s a lot of flavor packed into a few mouthfuls. And the chefs are kind enough to throw a couple of banana slices on top so you can pretend it’s not dessert.
Bold Coast Lobster Co.
Location: Corner of Washington and South Salina Streets
Sample: Clam chowder
Jules’ Thoughts: Ok, so you fork over your $2 and in return you’re handed the smallest cup of chowder that you can possibly imagine, which doesn’t feel great. But just try it — the chowder is so rich and hot that the sample goes a long way. I got some good potato chunks and a soft clam in mine. It’s salty and creamy and yummm. This is a taste, not a meal, but it’s good eats.
Thai Flavor
Location: N. Washington Street
Sample: Pineapple fried rice
Jules’ Thoughts: You’ll get a lot of food for your two bucks at Thai Flavor. And it’s good. The pineapple fried rice is full of carrots, cashews, onion and hefty chunks of chicken and pineapple, plus a sprinkling of soft raisins. It’s a nice blend of salty, sweet and savory, and isn’t heavy-handed with the oil. There’s subtle taste of some nutty seasoning — Turmeric? Cumin? — that hits you at the end. Do recommend.
The organizers are expecting more than 200,000 people to pack downtown for this year’s Taste of Syracuse. Don’t worry, they planned ahead for those of you eating and drinking your way through the free festival. They have a couple blocks of portable potties.
Charlie Miller finds the best in food, drink and fun across Central New York. Contact him at (315) 382-1984, or by email at cmiller@syracuse.com. You can also find him under @HoosierCuse on Twitter and on Instagram. Sign up for his free weekly Where Syracuse Eats newsletter here.
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