Author: Margaret McCormick

The Stoop Kitchen, 311 W. Fayette St., has been open for less than six months, but its local roots run deep. Owner Eric Alderman ran the original Stoop from 1995 to 2006. For more than a decade, the three-story brick building stood empty, its neon sign dark and its eclectic restaurant missed by many. Last fall, after extensive renovations from top to bottom, the Stoop came back to life as the Stoop Kitchen and the Stoop Bakery Cafe. Establishing local roots in the Stoop Kitchen’s kitchen and on the ever-evolving dinner menus is executive chef Sarah Hassler. She brings to…

What if we told you that you could have a healthy, gourmet, chef-inspired dinner on the table in six minutes? What if we told you that many of the core ingredients are local/regional and non-GMO? And that your choice of entrees includes things like cumin lime-roasted salmon, served with coconut black rice and sesame carrots, topped with a herbed yogurt sauce? Or slow-roasted lamb shank with root vegetables, spaetzle and kale? Or turkey ricotta meatballs with whole grain pasta? Shopping for all of the ingredients for those meals could take you hours, not to mention the time required for kitchen…

That resolution you made a couple weeks ago to savor some new experiences in the year ahead? Don’t break it. Stick with it! Here are some local food- and adult beverage-related ideas. Wine Camp at Liquor City. This Thursday-evening series of informal, educational wine seminars begins this week at the tasting room of Liquor City, 6793 E. Genesee St., Fayetteville. The Jan. 18 session at 6:30 p.m. will feature wines from the Bordeaux region of France, plus a speaker. The Jan. 25 event will introduce participants to some new items at Liquor City and the Feb. 1 seminar will explore…

Healthy is not the goal of comfort food. Meatloaf and mashed potatoes, chicken pot pie, mac and cheese: These good old American dishes warm the belly and bring comfort like no other. Calories be damned. Macaroni and cheese is a natural go-to on cold days in Central New York because we already tend to have the basic ingredients in the fridge and pantry, including butter, milk and flour for the roux, plus cheese(s) and pasta. In the words of the old Kraft Macaroni and Cheese TV commercials: It’s nice and cheesy and it’s really pretty easy. But homemade is definitely…

2017 saw the closing of several longtime Central New York restaurants. Casa di Copani vanished after 30 years of serving Italian-American food on Burnet Avenue. Julie’s Place, an elegant restaurant on the ground floor of the Regency Tower, closed in March, following the death of owner Karen White. Tokyo Seoul, a fixture on Erie Boulevard East in DeWitt for more than 20 years, went away as well. But let’s focus instead on the year’s dining scene positives. Nine new restaurants opened in downtown Syracuse this year, according to Alice Maggiore, communications manager for the Downtown Committee of Syracuse: Pomodoro (the…

If you want to “get local” with your gift giving this season, delicious gourmet food gifts and stocking stuffers for family and friends are the way to go. Here are some ideas for adding a touch of local flavor. Salt City Collection: Syracha’Cuse Gourmet Sauces and Syracuse Salt Company. You’ve probably encountered these two small-batch food companies at shows and events around Central New York. The Salt City Collection includes one bottle of Syracha’Cuse Salt City IPA Craft Beer Hot Sauce, one jar of Syracha’Cuse Salt City IPA Craft Beer Mustard, one jar of Syracuse Salt Company Roasted Garlic Salt…

There’s always been “way more on the second floor” at Smith Housewares and Restaurant Supply. Over the years, one could find table linens, textiles, barware and other glassware, china, canning supplies, seasonal items, discounted merchandise and more. In the last nine months, the second floor of the landmark building at Erie Boulevard East and Townsend Street has taken a “new” direction. It’s now filled with tables brimming with Syracuse China, Onondaga Pottery, Iroquois China (including Russell Wright’s Mid-Century Modern-style designs), milk glass, Depression glass, milky green Jadeite Fire King pieces, vintage Pyrex and Corningware. Indeed, the list goes on. If…

Are you a fan of pho, ramen, wonton and other Asian fare featuring noodles? If you like noodles, and are also a fan of gaming, you’ve hit the jackpot at Turning Stone Resort and Casino. Noodle Noodle is the latest in the lineup of more than 20 dining venues at Turning Stone. It’s located next to the Emerald restaurant. The noodle bar offers new flavors in a “unique, casual atmosphere,” according to an announcement last week from resort officials. The menu features a variety of Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese and Thai-style noodle bowls, built around broths, including both meat and vegetarian…

At a time when tastes and trends favor chocolate, banana and coconut cream pie, peanut butter and peanut butter-chocolate pie, Oreo pie, Mississippi mud pie and the eternally popular apple pie, mincemeat pie gets short shrift. But a local food entrepreneur is out to put mincemeat on the comeback trail and at the center of the dessert table this holiday season and beyond. Lynne Pascale, owner-operator of Farmer Street Pantry, will be offering 8- and 12-ounce jars of fruit-only mincemeat on Saturdays, starting Nov. 4, at the Central New York Regional Market, 2100 Park St. Find her in the F…

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