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Dominick's Restaurant Needs New Life

1/17/2015

In our search for an Italian restaurant that offered steak, Utica Greens and Moscato, we found Dominick's Restaurant on Burnet Ave in Syracuse. Having been here several times in the past, I was sure we wouldn't regret our choice.

There are pros and cons regarding my review of Dominick's. Sadly, the cons outweigh and with so many great restaurant choices in our area, I don't think we will visit again.

The waitress was awesome! She was attentive, knew the menu and funny to boot! The Utica Greens included pancetta and were delish! See my review of all Utica Greens in CNY, here. Also, having Moscato on the menu is always a plus in my book! The rest of the dinner was not worth the price. Joe mentioned that his pasta was over cooked, which at an Italian restaurant is a crime! Lucia ordered the chicken parm, which is an incredibly oversized piece of chicken breast that has been pounded out, covered with too much sauce and a much too thick layer of standard cheese. There was nothing special about this meal or mine, which was an italian trio. Neither of us ate more than 2 bites.

My past memories of visiting Dominick's weren't this bad. Seems this restaurant needs new life. If I had to describe it in one word, it would be "stale."

Finding The Best Utica Greens in CNY

12/7/2014

I am thrilled that my taste buds have changed and I am able to add more enjoyable greens to my plate! They say "everything in moderation" but I think if I just ate nothing but veggies, I would be the healthiest person alive. I read on a diet blog that the one thing every weight loss plan has in common is "VEGETABLES". Well, my new found love of Utica Greens can't be anything but GOOD FOR ME!

I intend to compare the different version of Utica Greens in this blog post by tasting as many as I can from as many different restaurants in the Central New York area that I can get to. This might take a while!

Nestico's Restaurant, North Syracuse, NY 5 STARS

I visited in December 2014. My first taste of Utica Greens and I fell in love! The Nestico's version is made with the escarole that is sautéed with cherry peppers, olive oil, bacon, grated cheese, and bread crumbs. Appetizer - $9.00

Dominick's Restaurant, Syracuse, NY 4 STARS

I visited in January 2015. This version of Utica Greens sells as an appetizer for $7.95. This version includes pancetta - YUM, which adds really great flavor to the dish. It's a nice size portion as well. Shared between 2 people, we even had enough to take some home.

Sorrento's Restaurant, North Syracuse, NY 4 STARS

I visited in December 2014. This version of Utica Greens is called Sauteed Greens Insalaco and sells as an appetizer for $4.95 small or $6.95 large. This is a meatless dish. Even with a lack of meat, this dish did not lack in flavor, although if it were my recipe, I may decrease the amount of breadcrumbs just a tad. Would I order again? Absolutely!

Nestico's Restaurant Offers CNY's Best Utica Greens!

12/2/2014

My neighbor and I visited Nestico's Restaurant in North Syracuse, on a Tuesday night when they offer the 2 for $20 chicken parm dinner special. Now, I don't know if it was the atmosphere or the company or maybe just the wine but this was one hell of a fantastic meal!

Upon entrance, we were greeted with a smile, which always lifts the spirits. The quaint, clean restaurant has a cozy warm atmosphere with a fireplace to boot!

My neighbor, who wishes to remain anonymous, ordered us the Utica Greens as an appetizer. I was excited to try something new (which is my goal these days - to try as many new things as I can), but I had no idea what a treat I had been missing out on all these years. I know different restaurants have their own take on what us Central New Yorker's call "Utica Greens" but I am so glad I tried them for the first time, here at Nestico's because it was freakin awesome! I could have just eaten that whole bowl for my meal and been completely satisfied. The escarole is sautéed with cherry peppers, olive oil, bacon, grated cheese, and bread crumbs. We later learned that this has been one of their most popular dishes in the past couple years. I asked for the recipe and the kitchen reported back that if they told me, they would have to kill me. Well, it is an Italian restaurant after all. I wouldn't expect anything less.

So, how can I say that Nestico's offers the best Utica Greens when I haven't tried any others? Because this is my blog and I can write what I want. And yes, now I am on a mission to try them everywhere! I will soon report back with some comparisons!

The chicken parm was good and was delivered with penne pasta. Personally, I prefer angel hair or spaghetti with my chicken, but I wouldn't criticize for that since it's just a personal opinion. After the bread, salad, appetizer and 2 glasses of wine, I was no longer hungry and took most of my dinner home.

Our server was friendly and laughed at my jokes, which is always a plus. The owner visited our table and we talked about how he prefers to offer a selection of not-so-typical choices of wine - which I appreciate very much. If I wanted "same-old, same-old" I would have visited a chain restaurant. Tonight was about a local experience, enjoying the company of a friend, and watching the snow fall over a glass of wine, in a warm setting with great Italian food! What could be better?

http://www.nesticosrestaurant.com

Why We Chose Olive Garden For Lunch on Veterans Day

11/12/2014

Every year, the big list comes out. The list that contains all the discounts and freebies available to Veterans on Veterans Day. This year, we decided to try Olive Garden for lunch since they were offering a free entree for Veterans. In the past, we have frequented places such as Applebee's, which is one of our favorite restaurants because we don't function well without a regular dose of the chicken won ton tacos. I wish they'd make an entree out of tacos instead of an appetizer.

Anyway, we were very pleased with our choice of Veterans Day lunch this year, because the portion size was a regular entree that was offered for free to Veterans. Most restaurants offer a special menu of the items that are free for Veterans, but the portion sizes are small. Not at Olive Garden!

Two lunches, unlimited soup, salad and breadsticks WITH alfredo dipping sauce, along with a salted caramel martini for only $24 bucks! I tried the Tortellini al Forno for the first time and it was freakin fantastic! Can't wait to have it again!

2014 NYC/JC Trip Tally

11/11/2014

Syracuse to Long Island

Long Island to Jersey City

With business to attend to, we headed out for a quick 48 hour trip. Thankfully, traffic wasn’t too bad so our travel time from Syracuse, NY to Calverton, Long Island was just under 6 hours. The trip would have been much longer if we stopped for a pee break every couple hours, but thankfully that wasn’t necessary since we left Marshmellow with his grandma for this trip.

Shelly, Manny & Jose

After our accomplished mission in Long Island, we headed to Jersey City for dinner with friends that we hadn’t seen in over a year. Sadly, the Brooklyn Bridge was closed this weekend so we had to take the Midtown tunnel but there was certainly no shortage of the best view in America while driving straight through the world’s most inspiring city to get to the other side of the Hudson.

We enjoyed catching up with friends over dinner at More Restaurant, which carries the same owners as SkyThai Restaurant, and was just as I remembered it. I had been dreaming of chicken pad thai for months! We stayed with our friends who happen to have the best skyline view of NYC. Great way to fall asleep and an even better way to wake up! Our bed sat directly in front of the picture window.

The view from our suite at NYC-JC www.nyc-jc.com

Before breakfast at the Beechwood Café, we headed to the waterfront for a walk and some photos. During breakfast, we again enjoyed the company of friends, along with our neighbor who is attending Parsons School in NYC, which we enticed to take a quick path train ride over for breakfast. It’s great going out of town, only to catch up with your next door neighbor!

Although short, our trip was worth a permanent spot in the memory bank!

Things to be grateful for today: Friends who stand by you through sickness and health.

Trip Tally: $307.12

$57.14 gas in PA (3.09 per gallon)
$47.30 gas in NJ (2.99 per gallon)
$45.60 gas in NY (2.94 per gallon at Fastrac with member card)

$13.01 Grape juice
$5.39 Dunkin Donuts
$111.00 Breakfast at Beechwood
$9.27 Downtown Yogurt
$14.96 McDonalds for lunch on the way down
$3.45 Dunkin Donuts

Salmon River Falls Unique Area, Altmar, NY

10/28/2014

When we took a spontaneous trip to Salmon River Falls in October 2014, we were shocked to see a completely full parking lot and people parked along the side of the road. I had no idea that this "unique area" which can't even be found on google maps, attracted so much attention.

Admission is free and pets are welcomed, although when we were there, some families prefer not to follow the "keep dogs on a leash rule" which really pissed me off. Not everyone wants their ass sniffed while trying to climb a cliff. But I certainly wasn't going to call out that family for not following the rules just incase they were locals. On the drive to the falls, we passed several locals and every last one of them was dressed in full camo, many carrying shotguns and wearing hunting badges. If you've ever seen the movie "The Hills Have Eyes", it was kinda creepy like that.

Needless to say, Lucia, Marshmellow and I toured the falls and hiked down to the gorge below, which is an easy hike down but getting back up was a bit more challenging for my weak muscles, especially in the rain.

The waterfall offers a 100 ft plunge, in three parallel sections becoming a single raging torrent during spring thaw. NYFalls.com says that the best time to visit is: "Year round, but the best water flow will be after rain and in the spring and fall. Winter will give you the opportunity to see the falls frozen over and people ice climbing on the cliffs below."

http://nyfalls.com/waterfalls/salmon-river-falls/

Lake George Battleground Campground

9/9/2014

Lake George Battleground Campground
Lake George in Upstate New York isn't necessarily a place many would consider for vacation when on a tight budget. But there are ways to enjoy a great camping weekend - just hitch a ride in your parents RV! That's what I did.

My better half and I spent the weekend in Lake George during the Elvis Festival in May of 2014, with my mom and step dad. The annual Elvis festival is meant to bring the music of the King to the Queen of America's Lakes. The festival's founders worked with Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. to create a world class event respectful to everything Elvis® stood for. Since the festival's inception, it has continued to grow, and is now the second-largest Elvis® Tribute Artist Competition in the world.

Although this campground offers no hookups for trailers or RV's and very compact sites, it is conveniently located within walking distance from town. The bathrooms were clean and early morning showers were luke warm, which was fine for me since I have no hair to wash.

Most notables:
Adirondack Pub Brewery & Restaurant
Shopping
Scenic boat tour of millionaire's row on Lake George

#CampingwithCancer Cancer won't stop me from enjoying nature! It is 3 weeks past my final chemo treatment and next week I will undergo surgery #2 so I am making the most of this camping weekend! I am also being careful not to get bit by any mosquitoes so am fully sprayed and covered.

#ScenicBoatTour There are several choices but we chose the 2 1/2 hour tour on the Mohican because it was the boat that offered the best view of most of the islands. All tours are narrated with history and unique information about the islands, bodies of water and of course, millionaire's row along the water on the west side.

$23 pp regular price. They offer military discounts!

http://lakegeorgesteamboat.com/

Golden Harvest Festival in Baldwinsville on a Budget

9/7/2014

Think you can't attend the Golden Harvest Festival in Baldwinsville on a budget? Well, it can be done! My daughters are now 18 and 20 years old, but when they were younger and I heard the word 'festival,' all I could think was what bank do I have to rob in order to take them. It's easy to burn through a ton of cash quickly but if you plan ahead, budgeting can get you through the day with some to spare, especially at a local event where they offer a ton of freebies!

This year's 37th Annual Golden Harvest Festival was held on September 6th and 7th, 2014. Adult entry fee was $5.00 and kids are $1.00. I brought $10 with me. (But remember that I didn't bring kids). If you have kids in tow, feed them a big breakfast and then bring them to the festival for a full day of free activities such as paddling a canoe, joining a scavenger hunt and crafts. There's entertainment all day and we also caught the birds of prey show, which included an alligator and a snake. For some good Upstate New York redneck entertainment, there's a pie eating contest and wild critter call, along with a scarecrow show.

The festival hosted an array of vendors selling arts and crafts, but if you're on a budget do what I do - walk around getting ideas instead of making purchases. My better half just laughs now when she hears me say "I could make that."

With my $5 in hand, I went into the food tent, which is where I found the festival failure. The problem wasn't the variety or prices, it was The Lions Club! They should have hired some help, possibly younger, quicker help. Not trying to knock the old folks because cancer has certainly aged me and I fit right in with the seniors now, but seriously this was out of hand. I got in line to grab a $4.50 cheeseburger. Waited in line for over 20 minutes just to order. Then waited another 20 minutes to get the burger. Sadly, I lost my patience and went back in line, got my money back from the cashier and walked out with a $4.00 smoothie from the much younger vendor next door.

All in all, today was a perfect day to enjoy nature, the company of my family, and the blue sky. I took some pictures, got some exercise and left with $1.00 in my pocket!

See all the photos here --> https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.774104502631037.1073741829.771473899560764&

Walt's Diner is the Winner in Old Forge, NY

9/5/2014

After 5 days camping in Old Forge, there is no doubt that Walt's Diner is our favorite breakfast joint. Based on a review of the food, service and price, Walt's is a winner!

Maybe your idea of breakfast at camp is eggs and sausage links over a campfire, but that would involve cooking and cleaning. What kind of vacation would it be if I still had to do my daily chores? So, when my better half and I go camping, we often eat out and especially for breakfast.

We ate at a different breakfast diner every day and there is no question that the quality of fresh food and the portion size was better at Walt's. During both visit's, the service was fast and friendly, which is all you can ask for when dining out. And better yet, the price beat out all the competition! As always, see for yourself on the receipt below!

Click any photo for a larger view.

Chittenango Day Trip on a Budget

9/3/2014

Our adventure in Chittenango, New York was a blessing for so many reasons. My better half and I were crawling out of our skin and needed to get out of the house, but with cash at a bare minimum, some planning was necessary. Chittenango Falls in Upstate New York is 25 minutes away from our home and that is about all the gas we were willing to guzzle for any weekend fun.

We enjoyed spectacular views, a picnic, some shut-eye on a blanket, a hike, and an extraordinary experience with wild animals! All this, including beautiful blue skies for under $25.00.

The gorge and waterfall loop trail is only one mile long but there are other hiking opportunities if you choose. There are a couple videos you can watch on cnyhiking.com, which I find to be a very useful site with detailed info.

After our hike, picnic and nap, we stumbled upon The Wild Park, an up close and personal, privately-owned zoo with animals such as bobcats, black bears and bengal tigers. While we walked through the park, we watched the feeding of the tigers and a wolf seminar.

Itinerary:
Chittenango Falls State Park - hike and picnic
The Wild Park

What to bring:
Cooler with sandwiches, snacks, water
Sneakers
Sunscreen if necessary
Camera

Cost:
- Chittenango Falls State Park fee is $5.00 on weekends - or free for military members.
- Lunch sandwiches and snacks shouldn't be more than $5.00 if you are an extreme couponer and can gather up some snacks from your stock.
- The Wild Park is $9 per adult.

Options:
- Head to The Wild Park first and hit the falls at sunset for great photo ops.
- While in town, check out All Things Oz, open on Friday's and Saturday's in the Village of Chittenango. It's a fantastic tribute to L. Frank Baum and The Wizard of Oz, including a museum and store.