The Upstate Eater

The new Upstate Eater

I started The Upstate Eater as a hobby project as a college junior in 2011. Since then, I’ve lived in Turkey, graduated college, got my first staff writing job, left my first staff writing job, got my second staff writing job and changed beats more times than my business cards can keep up with. The best time for this move would’ve been years ago, but the second-best time is now. I’m happy to…

Jimmie James BBQ: Oswego County barbecue gone too soon (Review)

The main dining room is adorned with musical instruments, vintage license plates and Pepsi memorabilia and the name of the restaurant written in guitar amplifier cords.

In a town known for its nuclear power plant and little else, in a corner of an old gas station across the street from a small motel, sits Jimmie James BBQ, an unlikely source of a delectable dinner.

Armed with a borrowed smoker,…

Rosalie’s Cucina: Bill Clinton and Jim Boeheim liked it, you will too (review)

The walls are filled with signatures from locals, celebrities and politicians alike, including Bill and Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden and Jim Boeheim.

This review originally appeared in the February/March Central New York edition of 55 Plus Magazine.

Sometimes white tablecloth food is served on sheets of butcher paper.

At Rosalie’ Cucina, the names of celebrities and politicians—Bill and Hillary…

Best wings in NY? LD’s Alehouse gives Buffalo a run for its money

LD’s has been serving wings, burgers and craft beer in Pulaski since 2012.

This review originally appeared in the December-January edition of Oswego County Business magazine.

The chicken wing is perhaps the most brilliantly designed food.

Food with its own built-in handle is rarely appreciated for its depth of flavor or texture, but with its ideal meat-to-skin ratio to ensure a plump interior and…

The Great Northeast Cheese & Dairy Fest Featured Producer: Tumino Cheese Company (King Ferry, NY)

I wrote the following profile for NY Epicurean Events, in anticipation of the Great Northeast Cheese & Dairy Fest. The event is scheduled for Dec. 10 at Flushing Town Hall in Queens. Tickets are now available.

On her many trips to Europe, it wasn’t uncommon for Mariann Fessenden to leave clothing and shoes behind to make room in her suitcase for cheese.

She, along with partners Sue Prokop and…

The Great Northeast Cheese & Dairy Fest Featured Producer: Crosswinds Farm & Creamery (Ovid, NY)

I wrote the following profile for NY Epicurean Events, in anticipation of the Great Northeast Cheese & Dairy Fest. The event is scheduled for Dec. 10 at Flushing Town Hall in Queens. Tickets are now available.

To say farming runs in Sarah Van Orden’s blood would be an understatement.

The 12th generation farmer grew up on her family’s farm in Catskill, N.Y. before moving to the Finger Lakes.…

Basil Thai: The top Thai food in CNY is in Oswego County

This review originally appeared in the October-November edition of Oswego County Business magazine.

Basil Thai occupies a corner spot in the Three Rivers Plaza in Phoenix.

A restaurant with eight mismatched tables at the end of a strip mall in rural Oswego County shouldn’t be packed with diners at 8 o’clock at night.

But then again, most restaurants aren’t as good as Basil Thai.

Owners Pongthep…

The Great Northeast Cheese Fest Featured Cheese & Dairy Producer: North Country Creamery (Keeseville, NY)

I wrote the following profile for NY Epicurean Events, in anticipation of the Great Northeast Cheese & Dairy Fest. The event is scheduled for Dec. 10 at Flushing Town Hall in Queens. Tickets are now available.

Ashlee Kleinhammer moved from the Pacific coast to Vermont, and eventually Upstate New York, for love.

“I fell in love with dairy cows.”

After college, the California native moved to…

Review: Regal dining in Geneva’s Belhurst Castle

This review originally appeared in the November-December Rochester edition of 55 Plus magazine, a free publication found in supermarkets and stores in Western New York.

At first glance, it’s easy to write off Belhurst Castle as a gimmick.  The stone castle, built in the 1880s, was first used as a private residence, but later converted into a casino, speakeasy, restaurant and eventually, hotel.

Th…

Elderberry Pond: A perfect setting for a farm-to-table dinner near Skaneateles

This review originally appeared in the October-November Central New York edition and the September-October Rochester edition of 55 Plus Magazine, a free publication

The small roadside sign is easy to miss, but Elderberry Pond is well worth the stop.

If The Restaurant at Elderberry Pond was a few hours north of New York City, it’d be a weekender’s delight.

The 100-acre farm, of which about…

Bistro 197: Fine dining done right in Oswego (review)

This review originally appeared in the August-September edition of Oswego County Business magazine.

Bistro 197 is located inside the Canal Commons on West First Street in Oswego.

At the bottom of the lengthy cocktail menu at Bistro 197 are the words “Drink alcohol. Because no great story ever started with a salad.”

While that tongue-in-cheek sentiment is largely true, that does not mean a great…

Rudy’s Lakeside Drive-In: Still the top shop for summer eats in Oswego

This review originally appeared in the June-July edition of Oswego County Business magazine.

For 70 years, the return of Rudy’s has meant springtime in Oswego.

Rudy’s Lakeside Drive-In, a Lake Ontario landmark, has been serving fried seafood, Hofmann hot dogs and other fare for so long, SUNY Oswego was still known as Oswego State Teachers College.

Ordering at Rudy’s can be a bit of controlled…

Rudy’s Lakeside Drive-In: Still the top shop for summer eats in Oswego

This review originally appeared in the June-July edition of Oswego County Business magazine. For 70 years, the return of Rudy’s has meant springtime in Oswego. Rudy’s Lakeside Drive-In, a Lake Ontario landmark, has been serving fried seafood, Hofmann hot dogs and other fare for so long, SUNY Oswego was still known as Oswego State Teachers College. Ordering at Rudy’s can be a bit of controlled…

Local food done right at the New York State Wine and Culinary Center

This review originally appeared in the August-September Central New York edition and the July-August Rochester edition of 55 Plus Magazine, a free publication.

I ate one of the best scallops of my life at the New York State Wine and Culinary Center in Canandaigua.

The jumbo sea scallop—deep brown, nutty and sweet—was harvested in Montauk off the tip of Long Island. The scallop, along with the…

Top Sunday brunch in Rochester: Char Steak & Lounge

This review originally appeared in the May-June edition of 55 Plus magazine, a free publication available at supermarkets and stores across the Rochester area.

Brunch. It’s the meal people love to hate and hate to admit they love.

I’ve never understood the hatred for the hybrid meal—when else is it acceptable to drink alcohol while eating pancakes? —and apparently neither has Char Steak & Lounge,…

Review: Avicolli’s in Liverpool serves some of the best chicken riggies in CNY

This review originally appeared in the April-May issue of 55 Plus magazine, a free publication available in supermarkets and other stores across Central New York.

It’s a question Central New Yorkers are always asking: Where are the best chicken riggies?

The quintessential dish, spicy, yet creamy; packed with the twang of pickled peppers and Romano cheese, can be found at Italian joints from Utica…

No bruises at Rochester’s Black & Blue Steak and Crab

This review originally appeared in the March-April issue of 55 Plus magazine, a free publication found in supermarkets and stores throughout the Rochester area.

When a restaurant in a shopping plaza offers free valet parking, it’s usually a sign of something pretty special going on inside.

We arrived at Black & Blue Steak and Crab, located in a prime corner spot in the Pittsford Plaza, southeast…