National Pancake Day, Dr Pepper’s Anniversary, Bourdain Part II and the Prince of Po-Tay-Toe

Food Links | Compiled by Nathan Mattise

• Mark your calendars for February 23, 2010. IHOP’s National Pancake Day promo is less than a month away. Until then, they’ve still got a deal to please…

• Other annual culinary certainties: you can depend on Dr Pepper. It’s celebrating its 125th anniversary this year making it the nation’s oldest soda (Note: I used the proper AP Style application of the brand).

• Two quick ‘Cuse food-related items of note: Dino BBQ is expanding throughout the Northeast and… ANTHONY BOURDAIN IS COMING TO SYRACUSE IN APRIL (yep, that means I’ll make a second trip to visit him).

• Finally, I’m not sure how I missed this for the past two years. Meet ToTs – a local rapper who only rhymes about… PO-TAY-TOE.

Diner Critique: Pamela’s Diner (Pittsburgh, Pa.)

Review | Written and photographed by Nathan Mattise

Directions | Web site | Overall Rating: 5

Pittsburgh is an unbelievable food city. I’ve been there several times now with my sister at Pitt and thankfully the meals aren’t ending anytime soon (lil’ bro is leaning towards the Panthers as well). I had the best sandwich I ate in my life in Pittsburgh; the renown Quaker Steak and Lube was established just an hour away. Those very wings were the centerpiece of a Man V. Food episode where Adam Richman made his way through a very robust looking diner. I knew I needed to visit and, despite forgetting to look up which diner it was, I figured all I need to do was say “diner” and “Pittsburgh” to my sister. She’d then arrange my high-praise breakfast.

Well, Adam Richman didn’t go to Pamela’s but this was my sister’s first suggestion.  So we went to Pamela’s… and later I found out Barack Obama went to Pamela’s… and let’s just say everything worked out quite well.

NYT Opposites, another local foodie, a trio late visionaries and a McMiracle.

Food Links | Compiled by Nathan Mattise

• Some polar opposite culinary reporting from The NYT lately: you can choose to read about the 11 best secretly-good-for-you foods or you can instead focus on the “Bacon explosion” (and utilize some bacon band-aids if the explosion gets to you).

• Continuing in the spirit of promoting other local foodie blogs, you can check out CNY’s own Amateur Gourmet.

• Some sad news in the greater food community: three food pioneers died recently – the inventor of the Quarter Pounder, the inventor of Spaghetti-O’s and the founder of Taco Bell.

• Lastly, I recently experienced a personal McMircale. While roadtripping from Detroit to Oklahoma City, I lost my wallet… apparently at an Illinois McDonald’s.  What happened?

Yep. They returned it with everything in it. I was floored (and I vow to up my intake of Shamrock Shakes this year in honor of this unexpected kindness). As a small bit of gratitude, I sent them a little something that they’ll hopefully enjoy (via Vintage Funland on Etsy) .

Diner Critique: The All-Night Eggplant (Syracuse, N.Y.)

Review | Written and photographed by Nathan Mattise

Directions | Web site | Overall Rating: 4

The only time I’d ever been to the All-Night Eggplant as an undergrad was with one of my sophomore year roommates. He was your typical college student who half-practiced the religion he was raised in, and the Eggplant became a favorite destination because of his Jewish eating restrictions. There were date nuts, fun NYC diner lingo all over the menu, Mel Brooks posters covering the walls and lox prominently featured as a breakfast sammich and omelet filling. I went back with another friend during Hanukkah 2009 and have to say it didn’t disappoint this time around either (no word on whether SU Men’s BBall folks Kris Joseph and Wesley Johnson were there eating kosher though).

Cooking up some new diners with an Easy-Bake Oven (sort of…)

Site Info | Written by Nathan Mattise

January is almost over and no new diner critiques on Diners Without Frosted Tips (at least ones personally written by me)?

Um…

Don’t sweat it. I’ve been continually eating at some ol’ favorites but did manage to find plenty of new diners over the course of this holiday season. There are as many as nine diners waiting for me to sit down and add them to the index in fact.

So the time has come to make it happen. Next week will be a special Travel Diner week featuring some recently visited diners from places beyond (but also including) CNY.  Stay tuned to see where the road and an appetite can lead you.

To hold everyone over until then, enjoy another bit of holiday flavor. This was a culinary adventure that happened back in NEPA when Santa brought a very good little girl the “Girl Gourmet Cake Bakery (f/ Ace of Cakes).”