Mobile Food Week Review: Hungry’s (Pittsford, N.Y.)

Review | Written and photographed by Nathan Mattise

Directions | Web site | Overall Rating: 4

If you own a restaurant that stays open late on weekends and is located next to a pub named Thirsty’s, could you pick a better name?  Hungry’s is a recent addition to the Rochester food landscape (2007) but it quickly became a viable one.  The  tiny shed  sits next to the pub on Pittsford’s main drag and it’s easy to miss because of its size. The setup is perfect for what the place specializes in however, mobilized bar food.

Songs of the World Cup Critique: Kelly’s Dockside Cafe (Ithaca, N.Y.)

Review | Written and photographed by Nathan Mattise

Directions | Web site | Overall Rating: 4

“Kelly’s Dockside Cafe” to the tune of “God Bless America”

Diner Critique: New York Style Diner (Syracuse, N.Y.)

Review | Written and photographed by Nathan Mattise

Directions | Web site | Overall Rating: 2

Trying to find out what defines a true “New York style” diner is hard. The Wikipedia entry for “Diner” seems to imply an NY Diner would be one that’s oriented toward Greek cuisine.  Syracuse’s own New York Style Diner might offer a gyro every now and then but it’s certainly not their menu focus. My first experience there did uncover two very New York characteristics for the place: a busy crowd and higher prices than their Syracuse counterparts.

Diner Critique: Ruston’s Diner (Jamesville, N.Y.)

Review | Written and photographed by Nathan Mattise

Directions | Web site | Overall Rating: 5

Forgive me while I’ll weave an extended NCAA Basketball analogy.

March is a time for underdogs and upsets  in basketball and life. Every field has its share of Kentucky’s and Duke’s. Those are the names first off everyone’s lips in the CNY Diner Scene – Stella’s, Doc’s maybe The Eggplant. Each year however the NCAA Tournament brings to light lesser known sides that have all the characteristics of the major programs, they just lack the exposure (CNY’s own Cornell this year for instance). Today I found CNY’s mid-major diner that deserves major program status. Meet Ruston’s Diner.

Cuse culinary enemies, grocery bagging, help for Doc’s and help finding CNY diner experts.

Food Links | Compiled by Nathan Mattise

• With the NCAA tournament on the horizon this week, it’s important to remember the Orange’s culinary adversaries – Diet Coke and Chipotle.

• In other National Championship news, David Letterman received a visit from the National Grocery Bagging champ last week.

• Some solemn news in the CNY dining world this week, Doc’s Little Gem Diner has again been hit by major financial issues and could be facing a foreclosure in the near future.  (Here’s hoping the 81-N construction will start pushing hungry drivers their way)

• Finally, I was recently recruited to help with an exciting new project for the CNY diner world!

SyracuseDiners.com is going to be a multimedia project bringing you a look at the Onondaga County diner scene like you’ve never seen before. The main project will focus on 14 local favorites and then upwards of 70 diners will be included in the site’s database. These diners will also serve as potential topics of interest for the site’s official blog (that yours truly has been asked to contribute to). If you are involved directly in the ‘Cuse diner scene, know someone who is or can speak to the scene to provide perspective, please e-mail me if you’d be interested in somehow getting involved.