Food trucks, breakfast pizza, Finger Lakes cheese and a Dead Diners preview

Food Links | Compiled by Nathan Mattise

• We had a food truck appear near the SU campus this weekend. Coincidentlly, Good Magazine is in the middle of a contest asking what your ideal food truck would look like.

• A potentially less appetizing mobile food option: Domino’s has unveiled a new breakfast pizza.

• The Finger Lakes region is known for its wine, but worth noting their Cheese Trail is gaining steam (and had an event this past weekend).

• Finally, SyracuseDiners.com noted it’s been six months since Doc’s Little Gem went out of business. They celebrated the event with an exclusive Doc’s oriented preview of our upcoming “Dead Diners” project (click below):

 

SyracuseDiners.com praise, Best of ‘Cuse 2010, Saranac Fall Offerings and National Coffee Day

Food Links | Compiled by Nathan Mattise

• One more round of praise to share for SyracuseDiners.com: Syracuse.com was a big fan, Syracuse University too. Today we received the biggest bit of journalist praise as the Online News Association nominated the site for a 2010 Online Journalism Award.

• The Syracuse New Times announced the winners of their “Best of Syracuse 2010” poll (their most participated poll ever). In the “best diner” category… Stella’s? Didn’t see that coming (and I don’t necessarily agree).

• Yesterday was “National Drink A Beer” day.  In honor, here are the tasting videos Saranac produced so you’re familiar with their seasonal offerings.

• Finally, today is National Coffee Day. Many places are having specials and online coffee banter is high (for instance, five pros and cons to the drink). In Syracuse and looking to celebrate? I’ll still take a People’s Place Austin Powers for my money.

SyracuseDiners.com, Eggs in Heat, Bourdain needs a contributor and Tasty (Travel) Tweets

Food Links | Compiled by Nathan Mattise

• If you haven’t checked it out yet, SyracuseDiners.com officially launched this past week. We wrote positively about it here long before it was even finished, but now unbiased praise is flowing. too.  See what a former newspaper food editor, one of SPJ’s Top 20 Industry Thinkers and a leading multimedia blogger had to say about the project.

• Not that the heatwave in CNY seems to have passed, can we all agree this was awesome.

• Anthony Bourdain has a new book coming out. The exciting news is that someone will be a featured contributor to it (Note: I apologize in advance. If I pen a piece I’m proud of, it will be self-promoted like crazy for votes).

• Finally, I’ve had some great travel recently between San Diego, Georgia and NYC. Despite a girlfriend who insisted on a no-camera clause during our meals, I managed to squeeze out a few Tasty Tweets that can cover these places:

Few quick notes on The Lady and Sons: this place has a buzz about it. I was so excited I had multiple misspellings in my tweet even (Deen*, restaurant*). You need to go as soon as the place opens to guarantee a seat, you get free Deen-esque starters like cheesy biscuits and something that equates to a fried butter pancake. I was also told by a well-traveled professional it was the best steak he’s ever eaten.

I think it’s hard to find a good, appetizing rendition of hash. Malibu hit the spot however, especially on the night after a 21st celebration. Interior reminds you of a cheesy local place really trying to hard for fancy, prices are on par for NYC.

This was a gem in Astoria. Tasty’s prices were lower than most, the menu was diverse (even has a healthy options section), the interior is legitimately pleasing (brick, clean) and any place that offers hamsteak for breakfast is worth a return trip. Wish I had more time to try and sample all the various nationality breakfast options they were advertising.

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.

The Anonymous Legend of The CNY Diner Scene

Food Essay | Written by Nathan Mattise

You’d think “Syracuse diner enthusiasts” would be a small enough niche community. You can find all of the major players within two-minutes of a Google search, right?

I thought the same thing until last week. I was meeting with a group of colleagues because we’re embarking on a TBA comprehensive project on area diners. In walked an elderly man dressed in a collared shirt and a sweater. After he spoke to us for nearly a half hour, he walked out of the room as the most knowledgeable authority on diners in CNY.

Meet the Diner Docent.