I decided to try the fish fry at Price Chopper grocery store.
Presentation: The fish dinner was placed on a paper plate inside a paper container. Two tubs of tartar sauce were included. They use canola oil. A price sticker was attached, which also indicated the contents and sadly, a 1260 calorie count.
Taste: I ate the meal right out of the container. I guess I could have placed it on my fine china but the problem with take-out is that by the time you get home, you just want to wolf it down before it gets cold. I enjoyed it.
Restaurant Experience: I ordered the meal – fried haddock, french fries and coleslaw and was told it would take about five minutes! The seafood area is a straight shoot from the front door against the back wall where they have a spotless stainless steel kitchen. (They also have lobsters available for $9.99 per pound). When it was ready I took the container to the front cash registers to pay. It was only $8.99.
Location: The Price Chopper I went to is located at 2515 Erie Blvd. East, Syracuse, NY 13224.
Parking: There is a huge parking lot in front of the grocery store.
I drive by the Redwood Diner nearly every day. I watched the exterior transformation in real time, like a slo-mo of an HGTV Curb Appeal episode and when they added the red siding, I said to myself – I want to go to there. Today they added their new neon sign. And today was also the day that the diner’s tight hours of operation (6:00 AM – 1:00 PM) fit into my schedule.
Presentation: Redwood Diner is primarily a breakfast nook but on Fridays they do a fish fry! Elaine was in town from Florida and when I said – I think I want to do the fish instead of breakfast, she said – me too!
Elaine ordered the fish with a side of macaroni & cheese and I ordered it with the fries. Her order arrived first then mine without the fries and I had to wait a bit for them. The fries were hand-sliced potatoes with the skin on them. The fish came on a toasted and buttered bun.
Taste: I loved the fish. It was very light, very fresh! I liked the taste of the potato skins. That was a different take – I’ve never seen that before and it gave the restaurant this homey feel. Elaine enjoyed the mac & cheese. I would have preferred a little side of coleslaw but they didn’t have it on the menu as an option.
It was all really good! And our fish lunches were only $12.00 each.
Restaurant Experience: So you enter the space and it is a traditional diner with barstools at the counter in front of the short order cook style kitchen. Then you slide into a back room with six or seven tables and it sort of feels like you’ve entered Dr. Who’s Tardis because it is way bigger on the inside than it looks from the outside. Lots of customers inside! Everyone happily eating, mostly breakfast items. We arrived at 11:30 AM.
The staff was exceptional. Wonderful people. Friendly, happy to be at our service, the kind of people who have a passion for their jobs and I just love that so much.
It was a lovely experience.
Location: Redwood Diner is located at 121 E. Manlius Street, East Syracuse, NY 13057, right in the village of East Syracuse.
Parking: There is a small parking lot behind the building. We parked on the street right in front of the diner! That was a lucky break because the parking lot was a bit icy on this day.
Yesterday my friend Joyce and I visited the Albright-Knox Gallery and Art Museum in Buffalo, New York. It was a spectacular day of viewing the amazing Marisol collection of sculptures, as well as admiring some very famous paintings that we both had studied in art history classes – from Van Gogh, Matisse, Picasso, Modigliani and my heroes Johns and Rauschenberg! We kept saying a variation of “what is this doing here, and, I didn’t know this was here!”
On that high note, we decided to go in search of fish fry. The gallery store employee directed us to Cole’s, an Irish pub located only minutes away in the Elmwood Village neighborhood.
Presentation: Haddock is a Friday-only special here and it is prepared three different ways – beer battered (Joyce’s choice), broiled or broiled Greek-style. I chose the latter minus the tomato addition.
Taste: I have to say that this meal was the best fish dinner I have ever had. The fish was mouthwatering. I was told they broil their fish in white wine but when they do it Greek-style they use a Greek dressing marinade and add spinach and feta cheese to the fish before broiling. I am in love with these people. Too bad they are a bit over two hours away. I asked to be adopted. The waitress did relay this to the chef and kitchen staff, and she said they were delighted that I was delighted and I was very, very…sooooo delighted. <3
Joyce thought her beer-battered version rivaled the fish she had last week in London, England. Yes, that good! She chose sweet potato fries and soup as her sides.
I loved the flavor of the coleslaw with my salty friend, feta, but as per usual, I was in salt overkill with the fries. I think they were peppered as well. Next time I will ask for saltless fries with this meal.
Restaurant Experience: OMG times infinity. I highly recommend this amazing restaurant! We were seated immediately and the waitress was absolutely lovely. We shared that we were out-of-towners (Joyce is from Binghamton, New York) and were excited to be there. She welcomed us and matched our enthusiasm.
It was relatively quiet inside the restaurant with soft rock music playing. We were able to continue our conversation in between bites and oohs and ahhs over the food – mostly me, as I am the crazy fish lady, let’s make that clear.
Location: Cole’s is located at 1104 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo, New York 14222, a two-minute drive from the AKG Art Museum (or a nine-minute walk).
Hours
Monday – 5pm- 12am
Tuesday – 5pm – 3am
Wednesday – 5pm- 2am
Thursday – 5pm- 2am
Friday – 11:30am – 4am
Saturday – 11:30am -4am
Sunday – 11am – 12am
Parking: We parked on the street. I didn’t see a parking lot. We were there around 3:30 PM on Friday afternoon, which is between lunch and dinner so it wasn’t a problem finding a spot.
Meier’s Creek in Cazenovia, New York is the perfect place to rendezvous for a “ladies-who -lunch” afternoon. Janine and I saw a former colleague of mine with her friend of twenty-plus years there while we have enjoyed a connection that goes back to “House 1” at J-D Middle School.
Presentation: Meier’s Creek only does a Friday fish fry. It’s not on the menu. Because this is also a brewery, the fish is of the beer-battered variety. Mine was served on a bed of fries. Janine substituted a side salad so her plate looks different. Both came with coleslaw, tartar and lemon slices with herbs sprinkled over the top.
Taste: Janine said it was the best she’d had in the area so far. The fish was very tender under that crunchy crust. I wasn’t that hungry at first but when I saw this plate I was all for it. I started with the coleslaw. It was a mayo-laden thingy, very creamy. Then I think I tackled the entire fish. I kind of peeled off the batter to get to it. Fries – not particularly salty until later when I became insatiably thirsty and still am three hours later.
I’m not implying that fish fry is bad for you. It is a treat. Everything else I eat is pretty bland – oatmeal, yogurt, unsalted peanuts, protein shakes – and this meal was delicious.
It was $21.00.
Restaurant Experience: It was a great day to eat outside under the canopy. Other options were in the restaurant or out under those yellow umbrellas. This is a gem of a place. Everyone who works there looks like a starlet out of central casting. Beautiful people, beautiful place.
Location: Meier’s Creek is located at 33 Rippleton Road, Cazenovia, NY 13035.
Parking: Plenty of parking in a beautifully paved parking lot.
Last night I found a fried haddock dinner at Harpoon Eddie’s in Sylvan Beach, New York. We were there to listen to the harmonies of SAMMY nominated Syracuse band Master Thieves. They do great versions of classic rock songs interspersed with originals.
They played indoors due to the inclement weather.
Presentation: This massive fried haddock dinner came served with lager fries, char-grilled Brussels sprout and homemade tartar sauce presented on an adorable aluminum fish plate.
I love how every time I go in search of fish fry I am delighted by the variety in presentation. This one is so fun!
There are several haddock choices on the menu – sandwich, bites, dinner – and several side items. Crinkle cut fries were available too or garlic mashed potatoes and broccoli in place of the sprouts. But no coleslaw.
Taste: I enjoyed the meal, especially the fries – they’d been recommended by the bartender. I liked the Brussels spout but flavor-wise I felt they competed with the fish and it seemed an odd choice. The fish tasted great – flaky and airy. I split the dinner with my friend. Half was really plenty meal. It was $23.00.
Restaurant Experience: I’m not going to lie – Harpoon Eddie’s is so much better on a beautiful summer night, as depicted in photographs on their web-site. My hair would agree with that assessment. It transforms into full gremlin when wet. But, you know, despite that – still fun. Sparsely attended yet everyone there was enjoying the band and their respective meals. The waitstaff appear to love their jobs. They are very helpful and friendly, and smiley.
Location: Harpoon Eddie’s is on the beach overlooking Oneida Lake, located at 611 Park Street, Sylvan Beach, New York 13157.
OPEN MON-TUE 4-10 PM, WED-THU 12-10 PM, FRI-SAT 12-1130 PM AND SUN 12-9 PM
Parking: Parking is tight in the small parking lot. There are more spaces across the street, as well as a larger parking lot within walking distance that services other businesses and the amusement park.
I took a trip to The Yard in Manlius, New York and discovered Cafe Jarosz. Fried haddock was on the menu!
Presentation: I received my order from the food truck and it was presented as a tower of fish – I think there were three pieces in the bun propped on a bed of crinkle cut fries. Coleslaw had been placed in a small container. The meal came with tartar sauce and ketchup. It was $15.
Taste: The fish batter had a Kentucky Fried Chicken flavor. Crispy and tender and so fun to eat. The coleslaw tasted traditional and the fries too. Everything felt very much, like, familiar.
I’m not a huge fan of food trucks – that whole temporary thing weirds me out or maybe it is because it’s a road vehicle that combines moving around the region with cooking that doesn’t seem sanitary. But, with that said, this meal is probably up there in the Karen Tash local fish fry Hall of Fame, which has not yet been established but sounds like high praise so I will allow it and thank my past self when the time comes to reveal it. Yes, it was really that good!
Restaurant Experience: I guess The Yard had that fun “let’s explore this place” factor, which lead from the bar to the cafe to the food truck and the outdoor seating area, and that adventure was lovely. It was a beautiful day and I wondered how the businesses faired in poorer climate conditions.
I imagined becoming a vendor to sell my art and jewelry but in that daydream, it would always need to be a gorgeous seventy-eight degree weather day and I would need more variety in the menu choices of Cafe Jarosz, because haddock is a Friday only special (and very if-fy on Saturdays)
Location: The Yard is located at 604 E Seneca St, Manlius, NY 13104. Cafe Jarosz is a small eat-in restaurant with a food truck parked in the rear that exists within The Yard compound, which includes a mall style shopping experience paired with artisan shops housed in old shipping containers and an outdoor space with a fully stocked bar/brewery.
Parking: There is a long row of parking spaces to the left of the property with handicapped parking in the middle. It wasn’t that busy at 3;30 PM on Saturday because they didn’t have any live music scheduled at that time, but I believe it gets more traffic in the evenings.
Yesterday, we held our final Chittenango Art department faculty meeting for the year (my final ever meeting) at Yards Grille (at Green Lakes State Park, Fayetteville, New York). I was the only one in search of fish fry. There’s a variety of sandwiches, salads and other entrees on the menu. We all chose different meals.
Presentation: This is their fish sandwich. It comes with french fries or potato chips but no coleslaw. Instead the fish is served tartared and laden with pickles on a brioche bun.
Taste: It was delish! I loved every bite. The fries had an air fryer look to them – very seasoned, which made me covet them. I don’t eat like this every day – it probably seems like it, lol, but I mainly eat a very bland plant based diet – so when I have something salty I think it tricks my mind into wanting more times infinity. And that it not to say that I regret eating them. Because I don’t regret a thing.
Restaurant Experience: The restaurant overlooks the golf course and the lake at Green Lakes State Park. If you’ve never been there, you must make a plan to go because the view is spectacular!
We had planned this excursion a week in advance. On Thursday night when I checked the weather report, it declared Friday a rainy day. I thought we were going to end up eating inside – well…it turned out to be a magnificent weather day. Perfect, in fact. Seventy-eight degrees and sunny. We were able to dine on the outdoor deck. We sat in the shade and enjoyed the view while reminiscing, evaluating the school year and sharing plans for summer vacation and beyond.
Katy and I arrived together. We approached the hostess and she brought us to our table. Madison had already arrived. Allison and Gina appeared quickly after. The waitress and the manager asked us how everything was – they really pampered us.
If you have never been to this restaurant, I highly recommend you head there on a beautiful day to enjoy the ambiance. Yards Grille is only open from Memorial Day through Labor Day, I believe, and is open from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM every day during that period.
Location:
Green Lakes State Park 5648 Green Lakes Park Dr Fayetteville, NY 13066
Parking: There is a huge parking lot in front of the restaurant. When we arrived at noon yesterday, the parking lot was full of cars but the restaurant was not filled to capacity because the parking lot doubles as parking for golfers. There is plenty of space.
If you drive into Green Lakes from Route 5, you do not have to pay to go through the park – the entrance gate to the park does not include the restaurant.
Last night my friend and I decided to go in search of fish fry. I had a list of places in the area. We decided to investigate The Craftsman Wood Grille & Tap House. There is an open grill kitchen with four chefs working together. They are known for their meats and their pizzas, mainly, and a fun bacon flight thing with bacon cured in a variety of flavors. Still, fish and chips is on the menu – not sure if it is a Friday only thing or not.
Presentation: The plate – OMG, such a beautiful presentation. The fish looked like a giant corn dog laying in a bed of the tiniest sweet potato fries with parchment paper underneath to absorb lingering oils from the fryer. Four stainless steel condiment cups held ketchup, maple butter, coleslaw and tartar sauce. The chef included a grilled lemon.
I do love when the waiter delivers a lovely looking meal.
Taste: I tasted a bit of mustard in the coleslaw or maybe I thought I did because it appeared yellow. The combination of maple butter with sweet potato fries is always a yes! So delish. This was a substitution and we both went for it in lieu of regular french fries.
I didn’t love the fish but, you know, I certainly didn’t hate it. I had to “fish” for it under all that batter – I didn’t eat that part because it tasted soft, not crunchy – basically pancake batter-y. Overall, I think the portions were just right and it left room for us to share a slice of cake for dessert, since this was a pre-birthday meal for me. (Thank you, Bobbi!)
Restaurant Experience: I love this restaurant. It has a gorgeous ambiance. We arrived before 5:00 PM without a reservation. No one was eating yet and we were seated in a booth by the window – I believe it was referred to as table 1. The other tables filled quickly after, and by the time we were ready to leave, the restaurant was at full capacity including the bar area.
Stickley furniture prevails. The whole place is a Stickley-gasm. There was a party going on in the conference room that I wanted to crash, maybe a rehearsal dinner or wedding reception with people dressed in suits and gowns.
It’s all so pretty – I didn’t really want to leave.
They also have an outdoor space – a roof, a bar area, seating, heat lamps and a fireplace. On Thursdays they do live music in that space – so fun!
Location: The Craftsman is located at 7300 East Genesee Street (Route 5), Fayetteville, New York 13066
Or visit their website, which includes a menu with prices.
Parking: They have an ample parking lot for the restaurant and the adjacent hotel – The Craftsman Inn. If you haven’t been, it is a mission-style lover’s paradise – filled with Stickley furniture.
What a beautiful day! Janine and I met for lunch at Fish Cove on Route 11 (otherwise known as Main Street) in North Syracuse, New York.
Presentation: The fish is packaged in brown paper. I purchased the fried fish (broiled is also an option), french fries, coleslaw and tartar sauce. Janine had the fish sandwich.
Taste: I inhaled the light and tender fish, although I did have trouble separating pieces with the plastic fork. I loved the fries – perfectly crisp. The cold coleslaw was refreshing. All and all, a delicious little picnic!
Restaurant Experience: Fish Cove in North Syracuse has picnic tables out front, otherwise it is not an eat-in place, much like the Atlantic Seafood Company in Baldwinsville. The Eastwood Fish Cove is much bigger in comparison and has a more orderly check-out system.
There were five employees working on this Friday morning at 11:00 AM: two girls at the register on the right, a man doing fish sandwiches on the left and two men in back operating the fish and french fry fryers. The sides and drinks are housed in two refrigerators. The idea is to gather your items at the register and pay. This cannot be done in advance because the fish is priced by weight.
Janine and I sat outside and ate at one of the tables – they all have shade umbrellas attached. Thanks, Janine! It is always so much fun spending time with you.
Bistro 1926 has weekly specials. Yesterday was Fish Friday! I went to dinner with Mom and Kathy. We all had the broiled fish.
Presentation: The presentation was superb. This is the first fish dinner in all of the ISO fish fry locations that provided a dollop of ketchup on the side in its own cute dish on the plate! We all had identical dishes – I love the blue one, don’t you? Perfection!
Taste: We all were, like, we are not even hungry, why are we here? Then – OMG – the fish just melts in your mouth. Mom kept saying it was so tender. It was delicious! The fries were too salty. I should have said something before we ordered (like, maybe, hold off on the salt, IDK) so, my fault. The coleslaw was not particularly flavorful. Kathy loved it. But the fish was incredible. So good!
Restaurant Experience: We arrived at around 5:30 PM. There were a lot of cars in the parking lot. I dropped Mom and Kathy at the door and parked the car. I was hoping it wouldn’t be a long wait to get a table without a reservation. When I arrived inside, there were only two other dining groups. Lucky break!!! The rest of the people were gathered around the bar area. When we’d finished, all the dining tables had been occupied.
The waitress was lovely. She took our orders right away. We didn’t need to look at menus. She brought drinks then the food arrived in less than fifteen minutes. All three plates at the same time. It was just a perfect experience and a wonderful way to do an early Mother’s Day thingy. I mean, we were missing our fourth, but Sophie was busy last night.
Location: Bistro 1926 is the restaurant at Drumlins Country Club, 800 Nottingham Road, Syracuse, New York 13224. In the ’80s, Dad was the banquet chef at Drumlins, so this spot holds a special place in our hearts.
Hours of Operation
Monday
4 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Tuesday – Friday
11:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Saturday
Brunch 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Dinner 4 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Sunday
Brunch 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Call (315) 446-4555 for more information.
Parking: There is a large parking lot at the country club where members can golf, swim, play tennis, hang out at the bistro or host events in the banquet hall. The restaurant is open to the public.
