Joe L.'s Profile

I love watching games here. The crowd can be a bit quiet at times, but grab a field level seat for the extra $6 instead of the general admission ones and you won't regret the experience (tip: if it's a night game, get tickets the day-of during the afternoon either at the stadium or do will-call and you'll have some awesome seats).

Parking is kind of a rip-off ($4) so I'd suggest carpooling. If you don't want to pay that, you can park on-street on some of the side streets off of Hiawatha for free and just walk in. There's also a bus to and from Downtown that's $1 or $2 during home games, I think.

The views are pretty nice - especially on a clear evening. The sun sets towards the 3rd base side, so bring a hat if you plan on sitting on the 1st base side. The grounds crew does a superb job and the field is always in really great condition. Thankfully they got rid of the god awful astroturf several years ago. Ballpark gimmicks could probably use some improvement, but I'm more of a baseball purist anyway.

Food is a good mix of standard ballpark stuff and local delicacies: funnel cake, pulled pork sandwiches with Dinosaur Bar-B-Que sauce, salt potatoes, dippin dots (!!!), popcorn in a regular sized helmet, hofmann hot dogs and coneys (don't get the pre-packaged ones in foil. They grill them to-order at the grill station near the 3rd base side - it's seriously way better than Heids). The beer selection is actually pretty good. On tap they usually have Molson, Saranac, Labatt, and generic domestics, but there's another stand open between homeplate and 3rd that has about 20+ kinds of bottles like Blue Moon, Saranac, Brooklyn, Guinness, etc... and a few varieties of wine too. Mind you, some of these things aren't available all season. They don't usually bring in the good hot dogs and good beer until it warms up (aka mid May). Just a heads up.

Tailgating outside the stadium is fun. You still have to pay though. Also there's no shade whatsoever in the parking lot, so bring something to sit under or lots of sunscreeen.

I'm a Chiefs fan so I'm probably biased, but I think it's a great value considering the low variety of things to do here in the city sometimes. I'd give it 5 stars if they had a better scoreboard with working lights and if the location wasn't located in the middle of nowhere. Why they built it here instead of in the abandoned trolly lot behind Armory Square, I'll never know. Still, it's one of my all-time favorite places to spend time with the friends and family on a summer evening in CNY.

granted, i only had a tasty vanilla milkshake on my visit, so i can't vouch much for the other food, but this place is awesome. it's kind of an old-school, roadside fast food place (ice cream, burgers, sandwiches, fried seafood, ect...). the best part is the outdoor seating, which has picnic tables and benches that sit on a bluff overlooking owasco lake. it's seriously a gorgeous view and it was perfect spot to relax and kill time. a short drive from auburn and skaneateles too.

it wasn't terrible, i just think moe's and salsarita's are both superior in just about every area.

ups: the guacamole (probably some of the best in the area - though that's not saying too much), the carnitas meat was very juicy and tender - i'd probably get it again if i end up going again, they sell margaritas and beer, and it's a very clean place to eat.

downs: while most are fresh, there's really only like 6 choices of ingredients and about 4 or 5 types of meats to choose from, as with the drink selection, there's only 6 or 7 sodas (as oppose to about 12 at moe's), a lot of the ingredients tasted salty, there really weren't that many tortilla chips in the bag, the bench-style seating arrangements and low seats are really awkward to eat at, and there's no value deal (not a big deal, but some kind of combo wouldn't hurt them, as 2 burritos, 1 soda, and a side of guacamole and chips came to roughly $22).

i wouldn't rule out going again. i finished my burrito. but take a short drive to the other side of the boulevard and you can get better selections, more salsas, a lower price, and roughly the same taste at moe's.

tip: not to be confused with the other mitsuba location near gandor mtn and the movie theater, which has a more low-key and much smaller atmosphere.

pros: great interior, classy, cohesive, nice bar, very clean, strong drinks, even a good spot to watch a game on tv.

cons: service is sometimes aloof, food quality and results are so-so (the menu reads nice, but the "pad thai" wasn't necessarily pad thai - more like a peanut butter stir-fry, the limes (while only garnish) had clearly been sitting around for a day, and the calamari was rubberband-esque and kind of smelled like funions), my entree came out 5-10 minutes before my appetizer (?), and while i don't mind food being expensive, it's pretty over-priced for what you're actually getting.

my main gripe, however, is that the sushi rolls are made so poorly: awkward portion sizes that are often way too big, imbalance of ingredients, poor rice that doesn't hold the rolls together, salmon was kind iffy on my latest visit, i received WAY too much ginger on the side for no reason, and there's not really a fresh taste to anything (which you typically like tasting when eating sushi).

normally, i wouldn't be so inclined to talk down about a place like this on a public site. they're trying to do their best. i do like the atmosphere a lot and want to like the food here, but the dishes and especially the sushi just don't warrant it, especially when you have "sushi" in your restaurant title. i've given the place about three visits to change my mind and at this point it's a strike out.

while the service was friendly and the location is nice, the pizza was some of the... well...let's be nice... "least best" i've ever had. very odd and unappetizing sauce on top of dough that was closer to matzah than actual pizza crust. i really didn't like it. i supopse i'd give it another shot in the future, but for real (and edible) ny-style pizza in syracuse, i'll be sicking with gianni's on burnett ave.

two days later, and i'm still thinking about the best burger i've had in my entire life. this place blows in-n-out burger out of the water (for a local comparison, it's so much better than zebbs).

super, super greasy, but it was absolutely amazing. huge portion size, excellent beef, grilled bun, fresh toppings, smothered in cheese. fries were very good as well (fresh cut style with the skins on). $10 for a burger, fries, and soda (fountain had about 12 different kinds). AND all toppings are free!

with the odds of a heart attack risk increased put aside, i think i love this place.

went here for the first time after trying to find a local barber. frank is awesome. he's been in business for about 40 years, is really funny, and he'll talk your ear off with a thick, italian accent. $10 for a cut which includes the old-school, straight shave on the back of the neck.

be a man, skip supercuts, and go here.

i love the beer selection here: plenty of local varieties (middle ages, ithaca, ommegang), brooklyn, dogfish head 60 minute ipa, colorado and california microbrews, excellent internation selections, a growler option - the list goes on.

just a heads up that it's an extremely small store. prices can also be a little high for syracuse, but it's hard to complain with a variety of at least 150 imports at your fingertips.

it's a bit like a small and contemporary bukowski's with tasteful and trendy lighting topped with a pretty decent beer selection. seems like a cool spot to hang and drink, but EEEEK... fenway frank with bbq sauce and coleslaw, not so much.

i love the concept: offer $1 hotdogs with some interesting and creative toppings like mango salsa, habanero aioli, and spicy ale mustard. but without sounding like i'm being lame and splitting hairs over cheap as hell $1 hotdogs, i have 3 picky issues...

- the toppings don't play well together. there's really only a few combinations that seem like they would actually work. it was also kind of tough to find something that would taste well with a buttered bun (i.e. salsa and butter seem a little unsettling).

- aside from officially thinking that fenway franks are kinda gross now (no casing, mediocre beef), they could change it up and maybe offer a boiled or steamed frank instead of just grilled.

- the toppings i had were not good. i went with a carolina-style dog. the bbq sauce was bland with no smokiness or heat (not too far off from ketchup) and the coleslaw was um... terrible. big slices of flimsy cabbage, heavy mayo, no salt or peppper, no vinegar or really any other noticeable vegetables.

it's a cool bar though. i'd definitely go back and try some other things out on the menu (but would probably stray from hotdogs).

o... m... g...

i had been meaning to go to this place when i lived in the neighborhood, so this visit was about 5 years in the waiting.

went for a late saturday night dinner with a friend. a bit of a wait, but the hostess got my cell number and said she'd call when a table was ready (we killed some time with a few beers at the never crowded corner cafe a few blocks away). had a table within a half-hour and decided to sit up at the counter. the interior is relatively small, but it's a lively and classy atmosphere and very cool to see all the oyster shucking and the efficiency of the staff when you're sitting up that close.

oysters: without a doubt the freshest and cleanest oysters i've ever had in my life - served with the traditional cocktail sauce and lemon. they give you a convenient checklist to mark how many and what kind you'd like. i think i had all east coast, if remember correctly. just unbelievable oysters and i'm pretty much going to compare all oysters at any other place to neptune's from here on out.

new england clam chowder: best new england clam chowder i've ever had. it's the thin kind (which is actually more traditional, unbeknownst to me). perfect ratio of clams and potatoes, great consistency, and the most flavorful chowder ever.

fried clams: they were excellent. good portion size with a nice, crunchy breading covering fresh whole-belly clams. not the best ever, but i'd get them again. (a bit of random advice: if you want the best fried clams you'll ever have, you have to go to this small vendor in the north end during st anthony's feast. alas, the exact location escapes me...).

it was just a great dining experience. lively ambiance, good service, and amazing food.