Twin Trees, Too

After the Marquette v. SU game last week we had dinner at Twin Trees Too. Twin Trees is no doubt a Syracuse staple for pizza and wings. They certainly delivered. We ordered a couple of large pies and they were greasy and fantastic. Service even on a busy night was quick and amicable. The one down fall of the meal was in the appetizers. We started with the Supreme Antipasto. It was enough to serve six adults easily, and was tasty enough. The stuffed cherry peppers were made with a sausage mix. They were unfortunately too hot. We like spicy, but they were literally too hot to enjoy. The bread came late, and was miserably stale. Finally, the fried calamari was really chewy.
Overall, it was a satisfying meal. Yummy pizza and wings!

Five Guys

A quick burger in Syracuse is hard to come by. As a native of Rochester, I've spent years missing the abundant burger options of my home city. Five Guys has delivered!

Five Guys in DeWitt, NY is an authentic burger joint. Stepping inside you have to first accept that you are leaving the calorie counting at the door and embracing the greasy goodness. Here's a look at their nutritional info-if you dare. For me, the Little Burger with its one patty is ideal, but my husband prefers the Regular Bacon Cheeseburger for the full experience. Fantastic. Juicy and cooked just right. Last time we were in it took a few extra minutes because they recooked ours after being looked at by their quality control man. Took a while, but it was nice to know someone was watching out for us. The best part of the meal, in my opinion, is the french fries. Bottles of malt vinegar line the counter, and it is a perfect pairing. They are salty and fresh cut and remind me of the boardwalk. I could eat the large by myself (enough for 3-4). The regular serves 2.

There are options for the vegetarians. I'd avoid the veggie sandwich, though, its basically just whatever toppings are available without any sort of patty. The grilled cheese, however, is phenomenal. Our small daughters love it. Its basically a processed nacho-like cheese, but it is very yummy.

Five Guys definitely fills the burger void that was greater Syracuse!

Tabitha's Family Tree

With gift card in hand, we spent our first date night in awhile at Tabitha's Family Tree in Baldwinsville, NY. This restaurant is obviously a labor of love. There are family photos in the entry way, and from all indications I think it was Tabitha that did most of the running around. Its a cozy atmosphere, and there was ample parking. The decor was seriously lacking, it is in need of a massive make-over. Plenty of room for children, though. We always look for how much room there is between the tables. It was ideal for high chairs (though you may want to bring your own) and for the toddler to get up and move around without bothering the other customers too much. It was a small crowd when we visited in late December on a week night. It appears to be a local favorite, but that's not saying too much as the dining options in B'ville are not overwhelming.

The food was a 2 out of 5. I ordered the lasagna with meatball and my husband decided on the veal parmigiana. The sauce is fantastic, and the meatball was flavorful, but the lasagna was definitely sitting under the heat lamps for awhile. Too much cheese and ricotta, not enough noodle and sauce. Whatever meat concoction was in the lasagna unfortunately was different than their meatball. The veal was tender, but the breading didn't cling to the meat and was really greasy, so frying errors were made. It came with a side of pasta, and the serving was generous.

Overall, it was a meal that could easily have been forgotten, and really will not draw us back there in the future. I could get over the aged decor, but not a weak meal. The price was right, but the meal was wrong.