It’s an appealing sight as you approach 317 at Montgomery Street in downtown Syracuse, N.Y.
The phone rang with an invitation almost too good for a weeknight.
Could my dear wife Karen and I come out to play for dining week with her, David and Althea?
It is Syracuse Dining Week, a celebration of local restaurants that has grown to longer than two weeks this year.
The concept is gloriously simple. Participating restaurants open their doors and put out a special menu in addition to their regular fare. For a top price of $25, Dining Week patrons can get three courses. It’s a deal. In year No. 10, 25 restaurants are participating. They want to introduce people to their food and the city.
We picked a new restaurant, 317 at Montgomery Street. The name drew me in because I know that to be the address of the former Brick Alley restaurant, where the four of us — minus their very cool daughter, Althea — enjoyed a splendid Dining Week meal a half-decade ago. Our quartet also has taken advantage of the special at Prime steak house.
I told Theresa I’d all for reservations. I got a recording telling me the restaurant opened at 5 p.m., but welcoming requests on the recording. I left my name and number, requesting a table for five at 6 p.m. A bit to my surprise, my phone rang a bit after 4 p.m., and a pleasant gentleman confirmed my request.
Great start.
The red brick decor at 317 at Montgomery was a welcome sight.
David, Theresa and Althea were already seated. I had gotten there before Karen, who was walking a few blocks right after work. I chatted with our friends. I’ve introduced Theresa in a post about how much I look forward to my regular trip to her stylist’s shop for a vanity appointment. When Karen arrived a few minutes later, in fact, Theresa told her how she’d discovered a glitch in my next appointment while looking through her book that morning to get our home phone number. Phew. Appointment fixed as well as dinner plans set.
There’s a pleasant bar in addition to 10 or so tables inside the cozy 317 at Montgomery Street restaurant.
All of the staff members at 317 at Montgomery were pleasant, bringing beverages and a basket of warm rolls as we chatted.
The four adults all ordered from the Dinner Week menu, while a child’s meal of pasta was pleasantly negotiated for Althea by altering the regular menu.
I wasn’t thrilled by any of the four special entree offerings. Each had an element that didn’t fit my regular dining habits. One was salmon; another was duck. The beef brisket, which I would normally order with a smile, was accompanied by Brussels Sprout and mushrooms. Nay. So I decided upon the Un-spaghetti and meatballs.
The waitress explained what that meant: vegetables cut to look like pasta accompanied by deep fried risotto and cheese shaped like meatballs. Winner, winner, non-meat dinner.
Soon after we’d ordered, the waitress brought a tray carrying chicken pate appetizers she said the chef wanted us to try. The four adults appreciatively split them. It reminded me of the short of finger food served from silver trays at toney parties.
The first course I ordered, Asian Beef tacos, arrived with two healthy-sized wontons stuffed with meat and veggies. A hot wasabi sauce was drizzled on top. It was my favorite course of the day. David liked is tacos, too, and Karen and Theresa enjoyed fried calamari. Althea watched, chatted, and said no thank you to all offers to share. Theresa asked that Althea be brought some crackers when we were served our second course.
Karen and I both liked our second-course salads, though my dear wife warned me that the dressing was very sweet. David savored his soup, which was stocked with duck.
The salmon and duck eaters liked their entrees, and Althea dug into her pasta.
My meal was OK. The faux meatballs reminded me somewhat of falafel. It was wonderfully cooked and seasoned. It was me, not them, really.
Full, we declined dessert and coffee. Lo and behold, before the check arrived, here came the dessert chef, placing another plate on our table. He’s been experimenting, he explained, and wondered what we’d think of his coconut macaroon drizzled with Nutella. He said he thought it tasted like the popular Girl Scout cookie, the Samoa.
It did, but warm, fresh and, well, better by far. All five of us used our forks. I took two very happy bites. Then they were gone.
We’d had a great time at this new downtown Syracuse eatery. For four adults and one child, $150 covered five meals, two beers, tax and tip.
May Dining Week serve up delicious deals like this for another decade.
Would a three-course meal with a $25 price ceiling draw you to locally owned city restaurants? Is there a collaborative dining extravaganza like this where you live? What do you look for in a locally owned and run restaurant?
Mark Bialczak 
Pingback: A bright buffet: Now you can see Althea and her parents | markbialczak
With so many excellent restaurants in Syracuse, it would be hard for me to narrow it down on which one to choose. Sounds like 317 has possibilities. I recall dining outdoors once – at Pastabilities, I think. What a wonderful night that was. Looking forward to visiting some of our old haunts when we are in Syracuse this summer.
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You will certainly enjoy Syracuse dining in the summer, Judy, when more establishments can put a table or three out under the stars.
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I would have chosen the beef briscuit and substituted some other veggies. I do like sliced and fried brussel sprouts, this has been a new way of eating them. They are not so bitter. I love the description of your complimentary dessert: Yummy! Great restaurant review and fun asides, like your wife’s vanity preparation!
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i think it’s a great marketing idea by the restaurants and is a win-win for everyone. i liked your descriptions and especially the coconut girl scout cookie style dessert. now i am really hungry )
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That dessert measured up to the cheesecake I got recently at a nearby factory, Beth.
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What a great way to lure new diners into a restaurant. I would definitely be up for trying a place with a special like that – although I’m not sure I would be too please about non-meat spaghetti…
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Syracuse Dining Week has been an annual event, which is part of Syracuse’s Winterfest. A plethora of restaurants participate, and they all offer meals for $25. It’s a fantastic idea, and it encourages everyone in the Central New York area to beat the late winter blues and go downtown. Some of the restaurants that are participating are on the pricey side, so it’s best to get the deal when you can.
I’ve been meaning to try 317 since it reopened, and I’m glad Mark had the opportunity to get there are try it out.
Great article, Mark!
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Thank you, Chris. The five of us left happy!
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Yeah, well, the vegetable were tasty and the deep fried risotto was interesting. As long as I knew in my mind that it was going to be nothing like real spaghetti and meatballs, I kind of warmed to the adventure, CBXB.
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It’s always good to have an open mind and try new things…although I get stuck in the same old same old because I know I like it! 🙂
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When it comes to food, I, too, like what I like, CBXB. I have to force myself to try a new place and dish.
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That’s a charming restaurant I visited last year before an event at the Downtown Writers Center (inside the YMCA)–glad it’s back in business. I’ll give it a try–thanks for the detailed review, Mark. 🙂
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I really liked it when it was the Brick Alley, Ermi. Not so much when it was Paradiso, though. Now, yes, very good atmosphere, service and food.
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What a great idea! Sounds like something other areas should give a try. Especially when people are appreciating it. So, will you go out EVERY night????? 🙂
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Hah! Can’t afford that, Colleen.
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I hear that!
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Sounds like a great food adventure I’d like to try.
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It is a good thing, for sure. I’m glad Syracuse has it.
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I would try that for $25. We don’t have anything like that in our suburb, except for chain restaurants doing “two can eat for $20” meal deals that are usually nothing to write home about. I imagine uppity trendy downtown Austin has eateries like that, but we can’t brave the downtown parking and hostile panhandlers to check them out. What’s your deal with salmon?
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I just don’t like it, Kerbey. Not much of a fish guy, except for shellfish, and even at that, just shrimp and lobster.
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There is no Dinner Week here in the Four Corners Southwest. My favorite restaurant here is a Mexican Food Restaurant not far from where I live. My favorite is the Stuffed Sopapilla. Which is a sopapilla filled with either chicken, pork, or ground beef, red or green chile sauce (I always order the green chile sauce), cheese, refried beans, lettuce and tomatoes. I also love Chile Rellanoes and Enchiladas but I often make them myself so I do not order them from a Restaurant.
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Mexican is good and tasty, PJ. I like the sound of every dish you described.
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That is a brilliant idea, I haven’t heard of anything like that here in Qld maybe in Melbourne or Sydney. I’m going to check with my sister if she has seen anything like that as she lives in Victoria. It’s a fantastic marketing tool for the restaurant industry which is feeling pressed due to the depressed global economy plus the most important thing a 3 course meal of $25 – yippee.
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It is a great idea, Jenni. They are quite aware that there is a percentage of people with enough discretionary income who are wary of leaving the suburbs for downtown Syracuse, and feel that if they get them once, they’ll come back. My wife and I live in the city, so we are all for it. Australian cities should start this idea to give you folks a break on price and the chance to explore new places. You can hope!
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Reblogged this on markbialczak and commented:
For some reason, WordPress placed this baby to two days ago on my timeline. Not! It’s new this morning.
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