Snow and cold, hot Italian food, snow and cold, hot college basketball, cold and snow.
A happy Valentine’s Day it was for my dear wife Karen and I in Syracuse, N.Y.
We started with a drive through the snow to Carrabba’s Italian Grill in nearby Fayetteville. The 2 p.m. late lunch/early dinner plan was perfect as we were seated immediately.
Karen selected shrimp risotto with tomato basil soup side, while I went for the pick-three pizza topped by Italian fennel sausage, meatball and roasted red pepper with a cup of minestrone added.
Starter at Carrabba’s.
First came warm bread and a plate of treated olive oil. Good enough.
The atmosphere was warm and friendly, the waitress had greeted us with a hearty “Happy Valentine’s Day,” and half the patrons of the quickly filling big dining room were wearing Syracuse University orange, as were Karen and I. We figured as we chatted that they either had plans to attend the big game vs. Duke at the Carrier Dome like we did or watch it somewhere afterward. Then we talked about how we liked this place the last time, too.
Bright red, vibrant green.
Dishwater pale.
The soups arrived and were 50-50.
Karen won the round.
Her tomato basil popped with color, aroma and taste.
My minestrone looked like something they’d wash the plates in when we’d finish, wouldn’t offer a scent even after I stuck my nose right up to it, and had no taste at all. I needed the vegetables and was hungry to boot, though, so I shook in salt and pepper and ate the whole bland cup. Karen went two-thirds through hers, so I got the rest of the tomato basil, and it tasted as wonderful as it looked and smelled.
Big bowl o’ shrimp.
Pizza not pie, six slices.
The entrees were hustled over hot, leaving me no time to stew over my lousy minestrone. Yay.
Karen quickly offered me a shrimp from her big and simmering bowl of good-looking risotto, smart wife that she is, and it was fantastic. Risotto being something I see often on cooking shows but order never, I made sure to scoop up a spoon of that solo, too. Rice. Fancy rice.
My solo-sized pizza was thin-crusted, a bit spare on ingredients, but tasty. I would not call it New York City pie-worthy. The crust was less crispy than I like it, and there was no orange olive oil to drip off the triangle slices when I picked them up. I much enjoyed the sausage, meatball and peppers, though, and the cheese and sauce were fine. Barely enough cheese.
I ate two-thirds of the pizza, four of six slices. Karen ate two-thirds of her shrimp risotto. The waitress brought us white styrofoam packers to take home the leftovers for today’s lunch.
I had an iced tea, and Karen had water. Without tip, the bill came to $35-and-change.
We got out of there in a little more than an hour, which left us plenty of time to drive home to the Little Bitty in the Syracuse city neighborhood of Eastwood to let Ellie B aka Dogamous Pyle out for a backyard stretch and business session before heading back out in the elements for the Syracuse-Duke men’s basketball game.
We found a great place to park, down the hill in a church lot for just 10 bucks. We stopped in the bar at the University Sheraton, which at capacity. The polite bouncer made us wait behind one other person until three people left.
The joint was buzzing as we each had a pregame beer.
Bargain bin hat.
Karen pointed out one guy’s hat. He OK’d the photo, saying it was his dad’s headwear. He didn’t recall where exactly the badly spelled but warm item was purchased.
March to the Carrier Dome.
Most everyone had on hats and gloves as we continued the cold, snowy march up the hill to the dome. Valentine’s Day, Duke coming to to play for a 6:15 p.m. start, isn’t life in ‘Cuse grand?
Plenty of people to support the Orange.
We were part of a big crowd up in section 305, 34,544 to be exact, a sold-out session that equaled last year’s attendance mark for biggest-ever-to-see-a-college-basketball-game also set vs. Duke.
It was an interesting experience. I’m writing about the whole dang thing for Wednesday’s community blog column at Syracuse Public Media site waer.org, with another piece and picture here, too.
Let’s just say that after a valiant fight and leading by three at halftime, Syracuse lost to Duke 80-72.
While I was taking notes with my new James Bond flashlight pen, the woman sitting next to me asked if I was a private investigator. Nope, I answered. Public.
Snow and cold or warm and toasty yesterday? Eat the bland soup or send it back? Wear a misspelled hat proudly or throw it back in the bin?
Mark Bialczak 
Oh, that’s too bad — your soup did look like dishwater. 😦 Perhaps had it been in your favorite at-home soup bowl, it may have tasted better. If Karen had let you taste hers first, I would have advised sending yours back for some of what she had. The hat guy is too funny! At least it wasn’t a misspelled tattoo! YIKES! 😀
LikeLike
A tattoo like that would cause some stress, yes, Rachel. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
LOL! Or else a lot of laughs. 😉
LikeLike
I’d buy the cheap hat–great story 🙂 And love that you got out for soup. Even if it wasn’t amazing. Sounds like a wonderful Valentine’s Day. Can’t win em’ all on the bball. You won because you were out with your beloved 😀
Oh, and the lady seriously asked you if you were a PI? That’s awesome.
LikeLike
Yes to all of your comments, Liz. First time ever that I was asked if I were a PI. Maybe that should be my new line of work. Move over, Richard Castle, writer-PI.
LikeLike
Karen’s tomato soup looked great! I’m a fan, as well. Sorry about your dirty water, Chum. And for the loss…dang. However, you ended your night on a solid joke! I laughed!!!! Giggle. You’re the best.
LikeLike
I still got it, Red!
LikeLike
No doubt!
LikeLike
Oh, my mouth is watering over Carabbas food! Yummy and savory oil with bread, soups and pizza pie, Italian food is one of my favorites, Mark! So sorry about the team’s loss. I know this is sad since I do like my teams to win, too. Syracuse gave it a good try, though! I liked the use of ‘valiant’ try, Mark!!
LikeLike
Carrabba’s should be in your future, my friend. I hope you get to go to one, soon. Syracuse was valiant!
LikeLike
I guess you probably didn’t expect to win, but it would have been nice.
LikeLike
No, I was resigned to the fact that Syracuse is not that good this season. But in sports, on any given night, Snoozer. That’s what keeps it forever interesting.
LikeLike
sorry for your loss. happy for your one good soup. love your spy response.
LikeLike
Thanks, thanks, really thanks, Beth!
LikeLiked by 1 person
That you are, a public investigator! 🙂
I love that guys hat. That is hilarious. They should sell more of those.
Sorry your soup was bland. Fortunately you have a generous wife. 🙂 Sounds like your day over all was wonderful MBM.
LikeLike
I know. There’s our next million dollar idea, MDB Colleen. Purposefully misspelled clothing items. ❤
We had a great day. You and the hobbled?
LikeLike
Ha! I just chuckled out loud! 😉 We had a wonderful weekend. And our million dollar ideas would be great. I think we would put our millions to great uses!!!!
LikeLike
Yes. Yes we would and could, my friend.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Any date that starts with Carraba’s is a good one. Sometimes I daydream about chicken marsala when I drive past the local one.
LikeLike
It is a nice place, Hippie. Except for the bland minestrone. Our leftovers for lunch were pretty good today, too.
LikeLike
Well good for you guys. It sounds like a great date.
LikeLike
It was a nice Valentine’s Day date, Benson. We have good dates all the time. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
The hat goes back in the bin!! Yes, some good and bad for you. Whether I would send the food back or not would probably depend on what mood I’m in and quality of service. The food LOOKS nice anyway, some warm grub on a cold Valentine’s Day!
LikeLike
I was not in the mood to wait for another round of soup, I guess, Marissa, nor to annoy the extremely pleasant waitress. 🙂
LikeLike
Yes, I definitely see that. Impatience would definitely play into it for me too. Sometimes, if I’m hungry enough, I’ll eat just about anything they put in front of me!
LikeLike
It’s hard to get out of that mind set, Marissa.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sounds like you and Karen had a perfect Valentine’s Day. I’m usually the lucky one in a restaurant whom the other person sitting across from me envies for the delicious food I ordered. Does that sentence even make sense? My head hurts! ❤
Diana xo
LikeLike
It makes perfect sense, Fortunate One Diana. ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
I rescind my earlier comment on your other post about making it a soup night. Or pizza. Let’s see…..no steaks, either, we’ve established that….I’ll get back to you.
LikeLike
I love Carrabas’ peach sangria. It is worth it to just get that and the bread, although I did get some yummy entrée on special last time. I can’t remember what it was right now, but I was stuffed!
LikeLike
Next time we drink alcohol, Hollie. My dear wife Karen would enjoy that peach sangria. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is yummy! I wish I lived nearer to it.. Hmmm I wonder if I could find the recipe for it?
LikeLike
These days you can Google everything, Hollie. 🙂
LikeLike