Peruvian-Japanese! 4.7…read more We were far from home. It was our participation in Ross Bentley's Driver Development Course in Lafayette that brought us to the Syracuse area (see my review for Pineview Run Auto & Country Club). With the track only 20 minutes away, Syracuse was the best option for hotels and dining. Inka's Peruvian cuisine, with a splash of "Nikkei," was exactly what we were looking for and precisely what our bodies needed for fuel after some intense driving. The migration of Japanese immigrants to Peru in the late 1800s and early 1900s was the beginning of what eventually evolved into one of Peru's distinctive culinary traditions, now known as Nikkei. This unique cuisine blends Japanese techniques and ingredients with Peruvian flavors and traditions. At Inka's, those Peruvian roots take center stage, with touches of Nikkei cuisine developed by Chef Flavio Solórzano. We started with two cocktails: Maracuyá Sour (pisco, aquafaba, citrus and passion fruit) and Cuzco (Empress cucumber-lemon gin, mint, lemon juice, St-Germain and soda). Both were beautifully balanced and delicious. We finished them off rather quickly, which naturally led us to order a pitcher of red sangria. It was wonderfully refreshing after a long, hot day and paired beautifully with our meal. For our meal, we ordered: * Chicharrones de Calamari ~ Perfectly light and crispy breaded calamari, with both rings and tentacles, fried to a delicate crunch and served with their house tartar sauce. * Pollo a la Brasa ~ Peruvian-marinated chicken, slow-roasted over wood and charcoal until the skin was beautifully golden and crisp. It was served with french fries and their signature ají pollero sauce. The entrée also came with an ensalada verde, a side salad of mixed greens, tomato, onions and avocado tossed in a homemade vinaigrette. * Arroz Chaufa ~ Peruvian-style fried rice, wok-tossed with egg, scallions and lettuce in a sweet orange-pineapple sauce and topped with crispy fried spring onions. We added the seafood option of calamari, fish and shrimp. The rice was perfectly textured and nicely seasoned, with a subtle sweetness from the sauce. This dish can also be made gluten-free upon request. * Apple Tart ~ For dessert, we shared an Apple Tart. It was a lovely way to round out our dinner. Everything was delicious. Normally, for variety, we like to order an assortment of dishes and take the leftovers home so we can enjoy them again later. However, traveling far from home didn't make that particularly practical this time. I would have loved to sample more of the menu, especially some of their Nikkei selections. We also enjoyed Inka's inviting and cheerful atmosphere. The greenery cascading across the ceiling is eye-catching and seems to serve as the room's centerpiece, even if you have to look up to appreciate it. Your eyes are naturally drawn upward. It's a wonderful setting for a date night or a lively dinner with friends or a group. The service was friendly and prompt, adding to an already enjoyable evening. We were far from home, but Inka's made our night in Syracuse feel like a delicious little destination of its own. Hope we can return one day!

I went to Inka's with my family and it was absolutely delicious! They were very accommodating with…read moremy daughter who has multiple allergies. They triple checked if there were any allergens that posed a risk for her and made sure we all enjoyed our time with a peace of mind that she wouldn't get a reaction. They have high chairs available and everyone was friendly! The octopus had a nice grilled and smoky flavor and it was super tender! The chicken was delicious and the braised short rib was super tender albeit a bit salty. There was plenty of street parking when I went and I enjoyed my time! I'll definitely come here again!

Holy Whisky Batman!…read more Wow. Talk about intimidating. Bartenders helpful and mercifully when making a selection. Thank you. Expect to shell out $30 for a Double neat but worth it. Whisky so yummy in the tummy.

Great service and amazing vibes. They made me specific delicious drinks; tequila espresso martini…read more(10/10) and a spicy Paloma (to die for). Will be back! Thanks Al.

This place is high class, I just had one of the best meals I've had in a long time. We had some…read morecocktails and entrees. The drinks were awesome and the food was amazing. The blue fin tuna and eggplant risotto had me jumping for joy. I will be back.

Have had this place on our list to try for some time. Decided to try it for a birthday. The…read moreinterior is stunning, from the stained glass to the silverware. The attention to detail and design is hard to not appreciate. We don't have the most exotic palettes so decided to pass on the appetizers, assuming there will atleast be bread or something on the table. There was not. We also just asked for water and were a little surprised that we drank $16 worth. We chose the swordfish and flat iron melange. The swordfish was a bit over cooked IMO and bland. But, the vegetables were great. The flat iron was cooked perfectly. It had a great flavor but was a little chewy, not terribly though. The vegetables with that dish were also quite good. Dessert was not appealing enough for the price. I was happy to try this place. It has potential for being a little bit better and hope it works out but we likely wouldn't return for a very long time.

A short update to my original review. We haven't been to Syracuse in a while. Stopped in for a…read moregreat meal on our first night. We had high hopes based on our first visit. We weren't disappointed. We sat at the bar this time - Outstanding bar and ambiance. We met a very excellent bar man who made us some outstanding cocktails. I had two most excellent gin martinis. We started with the mushrooms and fried egg. Outstanding like the first time. We had the wood fired filets for our main. We had a dessert this time. It was a flourless chocolate creation that was sumptuous. Once again, an outstanding meal. I really love this place.

Another outstanding meal at my favorite syracuse restaurant…read more Enjoyed some time this Friday with special people as we sat and enjoyed an exquisite dining out. I was the only returning patron, the others much enjoyed their first time here. Walking through the front door you're instantly hit with a wonderful smell of food cooking over an open fire. Got a terrific table to look out the window and enjoyed a nice evening view. Took full advantage of every food meal course available. Started out with their evening appetizer of homemade bread with cinnamon butter. Each of us got our own dinner choice along with small plates to start. The two small plates were green lentil salad and ember roasted carrots. Both of them with their unique flavor and style. The green lentil salad featured heirlooms. The ember roasted carrots featured labrieth, doqqa, and maple syrup. Keep in mind everything here comes from local farms and local breweries and distilleries. Big fan of supporting the state and local community. Fantastic! They feature only a few main entrées, tonight's included halibut, steak, chicken, and sea Island peas with jasmine rice. Knowing how well seasoned their steaks are, I went with a filet mignon 10 ounce. Probably a little more than I should've gotten, but I very rarely eat steak and know how well and good they are here. Ordered the steak medium to medium rare and that's exactly how it came out. Mouth watering delicious. Along with the steak includes mashed potatoes, chimichurri, kale, and. crème fraiche. Every bite was outstanding. One of us got ice cream for dessert which she said was very good. The ice cream was made right there at the restaurant. We kicked off the dinner with a rum cocktail and a tequila cocktail. All spirits locally sourced. If you haven't tried it here yet you should. You will not be disappointed.

A great variety of meats and other French dishes. The scallop…read moreAppetizer was delicious. Steak abd dessert well done

Delicious chef tasting menu at Touché! I have now tried the regular menu and tasting menu, and I…read morewill say the chef does a better job than I of picking out dishes I would enjoy. Very thoughtful work done by the (I'm assuming) sous chef and dessert chef. Each of them clearly put passion and thought into the dishes they provided us. The chef also did well on his pieces, but at times it felt he was checking off a box versus putting passion into it compared to the other chefs, but that might also just be his style/personality ! Very pretty spot and nice to have something enjoyable in Syracuse like this! Gorgeous spot both for a tasting and the decor/vibe!

Another Shakedown Sunday at the 443. Stellar music as always. The place is always sold out, so the…read moreroom is packed, but in spite of that, it feels more like a family reunion than a concert. Great cocktails. I wish they had sandwiches or soups. I always end up coming home and needing to eat dinner. On a sad note, I was told by the owner that their lease will not be renewed, so they are having to move into a new location. :(

Bad business plan, false advertising and drowning in basically debt due to "punishing'" the ones…read morebuying drinks and socializing, but putting entertainment first in a bar setting. It is not this way at other bars as the entertainment is an afterthought for people to listen to as they socialize and drink spending money. They want the money but cater to ones not spending it and then try to bleed the ones coming for the entertainment by forcing minimums even on those that bought a ticket and never showed up. RESPONSE to Owner: Then it is best to change all your Misguiding information on your website and Facebook pages. How doe one "SOCIALIZE" with people and "LOUNGE" around doing so as in your own descriptions on your website and Social Media? How can you charge people that don't show on a ticket for a table set-up on your minimum purchase, when those that did attend went way beyond the minimum purchase on those that attended INCLUDING the ticket that was a NO SHOW? Price Gouging or a Venue that is desperate for money trying to fleece those that "attend" and don't attend for your Shows? Where does it state that policy as to NO-SHOWS and what makes it Legal? You may feel certain ways about your Venue, but it doesn't pay the bills as you have basically asked to nickel and dime members yet won't do anything to improve your bottom line or approach? Hobbys are great but having a "Alligator" as a hobby will eat you out of house and home.

This vineyard is stunning, with plenty of seating both indoors and outdoors. We did the blended…read moretasting, which was a lot of fun. The 2023 Chardonnay wasn't for me (too buttery with a strong pineapple note), but everything else in the flight was great, and the 2023 Avail was my favorite by far. The bartender was knowledgeable and sweet, and for my birthday I got a complimentary pour of the Pinot Gris, which I loved just as much. Absolutely loved this place and will definitely be back.

Base my reviews off what you pay:…read more *Place was empty on a Thursday. Plan ahead, they have tight hours. Price - ~$50 (pizza, bottle of wine, tip) Food - 3/5 - good pizza, OK wine. Service - 5/5 - great recs, friendly. Ambiance - 5/5 - you know why you are here. Overall - 4/5 - went here on a whim for a night and turned out to be an awesome spot. Not the most impressive wine nor food but absolutely awesome staff and view. Bridget (hope thats her name?) was incredibly friendly and great the entire night, everyone on the staff was awesome. Skip the charcuterie board and get the Pesto Tomato Pizza. Wines were fine, can't recall any that popped out. And obviously the view. Not the best photos but this place is great and they have live music too. Staple stop in Skan no doubt. Best Dish - Pesto Tomato Pizza Would Return - Absolutely

Vinifera Flagship is so charming! Down a European-esque street in Geneva NY, duck in for delicious…read morecocktails expertly crafted and local and international wines. We have enjoyed the speakeasy several times and are treated to a cool, cozy vibe by proprietor Jim Cecere! His service is 5 stars!!! Definitely a must visit if in the Finger Lakes!

The most incredible (and only) speakeasy in the Finger Lakes…read more After hours of driving, we knew we needed a cool spot to go to at night for some delicious wine. Of course, the Finger Lakes are KNOWN for wine so we're just thinking we're making reservations for a wine bar (with "speakeasy" vibes). Which that would've been totally cool with us. After continuous back and forth, changing our reservations 50 million times, adding and taking people out, we finally made it to Vinifera on a Friday night and were super apologetic since we had to make yet another change. The staff was absolutely incredible and accommodating, they made sure our party of 10 would be in the same room/table. The only "downfall" was that we'd have to share the room with another small party. Which was absolutely not a problem and we ended up being BFF'S with them by the end of the night. We met the owner Jim - the most incredible human - and he took us down to the speakeasy (which passes right through a super secretive door in the back of the main room upstairs). Side note - the main room upstairs is a vibe on it's own btw and we would've been absolutely fine and happy there. It's an actual wine store and you can purchase all kind of local wines. Be sure to ask and get all the recommendations you want. Not only did we get to enjoy an incredible time but we got a super cool VIP experience and learned the story and so much history about this place, the concept, the origin and what sparked the idea of creating it. That itself, was a treat. On to the actual speakeasy experience. When you go downstairs (through that fun super cool super secretive door) - you're instantly transported to another era, another time. It's dark, it's velvety, chandeliers, spiderwebs (the aesthetic kind, idk if there were actually any but it fit the vibe in my head), Leonardo Da Vinci, Mona Lisa, candles, curtains. There are two super cool rooms, one to the right (which is where our large party sat at) and one to the left - totally recommended for smaller groups, it's cozy, it's chill, you can interact and share with other guests too. Just by this, I'm wowed. As if this wasn't enough, the drinks were absolutely incredible. I ended up ordering some kind of a smoked drink and they happily substituted the regular old fashioned for mezcal. What a dream. Everyone was happy with their drink orders, some ordered some off the menu things and they happily made them - even though they technically only serve what's on the menu. Wine flights are also available if you're in the wine vibe. Bottom line: we loved this place SO much, we came back 2 night's later for our last night. We sat in the other room and absolutely loved and enjoyed it. I had a lavender drink and it was delish. This place is a GEM and you should absolutely check it out and support it if you're in the area. If you're not, well now you have a place I know you'll love to go to!

I was going out to dinner before heading to hear friends at Open Mic night. The place I started at…read morehad at least a 45 min wait. So we decided to go somewhere else, but where? As we turned the corner we saw a sign in front of A.T. Walley's for $5 burger and chips or 2 Hoffman Hots with chips. Well, the price was right! The guy was outside on the sidewalk grilling them and it smelled really good. So even though I was in the mood for wings, we decided to give the food here a try. We went in and got a table with no problem. Waitress said that along with the regular Wednesday night specials they also had $4 Beef on Weck for $4. We were really hungry so we ordered 2 Beef on Weck sandwiches and the hot dog special. It was amazing! The beef and au jus was fabulous! They each came with kettle chips and pickles. Yum!!!! And who does not love a Hoffman Hot, right?! Then we saw that they had 11 menu items for just $5 on Thursday nights from 4-10 pm. We had to be downtown again the next night so we went back! I got the grilled chicken Caesar Salad and he got the NYS Fair beef and Lamb Gyro. Once again, full portions for only $5! What a find!! We had always just gone there for drinks and music prior to this. They have a great bar selection and have $3 drinks on Monday nights....including their signature cocktails! It is a great place to go, have a drink, hang out with friends, listen to music on occasion and now I will be stopping in to check out more on their menu as well!

Great whiskey, good cigars and friendly service! This place is great, truly stands out in this…read morecity. After hanging out and enjoying some drinks and cigars, we all agreed that a place like this is strangely classy for its location. A diamond in the rough, don't miss out!

We were on the road to Boston, and asked ChatGPT for a good place to get wings. It recommended…read moreShifty's and boy, was it right! "Cathy with C" was working the bar and told us to "belly up to the bar!" We did, and ordered a dozen wings, half bbq and half hot, then a bunch of onion rings and an order of jalapeño poppers. The food was amazing and the wing menu offered a bunch of different sauces and heat levels for whatever you're hankering for. Cathy kept us all feeling good and we had a blast! I really recommend Shifty's.

Classic dive bar. Very friendly bartender. Best wings in Syracuse. Had an order of the the…read moreFrankenstein and an order of the hot wings. It was nice contrasting the two different flavors. The wings are crispy which I like. Next time will try the pierogies