The Waffle

We were on our way to Buffalo, although this time I was with a different gang - this time, I was with New Democrat colleagues.

Lunch time was rapidly approaching, and most of the guys in the car were getting annoyed with Axl’s quality singing. Despite the fact that they have no musical ear, I accepted the proposal to stop in Syracuse for lunch - Michael knew a barbecue joint that would rock our socks more then Axl, apparently.

So here we were in downtown Syracuse, pulling in front of Dinosaur Bar-B-Que.
(Click on the picture to get a feel for the location!!  First Waffle movie ever!)

The joint (now with locations in Harlem and Rochester) was opened in 1983 by three bikers, bound together by “the love of good food, a 55 gallon drum cut in half, and a serious case of wanderlust”.  What could possibly go wrong with that?

The sign was clear: this was a genuine rib joint. Blues music was pouring out of the outdoor speakers, and we happily walked into a packed place, even if it was past 1 pm already.  And it got even busier later, people lining up and waiting for tables.

The cooks were busy in the kitchen, the waiting staff was not wasting time moving quickly from table to table, and the owner was happily shouting announcements in the sound system, standing in the Hostess Hut by the front door.

Thankfully, there was room for our party of five. The BBQ aromas were great, the menu offered many options, including some for our vegetarian organizer. (The other vegetarian chickened out, which is kind of weird for a vegetarian.  Thankfully, we replaced him with a carnivore.)

We peered at the menu. Everything you expected was there. While we were thinking, we ordered a couple of pitchers of beer.  With the beer, I suggested that we share a pound of their Drunken Spicy Shrimp Boil as an appetizer. Enthusiasm and cheers all around - it was going to be a fun weekend.

For 20$, we got about 40 shrimp, which were cooked in a boil of beer, old bay, cayenne, herbs and spices. They came with a side of habanero cocktail sauce.

The shrimp were big, tender, spicy. Impressive - though a tad messy, but it didn’t seem to bother us.

Then, another important decision faced each of us: what sides to choose from? And what sauce would you pick from the selection available on the table?

Each dish came with two choices amongst:
Mac & Cheese • Carrot Raisin Salad • Cole Slaw • Macaroni Salad • Tomato Cucumber Salad • Soup of the Day • Bar–B–Que Beans • A.K. Chili • Fresh Salad Greens w/ Bar–B–Blues House Dressing • Real Mashed Potatoes with Gravy • Black Beans & Rice • Rice & Gravy • Fresh Fruit Salad • Applesauce  • Cottage Cheese • Fresh Veggie of the day • Fresh Cut Fries.

Depite the fact that their fries are cooked in 100% Canola oil - “Zero Trans FAT Crapola” - I went ahead with the Cole Slaw and the Bar-B-Que Beans to accompany my main meal: The Tres Hombre!!!  A spirited serving of pulled pork, some sliced Texas-style Beef Brisket, and ribs!!!  And all that came for only $15.95!!!  Much cheaper then the, oh so tempting High Time Special: A Full Rack of ribs plus a bottle of Dom Perignon for $195.00…

Now, that was some good Bar-B-Que! The pulled pork was great, tender, moist. I added some of their sauces here and there, to give it a little more zip.  It was fantastic, and there was lots of it.   The ribs were great - they marinate them for 24 hours with a spice rub; then they are slowly pit smoked and lightly glazed with their Sensuous Slathering sauce. They were meaty, perfect tenderness without staying on the plate when you picked a bone.  The brisket was fine - nice smoke ring, nice smoky flavour - but it was a little dry, and I guess I prefer the texture of bigger slices - at Dinosaur, they are thin sliced. It was, however, plenty of food.

The sides were not bad.  The cornbread was a bit too moist for my taste, but the coleslaw was creamy and a little spicy, and the beans were tasty, but a little runny.  Not a homerun, but not bad nevertheless - and besides, that is not why we stopped.

Pat went for the Traditional Sampler (left - ¼ chicken, ¼ rack of ribs, beef brisket) with mac & cheese and fries on the side.  Michael chose the pulled pork and ribs combo (right), with a side of mac & cheese and coleslaw.

Marc-André didn’t want Michael to feel bad and chose the same thing (left), but he went for the fries and oddly, the cucumber and tomato salad.  Perhaps he wanted to fit in with his neighbour, Rick, who ordered the Fried Green Tomatoes and by fried, they meant crispy fried, topped with shrimp, romano and cheddar cheese and served with a ranch sauce. On the side, mac & cheese again (I tried it - it looked creamy and cheesy and it was excellent - my choice next time) and the soup of the day - a crab bisque.

This was a great pit stop. Sure, it is a bit out of the way, and you risk arriving in a packed place after trouble finding parking, but this was simply great. Dinosaur, I’ll be back.

During a campaign, breakfast rallies are interesting events.  Some people are barely awake.  Everybody is sitting down.  Some are eating, most are sipping coffee.  And it was the case again at the Resto-Deli Jimmy on Hochelaga Boulevard in Montreal.  Jean-Claude Rochelau was hosting NDP Leader Jack Layton, ahead of the November 11th by-election.

Owner Jimmy Stefrimitos was on site, happy to see the NDP Leader visit his establishment.  The staff, who’ve seen weirder stuff, kept serving, squeezing by the tables, the chairs and the orange balloons.

I ordered the workers’ breakfast special:
2 eggs (scrambled), beans, home fries, french toast, pancake, sausage, bacon, ham for $5.  Quite a deal.

As far as greasy spoons go, this was half decent.  The french toast and the pancake were a bit soggy, the eggs a bit dry, the beans a bit boring.  But the meat was nicely cooked and crispy, and the home fries were warm, crisp on the outside and flaky inside.

I would go back to Jimmy if I was in the neighbourhood, and I bet it’s even better at lunch.  But it is unlikely I would make a major detour to stop there.

Is there something more traditional in Quebec than a spring visit to a Sugar Shack? I don’t think so.

A folkloric atmosphere, the comforting warmth of a wood stove, and the odours, from the burning logs, from the wood furniture, and especially the aromas from the kitchen.

There are a few cabane à sucre in the National Capital Region, and this time, la Sucrerie du Terroir drew the lucky number, and 6 of us plus a baby headed over, on a sunny springy morning.

Located in Val-des-Monts, La Sucrerie du Terroir is very traditional, smaller than most shacks, making it a very cozy place. The staff was very friendly, and were wearing traditional costumes. Although they do not sell booze, you can bring your own.

First came the French Toast.

A classic appetizer.

Nothing fancy, just some thick white bread soaked in eggs and milk and fried.

Covered with maple syrup, they sure started our meal the right way.

All you can eat.

Then came the main meal, with the beans.

They were nothing special, no meat, making it vegetarian-friendly, just plain beans baked in molasses.

The texture was nice, but it was a bit bland.

Which is why you smother them in maple syrup.

ll you can eat.

Another side dish - les oreilles de crisse - was a better hit.

Deep Fried Smoked Pork Fat - sorry, Jowls. What can be wrong with that?

Actually, they were Bacon Rinds.

They were quite dry and salty, so to re-establish the balance, you soak them into maple syrup.

All you can eat.

Of course, you need some home fries. Potatoes are a classic fare for a sugar shack meal.

These were very small, crispy, a bit greasy.

They don’t go as well with maple syrup, so I focussed on ketchup.

All you can eat.

Maple Smoked Ham and country-style sausages were also on display.

The ham was a pre-cooked one, as opposed to an all-natural. Still good.

The sausage were juicy. Nothing like meat in a tube.

The meat went down with a nice touch of maple syrup.

All you can eat.

The master piece was definitely the omelette.
Oven baked in a cast iron pan, it was fluffy, with crunchy edges.

Is stayed warm throughout the brunch.

The great thing was, with maple syrup, it was melt in your mouth.

All you can eat.

For dessert, we got maple mousse tartellettes.

Some of us couldn’t add any more sugar to their diet.

Their loss.

The sugar maple filling was very sweet, but quite smooth.

The crust was a bit crispy, a bit moist - showing that they were not super fresh and sat in a fridge for a little while.

I sprinkled a bit of maple syrup to season them properly.

The 6 of us had a half-bottle of syrup with our meal.

I would say we were quite reasonable. It was a good quality syrup, a nice amber, rich colour.

Grade Canada B medium.

All you can drink.

And to digest all this delicious food, nothing like maple toffee on ice.

It wasn’t a cold day, and snow was getting sparse, but it was fresh enough for the delicious instant candy to solidify and remain fairly solid on the stick.

For some reason, I was the only one of our group to indulge.

I don’t get it.

I did however spend the rest of the day recovering from the sugar crash.

23$ per person.

All you can eat.

Money well spent.