Cooking With Ideas

Pure

Pure Grille and Curry is a newish restaurant in Geneva -- and it is indeed an Indian restaurant. Like everyone I know, I was thrilled to have a new option in our town.  I just had not been there at all -- partly because it is a food style I cook some at home and partly because I had not yet entered the time of year when I am out eating a lot. Recently I have been there a number of times in a row.  When Pure first opened, I heard mixed reviews, including that the hot dishes were really way too mild. Having waited, here's my view: the food is quite good. Everything I have had there is tasty, and the range of heat levels is also quite good.One of the nights I was there 3 people at our table needed gluten free foods -- and yes, they have a lot of options that meet that requirement.

Here's what I have had over the various visits and a few comments on them:

    *Chili Pakoras  -- These were recommended by my usual dining companion, and were absolutely swell. In fact, they are sort of an Indian version of jalapeno poppers -- much better than that, of course, and the breading is not bread -- but lentil flower -- and thus gluten free. One gets about 8 pieces, and chutneys of various kinds to go along with them.

    *Lentil Balls -- I cannot recall the name of these, but they are an appetizer. I would never have chosen them but once I tasted them I fell in love with the taste. I expected them to be room temperature or warm, but not so -- they are cool to cold. And they come in a yogurt/tamarind sauce that I could lick off the plate. The consistency of hte lentil balls is a bit odd -- but wow. Try them.

    *Papadum and Nan Bread: Both were good. I hate paying for papadum since I can make them at home, but then again, they are gluten free and one needs some crunch to the meal!

     *Raita: A bit runny for my taste, but quite tasty.

     *Saggh Paneer: Thi sis one of my favorite Indian foods. I have made it, but not often, in part because I cannot really get the spinach to that consistency. We had a medium and a hot version and both were good. I think the hot one was a bit flat in terms of the heat, and likely would get it medium in the future even though I like heat in my food.

     *Chilli Fish: A brilliant red color, this was the hotest dish I have tried at Pure. It is made with a white fish of some sort and works well with other non-fish foods.

      *BIndi with Lamb? I admit I love okra and this was great.

      *An Eggplant dish -- I cannot recall the name but again this was very tasty.

Of course, everything comes with rice, and despite my love for my rice cooker I was glad to have the rice. It was actually cooked perfectly -- each little grain separate and with a real distinct taste rather than the sort of mushy taste of some rices.

What else can I say? The service is pretty darn attentive, though one of the many nights I was there my order for masala tea got missed (I did not care).

As for ambience: the restaurant has the same upside/downside it has whenever someone tries the location. The bathroom is clean and quiet, but the space itself feels a little like it needs something to fill it up (other than the many people who have been there when I have been there). There is loads of parking nearby for those who do not live around the corner -- and I am hopong that this restaurant will be the one that survives in the space. Certainly it is more interesting than the places across the street in what is starting to feel a tad like restaurant row in Geneva (on Seneca Street).

And, I admit I love the name of the place; it makes me think of Mary Douglas (author of Purity and Danger) but for some reason I just love the name.

Here are a few yelp reviews of Pure Grille and Curry, and here's the information you'll need as to location and phone number:

93 Seneca St
Geneva, NY 14456

(315) 220-6234

BIllsboro Pizza Nights

I once lived in a tiny little town where . . . . to indicate how unsophisticated or un-something-or-other it was, I would say "they think pizza is an ethnic food." I have eaten (a guilty pleasure) at Pizza Hut -- and I like it. And I definitely like both Ciccino's and Cam's Pizza in Geneva. Yep, once in a while, I like a pizza. I even like it, once in a while, delivered to my door (hopefully) piping hot. 

That's not what I am writing about here at all. What I am writing about is Billsboro's pizza nights. While there are always imperfections, these nights are among the most wonderfully magic of all. The pizzas -- well, there are only so many inches in that out door pizza oven, and so they do not come quickly -- are delightful. There are always a few options, and often the dough comes from Dustin at Normal Bread. And, if you're wise, you order the appetizer plate -- often with charcuterie of some sort, pickled thiese and thats, a bit of cheese, and whatever seems to cross someone's mind. The wines -- well, Vinnie makes very good wines -- and my dining delight partner is a big fan of the Syrah -- I like the pinot and some of the whites. (Who knew a dozen or twenty years ago that I would like ANY of the reds from our area, let alone several from one winery. The world has changed. And not all of it in bad ways.)

The vibe is great too. Even though you might be waiting quite some time, you are most definitely having a blast. The view through the trees to Seneca Lake is splendid, especially when the sun moves just into the right place to make you smile. The music is enticing and different each time. (I loved the accordion player, for example). The smells of food cooking wafting around are also dandy. And, the combination of locals and not-so-locals makes for good conversation at the tables where often strangers sit together. The folks who run Billsboro, Vinnie and Kim, help make for a good vibe too -- as do their children who are out and about. The parking is an adventure when it is busy -- enjoy it.

Yep, I might quibble -- maybe they really do need to have salt and pepper chakers around though we keep trying to remember to bring some with us -- and once in a while if you call too late you miss the event because the reservations are limited (hint). But, every single time I have been there someone has said (and not always me) -- aren't we lucky to live here?

Places I Have Never Eaten . . . . In Geneva, NY

Yes, Geneva, NY. Not one of the many other Genevas, whether in Switzerland or Illinois. I have lived here many years and yet have still not eaten everywhere. I thought of this one day when I went in Bagels and Cakes, which I think I had not been to since it moved. And that was some time ago. I get in ruts and so I eat the same places all too often. Here are a few places, newer and older and some I have no idea how new they are, right in Geneva, NY -- have you tried them? Let us all know:

Finger Lakes Gifts and Lounge  has opened in the Guard Building, right there at 60 Seneca Street, where Guard's Cards was for a long long long time. I walk by it and think of entering but have not. The signs say things like Ithaca's Purity Ice Cream -- and they clearly do beers and wines and a bit of local cheese. Here's a bit on them and here's their very own site. Recently my blog inspiration was in there and she says it is absolutely swell. So, it is on my soon-to-visit list. And, on their literal site there is, indeed, still the lovely flooring that . . . . well, you'll have to see. As will I!

Red Man's (or is it Redman's?) Chicken and Ribs is on Pre-Emption Road in Geneva. 777 Pre-Emption to be exact. Again, this is a place I have wandered by and not tried. (In this case, by car not on my little feet.) The place looks really intriguing -- and yes, the building is kind of red -- red barn red or . . . . Anyone try this place? It has been there a while.I should try it -- in part because I actually love the name of Pre-Emption Road. (For more on that and it's relationship to Pre-emption line see this site. Who knew -- absolutely everything is on line . . . except maybe Redman's).

And then there's Nick-L's Hot Dog place up there near . . . well, my dry cleaner among other things. Yep, on 5 and 20. They seem to have a pretty un-used blog here and you can see some reader's reviews here at yelp. Or you can help by commenting here on Cooking with Ideas.

And what about that place half way between Geneva and Canandaigua along Routes 5 and 20. What is that? Hot dogs and more? Hmmm.

Want to just check urban spoon for Geneva, where you will also find Mombergers which I have not dined from since my first year in Geneva. which was more decades ago than I want to admit. . . Here's what folks think of Mombergers:

And, well, for Geneva more generally, well, here's the site: http://www.urbanspoon.com/n/237/27202/New-York-State/Geneva-restaurants. And, weirdly enough, you can see Urbanspoon on gluten free friendly places in Geneva (not very accurate) here: http://www.urbanspoon.com/tn/237/1/27202/New-York-State/Gluten-Free-Friendly/Geneva-restaurants

A Teaser: FInger Lakes Culinary Menu Will Be. . . .

As you know, the Finger Lakes Culinary Bounty is coming up on August 1.  This fund-raiser for FLCB (honoring Deb Whiting) always is a multicourse meal, at Geneva on the Lake, with entertainment and a silent auction. This year its menu will include:

A Petite Pork Pie  -- made with local ground pork-bacon-egg-sage-thyme and pork stock baked in a savory pie crust

Chilled Sorrel Soup with Potato Frites, Salmon Roe and Evan Farms Yogurt

And, of course, more, including Normal Bread, but I want there to be surprises still. No surprise -- local chefs, local foods, and all sorts of silent auction items -- from local wines to local ice cream to B and B stays.

For ticket information, call Geneva on the Lake at: 315-789-7190.

EAT LOCAL -- REALLY

Are you a fan of local food? Are you a fan of local wine? beer? cocktails? juice? Are you a fan of local chefs? Are you a fan of people you have never seen before who enjoy similar things? Call Geneva on the Lake, in Geneva, NY and join us all for the Finger Lakes Culinary Bounty Harvet Dinner. Celebrate local. Celebrate Deb Whiting. And, of course, celebrate the Finger Lakes.

Wolffy's: Dining Closer to Home

Wolffy's Grill and Marina is on Cayuga Lake and is the perfect summer time place for burger and beer. Or, in my case a burger and shandy (bottled) and in my dining companion's case, beer and grilled veggie sandwich. And, in both our cases, of course, fries.

Why is it perfect? Well, three things help make this true. First and foremost, I was surprised by how wonderful the food actually was. I had a cajun burger (which means blackened I guess) and it was topped with bleu cheese. Now this is one of my favorite foods ever -- and in this case it truly was blue cheese. ANd it had that perfect tart, metallic, blue cheese flavor. It was not too saturated with mayo or stuff to disguise the blue-nesss. And the burger was done to perfection. Similarly, the fries were warm and nicely poised right at the potato-y edge of soft and crisp. Even the veggie sandwich -- which threatened tobe hesalthy -- looked and smelled good. And that's the second reason the place was perfect. It smelled like summer time food. Mmmm. Finally, the ambience was great. We sat at the bar for a bit, where people were chatty (perhaps just a tad too chatty) and nice, welcomng and fun. And, then we moved to the deck, which is right right right on Cayuga Lake where the sun seemed just right and the lake reminded us of why we are lucky.

The service? Well, they seemed just a tad overwhelmed, and this was not a weekend night, but they coped. And the shandy that I had (well the two I had) was perfectly summery and mellow. So I was. (I may some day try a non-bottled shandy. Lemoneade and beer. Hmmm. Weird.)

Alas, urban spoon has no opinion, but here is another review, just for you, complete with pictures. It's not as positive -- but maybe it has to do with ordering differences. . . . .

Dallywater's -- Tea in Geneva

Formerly located in Naples, NY, and noted in an earlier entry here under the category rumors, Dallywater's is indeed open in Geneva, NY. Labeling itself a British eatery that is "tea-centric," Dallwater's is across from the post office in a large-ish, quite light space. When we went, we were met by a friend/acquaintance who has his first waitering job in his life. Yep, at Dallywater's. So, it was both welcoming and friendly.

The menu (available here) offers a variety of options. We had a cup of lovely fresh pea soup and the Darjeeling Express. What we really wanted, at least for one of us, was the cup of soup and one small sandwich. Turned out not to be available. This was, I admit, more than a tiny bit off putting. No way to get just one of hte sandwiches off of the Darjeeling. Having said this, we just ordered the Darjeeling Express for us both. To be honest, one would have been enough food for us, and I would love it if they could be clearer on whether one of these -- as an option (which comes with two sandwiches and with pastries) was available to share. Having said that, besides the lovely soup (which was truly fresh tasting) what did we make of what we did order?  As for the food: the Darjeeling Express came along on one of those lovely two-tiered serving gizmos (I have no idea what they are called) with the sandwiches on one level and the pastries on the second level. The sandwiches were described on the menu as "puri-style" which in this context means halves of pita sandwiches. The fillings -- we had a chicken salad (called chicken madras), a lime hummus, and an egg salad. I was entranced with the lime hummus and will try to make it at home one of these days. Much better than lemon, oddly enough. The pastries were a meringue with strawberries, a truffle (with bits of crunchy meringue in it), and a short bread cookie. I only tried the truffle and noted that besides generally tasting delightfully chocolate-y, the meringue bits made for a very nice mouth feel.

  DRINKS: First and foremost the tea: we ordered one pot of the Oliphant green and one pot of the Lord William's (which is a chamomile/spearmint blend). Both were dandy. They came with a tea strainer and etc. The first set may not have been steeped long enough, and was not quite the right temperature. But, that got sorted and we eventually drank large quantities of tea while there. Additional possibilities are a mint iced tea -- made with the Lord Williams -- and sodas. Absolutely no alcohol is used at Dallywater's. It is neither served nor used in cooking. But tea, there is. And the Lord Williams is quite quite good -- not overpowering but minty enough.

SERVICE: As I said, we arrived and were greeted by someone we knew, so Dallywater's immediately seemed warm and friendly and was. The service opened with the arrival of a turny little gizmo holding jars labeled with varieties of tea. This way, you can use your olfactory capacities to choose. When it arrives, the tea comes in a pot, and you pour it into your cup through a tea strainer. (Or the wait staff does so.) Having said all this, mainly the service was attentive and it was quite responsive when, for example, we said the tea could have been steeped longer or served at a better temperature. Also, various people stopped by and ensured we had enough tea -- not too frequently but frequently enough.  And, when a third person joined us, they were quite gracious. See below for a tweak.

SETTING: As I said, large, light and white table-clothed. Nice high ceilings. And lovely huge front windows which look on to Castle Street but mainly were a source of lovely sunshine the day we were there. There is, also, loads of parking on Castle Street. And Dally water's was not terribly busy when we were there.

ON THE WALLS: Beyond some light colors, there was a hug (and I do mean huge) poster-y London street scene wall papered on to one wall. Sounds odd perhaps, but it worked despite being black and white.

 BATHROOM REVIEW: I have let bathroom reviews slide a bit here at Cooking with Ideas and am back on track. See, I have even got the former visuals! Anyway, our anonymous bathroom reviewer knew that we'd all like the floor -- my favorite sort of old-fashioned tile (or faux of the same thing). And hte bathrooms are right on the first floor unlike some of those places where finding the bathrooms is like a game of . . . well, tunnel exploration or Indiana Jones kind of exploration. One thing the anonymous bathroom reviewer failed to mention:   it was so cold in there that I gasped. Alas.

ADDED DELIGHTS: Well, there is an art gallery but we did not visit it. And, you can purchase t-shirts (though they still say Naples, NY on them). And, of course, you can buy loose leaf tea.

TWEAKS: Yes, there are some. Let me begin with the food.  First: the pita bread (or puri style bread) was cold and should have been at room temperature. Also, though I know this particular grouping we ordered was about British colonial India, I find the puri reference here a little confusing because the bread seemed more pita-ish than puri. That may just be me. Mostly, when it comes to the food, I would thnk about presentation a bit more. The appropriate use of garnishes (ok, that sounds pretentious) could have made the presentation better -- rather than 4 pita halves on one level, looking a bit forlorn, a bit of edible flowers or greens or. . . . woudl perk it up or finish the plating.  Not unrelatedly, on the menu it says that the chicken madras has some greens in the sandwich, but it did not. It would have looked a bit better if it were not sort of monotone -- with some greens (as perhaps could the others we were served) or something to deal with the fact that the color of the bread and the filling in all cases was virtually identical. In some ways, when it comes to afternoon tea, appearance is a huge part of what happens since the serving size of the sandwiches is supposed to be pretty small and the theme is elegance.

One other tweak: the place was nowhere near full and yet a large party was seated beside us, making it hard both for servers to get around them and for them to get up and down without asking us to move or nudging us. An option was to seat them at the other large table (a few feet away) where they woudl not have had this problem, the servers would have had an easier time, and we would not have been squooshed. Doing so would, of course, have prevented our eavesdropping on the other table, but likely everyone involved would have had a slightly better time. So: a minor tweak. 

All in all, I will likely go back, if only to purchase some loose leaf tea -- or have one of those truffles again. Or, I must admit, to try the Weslh Rarebit, which is one of my faves.

For a magazine bit on the Naples venue, now transplanted to Geneva, try here. And, for a more recent visit by anohter blogger, try here. Or, check the comments here at Cooking with Ideas (or make one below)!

Rumor and More: Geneva Foodie News

Life is filled with rumors. Sometimes they are true.

Rumor 1: Well, we were driving along and there it was: the new tea shop. It seems to be called Dallywater's Tea Room and Art Gallery, seems to be open, and has a website! According to the site, they are a "tea-centric British eatery" and are at 68 Castle Street. Driving by, I could see white tablecloths. Hmmm.

What does it mean that they (despite the Brit theme) carry French macarons? (I love the way they look.) Their menu looks dandy and. . .you can count on me to head over there one of the next few days. I may become (well, I am approaching it these days) a lady who lunches. (Well, not a lady -- but still. . . lunch. Wow. They have toasted welsh rarebit on their menu.) Apparently they used to be located in Naples, NY. Now they are in Geneva. Hmmm.

For reviews, possible on line ordering and more, try their site.

Rumor 2: Maybe this does not qualify as a rumor, since this one I heard pretty darn directly --  from the owners' mouth. There is now an Opus at Fox Run. Opus, of course, is the coffee shop and lunch/breakfasty place on Exchange Street in Geneva, NY that is one of the places to be these days. Not the best coffee in the world (sorry folks, I still go for Dalai Java ) but the sandwiches (which often use Dustin Cutler's Normal Bread are a treat. I especially like the olive tapenade and brie on Dustin's olive bread. The salads are interesting -- I have had a lentil salad, a fresh snow pea-ish one and a tomato and cucumber one lately. (I would be cutting the cucumbers smaller -- or providing a knife -- but that seems to just be me since my favorite lunch companion does not agree.) On occasion, there are just too many people there I know -- but, that's the wonder and price of a smallish town. They also serve beer, and their reasonably priced, smallish wine list is perfect for a hot summer day. They have outside seating (I have never tried it). . . And it is a woman owned business, run by Heather Tompkins and Chelsey Madia.

For their website, click here.

And, for OPUS at Fox Run, drive right out their to the vineyard, throw caution to the winds, and . . .  from 11-5 every day, according to their website.

Rumor 3: Ok, someone told us that there is something big going on downtown, but they heard it from someone who heard it from someone who says that's all they can say. Any body have a clue?

Read about the Leaf Kitchen

Local restaurants are getting coverage here and there -- and here's a link for a recent piece in the D&C (aka Rochester's newspaper) about the Leaf Kitchen! Gotta try again soon -- and watch here at Cooking with Ideas for an interview with the owners!

Summer in A Glass

I picked up the book Summer in a Glass on a whim at the Colleges' Store at Hobart and William Smith (by the way: the place is NOT Hobart nor, to my mind is it HWS. William Smith is the women's college. Let's not eclipse it. Please.). Anyway, the whim turned out to provide a lovely glimpse of my own backyard, a bit idiosyncratic in its take, but home-y and familiar and enlightening along the way. When I opened the book, its inside covers offer a map of the Finger Lakes region -- and therein lies both the wonder (it was absolutely wonderful to see the Stonecat Cafe on the map) and the idiosyncracy (why not other beloved places?). Hmmmm. Of course, I went immediately to the index and read the few pages involving the Stonecat -- which had hosted an important wine tasting. A clue: everything in here has to do with Evan Dawson's read of the region and, as his subtitle indicates, "the coming of age of winemaking in the Finger Lakes."

With its foreword by wine critic James Molesworth from the Wine Spectator, this is a book that in many ways contributes to its own story: the making of a region -- and the making of the region credible as a wine-making region. When I arrived in the area in 1988, the whites were coming into their own a bit; the red -- well, I thought of it as kool aid plus alcohol. The world has changed since then; while I bemoan the yucky buses filled with people who think of wine tasting as a cheap way to get blotto, its been nice to witness and benefit from the food, wine and related industries of our region. And it was great to read about such favorites as Anthony Road, Fox Run, Red Tail Ridge (interviewed early on Cooking with Ideas) and places I used to frequent like Ports Cafe (have not been there for ages! I found myself wondering why not?). And places here and there that I have found quite over-rated even. And even a few I had never heard of but clearly should have -- like Heart and Hands.  In any case, the stories in this book may be familiar to many of the people I know -- but not all were familiar to me so I am grateful to Dawson. For example, I shall definitely be trying some new wines!

Also important in this book; the ways Finger Lakes wines are (and sometimes are most definitely not) always already global. The voices of key immigrants like the folks of Dr. Frank -- and more recent people, combine with trends toward generationally owned vineyards; hippies and businessmen meet and drink; riesling and pinot noir can excel here it turns out. And, perhaps most crucially, this is a region filled with tiny little microclimates -- both literally and of angst, competitiveness and cooperation. A complex place to go along with increasingly complex layerings in wines (and increased sizes for some of their bottlings). There is a risk the book is one huge advertisement; it certainly is an advocacy document from someone who -- together with his wife -- fell in love with the Finger Lakes wines at one point and followed that with a passion to learn and investigate and share that knowledge. Yet, there is a frankness here as well, recognizing that there is increasingly wonderful wine here and also a fair amount of mediocre to bad wine. All in all, I enjoyed it, learned from it, and will visit some of the places either literally or via the wines they create.

Who is this author who so chattily and forthrightly presents his topic? Evan Dawson is . . . a television journalist in Rochester, NY. (Click here for that information.) He is, though, also the managing editor for the New York Cork Report, as noted here.

For other reviews of this book see a) Dawson's own New York Cork Report here; b)  a serious read here; c) what the Hudson Valley WIne Goddess thinks here; or d) just read it yourself -- and comment right here on Cooking with Ideas. Meanwhile, for loads of info on Finger Lakes wine, check out the Finger Lakes Weekend Wino, who has been a blog link partner since almost the very beginning of Cooking with Ideas in 2006 or so!