NYC - Yankee Stadium

NYC - Yankee Stadium

Self-explanatory but it’s my first MLB game and therefore my first time in Yankee Stadium! Caleb gifted his dad a bonding trip to see a Yankee’s game for this past Christmas and he decided to tag myself and Caleb’s mom along to do a little joint hybrid/birthday trip. Either way you shake it, I’ve won out.

Of course, one of my favorite parts of live sports is all the snacks. We’re girl dinner-ing left and right and Yankee Stadium has stepped up it’s game when it comes to food (from what I hear online compared to other MLB stadiums). I ended up not going too crazy but I got the couple of highlights that I was looking forward to trying so I count that as a success.

First on the list was the garlic parmesan fries in section 205 because it was right by our seats and I was ready for some sustenance after a an early morning trip into the city. I was hoping for this to be served in a mini hat like I’d seen on some websites online but the cute box of Yankee Stadium was a still a great touch. I had to wait a couple minutes for my order because these were FRESH out of the fryer and piping HOT. These fries are definitely on the shoestring side so they were really crispy, not my preference because I love a more starchy potato but the garlic parm flavor was very present. They were quite salty so I only ate about half of them since I didn’t get them with any protein in anticipation of my next meal item.

Cue the NEW King’s Hawaiian angry lobster roll (section 115). Now if you’ve been around for a little you’,ll know that I LOVE a lobster roll and went on the hunt on our first trip to Maine last Summer and this was no different. I saw that this was a new item for this baseball season and I love a little King’s Hawaiian roll as well so this seemed like a promising try. Not going to lie, this guy was pretty disappointing. This lobster roll comes with “cold-water lobster, lemon aioli, togarashi spice, and scallions all in a King’s Hawiian Split top bun.

I shouldn’t have expected this to be real lobster because I could tell just from the smell that this was immitation seafood right away. I’m a little surprised I didn’t see any word about it when I saw the new item announcements and reviews online. Everything else about this was good. The bread is solid King’s Hawaiian, the togarashi spice on top that gave it a pretty good kick, there wasn’t too much mayo, the scallions were fresh, but I could only make it through about two rolls of this imitation seafood smell/flavor before I gave up. I kept telling myself I would go back to it but I wasn’t feeling great and I ended up not eating that last roll even after spending $25 on it. I never regret trying new foods because you never know when it ends up being worth it but this was not one of those times.

SYR - Varsity Pizza Syracuse

SYR - Varsity Pizza Syracuse

A Syracuse University staple! I’ve been here a handful of times as the local greasy spoon right by campus but one of my campus friends has been wanting to try breakfast and I’m always here for a food adventure so we were off!

LOCATION: 802 S. Crouse Ave., Syracuse, NY 13210

I’ve never had breakfast here before and I wasn’t planning on getting anything but I love a savory meal and I was HUNGRY so I couldn’t just drink my tea when bacon is right there!

I decided to order a breakfast bowl with bacon which is a hash of potatoes, scrambled eggs, a protein of choice, and toast. It’s a classic breakfast which makes it hard to mess up. The bacon was perfectly crispy and I tend to not eat all the eggs (I may or may not be developing some sort of allergy) or the toast (filler that I typically don’t have room for) so my focus is always potatoes and bacon. Not a surprise if you know me at all. Perfectly crispy bacon was the star for sure and I have a feeling, we may be back for breakfast.

SYR - Plaza Grande Cocina Mexicana & Cantina

SYR - Plaza Grande Cocina Mexicana & Cantina

It’s end of year dinner time with the girls and while we may not have picked a place quickly, we did eventually landed on Plaza Grande!

LOCATION: 2212 W. GENESEE ST., SYRACUSE, NY 13219

The vibes of this gave us whiplash as we came in. For some reason there was a cardboard cut-out of the Rock in the corner (selling his newest alcohol it seems) and then we turned the corner into the dining area and we were seated right next to a fountain. We did some bathroom shifts while we were waiting for everyone to arrive and there’s a cute little faux flower wall along the way for a cute Insta moment. A lot going on but in the best way.

Of course we all banded together and decided that margaritas were in order and I got their house margarita with strawberry (we wanted frozen but it wasn’t available so on the rocks it was!) It was a solid margarita but I ended up only drinking about a quarter because that tequila hit me hard and I had to drive home so just sips to make sure I was clear headed by the time we left. This was a very good margarita though so I wish I had a DD for the night because I’m a big fan.

We kicked off the meal with some choriqueso for the table and with the drinks, it was perfect. It was creamy and perfectly meaty. I would have eaten a bunch of it but I wanted to leave some room for my main and I’m also trying to watch my fatty food intake now that I’m down a gall bladder. I decided to order the tequila shrimp tacos which came with grilled shrimp cooked in (more) tequila, lime, and sautéed red cabbage served with a side of black beans and rice (on the side). These were pretty solid tacos. Three tacos like this is usually the perfect size for me and then I graze on some rice to fill in the little gaps that the starter chips may not have filled in already.

This was such a nice dinner. The service was so kind and gave us tons of time and space to just chat and enjoy our night. I felt so full in the best way and dinner is always better when you have a great group to eat with and dish about surviving another school year. Life is good.

CORT - Los Lagos

CORT - Los Lagos

We finally have a quiet weekend with no plans and no movies we want to see, so Caleb asked me to go out for a little lunch date.

LOCATION: 13 GROTON AVE, CORTLAND, NY 13045

We tend to forget this little spot with the entrance tucked into the side of the building but it’s a great spot with really good Mexican food. I’ve been here a few years ago when they were a little newer for a work lunch back when I was local. It was a solid menu and the group raved about the Margaritas so that’s a plus.

Caleb and I don’t tend to drink when we’re out for meals so that was a little pass on our end but the food is always solid. The house made chips that hit the table when you sit down really hit the spot.

I ordered from the lunch specials and got the birria tacos which came with a side of rice. I love birria tacos and was fully planning on getting something else but when I saw that was an option for today, I threw all my other plans out the window and I was not disappointed.

The addition of the red onions, cilantro, and guac was on point. It made everything lighter and fresher with a more well-rounded set of flavors. This is also one of the few times that I love dipping. In my mind, this is akin to an au jus for steak sandwiches and the meat juices make everything more flavorful. I also love it as a little extra moisture for the rice. I find Mexican red/yellow rices to be a little more dry in nature (while I love a soft/wetter white rice) so a little extra liquid really hits the spot.

This was a really nice meal. Not too busy and the staff were quick and really nice. We need to keep this in the local rotation when we’re up for a sit-down meal because I always forget it even though it hasn’t let me down.

ROC - DosiiRoc Cafe & Korean Kitchen

ROC - DosiiRoc Cafe & Korean Kitchen

I’m in town for a doctor’s appointment so that means spending time with some cousins which also means we’re going to lunch!

I love coming from a family of food lovers because it means I often get to try new restaurants when we meet up and this visit is no different.

LOCATION: 1225 JEFFERSON RD. SUITE A11 ROCHESTER, NY 14623

We’ve collectively been thinking about coming here for a few months but my visits are sporadic and we haven’t been able to make it until now, and I’m excited. I love Korean food so hearing a new(ish) Korean restaurant has opened up right next to the game store that I always frequent when I’m in town is great.

DosiiRoc is a small spot in the corner of a plaza that opened up about a year ago and has a good variety of Korean food. When this group of cousins and I go out to eat, we typically do family style sharing regardless of the restaurant so we can try as many dishes as possible (a system that I love but that I know a lot of people don’t) but after looking over the menu, we all decided to each get our own DosiiRoc Boxes because each box was such a good variety of food to start with.

I got the Korean Boneless Fried Chicken Dosiiroc box with the chicken tossed in a honey garlic sauce. Each box comes with white rice, japchae noodles, and chef’s choice banchan. The menu also says it comes with two pieces of yachea jeon which is the veggie pancake but each of boxes came with a couple pieces of tteokbokki instead which was okay with all of us. No complains and I’m pretty sure we forgot about the jeon with how much came in this meal. Three of the five of us got the beef bulgogi dosiiroc and two of us got the fried chicken but my cousin ordered his chicken with the dosiiroc secret sauce which he let me swap a piece for and that tasted like a yangnyeom spicy sweet sauce. Not too spicy but a tiny kick with a sweet hint to it too.

I liked this meal a lot. I’m already excited to come back. I managed to eat almost all of my meal while there and I’m not a huge fan of japchae but this one was really good. I think the temperature was just right and I haven’t liked japchae in the past but maybe this little taste was the right amount for me today.

I honestly think today was a good day for me to go because the two banchan they gave were beansprouts and a cucumber kimchi which are two of my favs when it comes to banchan. I’m not a huge kimchi fan - cold cabbage just doesn’t hit with me as much as I want to like it, but a cold cucumber is just right.

Everything in this box was so good. The chicken was this perfect crispy texture without being try or tough. The sauce was well balanced and even though I got the honey garlic, it didn’t feel overly sweet.

I just wish they still had their housemade fruit cheong so I could have a Korean Ade to drink. One of the owners said she was making a new batch later that afternoon for tomorrow so I just missed out but it just means I have to come back so I can order that, along with trying the rest of their menu out.

This is going to be a repeat spot for sure, I just hope they stick around! Everything on this menu is something that I’ve craved before that I just wasn’t able to get my hands on but now that I know this place is right here and has all the goods, I’ll back.