SYR - The Halal Shack

I’m back a few weeks later to make good on my goal to try some new protein!

LOCATION: 303 UNIVERSITY PL, SYRACUSE, NY 13210

SCHINE STUDENT CENTER

Not the most groundbreaking development, but I did realize that I could order a half chicken/half beef combo and I think this is the one. Along with my standard rice bowl toppings from last time (rice, chickpeas, lettuce, red onions, cucumbers, mozzarella cheese, and the halal classic white sauce) I’ve tried the half and half and it was pretty solid. I do think the varying sizes between the chicken and beef is throwing me off a little but the beef itself is pretty salty so I think the addition of chicken helps mellow out that sodium content a little. Plus, it always feels better to me to have some variety so I don’t get tired of eating the same bite over and over.

Now, there aren’t a ton of other options for protein but I think there are a couple more to add into the mix if I feel like I need a switch up in the future - crispy chicken, hot bbq chicken (probably not the option for me), falafel, etc. so this could be a nice little side journey I have here behind the scenes but what I do know is, I’ll be back for sure.

The Halal Shack doesn’t feel heavy or greasy and I get two lunches out of it with the amount of scoops they’re giving here. I love an affordable, semi-healthy option for lunch (that’s not straight up salad - sorry to all my salad lovers out there) and I can’t deny that the proximity to my desk isn’t a factor in this either. Convenience really gets you far sometimes.

SYR - The Halal Shack

I’m getting settled in to my new position here at Syracuse University, and with a new job and a new work environment comes new places to eat! Cue The Halal Shack!

LOCATION: 303 UNIVERSITY PL, SYRACUSE, NY 13210

SCHINE STUDENT CENTER

Of course, I’ve eaten at The Halal Guys back in New York City as well as Chicago, so I was pretty excited to find The Halal Shack here right in the same building as my new desk. Of course, this isn’t the same franchise, but close is close enough, no complaints here - at least not until I give The Halal Shack a shot!

I had to do a build your our rice bowl of course, and I decided to go with chicken today along with chickpeas, lettuce, red onions, cucumbers, mozzarella cheese, and the halal classic white sauce. This is a pretty standard bowl for me with everything that I want and nothing extra (sorry tomatoes but you don’t quite make the cut) and I wasn’t disappointed.

I can’t say that this is a good as The Halal Guys but this isn’t a bad substitute for a college campus in central New York. I’m excited to go back and try a few other protein combos - I don’t know that chicken hits for me every time - but I think the rice bowl is my order and I’m super pumped that this meal is a stone throw away from my office. Things are looking up here in Syracuse!

ROC - Mochinut

ROC - Mochinut

I’ve been DYING to go here since I heard of their opening back in March and I’ve finally made it!

LOCATION: 544 JEFFERSON RD., ROCHESTER, NY 14623

I’ve been really wanting to try a Korean corndog and while I’ve been able to find frozen varieties, none of them come with outer toppings like potatoes which is key to this experience. I’ve also been so excited to try a mochi donut as I’ve seen them online and in youtube videos but haven’t seen a place that actually offers them in Rochester before this. Of course I’ve been to Rochester a few times since this place opened but I was initially waiting for the hype to die down a little because I’ve seen them all over social media and everyone has been saying the lines are super long and wrap around the building outside (granted it’s not a huge space indoors but still, that’s a lot of hype!) I’ve also been in Rochester with Caleb and he’s not a fan of hotdog/corndogs so I feel bad dragging him to a place where he can’t eat. However, this weekend is a solo trip and I’ve called in reinforcements to finally hit up Mochinut!

Julia has already scoped the place out with her husband Dan and told me she wanted to come back with me so we’ve started our adventure! We decided to get to Mochinut right at 11am to try to beat the rush. We ended up arriving a little early and there was already another car in the parking lot also waiting for them to open but aside from that, we were set to get in there as soon as the clock struck. We actually noticed a gentleman go in then the car next to us with two older women got out and entered right around 11 so we took that as our cue to go! I took a quick look at the case as they filled in the fresh donut flavors and Julia convinced me to get 1 donut, 1 ‘corn’ dog, AND a bubble tea. She is my true supporter to indulge and try it all. I love her. Thus, my plan was laid to get one of each item. I decided to go with the Milk (fruity) Pebble mochi donut, my classic Mango Fruit Tea with boba, and a Potato half & half hotdog. Go big or go home.

I was given my donut right away but there was a wait for my bubble tea and hotdog so after Julia finished her simpler order at the digital kiosk we went to sit down at one of the tables for the adjoining Seafood Harbor restaurant that’s currently under construction. It’s kind of a weird set up that there’s a full restaurant thats connected to Mochinut. I feel like it’ll be a little bit of an issue once the restaurant is open since Mochinut doesn’t really have seating for patrons. As soon as we ordered the line was already cramped up against the door too so it was a quick fill that I foresee being problematic.

Anyways, Julia convinced me that I should at least try my mochi donut while we were waiting. It might as well be a sweet starter to begin brunch. I took one bite and it was really sweet. It was a little oily which was disappointing and it honestly just tasted like a soggy funnel cake with frosting. The fruity pebbles helped give it more texture but I only managed a couple bites before needing a break from the sweetness. I understand why Julia didn’t order one and why her husband might not have wanted to come with us. She mentioned they had a couple when the went for the first time and made the same funnel cake comparison. It wasn’t really noticeably chewier than a funnel cake type of thing but it was more oily than I expected.

Not long after I tried my donut we got our drinks which came in a cute plastic ‘can’ with their logo stickered on and even had that can tab opening. Very fun in design but the opening of a can is barely enough room to fit a bubble tea straw through. Julia also lucked out with the kiosk and substituted her boba for lychee jelly which is honestly what I really wanted. Tips for next time, the kiosk leads to greater customization. This was a standard bubble tea and it wasn’t terribly special but satisfies the bubble tea craving.

A little later we got called up to get our hot dogs, the who reason for the trip! I was super excited and it came in a cute little box with a slot for the corndog stick. Julia wanted to come back with me so she could try the flaming hot cheetos corn dog and I convinced her to also go with the half & half so we could really have the whole experience of variety. This was a mistake. Important Lesson: don’t take menu advice from someone who’s never eaten at the establishment. We were already disappointed that these Korean corndogs aren’t coated in sugar like the original versions are but I’m just happy this isn’t a cornbread batter because I’m not a fan of cornbread in general. Instead, they’re typically made with a rice flour batter giving it a different texture and of course a different flavor. Unfortunately, the corndog was also very oily and my potatoes, while crispy, were also oil logged and so sad. The top of the corndog, the cheese half, was SO HARD to get through because the heavy combination of oil and dairy. Julia and I both hit a wall before we even made it to the hotdog half of our corndogs and were considering giving up. Instead, we took a small break just to talk and digest a little while trying to wash the oil down with our bubble tea. Eventually, we got back to the second half of our corndogs and it was a much better balance. Still oily but the meatiness of the hot dog halves made them much more enjoyable to finish off which made us realize that it would’ve been a better decision to just get a full hotdog. So many lessons learned for the future.

All in all, I’m not even sure I would go back. While there’s a great variety of flavors on their menu, everything was so heavy and oily it wasn’t enjoyable. I felt sick from the amount of sugar when I ate less than half of my mochi donut, and it was a battle to finish the Korean corndog. It was disappointing and while I’m not sworn off either of these foods, I don’t think this place represented either menu item well at all. After the excitement I felt in getting to try both of these things for the first time, it was such a let down. The only good thing about going was getting to spend time with one of my best friends. Fingers crossed for future trials of these things, somewhere else.

Food and Wine - Spinach and Artichoke Galette

Today’s post comes courtesy of the Food and Wine Annual Cookbook of 2024 and it’s the Spinach and Artichoke Galette. In trying to clear out some of these cookbooks I have laying around, I’m picking out some recipes to try that I might want to add to my recipe cards.

I love a spinach and artichoke dip and a galette is just a cousin to a flatbread so this seems like an easy win. Let’s revamp some classic fan favorite flavors into a new delivery vessel!

This recipe has a base of pie dough, a sour cream/garlic/lemon zest/hot sauce layer on top of that, then of course - cheese, spinach, and artichokes. Easy. Fold the edges over, give it an egg wash, and pop it in the oven for less than 25mins and call it a meal.

I love how quickly this came together and it’s an easy recipe to edit a little - add some protein on top or get rid of the hot sauce for a more mild taste. The only thing is, this galette isn’t super filling. It’s a great quick snack to toast up and it’s portable enough if you need it to be, but I want to eat half of this thing in a sitting and I’ll still be hungry in the blink of an eye.

Great marks for simplicity but dock a few points for heartiness.

ITHACA - Zocalo

Today was a little chaotic but we' eventually fed ourselves so it all worked out! Caleb and I wanted to have a little lunch date to go see the new Guardian’s of the Galaxy movie and decided we would get lunch first, so far so good. We discussed getting some DiBella’s since it’s one of our go to’s whenever we get close to Ithaca and it travels well. While Caleb did want Dibella’s he didn’t feel like sitting in there for lunch so we eventually decided we would go after the movie to grab some subs for dinner. This still left us open for lunch and I threw Ithaca Bakery in to the ring but was hesitant to go get sandwiches for lunch when we would be eating subs for lunch. I like a little more variety in my meals for a day. Instead Caleb suggested we just hop over to Friendly’s. We’ve never been there together and it’s one of those chains we joke about going to but have never actually committed to. Well, it turns out the joke was on us because the location we were planning on going to by The Shops at Ithaca Mall has turned into a bank! So we were driving around parking lots debating just going to Ithaca Bakery when Caleb decided to pull the tigger and head to the mall food court! (Basically).

LOCATION: 40 CATHERWOOD RD., ITHACA, NY 14850 (next to food court)

That’s how we ended up in Zocalo, a Mexican restaurant in the mall that we always pass by shrouded in mystery. Zocalo is dimly lit and can get very busy, from what we’ve noticed when we’ve walked by in the past. The wait staff felt very indifferent to us and just customers in general, a very hands off approach to the dining experience and not welcoming in the least bit. Still, this doesn’t affect the food so it’s minor in the scheme of things and while indifferent, they weren’t rude which is the real deal breaker. The waiter brought over warm tortilla chips and salsa immediately too which is ideal honestly. A great snack to get while we ponder the menu.

Caleb went back and forth a little but landed on ordering the Chimichanga, an item I’ve never gotten for the shear fact that I have no idea what it is. A sauce covered burrito? Close. Turns out it’s a burrito (chicken for Caleb) that’s covered in queso which also came with a small side of lettuce and tomato (I wouldn’t quite call it a salad) as well as rice and beans. Pretty standard sides. I, of course, went with tacos. Now, unlike Village Taqueria, this place doesn’t sell them individually so I had to go with one type, choosing between chicken, steak, or their Al pastor. I went with the Al Pastor Street tacos which comes with pork marinated in pineapple, achiote and annato then grilled and served in corn tortillas and topped with onion and cilantro. This also came with a side of rice and beans. Also, to my surprised I got 4 tacos. The tortillas are a little smaller than typical but four tacos felt like a little bit of a challenge that I was willing to take.

Overall, the tacos were pretty good. I made it through all four enjoyably and was pretty full in a good way. I did get a little bit of flavor fatigue and I would’ve had more fun trying one of each taco they had to offer instead of getting 4 of one type. I was also too full to have any of the rice and beans but Caleb let me know that they weren’t great and were overly salted so I didn’t miss out on that at all. Not a bad choice for lunch but also not great. During the meal we agreed that it’s not a place we would crave enough to go back but it is a convenient spot so we wouldn’t knock it either. I think just being able to pick various tacos means I would prefer Village Taqueria over Zocalo.