It’s OK to veg out: From center clockwise, John Torrento displays a salad dish that’s pleasing not only to the palate, but the eyes as well; when it is served, Tim Collins will expound upon the ingredients and preparation method, which executive chef Mark Parker is in-progress of doing. Michael Davis photo.
Outside of ethnic and niche establishments, vegan menu options in Syracuse can be sparse. But Baldwinsville’s Mohegan Manor, 58 Oswego St., makes a big gesture toward those who embrace meat- and dairy-free eating with its monthly vegan dinners.
Five courses, from appetizer to dessert, earmark the theme evenings, along with synopses from the staff concerning things like ingredients and recipe sources. The upscale-ish environs of the Mohegan, built in 1911 as a private men’s club by storied architect Ward Wellington Ward, can intimidate at first. But the experience is warm and low-key, as guests at the Tuesday, May 27, edition will see.
Owner Dennis Sick, who quietly hosts the dinners, likes it best when guests show up around 6 p.m. After relaxing in the bar and social area for a while you’re directed toward a table in the dining area. This short holdover is mostly a way for Sick to gauge how the tables of various sizes can best be filled.
“We try to create a bit of a social experience,” he says. “It’s a nice option for a single person, who doesn’t like to go out and sit and eat by themselves, to network and meet new people.”
At the April 22 dinner, this reporter’s tablemates ranged from close in age to decades my senior. None save myself were vegan, a few were vegetarians but most were carnivores—but about the food, we were of consensus: It rocked.
“That’s the beauty about it,” Sick says. “If I invited someone who wasn’t vegan and put the food in front of you, you wouldn’t know there wasn’t, say, some kind of meat broth used in the preparation.” Granted, those used to seeing solid meat of some sort will notice its absence, but probably won’t miss it.
On April 22, the rollatinis—breaded fried eggplant slices wrapped around seasoned tofu, topped with marinara and pine nuts—packed protein and texture to spare. Ditto with the tempeh nori rolls, which you could argue were just as much sushi as the raw-fish variety, but with scallions, avocados and the tofu family cousin tempeh as filler.
The vegan night is going on just six months old, so kitchen manager Tim Collins is very much still building the repertoire. “We try to theme it whenever we can,” says Collins. “We want to have continuity, be it a seasonal or ethnic thread. That’s our first thought; from there it’s a little bit of research on the Internet, a little work from a cookbook and some advice from other cooks.”
Allergies and preferences are easily accommodated by the kitchen staff of four, with a little advance notice. But vegan cooking tends to preclude common allergens like dairy and gluten anyway. “We’ve yet to have {many} allergy issues,” says Collins. “If an individual has concerns, we’ll cook our way around it.”
The turnout of about two dozen on April 22 was representative, although the number of folks RSVP-ing is spreading as the word grows, says Sick. “Interestingly, only a small percentage who’ve been attending are vegans. More people are just curious.”
Other theme nights, from cigar or wine dinners to self-explanatory “little black dress” events, dot the Mohegan’s calendar month to month. “An exceptional dining facility doesn’t have a chance surviving with business from a single community,” says Sick. “The chains have cut the pie very thin for independents. The bottom line is that very little of our daily business is from Baldwinsville.”
Ideally, the vegan dinners will expand as demand grows, as will concessions on the nightly menu and elsewhere, he says. “We’ve {already} provided {vegan} functions and entire weddings on request.”
Meanwhile, the menu for the Tuesday, May 27, 6 p.m. dinner looks impressive: hummus and pita, with olives, as an appetizer, followed by a variation on Spanish-style gazpacho that boasts beets and is dubbed gazborscht. A creamy Asian pear and tempeh salad follows, served with wasabi dressing. Spaghetti Squash Mexicana is the entree; expect some mildly spicy black beans and corn, with a fruity salsa to top it off. Fresh fruit drizzled with Grand Marnier, an orange-y triple sec liquor, tops things off.
Weather permitting, dining will occur on the new garden deck. Dinner costs $22.50 per person; for reservations, which are required, call 857-0079. Visit www.moheganmanor.com for more information.
