FILLING

This Candy’s Dandy

There’s still plenty of time to check out the Erie Canal Museum’s 27th annual Gingerbread Gallery, on display through Jan. 6 during museum hours. In fact, New Times editor Molly English-Bowers and two of her children, Georgia Keene and Will Keene, are volunteering at the Gingerbread display on Dec. 27 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Stop by and say howdy. Nearly 40 gingerbread creations grace the second floor of the museum, housed in the canal-era Weighlock Building. On Dec. 3, winners in five categories and two themes were announced. 

Judging was based on overall appeal, originality, difficulty and creative use of materials. This year’s judges were Laura Hand of WSTM-Channel 3, Julie Ehrentraut of CNY Cake Decorating and local artist John Paul Body.

Winners are:

Youth

First Place: Longhouse by the kindergarten class at the Onondaga Nation School.

Second Place: Down Gingerbread Lane by the BOCES classroom at Porter Elementary School.

Third Place (tie): Canal Boat Christmas by CBS Pre-School and Pack 62—Pack of Fun by Tully Cub Scout Pack 62.

Senior

First Place: Whiling Away the Time by Anna Montesano.

Family/Group

First Place: A Fantasy Christmas, by Ava, Carmen and Monica Canterino.

Second Place: Christmas at the Mill, by Mo Dick and Shelly Loftus.

Third Place: Christmas Fun Train by Mom and Daughter.

Corporate

First Place: A 50-Year Flow of Knowledge by Gaylord Bros.

Second Place: 40 Years of Food and Fun by the Syracuse Real Food Co-Op.

Confectioners

First Place: U.S.S. Gingerbread by Anne and Regina Hickman.

Second Place: Yule Time by Lesli and Jim Muhlhahn.

Third Place: Eat Me by Cyndi Clark and Hillary Clark-Kulis.

50 Years of Fun: The Beatles: 50 Years Already? It Seems like Just “Yesterday” by Janel Phillippe, Siobhan Phillippe, Teresa Murphy and Marty Phillippe.

Erie Canal Theme: Erie Canal Christmas Fleet by Deborah Vertoske.

The Erie Canal Museum, 318 Erie Blvd. E., is open through Jan. 6 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; closed Dec. 25 and Jan. 1, and open until 2 p.m. on Dec. 24 and 31. Admission to the Gingerbread Gallery is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and $2 for children ages 12 and younger. A gingerbread house workshop for children will be held Dec. 26 to 28, at 11 a.m. and 1 and 3 p.m. Workshop fee is $8 for members and $10 for nonmembers. Preregister by calling 471-0593, Ext. 10.

 

Sandwiching in the Westcott Nation

There’s a bit more London in Westcott thanks to a trendy new eatery. Beer Belly Deli and Pub, located at 510 Westcott St. and open Wednesdays to Sundays from 11 to 2 a.m., offers up quality gastropub fair with innovative flair—a perfect addition to the neighborhood’s growing assortment of quirky cafés. 

Lauren Monforte, a Syracuse University Law School grad and former practicing attorney, and local restaurant vet Brandon Roe began building the BBD brand a little more than a year ago. The two leased an empty storefront—previously the site of Seven Rays Bookstore—off Craigslist. And Syracuse Cooperative Federal Credit Union fronted them a small-business loan to get things rolling. The bulk of the construction took place this past summer. It’s during this time, says Monforte, that BBD started raising a few eyebrows around the neighborhood.

“We’d eat lunch at Alto Cinco or get drinks at Tap’s during the building process; I’d introduced myself to everyone,” she says. “I lived in Westcott when I went to Syracuse and I live here now, so the neighborhood is really important to me.” 

Apart from its charm and idiosyncrasies, Monforte cites Westcott’s progressive food culture as a particularly powerful draw. “I felt this neighborhood would also allow us to do a little bit more with the menu,” she says. “We wanted to be experimental.”

BBD’s menu certainly fills a meat-and-potatoes sort of void untouched by neighboring restaurants. Hefty sandwiches that range in price from $8 to $12, like the deluxe BLT with candied bacon and the carved turkey with cranberry aioli, characterize its offerings. There’s also a nice selection of sides and “snacks”—sweet potato tots, the “salt potato of the day,” and a peanut butter and jelly whoopee pie that features strawberry port wine jelly. 

BBD takes basic, bold flavors and adds the tiniest of twists, and those twists—ale mustard, red wine marinades, house mayo—make all the difference. 

Monforte credits this unique fusion of comfort food and nuanced cooking technique to her and Roe’s differing food backgrounds. “I grew up in a hippie, granola-town {Saratoga Springs} and I’d always wanted to open something that had a homey feel,” she says. “Brandon’s dream was to open an old-school diner so we combined our goals and messed around with the recipes.”

BBD puts a heavy emphasis on its drink offerings, as well. The restaurant has rotating wine and beer lists—local IPAs are normally on draft, and canned novelties like Genesee Cream Ale and Pabst are available. 

The restaurant exists within in a long sliver of space framed by two walls—one concrete and one red brick. The kitchen and a kitty-cornered bar top fill the rear of BBD. Lightbulb-lit mason jar clusters hang from its 13-foot ceilings and local art lines the wine-painted walls; chill indie music drifts in through the sound system.   

BBD’s co-owners have added various personal touches to the dining room; Monforte’s law school diploma sits atop a china cabinet and Roe, an ardent Chicago Bears fan, has hidden bears of all shapes and sizes throughout the space. Staff members have even contributed to branding BBD: The restaurant’s menu design and logo were both created by current employees.

Since it opened for business on Halloween, the Beer Belly Deli and Pub has quickly risen to the status of Westcott staple. Call them at 299-7533 or find them on Facebook.

—Josh Breeden

Brews News

From funky to upscale, another new eatery in town just took residence inside the main entrance to Destiny USA. Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant opened Dec. 10 after a weekend of training exercises for eager waitstaff that included a VIP event with members of the local media; that Dec. 7 dinner helped raise funds for the Food Bank of CNY.

Gordon Biersch is part brewpub, part California-inspired restaurant, and all first class. Brown and tan furniture strikes a soothing tone, with seating for more than 400 diners, while shiny stainless steel highlights the kitchen at the back of the space. While the eatery offers an impressive menu, including a children’s menu and vegetarian and gluten-free options, media night included an abbreviated selection of dinner options. Of course, the brewery’s five beers were available (at a reduced price of $2, all of which went to the Food Bank). 

Made with only three ingredients—barley, hops and water—as mandated by a German purity law dating to 1516, Gordon Biersch offers five signature brews as well as seasonal selections and national and local craft beers. 

Gordon Biersch is located inside the main entrance to Destiny USA, in what the mall is calling The Canyon. For dining, it is open Sundays and Mondays, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Tuesdays to Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; and Fridays and Saturdays, 11 a.m. to midnight. The bar is open Sundays and Mondays, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Tuesdays to Thursdays, 11 a.m. to midnight; Fridays and Saturdays, 11 to 2 a.m.

For more information, call them at 478-0990.