NNTP-Posting-Date: Fri, 2 May 2003 15:11:49 +0000 (UTC) X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.79 [en] (Windows NT 5.0; U) X-Accept-Language: en Xref: usenet.INS.cwru.edu pgh.food:16188 rec.food.cooking:1049586 I went up to Syracuse last weekend for my cousin's thesis show and graduation party. (She just got her MFA.) On the way home I stopped in Rochester to *finally* go to Nick Tahou's for a garbage plate. I've been wanting to go there for years, ever since reading about it in a book - I think it was Road Food by the Sterns, but it's been many years and I could be mistaken. Over the years I've been to a number of places mentioned in that book - Tuba City Truck Stop Cafe in Tuba City, Arizona for the "World's Best Navajo Taco", Central Drug in Albuquerque for the "World's Best Huevos Rancheros", and Stroud's in Kansas City for their famous fried chicken. The "World's Best" were really excellent, but I was very disappointed with the chicken at Stroud's - very bland and taste- less, although the sides were very good. Anyway, back to Nick's. The garbage plate was most excellent. I had it with the Texas hots and everything, which includes baked beans, macaroni salad, and home fries. The hotdogs are not served on a bun. You get 2 of them and they are split in half and grilled then put on top of the other stuff and topped with chili (like Coney Island sauce). So I was telling the cook (was he the actual Nick? - I should have asked) that I was from Pittsburgh and had come all the way for a garbage plate. He said, "Isn't that where they make those sandwiches with all the stuff on them?" I said, "You mean Primanti's, with the fries and slaw on the sandwich?" He said, "Yeah, that's the place!" He wants to try one if he ever gets down to Pittsburgh. So, we're famous in Rochester. ;-) Kate
Rochester, NY
Nick's garbage plate
User-Agent: MT-NewsWatcher/3.3b1 (PPC Mac OS X) Xref: usenet.INS.cwru.edu pgh.food:16203 rec.food.cooking:1049676 Kate C. wrote: snippage > > I had also wanted to go to a diner in Syracuse while > I was there but let my cousin talk me into that > stupid family restaurant. Next time I'll go with > my instincts and if necessary, go off by myself > and find me a good diner. ;-) > There used to be (may still be) a Heid's hot dog stand/diner in Liverpool. I haven't gone through Liverpool in years, so it may be defunct. There's also the Dinosaur Barbecue in downtown Syracuse. I haven't been there yet, but I have the cookbook (as one might expect). And if you're really into road tripping next time you're in upstate NY: The State Diner, on State St. in Ithaca Mano's Diner, also in Ithaca Rudy's, in Oswego--Not a diner, but a fish fry/Texas hot/coney stand on the shore of Lake Ontario, near the college. Last year SO had his first Rudy's experience. Cindy
NNTP-Posting-Date: Fri, 2 May 2003 17:43:46 +0000 (UTC) X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.79 [en] (Windows NT 5.0; U) X-Accept-Language: en Xref: usenet.INS.cwru.edu pgh.food:16193 rec.food.cooking:1049625 Cindy F. wrote: > > Kate C. wrote: > > > So I was telling the cook (was he the actual > > Nick? - I should have asked) that I was from > > Pittsburgh and had come all the way for a > > garbage plate. He said, "Isn't that where they > > make those sandwiches with all the stuff on them?" > > I said, "You mean Primanti's, with the fries and > > slaw on the sandwich?" He said, "Yeah, that's > > the place!" He wants to try one if he ever gets > > down to Pittsburgh. So, we're famous in Rochester. > > ;-) > > > What's the address of this place? I'm going to my mother's place east > of Rochester next month and that sounds like an interesting roadtrip. It's at 320 W. Main. Be warned that the area is very industrial and shabby and some people have warned me about going there. It's not all that bad, just don't pay attention to the "ambience" (or lack thereof). The food is good and the people are nice. You have to go up to the counter to place your order. They put it on a tray for you to carry it yourself back to your booth. It took me awhile to figure that out and they notice and knew I was a newcomer. There's apparently another location in a nicer area but I've heard that the food isn't quite the same there. Anyway, I can't see that it's right to be eating something called a "garbage plate" in some trendy suburban area. The original Nick's is the "right" milieu for the garbage plate. ;-) Kate
NNTP-Posting-Date: Fri, 2 May 2003 18:04:24 +0000 (UTC) X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.79 [en] (Windows NT 5.0; U) X-Accept-Language: en Xref: usenet.INS.cwru.edu pgh.food:16196 rec.food.cooking:1049633 Dave W. wrote: > > Kate C. wrote: > > > I went up to Syracuse last weekend for my > > cousin's thesis show and graduation party. > > (She just got her MFA.) On the way home > > I stopped in Rochester to *finally* go to > > Nick Tahou's for a garbage plate...... > > <snippage> > > > Kate, > > I love your "road food" reviews. You ought to put together a complete > list of YOUR favorite "World's Best" places around the USA (or North > America?) and post it so rfc folks could carry it when on the road. > Vacation time is about upon us, so now would be a perfect time. Thanks, Dave. I tend to be lazy when it comes to writing. I try to write about each trip but don't always get around to it. I have a bunch of things I've written in the last couple of years that I post to one or the other of the newsgroups. I could dig some of them out and repost. For now here's a list of place's I really like and to which I'd want to go back. Pennsylvania: Altoona area (Hollidaysburg) - The Meadows Frozen Custard - one of the few real old-fashioned frozen custard places left. Lancaster area - Jennie's Diner (although I heard something recently about it having changed hands so I don't know if it's still the same) on US30 east of Lancaster several miles in Ronks. State College - Ye Olde College Inn - now sporting a diner-like stainless steel front. Have the grilled stickies. All the food is pretty good. Jim Thorpe - Sunrise Diner Pottstown - The Cup - former ice cream stand, now a sit-down place. Famous for their "Texas Tommies" a hotdog stuffed with cheese, wrapped in bacon and deep-fried. To die for! And good banana splits. Phoenixville - Vale-Rio Diner Wellesboro - Wellesboro Diner. (Yeah, Rob, I know you didn't like the looks of it and didn't go in, but I've been in it twice and it's great. And I think someone else who lives up that way doesn't like it but I did, so I guess you just have to take a chance.) Reading - The West Reading Diner - not a classic manufactured diner, but it has the look - sort of like a Denny's in size and layout but with tons of stainless and mirrors making very 50's dinerish. And they have Taylor's pork roll. Yum. Butler - Morgan's Eastland Diner I'll post some in other states later. Gotta go. Kate
NNTP-Posting-Date: 3 May 2003 23:48:38 GMT Xref: usenet.INS.cwru.edu pgh.food:16209 rec.food.cooking:1050012 Kate C. wrote in message news:... SNIP > > What's the address of this place? I'm going to my mother's place east > > of Rochester next month and that sounds like an interesting roadtrip. > > It's at 320 W. Main. Be warned that the area is > very industrial and shabby and some people have > warned me about going there. It's not all that > bad, just don't pay attention to the "ambience" > (or lack thereof). The food is good and the people > are nice. You have to go up to the counter to > place your order. They put it on a tray for you > to carry it yourself back to your booth. It took > me awhile to figure that out and they notice and > knew I was a newcomer. > > There's apparently another location in a nicer > area but I've heard that the food isn't quite > the same there. Anyway, I can't see that it's > right to be eating something called a "garbage > plate" in some trendy suburban area. The original > Nick's is the "right" milieu for the garbage > plate. ;-) > > Kate Ahhhh Nick's....The PROPER way to enjoy a garbage plate is at 2:00 AM after a night of indulging in your favorite alcoholic beverage. A rite of passage for many a Rochester college student...Unfortunately, the Main St. location closes early due to an agreement with the city after some problems with the number of police calls to that location. I've never been to the Lyell Ave. location so I can't speak for the food quality. The "ambience" is half the fun of Nicks! Dinosaur Bar-b-que is another Rochester MUST visit. It started in Syracuse, but they have a location on Court St. in Rochester (downtown, right on the River). I only let my husband go when we have company in town, otherwise our cholesterol would be through the roof! I recommend the ribs _highly_. But, expect really long waits if you go on the weekend! There's also a fantastic microbrewery south of Rochester in Honeoye Falls. They don't serve food, but sell growlers of beer that are just wonderful. It's called Custom Brewcrafters and can be tricky to find, but they do have a website. (http://www.custombrewcrafters.com) If you want any other Rochester advice, feel free to drop me an email. I've been living in the area for roughly 9 years plus the time I spent in college here. Back to lurking... Joanne