Edgewater Grill

On one of the hottest days of the summer, around 2pm on Sunday, my sister-in-law and I went to eat at the Edgewater Grill – if for no other reason than we knew the view would be refreshing! It’s located in the heart of Baldwinsville, on the river. Driving in on Route 31, just over the bridge, you can’t miss the sign that alerts you: “Home of the 99 cent drafts!” Yep, that’s less than a dollar, any time, any day.

You would think because of this location that parking might be limited, but we saw, after turning into the parking lot, that there is more than enough parking even on the busiest of days. White railings at the river’s edge give you a feeling of safety, despite the awesome view. With a beautiful view of the river safety is of no concern there are many white railings to make you feel safe. When you start down the stairs to enter the restaurant, another big banner announce, “ $4.99 pasta dinner, all day, all night, everyday.” And a welcoming chalk board also notes the specials and dinning hours in colorful, hand-written script.

Did you know the Edgewater Grill has live entertainment? Groups like Timeline, Charlie Orlando and Latizia and the Z Band. These are some of the most popular talent in the Syracuse area - with no cover charge and a beautiful view! You can call (or check out their website at HYPERLINK "http://www.edgewatergrill.net" www.edgewatergrill.net for exact
dates and times of entertainment.

We were greeted by the friendly hostess and were soon seated in the main dining area. The walls were a soft salmon color with a dark blue ceiling. Modern chandlers hung over almost every table, and a huge fish tank built into the wall could be seen from the dinning room or the main bar. The dinning room seats about 60 people comfortably. But the real gem of this restaurant is the newly renovated 120-seat enclosed deck that boasts another awesome view of the river.

The entire atmosphere put me in the mood for seafood – and no surprise, we started drooling over the menu as soon as we sat down! Kim, our waitress, told me the menu is always the same for lunch or dinner. I’m always disappointed when I see a lunch item on a menu and I can’t get it for dinner. That’s never a concern here.

Some of the appetizers we had to choose from were Grilled Crab Cakes at $9.99, Baked Brie $ 8.99, Baked French Onion Soup $3.99, etc. I asked our very attentive waitress what she recommended and she said one of the most popular appetizers was the Spinach & Artichoke Dip at $7.99. So that’s what we decided to try. To my surprise it was served with freshly made salsa and colored tortilla chips. The dip itself was impressive because it wasn’t floating in a layer of grease like so many do. There was a layer of melted cheese on top of the most creamy perfectly warmed spinach & artichoke dip I have ever had!

Our decisions for dinner were: Shrimp Scampi for $17.99 and Baked 3 Fish in a Dish for $19.99. I am not one for the pasta, but Kim was more than happy to substitute that for a baked potato or the sautéed summer and zucchini squash and snow peas. We had eaten almost all of the appetizer and knowing I had dinner coming I was considering skipping the salad bar. I am so glad I didn’t! It was not a huge salad bar it had the mixed greens, onion, tomatoes, shredded cheddar cheese, home made croutons, cucumbers, pasta salad, potato salad, and coleslaw. The most amazing part of the salad bar was the four homemade salad dressings. I did try each one and all were excellent. Our choices were: ranch, Italian, balsamic, and poppy seed. I will usually judge the quality of any restaurant by how well they prepare the salad. If they take the time to do the smaller things well the meal is almost always great.

After her second slice of warm, toasted bread, Lori, my guest, announced with a big smile on her face - and before we were even served our entrée - “I can’t wait to come back!”

I have to agree with her. Our entrees were served shortly after we enjoyed our bread and whipped butter. It is true you eat with your eyes first. My shrimp scampi was in a creamy butter garlic sauce with sun dried tomatoes, mushrooms, fresh grated parmesan cheese with a lemon and parsley garnish with a piping hot baked potato with butter and sour cream. Lori’s dinner was scallops, shrimp and baked fish with a buttery cracker crust with lemon and fresh parsley garnish and the sautéed squash and snow peas with butter and thyme.

I was impressed that the chef chose vegetables that are in season so I asked Kim for a little background The chef’s name is Paul Stillitano and he graduated from the Paul Smith Cooking Institute.
Paul makes almost everything in the restaurant from scratch. I know that’s why I enjoyed the food as much as I did! You can really taste the difference.

I didn’t know how I was going to eat it, but I had to order a dessert. Lori and I agreed to split the warm pecan bread pudding. You can get it with ice cream but we choose the real whipped cream. When Kim brought it out to our table you caught the fragrance of the real maple syrup before it was placed on the table. The bread pudding was rich, yet light. The whipped cream and toasted pecans were a perfect compliment to the dish.

After we completed our meal, Sharon Burke, the restaurant manger gave Lori and me a tour of the upstairs. This is where they have private parties. It would be perfect for the holidays, bridal or baby shower or rehearsal dinner. It has the same beautiful view as the downstairs deck. Keep in mind that the river doesn’t freeze over when the weather turns cold, so the view is delightful year-round.

This is definitely a restaurant where you will want to eat again and again. A restaurant that’s friendly and unpretentious, casual but nice enough to make dinner feel a little special, it’s ideal for a spur-of-the-moment decision to eat out, or for that special occasion. And the food is absolutely great!

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