February

DINING OUT:
DELMONICO'S ITALIAN STEAKHOUSE

2950 Erie Boulevard East
Syracuse, NY
(315) 445-1111

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by Nadine Van De Walker

Nothing about Delmonico’s is meek and mild. From the décor, to the portions, to the flavors of its many dishes, everything about this restaurant is big, bold, strong, and absolutely delightful!

Start with the sign out front: it’s bright and grabs your attention, inviting you – no, urging you - in for some fine Italian cuisine!

And there is no mistaking you’ve come to an Italian restaurant!

At the hostess station you’re greeted by Mediterranean beauties in Mafiosa chic; there are playful caricatures of famous Italians on every wall (all done by a local Syracuse artist JP Crangle) and the wait staff is turned out in red and black; the décor is burgundy and dark wood accented by decorative jars of marinated vegetables; the music featured Frank, Dean, Tony and the usual suspects; and there are several smaller dining rooms dedicated to such notables as Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin.

We arrived around 5:30 pm on a Monday. We were seated at a booth in a dining room next to the bar. A larger party or family group might request one of those aptly named smaller rooms for more private dining.

Reservations can be made anytime except Friday and Saturday between 5:30 pm and 8:30 pm and Holidays. During those times you can call for priority seating and your wait time will be reduced in half.

If you do have to wait for a table there is an oversized seating area, as well as a large bar with several flat screen TVs showing everything from sports to movies.

Roz, our very friendly and helpful waitress, took our drink order and offered up some wonderful appetizers.

We decided on the Bruschetta Pomodoro, grilled Italian bread brushed with olive oil and garlic, topped with mozzarella, tomato and basil. The appetizers range in price from $4.49 to $9.99. Fresh, warm bread was also delivered and Chris, the manager came over to welcome us.

There are four Delmonico’s restaurants, Chris explained, all owned by John Wade. They are located in Syracuse, Rochester, Albany and Utica. Syracuse – the first location - was opened in 1998.

One of their many specialties is the East Utica Greens, escarole sautéed in olive oil & garlic with prosciutto, bread crumbs, Romano and hot peppers. Chris insisted we try this specialty of the house – and we were glad he did!

When our appetizers arrived we couldn’t wait to try them. The wonderful aroma had our mouths watering!

As usual, I could have easily made a meal out of the appetizers alone. The portions were large enough to feed 4 or 5 people.

The greens were something I have never tried before. I was pleasantly surprised by the hint of prosciutto and spiciness of the dish. These greens are unique to this region because they are spicy, contrasting nicely with the more green and bland flavor of the escarole.

The bruschetta was gooey with melted mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, and lots of garlic! Again, the contrast of the gentle flavor of the cheese and the sharp tang of the garlic made this bruschetta both bold and unique. And we all remarked that it had a crispness that demanded that you take just one more bite. Yum….

Roz was very attentive and kept our drinks filled and took our order for dinner. She made some wonderful suggestions, and it’s clear that Delmonico’s prides itself on a well-trained wait staff. These folks know their menu, and are comfortable with offering suggestions.

I ordered the Shrimp Scampi, jumbo shrimp sautéed with garlic butter, herbs and grape tomatoes served over angel hair pasta with a side of steamed broccoli.

My friend ordered the Filet Portabella, nine ounces of choice filet tournedos with a cabernet sauce, portabella mushrooms and angel hair pasta. We could have easily gone for the Delmonico’s Delmonico Steak, a one-and-a-half pound choice center cut Rib-eye from Midwestern heavy aged beef. Seasoned and seared to perfection! This restaurant is definitely for steak lovers! Dinner prices range between $9.99 and $16.99.

We couldn’t help but notice how busy the bar area was for a Monday evening. Chris had also told us they offer 2 for 1 mixers at happy hour M-F from 4-7pm and 9 to close. After 9pm they offer $4 appetizers at the bar. A full menu of spirits, wines and beers are available.

Roz delivered our hot entrees with a smile and offered to refill our drinks. Not only did the food offer big flavor but also huge portions!

My shrimp was perfectly cooked with the perfect amount of seasonings. The little burst of the grape tomatoes added a great unexpected flavor to the shrimp dish. My friend’s steak was perfectly cooked and the bold cabernet sauce was an amazing compliment to the meat.
We both had to get doggie bags for our leftovers. They were so delicious they were coming home with us!

Desserts include many Italian specialties, but if I’d been able to eat one more bite, it would have been the Tartufo dessert, a maraschino cherry surrounded with vanilla and chocolate ice cream in a hard chocolate shell topped with homemade chocolate sauce, raspberry sauce and homemade whipped cream.

Surveying the remains of our dinners – which, truth to tell, weren’t that great given all we’d eaten, it seemed particularly appropriate that the motto “Ho mangiato come un porco!” is stenciled in big, bold letters above the dining room: “I have eaten like a pig!”

Porco or no – we’ll definitely be back for more!

 

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