The Bumpy Pumpkin

It's fall and the kitty statue on my back porch has a new friend.

I found this at a farmer's market held at a church on Genessee Street.  I'm not sure what their schedule is but I see them there sometimes and have always meant to stop.  So last week I did.

I got a lot of apples and way too many tomatoes.  I will have to make them into sauce and freeze it.

It's definitely the start of fall.  Here you can tell it by more than just the stores having black and orange Christmas trees for sale.  There is a nip in the air, trees are just starting to turn and it just feels different.   I'm not a big summer person and I suffer in hot weather so it's a relief to me.  I want Fall to last as long as possible.

New Breed Meadows Subdivision

This is in Camillus! 1.9 acre approved building lots with forever woods in back! Country quiet and city convenient, with easy access to route 5 and 690. Minutes to shopping and dining. Please call me today with any questions! 315-908-2287. Or just drive by and take a look.

Fall Flowers

 Soon we will probably be getting some frost.  There's still a lot of flowers left in my yard.

Around this time of year a lot of people plant frost hardy mums and decorative cabbages because when the frost hits the summer plants will turn brown and die.

I have a big flower bed in my yard that is overgrown and crowded, but still has lots of nice perennial flowers in it.  I hate to dig it up because I don't know what is what.  It would probably be much better off if I just got rid of everything and started over.

Pods

These are in my garden.  Not sure what they are but I like them.  They have drama.

I really did almost nothing with my garden this year.  Next year I resolve to be a better gardener.  There's still plants left from when the last people had it, but they are growing into a jungle.

Taste of India Syracuse Buffet

I went to the buffet for lunch on Friday.  It's a small buffet, about six dishes plus rice, naan, condiments and salad.  There was also a desert Gulab Jamin - like donut holes soaked in honey syrup.  I didn't have the desert because I was trying not to overeat.

On the plate is Kadi Pakorda Gujarati (vegetable dumplings in a creamy mild sauce), Tandoori Chicken (cooked in a clay oven), Raita (yogurt sauce) Saag Paneer (Cheese the texture of tofu in spinach) Chicken Vindaloo (very hot) Vegetable Pakoras (vegetable fritters).
Buffet costs $8.95 per person.

I liked being able to get Raita and Tamarind sauce with the meal.  Raita is yogurt and it is good to eat alongside spicy foods.  Tamarind sauce is a slightly sweet sauce I like to put on the Pakoras.

Most of the food here was pretty mild, with the exception of the Vindaloo which was hot, and the Saag Paneer which I would say was a medium spice.

The buffet is a good value and gives you a chance to try small amounts of dishes to see what you like.

I prefer the buffet at Sahota Palace in Liverpool because there are more than twice as many selections, so I'd probably be more inclined to eat there.  They have a buffet for both lunch and dinner.

I would come back here to try it again, especially if I was in the Westcott Street area around lunchtime.

What I really need to do is spend less time obsessing about Indian food and more time at the gym.

Review of Taste of India Syracuse dinner

New listing - just remodeled in Baldwinsville

Open house Sunday Sept 25 from 11:00 - 1:00



So much new in 33 Edgewood Drive, Baldwinsville!  Brand new appliances, bathroom fixtures, carpet, lights, kitchen cabinets.  New paint from top to bottom, including garage and basement floors.  In desirable Candlewyck Neighborhood.  Baldwinsville Schools.

Taste of India Restaurant Review

This was taken before it opened!
I forgot to take a new one last night.

Last night we went to Taste of India, the new Indian restaurant on Dell at Westcott that opened a few weeks ago.  The building is a converted mechanic's garage and it sits back from the street with parking in front.

We were hoping to have buffet because we didn't have that much time.  Buffet is only for lunch though.  We decided to stay and have dinner.

We were quickly seated in a comfortable booth.  I ordered a Mango Lasi, a drink made from yogurt, milk and sweetened mango pulp for $2.95.  I always get this in Indian restaurants.  They are a good companion to spicy food -- if something is too spicy they also take away a little of the burn.

We ordered the taste of India Special Appetizers for two at $6.95, Plain Paratha bread for $2.95, Lamb Biryani at $11.95 and Chicken Shahi Korma at $9.95.

Our order was taken fairly quickly.  The food did not arrive quickly, though certainly within an acceptable amount of time.  A pleasant young woman apologized for the delay and informed us that our food would be there in a few minutes.  I appreciate when places do this as I don't mind waiting but want to know that they are working on it and that the food isn't sitting there getting cold.

Note TV on left side!

Taste of India has a large screen TV on the wall playing Indian Music Videos.  This seems to be the new thing for Indian restaurants, several that I have been to in the last year have added this.  I like Indian music and it adds to the atmosphere.  I don't like watching TV or videos while I eat usually but since I can't understand what they are saying and there are no commercials I like having it on.

The appetizers were my least favorite part of the meal.  They were very fried.  However, my dining companion enjoyed them and was happy to eat most of my share.

The main courses were served in little brass pots, with a dish of rice.  My dining companion at first said he didn't like the biryani, then changed his mind and said he liked it a lot.  I thought it was a good basic biryani.

He ordered it medium spicy and we thought it was mild, so if you want spicy food here you might tell them that you really do want it spicy.  They tend to adjust for upstate NY palates at many restaurants here, and though many people will have no problem with super-hot Buffalo wings they seem to be scared to eat spicy Indian or Thai food.

My dining companion said the korma looked like chicken pot pie filling and it did somewhat.  I liked the korma, it was mild and creamy with cashews and was perfect over the rice.

Biryani and Chicken Korma

The Plain Paratha bread was thinner than naan bread, more along the lines of a tortilla.  It was slightly crispy and very buttery.  I'm not much of a bread person and the thinner it is the more I usually like it.  I would order this again.

We were unable to order most of what I would have wanted because my companion hates tomatoes, cheese and yogurt, and a lot of things I would have liked have these ingredients.  I will have to come back for lunch and try some more things.

Note: We went back on Friday and had the Buffet Lunch.  Click to read review of Taste of India Syracuse Buffet

This restaurant is a welcome addition to the Westcott area and I'm glad they opened.

Click for Taste of India Syracuse Menu


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The Assessment Does not Equal an Appraisal

An assessment and an appraisal are both valuations of properties, but they are not the same.

An assessment is the value that a home is taxed on.  It's set by the assessor's office.

An appraisal is an opinion of what the property should sell for, given by an appraiser.  That is someone paid to analyze property values based on features of the property and comparable sales in the area.

Many times in Syracuse Real Estate ads you will see "Priced Under Assessment".  That doesn't mean it's a bargain, it just means that it is over assessed.

Similarly, sometimes people are alarmed that they may be paying more for a house than it is assessed at.  That doesn't mean the house is not worth the asking price.  It means it probably hasn't been assessed for a while.  What you have to watch out for here is that the assessor may re-assess your house and your taxes will go up.

Went to the Irish Festival tonight

I drank beer for the first time in years.  Usually I drink cider or vodka.  I saw the band The Elders.  I had a good time.  Irish festival is a great place to people watch.

The Elders.  One of them is so elderly that he is in fact, a ghost.

I forgot the name of this band but I really enjoyed their music.  Someone tell me in the comments, please!

Second North Deli

London Broil Sandwich 

I've always wanted to try the Second North Deli at the corner of Second North and Wolf Streets.  Today my car was overheating and I had it towed off to Dr. Fish the Mechanic.  I was in Mattydale and decided to walk as far as I could down Route 11, which is Wolf Street in Syracuse.  I made it for 1.7 miles, just as far as the deli.

It's a place where you order at the counter and they bring it to your table.  I got the house specialty, a London broil sandwich for $6.95.  It comes with sauteed onions, bell peppers and mushrooms on top, though you can easily leave any of those off.  There is a small container of au jus gravy.  This is what I would call a French Dip sandwich.  It was a guilty pleasure.  I loved it.  Meat was tender, the peppers, onions and mushrooms were cooked just enough that they were nice and mellow.  Bread soaked up the juice nicely.  I would go here again.

They also have a full bar!

A lot of people get takeout here, while I had lunch they were doing a steady business.

They have a web page Second North Deli which is pretty good.  It's actually a blogger blog, and they just have photos, their menu (in HTML), their hours, their location and phone number.  That is important because if you are on your phone you can still read the menu and call them!

They have a link to their youtube ad and their facebook page.  The photo slide show on the first page takes a little too long to load but other than that it's perfect.

The other thing that is perfect is this local commercial for them, which shows people who probably really eat there and gives you a very good idea of what it is like.

Second North Deli Is Open:

Mon-Sat: 11:00-7:00

Sun: Closed

*Extended Bar Hours on Friday

You can call or fax ahead your orders:

Phone: 315-472-7429

Fax:      315-473-9923

Free Delivery Mon-Fri,  11-2 for all orders over $30

Second North Deli | 625 Wolf Street, Syracuse, NY 13208