A-Tooch Travels: Empire Brewing Co. in Syracuse, NY

It’s nice to have foodie friends to guide you on your foodie way when you’re traveling. A-Tooch took the brilliant advice of a local on a recent trip up to Syracuse, N.Y., and went with the group to Empire Brewing Co.

This is all slightly hilarious for two reasons — 1) I spent three years at school in Syracuse (with Miss Yunks!) and had never heard of this place; and 2) Empire is now brewing all over NYC and some of their brews are actually becoming pretty popular down here.

I liked this place because it was casual but trendy (er, for the area) and affordable. Also, while I tasted many of the delicious beers I was pretty beer-ed out from the night before and uber-happy to see a drink list as well. Very rare to see this in true breweries, I think.

I started with the cheddar & ale soup topped with crushed pretzel bits and scallions. Ale soup … when in Rome, right? The ale flavor wasn’t overbearing and the soup was creamy without being too heavy. Delish.

For an entree, I was really craving a burger but when I saw the grilled meatloaf blt I decided to be adventurous — local ground beef, sausage and bacon with cheddar cheese and chipotle mayo. Turned out to be a most excellent choice, as was the interesting java slaw with it’s soy saucey-Asian flavoring.

Some other menu items consumed by our group included the jambalaya, elk burger and of course, a chocolate lava cake for dessert.

I was surprised by the variety of cuisines on the menu at Empire, and even more surprised that each of the cuisines seemed to be executed perfectly. Next time, I’ll try my luck at one of the Mexican-inspired plates.