Going mad for East Coast tacos at Mad Tacos in Nelson (Dining out review)
Updated Jan 07, 2021;
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Nelson, N.Y. Fresh Mexican chorizo is a tough find at local restaurants and grocers but appears across the menu at Mad Tacos in Nelson. The crumbled sausage adds layers of flavor throughout the menu with flavors that were equal parts smokey, spicy and fatty.
It serves as the star of the chorizo burrito ($12), marrying together with roasted corn and quinoa, grated cotija cheese, Monterey jack cheese, pickled onions and chipotle aioli. The chorizo brought a spicy punch that was balanced by tangy acidity from the pickled onions. The aioli amplified the sausage’s smoke. The large, well-stuffed burrito was somewhat uneven in its flavors, with pockets of it missing some flavors, but this item shined when you got a little bit of everything when biting in.
CNY’s best dishes of 2020: Our critics pick their favorites
Updated Jan 02, 2021;
We’re not going to lie; we ate pretty well in 2020. Even though restaurants were closed for much of the year because of Covid-19, our food writers―Jared Paventi, Jane Woodman and Charlie Miller got to sample some great dishes.
Some were full plates that would provide at least a meal the next day, while others were appetizers that stole the show.
Here are some of our favorite dishes of 2020:
Address: 28 State St., Auburn
Phone: (315) 604-1277
From Jared Paventi: Available as a starter or side dish at the Auburn brewpub, the Brussels sprouts could change the perspective of even the most fervent hater. Roasted whole until well caramelized, the sprouts are tossed with crispy roasted pork belly, ale mustard, goat cheese and honey. Each forkful hits every flavor category you might hope: sweet, smokey, salty, funky, acidic, tangy and earthy. Rarely would you consider Brussels sprouts a joy to eat
Brussels sprouts, brats and beers from Auburn’s Prison City Pub & Brewery (Dining out review)
Updated Dec 17, 2020;
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Auburn, N.Y. Let’s talk about the Brussels sprouts from Prison City Pub & Brewery in Auburn. We’ll get to the beer later, but we ought to hone in on the underrated star of the menu.
Brussels sprouts emerged as dining’s hot side dish about 10 years ago, graduating from the vegetable everyone hated as a kid to a trendy side dish. At Prison City, Brussels sprouts appear as a starter ($12) or add-on to most entrees (an additional $5). The sprouts are roasted whole until reaching a deep caramelized color, before being tossed with cubes of roasted pork belly, housemade beer mustard, goat cheese and the slightest hint of honey. The acidity of the mustard, deep fatty goodness of the pork and funky goat cheese blend together nicely, but still allows the earthy flavors of the vegetable to stand out.