DINING OUT: The Cider Mill
Syracuse eatery finds success in featuring seasonal dishes
By Julie McMahon
To enjoy a meal at The Cider Mill on Fay Road in Syracuse is to experience the chef’s interpretation of bountiful, seasonal ingredients.
The menu really highlights seasonal dishes and ingredients and succeeds at incorporating them into every aspect of a meal.
We opted to go with a pumpkin cream ale ($6) and an orchard sangria ($12) for our beverages. Both tasted exactly how you’d want or expect, abundant with fall spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.
Next quickly came the fresh bread with spicy tomato oil to warm up our appetites. The oil had a good spicy kick to it. The sauce was something a bit thicker than Pastabilities’ with a similar flavor profile. The bread was delicious — soft and luscious — and made for a very good start to a very good meal.
We started with the Cider Mill salad ($11) and sprouts ($16). The salad was a blend of greens, pickled apples, candied walnuts and dried cranberries. It came perfectly dressed with cider-dijon vinaigrette. The salad had just the right amount of everything, including the walnuts, apples and cranberries that came mixed in.
The sprouts — wow! We both exclaimed at how good they were after our first bite. These fried Brussels came tossed in a maple chipotle sauce and were served with a side of house-made blue cheese.
They were so delicious, the glaze a zingy and sweet delight, that they surely did not need to be dipped in a house-made dressing — but also, why not? The dressing was delectable. And these sprouts were more like wings. The blue cheese was a helpful cooling addition. With the charred, smoky flavor, and with as hearty and satisfying these sprouts were, they reminded us of chicken wings a lot – and were a successful imitation. These were so good I found myself wanting to go back just for them.
Our server was friendly and checked on us but didn’t bother us unnecessarily. The appetizers came out very quickly, but by dinner the dining room had filled and dimmed, and the food took a bit longer. Our server kept our drinks full.
The environment is a busy joint, but still quiet and relaxing. Very light music was playing. The dim and natural lighting as well as several large plants gave the whole room a natural feel. The wooden walls give a little bit of a feeling like you’re in an actual cider mill. A small bar at the entrance has four or five seats.
For our main entrees, we ordered pasta and pork loin, with Cider Mill’s seasonal twist on each: sweet potato gnocchi ($27) and the roasted pork loin ravioli that was on special ($30).
The sweet potato gnocchi was as soft and fresh as you’d hope, with a strong sweet flavor that balanced the creamy walnut and sage pesto. The dish was served with root vegetables and Swiss chard. The freshly cut and roasted root vegetables, which had a nice crunch to them, provided a good contrast to the sweet potato in the gnocchi itself. The Swiss chard was mostly a garnish, but all mixed together into a buttery sauce, the dish came together nicely.
The pork loin on special was advertised as three slices but when the dish came out it appeared as though three flanks of steak had been cut for us. They topped a sweet pumpkin ravioli and roasted root vegetables.
We were impressed by the generous portion. The meat was gently sprinkled with herbs, making it fully flavorful. The herbs and sauce cut the richness of the meat. When served altogether, the meat was just perfect, juicy and tender with right amount of moisture. The meat also had just the right amount of fat to add flavor without making it difficult to eat.
Again, with our meals, we remarked on the very hearty portions. Though prices aren’t cheap here, you certainly get your money’s worth. It’s an interesting menu with lots of options, something for everyone whether you’re vegetarian or gluten-free. By the end of the meal, we got the sense you could try anything here, and it would be tasty and well thought-out.
We didn’t need the appetizers or dessert, but oh, did we want them because they were all so good.
The desserts sounded too tempting to pass up. We went for a chocolate pot de crème — rich chocolate, soft whipped cream and sweet cherries. How could you go wrong? They didn’t here — this dessert was a homerun.
We also tried the special, called Lovin’ Bloom pie, which featured a graham cracker crust, strawberry cheesecake filling and cherry compote. This was a delicious blend. Every sweet decadent bite was the cherry on top of an excellent meal.
We were impressed by The Cider Mill. Our total bill came to $134 with appetizers, entrees, drinks, desserts and tax. The restaurant served us a huge autumnal meal, big on the seasonal aspects, and succeeded in every regard.
The Cider Mill
315-487-0647
Tuesday through Saturday: 5:30 – 8:30 p.m.
4221 Fay Road, Syracuse