I forgot to bring my camera with me today, so here is a photo of the basil that’s currently in a jar of water in the kitchen.

Amidst a flurry of activity today (opening up accounts with SCFCU, thrifting around for bookshelves and fireplace tools, seeing Little Miss Sunshine, etc. etc. etc.), we went downtown for Syracuse’s Festa Italiana. The main draw of the event, of course, is the food and a number of restaurants and shops from Syracuse and Utica were represented.

There were many places we recognized serving up food. We decided to go with a place we were familiar with and one that was new to us. From Biscotti’s, a pastry/gelato/coffee shop on N. Salina (conveniently located just a few blocks from us!) we had gelato and it was as tasty as their pastries have been. We sampled the lemon, the caramel, and the gianduja (chocolate/hazelnut) and all were strongly flavored, creamy, and refreshing. They had a wide range of pastries available too, similar to the selection found in their shop. We stopped in there the other day and it’s a cozy place that seems like a nice spot to catch up with friends.

For “dinner” we decided to try out the offerings of a place we have not eaten at, Gentile’s Restaurant. We came away with their version of Italian greens and the eggplant parmesan. Both were excellent! The greens were some of the best I’ve tasted and the eggplant parm was fresh-tasting and flavorful. I’m definitely looking forward to eating at the restaurant sometime soon to explore their non-festival offerings!

We enjoyed our food while people-watching and taking in the bocce tournament. The weather was a bit overcast, but it was still quite pleasant outside and kind of nice to not have the sun beating down on us.

The festival started on Friday and lasts through tomorrow, so there is still time for you to get down there and enjoy the event. This and Syracuse’s other downtown festivals are definitely worthwhile activities. You can go to the festival and then walk around downtown a bit, enjoying some beautiful architecture and exploring some of the other things to do: for example, the restaurants, shops, and clubs of Armory Square, just to name the obvious. Syracuse is much-maligned as a place with nothing to do. This is just not true and those of us who love the city need to show to outsiders AND those who live here that a little effort and exploration can yield great rewards.