Table Hopping September 2020

SEPTEMBER 2020

FREE

S R PRESENT O R R O H L USTRIA CAYO IND

DINING OUT

EWARD.COM

P ATROPHYESCA

PHOENIX SPORTS RESTAURANT 13

BUSINESS OF INTEREST

SMITH & BELL TRADING CO. 17

ENTER TO WIN

ESCAPE ROOM TICKETS 15 AN OFFICE PARTY 26 NIGHT ON THE TOWN 28

2020 WINNERS INSIDE!

COVER STORY 14

EUCLID FAMILY RESTAURANT

BEST OF CNY 35

ENJOY OUR INDOOR DINING & BAR NOW OPEN Open Tues-Sat 12-8pm Online Ordering Coming Soon!

NOW SERVING PONY’S OF MILLER HIGH LIFE 5 FOR $8

PAGE 2 • September 2020

•

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION, CALL (315) 474-1011

TABLE HOPPING

Sounds Of Syracuse

Busy with the Good Stuff

by Chuck Schiele

•

Hood Cleaning Starting at $299!

ORDER ONLINE NOW! 315-343-2671 OR 315-343-1247

Bikers e! m Welco

Sly Livingston is one of the baddest bass players in Central New York. No one’s going to argue that. He is also one of the most positive forces on the scene with a plan and no one’s going to argue with that, either. And Sly does it all in a way that makes me proud to be a fellow Syracusan.

You know him as the bassist for the Blacklites and his other associations. I’ve never seen him not smiling and enthusiastically engaging with people... smiling. I don’t really know him, but he’s made an impression on me by always being cool and offering a supreme generous spirit. Everything else you need to know about him is all right here.

Chuck Schiele: Hey Sly, thanks for doing this interview.

Sylvester Livingston: Hi Chuck thanks for the opportunity to share a little bit about me and my musical background.

CS: How does your music story begin?

SL: I was born and raised in Trenton, NJ in 1964. I started playing flute in the 1st grade. That’s all I can recall of that. Flute was my first instrument and ended rather quickly, lol. Then, I started playing Congas at the age of 7 with my brother Walter, who’s 1 year older, and who was playing bongos. We were taught by an African percussionist name Clennon Ware. I received an electric 6 string guitar for Christmas when I was 8 years old. And I never took lessons. I played by ear just as I do to this day. By the time I was 12 years old I was playing in clubs in Trenton with a young funk band called “Central Funk.” This continued with me into my high school years. I also was playing with my older brother Walter who played drums first and then bass. We both progressed very quickly with funk and slap style techniques because of our percussion background and our great ear for music.

CS: What does life as a musician mean to you?

SL: Life as a musician means many things to me. As a musician, in a sense, I am a healer. I’ve watched my music literally transform people’s mood from gloom to happiness.

CS: Yes! SL: As a musician I am also a teacher.

It is imperative that I give back to the youth and musicians of all ages. This is part of what has brought me such success in my musical career. Music “IS” my life. I use my music to elevate people’s frequencies from a lower to a higher state.

CS: I’ve seen you do it.

SL: The highest frequencies are generated from love and happiness.

“As a musician, in a sense, I am a healer. I’ve watched my music literally transform people’s mood from gloom to happiness.”

Sceni c Drive!

PAGE 3 • September 2020

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION, CALL (315) 474-1011

Order your Take-out or Delivery Online today!

TAKEOUT OR DELIVERY • 622-5100 • CATERING AVAILABLE • NEW HOURS

Mon-Thurs 4-9 pm Fri & Sat 11am-10pm Sun 11am-9pm

Sly Livingston with The Starlight Band SL: Thank you. I started playing bass while in Newark with a salsa band called Cajunta Yarey. I also played with a hip-hop group in Newark called Rare Form. Since coming to Syracuse, I’ve played with The Salvation Army Citadel Gospel Choir for at least 4 years. The first band that I played with was a band we created from Quigleys Open Mic in Hanover Square. The band was called DiverCity (sounds like Diversity), I eventually moved on from continued on pg 4

TABLE HOPPING

DiverCity after a few years and started working on my debut album in 2011 while working on a project with Rodney Skipworth (of Skipworth and Turner). I released SlikSly The Awakening! in 2012 (recorded in the Basement of SubCat Studios at Black Lagoon Productions with Emmett Van Slyke as producer and drummer on the album). I was approached by the members of Sheela Tucker’s About Time Band, not too long after.

I performed with them after the release of my album for about 6-8 months. When the band broke up, we formed a funk and R&B cover band called The Starlight Band.

After Starlight disbanded I was approached by the legendary Blacklites in 2016. I am still the bassist for the Blacklites. I also freelance with many other local musicians such as Mike Houston’s 5th Edition Band, Kevin Stephens and Free Spirit Gospel Group, Shawn Seals SMX Band, UAD Band and I played bass for international recording artist and Prince’s saxophonist Marcus Anderson, when he came to Syracuse.

CS: How is covid culture affecting your music?

SL: Covid-19 pandemic has had a huge effect on me as a musician. All of the gigs with my main band were canceled this year. I play the NYS Fair every year—at least 3-4 times... canceled. Smaller venues where I’m booked in Geneva.... canceled. In light of this, I have

Central New York bassist, Sylvester Livingston CS: Awesome. Thanks for putting the good stuff out there.

SL: As a teenager I played with Central Funk Band in my hometown until I was 17 or 18 years old. Oh, by the way... we won a national teen talent contest. A battle of the bands of sorts where we had to knock out 3 rounds of competition. And at that time I was about 14 and the oldest member was 17.

I lost my mother, who was my biggest supporter, at age 17. I was devastated and it took some time to start playing again. After Central Funk disbanded, I started playing guitar for a front row Motown style singing group called “A Touch of Class”. That lasted about 1 year.

And then, I landed a gig with Charles ”The Mighty Burner” Earland, a jazz organist out of Philadelphia around 1983. He was already an international recording and performing artist. I was honored to have the opportunity to play guitar for him. We headlined Apollo Theater in NYC—one of the highlights of my career.

CS: Well, yeah....! I sure wish I had that one on my list....

SL: Earland died in Kansas City, MO of heart failure at the age of 58 in 1999.

Fast forward to Syracuse. I came to Syracuse from Newark/East Orange in 2001 seeking recovery from active drug addiction. Thanks to The Salvation Army ARC on Erie Blvd, I recently celebrated 19 years clean on June 26, 2020.

CS: Good work! Congratulations!

•

Call & Make Your Reservation Today • 622-9690

Check out our new website!

WWW.MYAVICOLLIS.COM 7839 OSWEGO RD., LIVERPOOL

PAGE 4 • September 2020 • TABLE HOPPING Sylvester Livingston continued from pg 3

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION, CALL (315) 474-1011

been creating opportunities for myself with my solo performance by volunteering my time at venues like The Farmers Market at The Finger Lakes Welcome Center, by Seneca Lake, every Saturday 12:30pm to 1:30pm. I also perform at Lake Drum Brewery Curbside where I receive tips and can sell my album. I have been playing every week since covid hit (social distancing and following suggested guidelines of course) and literally creating opportunities for myself because I love performing and I love watching and experiencing people who enjoy my music.

CS: Tell us about your campaigns helping children and fundraising efforts.

SL: This started last year the winter of 2019. November 2019 to be exact. I was performing at an Open Mic called Kashong Creek Cider here in Geneva. I was new on the scene but at my level of playing, it didn’t take long before my name started ringing bells in Geneva. I used the opportunity to start selling my CD’s and the idea just came to me to give back—or pay forward—some of my successes. I began taking $1 from every autographed CD sold and put it into my fundraiser and recorded it on my spreadsheet.

Even when I gave a CD away, I still donated a dollar to the campaign on behalf of

Open

For inside seating at the bar and dining room

W elc om e ba c k s tud e n ts!

NOW SERVING SUNDAY BRUNCH! See our Social Media for Times

Hours: Wed & Thurs 4:30-9pm, Fri & Sat 4:30-10pm, Sun 9:30am-2:30pm

whoever I gave the CD to. Last year, I raised about $68 from after Thanksgiving until the week before Christmas. That means I sold and gave away close to 70 CD’s. So this year, I decided to start early for the SlikSly 2020 Toys for Toddlers Christmas Campaign. The reason I changed the name from SlikSly Toys for Tots was not to be confused with the Marines Toys for Tots. Also because my CD is associated with it and I didn’t want there to be a conflict of interest. This year I started May 2nd and have already raised over $312 from the sale of CD’s and donations on Facebook live performances.

[You can check it out here: https://www.facebook.com/ sylvester.livingston/videos/3870667296284134/?lst=10000022 7041685%3A100000227041685%3A1597991450 ] I promote it by doing Facebook live concerts where people donate to my cash app. I love children and last year was a success because I know we made at least 10 children happy by receiving a gift.

My goal this year is to not only stream the Walmart purchase, but I plan on reaching out to Golisanos Children’s Hospital in Syracuse to see how we can safely make a difference in the lives of less fortunate children there as well. I want to impact as many childrens’ lives as I can this year. You can always see the updated spreadsheet on my Facebook page.

I’m transparent and I practice integrity. It doesn’t cost anything to try and put a smile on people’s faces. You never know when you may be in a situation in need of help.

CS: What are your thoughts on the CNY music community?

SL: The CNY music community is made up of many styles and genres. I love the CNY music community because I love the diversity in styles, players on all levels, and many genres—some of which overlap. As an original music enthusiast, I enjoy the spontaneity I observe when performing at venues with known and unknown players.

Especially at open mic’s where styles meet improvisation, slick technique, tricks and the whole 9 yards. And then, you have your events such as Jazz in the City, where a concert is performed in every part of the City. So I’d say the CNY music scene is pretty amazing!

CS: Who are the bass players—and/or other musicians —who most affected you?

SL: My brother Walter Livingston Jr. has had the most influence on me as we grew up playing together, my left-handed cousin Bryan Randolph and Don Adams from Trenton, Carl D-Dogg Wilson drummer from Trenton, Reggie Dash of Trenton (The best show drummer I’ve ever

PAGE 5 • September 2020

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION, CALL (315) 474-1011

seen up close. He lived with us for a year, RIP), Larry English and Jasper Bradley—both phenomenal guitarists from Trenton, Deyquan Bowens of Syracuse (The person who’s influenced me the most in Syracuse). Then there’s Bootsy Collins, Louis and George Johnson (Brothers Johnson), Verdine White (EWF), Mr. Mark (from Slave), Larry Graham, Nathaniel Phillips Bassist for “Pleasure”, KC and the Sunshine Band, Luther Vandross, Joe, Darnell Jones, Michael Jackson, Prince, Stevie Wonder, Stanley Clark, Kool and the Gang, George Benson, Earl Klugh, Norman Brown, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Cameo, Wild Cherry.

Marcus Miller and Victor Wooten are my favorite bassists to learn from because our styles sorta vibrate on similar frequencies. I think so, anyway......lol.

CS: Please share career highlights?

SL: I got to play on the Walter Steward TV Show with The Fabulous Ronnie Corbin Singers out of Willingboro NJ, when I was 14 years old. I won Teen Talent Expo with Central Funk Band at age 13. I performed at The Dell Music Center (formerly known as The Robin Hood Dell East) in front of 10k plus people in Philadelphia with A Touch of Class. I performed at The Apollo Theater with Legendary Jazz Organist Charles “ The Mighty Burner” Earland. I performed with Marcus Anderson, twice. Opened up for the Zapp Band with The Blacklites on The Experience Stage at The NYS Fair. Although I’ve been fortunate to play some big venues, I consider all my performances to be highlights because I’ll never be in that space and time again. And at my age I have to cherish every memory!

CS: Anything funny ever happen on stage?

SL: Once when I was performing at the Pan African Village Stage at The NYS Fair, a woman hopped on stage, bowed down in front of me and then motioned with her hand to another woman behind her as if she was presenting me with an offering. My wife was in the front row observing the whole thing. Lol. CS: Advice to the good people learning bass/music?

SL: Master the basics! Remain open-minded. Learn from everyone. Create original material. Record your sessions and listen to see where you can improve. Don’t settle for “good enough.” Learn the material exactly as it is and don’t move on until you have mastered whatever riff or techniques you are working on. The hard work will pay off and show up in the end. Don’t be afraid to “go there” wherever “there” is musically. Most Importantly, have fun.

WITH CENTRAL NEW YORK

www.table-hopping.com

1129 North State St., Syracuse NY 13208 Ph: 315.474.1011 Fax: 315.474.7072

PUBLISHER: Shawn Fresina

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES: Jim Bastian GRAPHIC ARTISTS: Lauren Brown, Jamie Wallace SOCIAL MEDIA: Josh Davis Interior Images: Freepik.com, Pixabay.com, Freeimages.com & Pexels.com.

The Table Hopping Newspaper is published the first week of every month by Table Hopping Inc. Business hours are Monday through Friday 9am-5pm. 40,000 copies are delivered to over 1,100 locations throughout Central New York. Display advertising rates may be obtained by calling 315.474.1011

Inside... on the

10

by Jennifer Nastasi Guzelak Excercise May Protect Against COVID-19

CS: Tell us about music and plans for your near future.

SL: I currently have enough material for another album, but I’m being patient due to Covid-19. I want to do a few artists collaborations on my next album with vocalists and a few other musicians. I’m also working on other business opportunities and entrepreneurial moves to be my own boss so-to-speak. So I’m being patient. I’m mainly staying busy by doing FB live concerts, volunteering. People have hired me from seeing me volunteer. Currently, I am booked into September. Considering this pandemic, I’d say that’s pretty good.

CS: How do we all stay in touch with you and your music?

SL: You can find me on Facebook “Sylvester Livingston” and https://www.facebook. com/SlikSlyMusic, My Website www.slikslymusic.com, YouTube: www.youtube.com/ slikslysyracuse and Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sliksly_livingston My album is “SlikSly The Awakening!” available on CD Baby, Itunes, Amazon.com, Spotify and many other streaming platforms.

CS: Thanks, so much Sly for chatting with me. It’s been a pleasure to hear your story.

SL: Thank you, Chuck. I appreciate the opportunity.

Chuck Schiele 858 663 9612 “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” ~Albert Einstein

TABLE HOPPING

est. 1979

Excercise and fitness

Patrons of SlikSly The Awakening!

•

13

dining out

by Kerilyn Micale Phoenix Sports Restaurant

14

cover story

by Nancy Roberts Atrophy Escape Ward

September 2020 VOLUME 42 No. 9

Sounds of Syracuse by Chuck Schiele. . . . . . the write stuff by Nancy Roberts. . . . . . . . . .

BREW TIME by Kristin Merritt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . home improvement by Lee Dobbins . . . . . . . preventative medicine by Dr. Barry. . . . . . . . word on the street by Bill McClellan . . . . . now playing by Brian Miller. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . my mind to yours by Debra Merryweather . . . sports take by Mike Lindsley. . . . . . . . . . . . . streaming now by Brian Miller. . . . . . . . . . . .

COMPUTERS AND THE WEB by Nancy Roberts. .

Tales from the Vine by Nicholas Tan . . . . . . . . golf by Brian Yager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Also...

SYLVAN BEACH. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

NIGHTLIFE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

MUSIC & EVENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

CLASSIFIEDS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Recipe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2 6 7 12 16 20 24 25 28 31 32 33 34

16 27 29 30 33

17

business of interest

by Nancy Roberts Smith & Bell Trading Co.

Table Hopping, Inc. will not knowingly accept or publish advertising which is fraudulent or misleading in nature.

The publisher reserves the right to reject or cancel any advertising. The opinions, views and comments expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher. The contents of this publication are protected by copyright and may not be reproduced without express written permission from the publisher. © 2020 Table Hopping Inc.

AD DEADLINE for the October Issue is September 22nd.

CALL 474-1011 to reserve your advertising space!

PAGE 6 • September 2020

•

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION, CALL (315) 474-1011

TABLE HOPPING

The Write Stuff

by Nancy Roberts

Victorian Songlight

The Birthings of Magic & Mystery Want to go on a trip? This one will take you places you don’t expect to go, some of them imaginary (maybe) some of them real (but unusual) and others ordinary (but experienced in an unusual way).

Martone’s book is probably at least a bit autobiographical, as the author, and the main character share a similar name (the protagonist is Kate), both are Jungian therapists, lived in Colorado, and now live in Arkansas, have red hair and an interest in shamanic journeys.

The book unfolds almost like a lucid dream. In one moment the reader is grounded in the day to day details of preparing a meal, dressing to visit with friends, snuggling with lovable kitties in an elegant Victorian home or painting in a studio in a small town in Arkansas. The next you are in a conversation with a giant man in white robes with glowing golden eyes who rides on Pegasus and loves our heroine on seemingly all levels at once: a father, a grandfather, a lover, a friend and adviser.

Kate has come to live in a quaint 1800s small town in Arkansas following a failed relationship in Colorado.

She is looking to reinvent her life through her interest in dreams, her artwork, her friends and even a trek to Tibet that has her

“Martone’s book is probably at least a bit autobiographical, as the author, and the main character share similar name and are Jungian therapists.”

hiking through dangerous mountains, and experiencing a ceremonial rebirth accomplished via the circling of one sacred mountain.

Seemingly out of nowhere, Kate is experiencing doors shutting in her face: friends disconnecting, her art, once popular, no longer

Fine Dining

–TAKE OUT & INSIDE DINING AVAILABLE– Check out our updated menus, hours & information on our Facebook page daily.

RESERVATIONS REQUIRED DUE TO LIMITED SEATING

selling, her dream work group has ejected her. As we travel with her through her ups and downs, her attempts to make sense of her life, loves, losses and choices we also begin to understand that Kate’s family history is far from happy, and through both her experiences and the gentle prodding of her possibly imaginary-friend, “Grandfather,” we begin to understand what has brought Kate to her present state, and what she will need to do to find her way back out of the dream.

The book reads comfortably, like a conversation that, if sometimes painful, is told with the detailed confidences of a good friend sharing both the mundane and the most dramatic moments of her life as she sorts them out with us, and at the same time shares her methods of coping with, and investigating, a complex inner life.

Books End

est Voted B tore ok S Used Bo cuse in Syra

of

2290 W. GENESEE TPK (RT. 5) • CAMILLUS, NY 315.672.3166 • www.inn-between.com

• Cash paid for books •

2443 James Street • Eastwood (Across from Palace Theatre) • (315) 437-2312 Mon – Sat 10:00 – 6:00 • Sun 11:30 – 5:00 • www.thebooksend.com

PAGE 7 • September 2020

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION, CALL (315) 474-1011

Brew Time

by Kristin Merritt

Kölsch: The Light & Refreshing Beer of Choice Summer is coming to a close this month and while we all might be leaning into cooler weather and darker, spicier brews, I have one more lighter beer to assist and accompany the soaking up of some that last bit of warm weather that we know we’ll all be missing come January – Kölsch.

Kölsch is a hybrid beer meaning that it is warm-fermented with ale yeast in the vicinity of 60-68°F and then conditioned at lager temperatures of no more than 40°F, which produces a very light, straw-hued, delicately hopped beer with a very subtle malty sweetness, well-rounded body, and a mild to moderate bitterness. It is clean, crisp, extremely refreshing and should be consumed at about 41°F – if consumed too cold, (ie. directly out of the fridge), it loses some of its gently intricate flavors. The ABV is also usually less than 5%.

Kölsch originates in Cologne (Köln), Germany, and has a history of being produced as far back as the early 1600s, but noted in writing as early as 1408. Throughout the next couple of hundred years, beer brewing in the region evolved and different styles of beer gave rise – golden pilsners, pale lagers, and altbiers, to name a few, and

•

TABLE HOPPING

brewers in the region began to experiment.

Initially, Kölsch wasn’t an actual style of beer, it was only a term used for a beer that was brewed in Cologne. However, by the early 1900s, Kölsch as we know it today, was born out of said experimentation and became known on its own, as its own distinct style.

And boy, oh boy, is the style strictly defined in the city of Cologne…

The Cologne Brewery Association (Kolner Brauerei-Verband) has its own set of rules set forth for a beer to be called Kölsch. This document, founded in 1986, is known as the Kölsch Konvention Traditional brewhouse in Cologne, Germany and states that the beer must be brewed within 30 miles (50 kilometres) of the city, the brew must be filtered and never be cloudy, and must be brewed according to the Reinheitsgebot, among other requirements. The Reinheitsgebot (“purity order”) is a German set of regulations created in 1516 that limit beer ingredients and state that “the only ingredients used for the brewing of beer must be Barley, Hops and Water.” Whereas the original document does not mention yeast by name, it was common knowledge that yeast was a given in continued on pg 8

Thank You! To all of our

LOYAL CUSTOMERS!

! g n i n i D r o o d Open for In

Celebrating Our 33rd Year!

Try us for your next

Catering Event Rehearsal Dinners Graduations Business Meetings Events Showers

Please Call for Takeout Open Tues–Sat • 4pm - 9pm Sun • 4pm - 8pm

See Our Featured Daily Specials Online!

Parties Up to 150 People!

673 Old Liverpool Road • Syracuse, NY • Phone 315-457-4447 www.santangelosrestaurants.com • Full Menu Available for Take Out!

PAGE 8 • September 2020

•

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION, CALL (315) 474-1011

TABLE HOPPING

Beer continued from pg 7 order to brew beer. It also sets forth punishment should a brewer defy the order and includes the power of the courts to confiscate barrels of beer.

Today, Cologne boasts 13 brewhouses that meet the Konvention standards, but still maintain their own unique take on Kölsch. Unlike breweries in the United States, where you can select from a variety of different styles of beer to sample, the only beer that is served in a Cologne brewhouse (or brauhaus) is Kölsch. The brewhouses are varied in their menus and

Call ahead for Take-Out Rt. 11 LaFayette • 315.677.3986

Homemade Luncheon Specials Daily Fridays - Full Dinner Menu ◆ Haddock ◆ Prime Rib ◆ ◆ Steak ◆ Seafood ◆ An assortment of nightly dinner specials!

Happy Hour Daily 4-6pm

decor, but each traditional establishment has a collective feel to it, right down to the waiters themselves. The waiters (all men) are known as Kobes and each wears a blue shirt or jacket, leather apron, and carries a circular tray, known as a Kölschkranz (literally translated as Kölsch wreath) that is able to hold approximately twelve 6.75 oz. stange glasses in individual round slots.

Stange glasses are the traditional glasses to serve Kölsch in; narrow and cylindrical, the word stange translates to “pole” or “rod.” The purpose of these small glasses is to ensure that the beer never gets too warm as you drink. Therefore, each time

FALL CLASSES NOW FORMING Beginner through Advance & Adult Classes

2019

Training Healthy Dancers...Mind & Body

Registration Sept. 9th from 5-7pm at the studio or call 315-472-0235 Creative Movement Musical Theatre • Hip Hop Modern • Ballet • Jazz • Tap All CDC Covid 19 Safety Guidelines Observed

920 Eulid Ave. Syracuse | syracuseschoolofdance.com | 315-472-0235

the waiter passes your table, should your glass be empty (or close to it) you are brought another beer without having to request it, each time the waiter marking a tally on your coaster. The waiters will keep bringing you beer (and marking your coaster) until they see your coaster placed on top and covering the opening of your stange glass – this signals that you have had your fill. The waiter then counts the tallied marks and you pay for the amount you’ve consumed.

I, myself, have had the opportunity to travel to Cologne twice and visit several traditional brewhouses while I was there – Früh, Sion, & Reissdorf. While the style of Kölsch is relatively the same at each establishment, the subtleties of each are distinctive. My favorite of the three is Reissdorf Kölsch with its near perfect balance of malty sweetness and mild bitterness. As well, in some of the bar-only offshoots of the big brewhouses, there is such a thing called a Kölsch Cola, and it is literally draft Kölsch mixed with Coca-Cola. Strange? Yes! But also, strangely delightful and surprisingly tasty!

I’m also usually able to get my fix of traditional Kölsch these days, despite there being a travel ban in place during the global pandemic. Lucky for us, we are privy to have one of the four Wolff’s Biergartens in New York State, and they do usually have a German Kölsch on tap. As well, sometimes you can find a traditional German Kölsch in the International section of beer at our local Wegmans grocers. In addition, within the last couple of years, brewers around the US have begun experimenting with the Kölsch style and putting their own spin on the traditional beer; and while they may not be following the “rules” set forth by the Kölsch Konvention and/or Reinheitsgebot, they have still managed to be pretty darn good. Current recommendations for US-based Kölsch-style brews include: Genesee Ruby Red Kölsch by Genesee Brewing Company (Rochester, NY), 4.5% ABV, boasting a top-notch and refreshingly pure grapefruit flavor while not being overtly tart or overly sweet. It’s light, crisp, and very tasty.

Gearhead Kölsch by Sager Beer Works (Rochester, NY), 4.9% ABV, a more traditional golden ale that is easy-drinking with a light maltiness and a hopped-finish. Quite lovely!

Passion Fruit Kölsch by New Belgium Brewing Company (Fort Collins, CO), 4.3% ABV, this is fruity, refreshing, and the epitome of a patio beer in the summer. The tropical notes of the passion fruit are not at all overpowering and lend a nice body to the beer.

Oceans of Patience by Mikkeller Brewing NYC (Flushing, Queens, NY), 5% ABV, this particular American-Kölsch is right on the money. It’s definitely the most similar to a traditional Colognebased Kölsch that I have sampled to date. Light, refreshing, balanced, crisp.

Peach Kölsch by Stoneyard Brewing Company (Brockport, NY), 5% ABV, this Kölsch is light, with subtle peach notes as advertised, with a slightly earthy base throughout. And if you’re lucky enough to find it, there may still be a few 4packs kicking around our local Wegmans stores!

To sum it up, If you haven’t had the opportunity to try a Kölsch beer up to this point, you should definitely do so before summer officially runs out. There’s still plenty time this September for a refreshing beer to be had after mowing the lawn, lounging in your hammock, or floating in your kayak. Cheers to Enjoying Kölsch in a stange the last little bit of summer left in CNY!

PAGE 9 • September 2020

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION, CALL (315) 474-1011

Colonial

LAUNDROMAT

Our Newest Location in Weedsport

•

TABLE HOPPING

OPEN

24

HOURS A DAY

2685 Erie Drive Weedsport, NY

315-834-9386 Attendant Always on Duty! Immaculately Clean Laundromats!!

Your Big Quilts & Blankets are No Problem | Huge 80 lb. Capacity Washers Save Time & Money Make This Year Your Best Year | Plenty of Dryers — No Waiting!

35 LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU BETTER 26 Genesee St. • Auburn, NY 24 E. Genesee St. • Baldwinsville, NY 8007 State Rt. 31@ Rt. 298 • Bridgeport, NY 8313 US Route 11 • Cicero, NY 8440 Oswego Rd. • Liverpool, NY 13 River St. • Cortland, NY 307 W. Manlius St. • East Syracuse, NY 3606 W. Genesee St. • Syracuse, NY 160 S. Second St. • Fulton, NY 100 Grand Ave. • Syracuse, NY 138 N. Exchange St. • Geneva, NY 489 James St. • Syracuse, NY 408 Oswego Rd. • Liverpool, NY 105 W. Seneca St. • Manlius, NY 222 N. Massey St. • Watertown, NY 100 Matty Ave. • Mattydale, NY 330 Costello Parkway • Minoa, NY 6131 S. Salina St. • Nedrow, NY

315-258-9141 3 Henderson St. @ Clinton St. • NY Mills, NY 315-635-6291 500 N. Main St. • North Syracuse, NY 315-633-2063 502 Lenox Ave. • Oneida, NY 65 E. Bridge St. • Oswego, NY 315-622-4469 120 Black River Blvd. • Rome, NY 607-758-7830 1805 South Ave. • Syracuse, NY 315-431-9453 3901 S. Salina St. • Syracuse, NY 315-701-4483 1547 State St. • Watertown, NY 315-598-1755 5864 Thompson Rd. • Syracuse, NY 315-476-9855 1601 W. Genesee St. • Syracuse, NY 315-781-0901 16 E. Main St. • Trumansburg, NY 315-472-9435 1502 Genesee St. • Utica, NY 315-457-2413 120 E. 4th St. • Watkins Glen, NY 315-682-0785 820 Wolf St. • Syracuse, NY 315-779-2266 59 Central Ave. • Ilion, NY 315-455-1938 416 Velasko Rd. • Western Lights, NY 315-656-3321 2685 Erie Drive • Weedsport, NY 315-214-8760

www.coloniallaundromats.com

315-736-5075 315-458-7658 315-363-0345 315-342-5998 315-281-0014 315-472-6577 315-378-0016 315-786-3998 315-449-4326 315-471-7472 607-387-4021 315-732-0758 607-535-5534 315-425-0899 315-894-2737 315-475-0864 315-834-9386

PAGE 10 • September 2020

•

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION, CALL (315) 474-1011

TABLE HOPPING

Exercise & Fitness

by Jennifer Nastasi Guzelak

Excerise May Protect Against COVID-19 What would you say if I told you that I believe the benefit of exercise is far more than what we know? What would you say if I told you that exercise is not only good for your mind, body and soul, but it could also be used as a potential treatment approach for harmful respiratory viruses such as Covid-19?

As we’ve started to emerge from what felt like a never-ending “lock down” in our homes we ponder what measures we must take to protect ourselves and our loved ones from the novel coronavirus.

As gyms begin to re-open across New York State we wonder if going back is the right thing to do. Though we know that our health must be of the utmost importance, we recognize that we are now faced with new challenges. Is it safe? Will our workouts be the same? Will the guidelines we have to follow be too much? If you are on the fence, perhaps this article will help you make a clearer decision.

Researchers found that regular exercise may reduce the risk of acute respiratory distress syndrome, a major cause of death in patients with the COVID-19 virus. A review

by Zhen Yan of the University of Virginia School of Medicine showed that medical

Overlooking Beautiful Otisco Lake

research findings “strongly support” the possibility that exercise can prevent or at least reduce the severity of ARDS, which affects between 3% and 17% of all patients with COVID-19. Based on available information, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 20% to 42% of patients hospitalized for COVID-19 will develop ARDS. The range for patients admitted to intensive care is estimated at 67% to 85%.

Research conducted prior to the pandemic suggested that approximately 45% of patients who develop severe ARDS will die.

Sadly, the words we hear most often when Covid-19 is mentioned is either “social distancing” or “ventilator,” as if all we can do is either avoid exposure or rely on a ventilator to survive. On the flip side of the story, approximately 80% of confirmed COVID-19 patients have only mild symptoms with no need of respiratory support. So, the question is, ‘Why?’

Old School Italian Dining RESTAURANT

“One of Syracuse’s Best Kept Secrets Since 1954”

We are open for indoor and outdoor seating along with takeout.

We have established proper protocol to protect everyone in these uncertain times.

Reservations recommended due to the limited seating.

Authentic

Italian Specialties Fresh Fish Everyday!

Prime Rib Saturday and Hand Cut Ribeye Steaks

Let us cater your next party!

Takeout and Catering Offers Leave us your office fax number We’ll send you a weekly lunch menu every monday

Gift Certificates available!

Casual Fine Dining

4291 Octagon Road • Tully, NY 13159 • 315-696-8328 5 min from 81 / 15 min from Skaneateles

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK • LUNCH SPECIALS M-F 11-2 Mon.-Wed. 11:30am - 9pm • Thur. 11am - 9:30pm Fri. 11am - 10:30pm • Sat. 12noon - 10pm • Sun. 12noon - 9pm

1524 Valley Drive, Syracuse 13207 (315) 492-9997 • www.luigisofsyracuse.com

Powerful Antioxidant

When we take a closer look at an antioxidant known as extracellular superoxide dismutase, or EcSOD, we see that this potent antioxidant hunts down harmful free radicals, protecting our tissues and helping to prevent disease.

Our muscles naturally make EcSOD, secreting it into the circulation to allow binding to other vital organs, but its production is enhanced by cardiovascular exercise.

Although the study focused on its production being enhanced by cardiovascular exercise, weight training is equally important. In fact, another study showed increased muscle mass will also produce more of the antioxidant that protects against ARDS. A decrease in the antioxidant is seen in several diseases, including acute lung disease,

PAGE 11 • September 2020

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION, CALL (315) 474-1011

•

TABLE HOPPING

presence in the lungs is enhanced in patients battling COVID-19.

Research has also shown that lab rats with chronic kidney disease had less kidney damage when treated with human EcSOD. The antioxidant is already being proposed as a potential therapeutic for diabetic retinopathy, a complication of diabetes that can lead to blindness. Further, EcSOD also may prove beneficial against multi-organ dysfunction syndrome, in which multiple organs begin to fail.

In Conclusion

ischemic heart disease and kidney failure. A decrease in EcSOD is also associated with chronic conditions such as osteoarthritis, which we see in many of our elder gym patrons.

It’s safe to say that all fingers point in the direction of increasing the production of extracellular superoxide dismutase because it has a beneficial effect. Research suggests that even a single session of exercise increases production of the antioxidant.

Potential Treatments

When I dug a little deeper, I also found that research also suggests EcSOD as a potential treatment for ARDS and many other health conditions. Gene therapy, for example, might one day be used to increase production of the antioxidant so that its protective

We often say that exercise is medicine. EcSOD sets a perfect example by telling us that we can learn from the biological process of exercise to advance medicine.

We cannot live in isolation forever. Regular exercise is necessary. It has far more health benefits than we know and it’s so important for our physical and mental well-being.

Now that our New York State gyms have the “green light” to re-open, we once again have the opportunity to partake in some of our favorite activities. I urge you to find ways to exercise even if you have to wear a mask, social distance, and decrease the amount of time your sweat because of it.

If exercise can help protect us against this severe respiratory disease condition, it’s just one more reason to grab a pair of sneakers and start today! Good luck to you.

I have been a personal trainer for over seventeen years and I honestly feel that I have one of the best jobs out there! The most rewarding part of my profession is helping one of my clients succeed at reaching their personal fitness goals.

Making a difference in someone’s life makes it all worthwhile. I am currently certified by the National Sports Conditioning Association, Apex Fitness Group and the International Sports Science Association.

$

Pasta’s

Large 1-Topping Pizza & Wings*

Cheese Pizzas*

22.99 $22.99 $43.99 2 Large 16” 2 Large Cheese Pizzas & 20 Wings*

*Specials not valid for banquets, private parties or catering

Serving Fish Everyday!

Enjoy our outdoor SEating on our LargE Patio!

oPEn at 4Pm mon-Sat

TAKEOUT CALL (315) 303-4994

Check Out

1 Village Blvd. • BaldwinsvilleNY 13027

OUR SECOND

LOCATION!

PAGE 12 • September 2020

•

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION, CALL (315) 474-1011

TABLE HOPPING

Your Closet

Home Improvement

One way to gain a ton of space is to install a closet organizer. It doesn’t have to be a fancy expensive one (although feel free if you want one). You won’t believe how much extra space you can get from when you use one of these systems.

The metal rails systems for closets are great. You can get acrylic shelves,

by lee dobbins

Add More Storage To Your Bedroom Without Remodeling Everyone can use more storage and one of the best places to add storage to is the bedroom. What with all your clothes and personal items cluttering up the closet and bureau, the bedroom can sometimes seem like a messy catch all for all your household clutter. Here’s some ways you can clean up the bedroom and get some extra storage space too boot!

nt & Loun a r u a t ge Res

chrome baskets and special slotted pieces for shoes and hats. The slotted systems are good as they provide ventilation which helps your clothes to breathe and are easy to maintin.

These adjustable components come with a non-chip and non stick coating. When choosing a closet organizer, make sure you pick a system that allows you to double up your rack space. This way you can hang shorter clothes like shirts and skirts on top of each other and literally double your closet space!

Hidden Storage In Your Bedroom

You might already have some storage space in your bedroom that you don’t even realize you have! Do you have space under the bed? Are you using it to it’s fullest? Clean out all the dust bunnies and throw away the socks and junk that has accumulated under there and use this for long term storage. You can put off season clothing, camping gear, toys or whatever under there when it is not in use. Store the items in Tupperware containers (you can buy the low ones on wheels for easy retrieval) or space bags to protect the items and create a neat storage space. Another overlooked storage area is a room divider. If you have one sitting in the corner as a decorative item, you might want to look at the space behind it. This can be used to store items that you don’t need to get at every day like craft supplies or maybe even cleaning supplies.

• • • Welcome Back Students! • • • Curbside Takeout & Delivery See our social media for NEW opening times!

Call ahead!

Prepay for front door pickup Mon., Tues., Wed. Thurs. 5-8pm Friday 11:30am - 1:30pm / 5-8pm Sat. 4-8pm, Sun. Closed 503-505 Westcott Street • Syracuse, NY• 315-425-0366

Storage Baskets

Storage baskets are a great place to store various objects and can also add decorative touches to your bedroom. You can use them for small stuff like keys, holding bills or correspondence, toiletries, towels, jewelry and just about anything else that will fit in the basket. You can buy large baskets for your laundry and smaller ones to use as catch alls.

When buying baskets to use as storage in the bedroom, make sure you pick ones that match your bedroom décor. There are many types of storage baskets available in the market in many different sizes and shapes and colors, and in different materials. Some are utility oriented, while some are meant as decorative items. You can choose from willow, woven ash, rope, wrought iron, woven sea grass, bamboo, woodchip and 22 State St.,Tully • 315-696-5219 a variety of other types with all different kinds of embellishments so you should Clothing be able to find a basket that matches any Toys bedroom décor.

Jewelry Adding more storage to your bedroom Housewares can help you get better organized and Gift Certificates even help you remove some of the clutter from other rooms in the house. Now you just need to remember to put that stuff away in the right place!

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION, CALL (315) 474-1011

PAGE 13 • September 2020

•

TABLE HOPPING

Dining Out

by Kerilyn E. Micale

Phoenix Sports Restaurant I have a hot tip on a bet that I just can’t keep to myself any longer! This bet is a sure thing. Are you ready for it?

Here goes: I bet you can’t get anything other than a fantastic meal at the Phoenix Sports Restaurant! Phoenix Sports Restaurant at the Phoenix OTB is anything but a typical gaming parlor; instead it is a family friendly restaurant with great food and insanely low prices where you can also bet on horses! The Phoenix Sports Restaurant is conveniently located at 228 Huntley Road in Phoenix, right off of 481. They are open seven days a week for you to dine in or take out.

At Phoenix Sports Restaurant, you don’t need to know anything about horses or gambling to have a great time.

There are a variety of horse races running nearly every 20 minutes from all over the country, all year long. If you want to place a bet, the friendly staff will gladly walk you through the simple process. Placing a bet (even a tiny one) will give you something to do as you enjoy your scrumptious meal and you just might leave a little richer! Phoenix Sports Restaurant is family owned and operated and they strive to ensure they have a family friendly restaurant with fantastic food!

Kyle and I arrived at Phoenix Sports Restaurant on a pleasantly warm August evening. We were immediately greeted by the friendly staff, including the owners! This father and son duo go above and beyond to make sure every single guest feels welcome. We decided to start our meal with a sampler plater, a super generous portion of fried deliciousness. This dish was piled high with zucchini fries (amazing), fried mushrooms and cauliflower, chicken tenders, and chicken wings, both breaded and un-breaded and served with a variety of dipping sauces. This dish is definitely enough to feed a crowd! For an entrée Kyle decided on the chicken parmesan, a ginormous helping, a spectacularly breaded chicken breast, topped with melted cheese and marinara sauce all served on a huge bed of spaghetti. Like all of the other dishes, this one is enough for dinner and lunch for a day or two! Every bite was absolute perfection! For my dinner I decided I was missing the State Fair, and luckily Phoenix Sports Restaurant had just want I needed to lift my spirits! It was the NY State Fair Special featuring a dozen steamed clams, a perfectly cooked ribeye, a heaping portion of salt potatoes, and an ear of corn loaded with butter.

Admittedly it was a ton of food but I ate as much of this deliciousness as I could. Overall this meal was a 10 out of 10!

While we were waiting for our meals we also chatted with another Chicken Parmesan couple who had sailed all over New York through the Erie Canal. They were staying at a local marina (Pirates Cove) where they were offered a shuttle to Phoenix Sports Restaurant. This couple was so impressed with their meal that they told me they would be sure to make a special trip here a few times a summer! It’s no gamble that you will be getting a fresh and delicious meal every time at Phoenix Sports Restaurant. Every dish is cooked to order and everything is homemade. They never cut corners at Phoenix Sports Restaurant where they use only the best fresh ingredients; even the fish has been hand selected by a seafood expert and is delivered through the week! They take pride in knowing that every customer leaves happy and full!

At Phoenix Sports Restaurants all bets are in and the winner is… Your taste buds! With food this good and prices this low everyone leaves the Phoenix Sports Restaurant a winner!

The fun and family friendly atmosphere makes every trip to the Phoenix Sports Restaurant enjoyable. For information on catering or to place to go orders call 315-695-2245. Bet on a Steamed clams, ribeye & corn sure thing and stop by Phoenix Sports Restaurant today!

“This father and son duo go above and beyond to make sure every single guest feels welcome.”

FULL LUNCH & DINNER MENU AVAILABLE FOR TAKEOUT

WE SUPPORT

The Phoenix School District!

Thank you to all of our customers for your support during these trying times!

Can’t go to the track?

Watch all the races here! kentucky derby!

Saratoga Racing Wed.-Sat.

OPEN until Midnight 7 Days a Week!

228 HUNTLEY ROAD Off Route 57A (Off Rt 481)

PHOENIX, NY • 315.695.2245

www.PhoenixSportsRestaurant.com

PAGE 14 • September 2020

•

TABLE HOPPING

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION, CALL (315) 474-1011

Looking to escape the ongoing demise of 2020? A theatrical immersive “escape room” production opens in Rome, NY. Atrophy Escape Ward, a production created by Cayo Industrial Horror Realm, invites you to a dreamlike world escape room set inside a nostalgic insane asylum.

Escape rooms have become a popular year-round attraction for anyone who is into not just the macabre, but the puzzling, the mysterious, the challenging, the hint-of-danger. Movies and even TV shows have been based inside the growing escape room activity. Atrophy Escape Ward takes the experience of a normal escape room in a different direction. It is set in a “roaring 20’s throughout World War II era” atmosphere. You will enter padded cells, interact with patients, and may even dabble in shock therapy with your friends and family. This attraction lasts 1 hour, offering puzzles and challenges of the more traditional escape room, but this one is even more immersive – has it started yet? Is that person an actor? Where do we go next, what do we do?

You’ll have no idea what you’re getting into, but Joshua Reale, owner of the Atrophy Escape Ward attraction and Cayo Industrial Horror Realm, promises it will be a great night activity, definitely immersive, and unlike anything you’ve experienced before.

“Atrophy Escape Ward debuted in November 2018, which had received amazing reviews,” says Reale. “Many were expecting the typical escape room, but after completing Atrophy, they were mesmerized by the experience.” A man who drove 2 hours to attend Atrophy, gave positive feedback at the end of the attraction, stating his girlfriend and he go to escape rooms all over the northeast, and Atrophy was just what they’d been looking for.

PAGE 15 • September 2020

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION, CALL (315) 474-1011

Reale first entered the world of horror, starting the Cayo Industrial Halloween attraction as far back as 2003, open every year, and recently relocating to 530 Harbor Way, Rome, NY. Cayo Industrial’s horror attractions have been a popular part of New York’s fall holiday lineup, bringing guests from all over the Northeast. His range of interests and talents is fully on display at Cayo’s October attraction with actors, lights, scenarios, makeup and costuming, video, and sound. And Reale’s notion of what’s “scary” is, at least for this writer, on target. It’s not the jumpscares that stay with you

•

TABLE HOPPING

in horror. It’s the “vibe” that counts, the overall feel, the sense that you’ve moved into that “other dimension,” where time slows, perception alters, sight and sound can’t be trusted.

In 2020, Covid brings restrictions for all businesses. Reale states necessary precautions are made to keep the escape room sanitized. Groups are limited to a minimum of 4 persons and up to 6. Regardless of your group size, you will not be paired up with strangers and only enter with your own party, as a Covid prevention measure. Masks must be worn by all guests and staff.

Hand sanitizing stations and cleaning between groups are active measures taken for public safety.

Atrophy Escape Ward opens September 11th, running Friday to Sunday throughout September for this limited time opening. Reservations must be made online for Atrophy Escape Ward.

Visitors can check the Cayo Atrophy website (Atrophyescapeward.com) or the Atrophy Facebook page for exact dates, times and terms. There you’ll find a taste of what’s to come, and once signed up, you are now “committed” to the asylum.

From then until you find your way out - you escape roughly one hour after entering - nothing, and anything, can be expected.

Use discount code: Tablehopping at checkout for $2.00 off admission per person!

Win 6 Tickets to

Atrophy Escape Ward Go to: www.tablehopping.com & ENTER TO WIN!

Send your entry to: Table Hopping/Escape 1129 North State St. Syracuse, NY 13208

FREE

APRIL 2013

WITH CENTRAL NEW YORK

— All entries must be received by September 22, 2020 —

Prizes must be picked up within 30 days. You must be 21 years of age to enter.

PAGE 16 • September 2020

•

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION, CALL (315) 474-1011

TABLE HOPPING

Sylvan Beach Celebrating our 86th year in 2020, spanning three generations, Eddie’s has offered up great food, warm hospitality and happy memories to thousands of beach goers.

From its humble beginnings as a seasonal hot dog stand to the bustling restaurant it is today, Eddie’s has always provided quick, friendly service, delicious homemade food and an unforgettable experience.

Only 30 Minutes From Syracuse and Just Minutes From Turning Stone Resort & Casino!

Everyone knows, it wouldn’t be Sylvan Beach in the summertime without Eddies!

Visit us at www.eddies1934.com and view our menu online or stop in.

901 Main Street  Sylvan Beach

315-762-5430

FOOD, DRINK &

VIEWS — OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK —

611 PARK AVE • SYLVAN BEACH, NY • HARPOONEDDIES.COM

315 -762 -5238

Preventive Medicine

by Dr. Barry

The Poison in Your Kitchen Until recently I thought the biggest risk to your health was insulin resistance. Now I know better. I can fix your insulin resistance in a day or two. What is much harder to correct is your vegetable fat poisoning. That’s right, the seed oils like canola, corn oil, sunflower oil, etc. that line your kitchen cabinets are slowly poisoning you.

What’s even more maddening is that these oils are recommended by both the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology.

Their reasoning is that these are healthy oils because they lower cholesterol. What they completely ignore is that these man-made oils are unnatural and do devastating damage to every cell in your body. This is not idle speculation, this is an obvious proven fact. Check out the references below and you will never be the same. Run, do not walk, to your kitchen and toss these oils in the hazardous waste bin where they belong.

In 1890 5% of our fat calories came from animal fat; butter, tallow and lard.

By 1986 86% of added fat came from vegetable oils. This is a complete and incredibly dramatic reversal of our fat sources. This created a dietary change never-before-seen in the history of man because these oils had never Poison seed oils existed in the past and WE won’t exist in the future if we keep using them.

These seed oils are made in big refineries and look identical to motor oil. They don’t belong in your body. It’s been calculated that the average American consumes 80g of these oils a day, over 700 calories.

The great Weston Price foundation looked at diets of people all over the world. Some diets had very very high carbs. Some diets had very very high fats. Neither of these diets produced significant amounts of heart disease, cancer, dementia, blindness etc. The introduction of excess sugars, refined flour, and the seed oils has been ruinous to every country where they have been introduced. These oils are pro atherogenic, inflammatory, pro-oxidative, and demonstrably toxic. The danger of these oils is they contain excessive amounts of omega-6 oils, linoleic acid chief among them. You need tiny amounts of linoleic acid in your diet in order to make cardiolipin which is an essential component of the inner matrix of the mitochondria. Excessive linoleic acid completely distorts these membranes making the cells leaky therefore inefficient, therefore you have mitochondrial dysfunction which is at the heart of most diseases. These oils are also nutrient continued on pg 18

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION, CALL (315) 474-1011

Business of Interest

by Nancy Roberts

Smith & Bell Trading Co. Are you the kind of person who will visit a new place and wander around, looking to see what books are on the shelves, what surprises you’ll find tucked away in a corner, whether there’s a little whimsy in the decorating style or a spot that would be just right for an afternoon with a book? And are you “guilty-as-charged” if you like to add those little touches to your own surroundings that add some color, warmth, humor, or sense of the past?

Then you’re going to love Smith & Bell Trading Company, a cozy shop “stocked with refreshed furniture, salvaged goods, primitive and vintage inspired home decor.” And don’t worry, gentlemen, because while the women browse hand-painted Ball Mason jar vases, and one-of-a-kind wall hangings, you can visit the Man Cave where some vintage tools or heavy-duty bar wear might be lurking.

Even better, when you go to find the shop, you’re going to have to know, like the characters in the Harry Potter books looking for Diagon Alley, exactly where to look. While the address is 25 Main Street (what could be more simple?) the entrance is actually around the back of the building - so now that you know that secret, meet the owners.

Matt and Katie Smith, the husband and wife owners, came to this avocation through different paths. He had been in the military and law enforcement, she still teaches school.

Both loved their home town of Camillus, its charm and small town feel, and both had a love of and appreciation for “old furniture and the past.”

But they recognized that the heyday of antiques had simmered down. However, Katie had a talent for repurposing - looking at something and finding a way to turn it into something new; to brighten it with a coat of paint, or make a butter churn a planter, an old wooden box a way to present serving pieces and flowers in jars for a special table. He, on the other hand, could fix things, and “move them,” Matt says, with a chuckle. “She can make average things look amazing,” he adds. “I can help her move them around!”

Their business, they acknowledge, is about ideas. They gather things from moving sales,

PAGE 17 • September 2020

•

TABLE HOPPING

discards, or a piece that an owner can’t use when they downsize. One of their great finds, they explained, was something called Fusion Mineral Paint. It’s a special, buttery, waterproofing, matte coloring top-coat for furniture that preserves it - yet changes it utterly with color. The colors range from very subtle to bright and inviting. And using them, the couple find ways to repurpose an old item into something new and different that can find a home in the most modern of settings. “This stuff even works on fabric and leather,” Matt explains.

This is one shop you’ll want to have on your list of social media, as they like to do “popup sales,” so they can clear out merchandise and set to work on the next items ready for painting, fixing, remaking, and re-purposing.

As with every location, the COVID-19 closures have impacted Smith & Bell, but the shop is open Thursday through Saturday, 10-4, with plans, beginning in September, to open on Wednesday 10-4, Thursday 10-6, and Friday and Saturday 10-4.

And don’t forget - this is that “hidden treasure” store in more ways than one.

You’ll find hidden treasure there, and to find the store, go around behind 25 Main Street for the shop’s front door!

“Part of the charm is learning the story of a piece of furniture.”

Smith & Bell Trading Co. They are one of just three retailers in the county who sell this special brand of paint.

Part of the charm for the couple is learning the story of a piece of furniture - and if the actual provenance isn’t available, they’ll envision the labor that might have gone into a bench from the 1800s, or a table that was in a kitchen at the turn of the century.

There’s a little something for everyone in the shop, from small items of home decor, to seasonal pieces, to larger furniture, primitives, distressed and repurposed items - the so-called “shabby chic” that is popular and mid-century modern. In the “Man Cave” you can find, old whiskey barrels, unusual sports items, and a variety of patriotic wall hangings and flag-themed items. In a special nook tended by cousin Jackie Smith, you’ll find an assortment of Cutco Knives at very good prices, in addition to her selection of primitive and re-purposed pieces.

• New & Used Affordable Home Decor • Vintage & Repurposed Furniture • Shabby Chic & Unique Finds • Must See Man Cave!

*Exclusive Fusion Paint Retailer

• Located in rear of building.

• Off street parking!

Smithandbell.com

25 Main St. • Camillus, NY

315.753.9875 Thur - Sat 10-4

PAGE 18 • September 2020

•

TABLE HOPPING

Poison in Your Kitchen continued from pg 16 deficient and rats fed these oils suffer from the consequences of no vitamin A and vitamin K. Additionally animals fed the exact same amount of calories gained dramatically more weight when the canola oil/linoleic acid was used instead of other fats. So even when eating the exact same amount of calories, these animals became dramatically obese, and there is a direct correlation between obesity and Americans increasing consumption of these vegetable oils.

Of course once you heat these oils up as they do in every commercial application like every fast food place and every restaurant in America you produce breakdown products which are also toxic and carcinogenic. That’s right, the repeated use of these oils creates chemicals that are known carcinogens and are found in every fast food restaurant and for that matter every restaurant in America.

If you take nothing else from this article you must immediately go to your cupboards and get rid of all of those vegetable oils. Get rid of all those commercially prepared salad dressings. Much healthier are olive oil, avocado oil and coconut oil. Any other oil is a

Authentic Middle Eastern Cuisine Hours: Sunday & Monday Closed Tues. & Wed. 4:30-9pm Thurs., Fri. & Sat. 11:30am-9pm

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION, CALL (315) 474-1011

poison to you. Understand that every time you go out to eat you are being poisoned by these oils. I have recently taken to just getting my salads with a bunch of lemon slices which I squeeze over them. It’s not a bad dressing and I know that I’m getting healthy vegetables and not sabotaging the meal with the salad dressing. I am not sabotaging the meal, I am sabotaging my health by using these other oils.This is an easy fix; read the label, if it says any canola oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, etc. it is poison to you.

Don’t be afraid of butter. Butter is your best friend. Butter is natural, the seed oils are not. We are nowhere near as healthy as prior generations and the only explanation I can understand is that our lifestyles are worse Discard poison oils from kitchen and that means our diets are worse.

Of course we get much less activity than prior generations and that doesn’t help, but we consume the most seed oils of all time, these unnatural omega-6’s, and we have the greatest disease burden of all time in terms of Alzheimer’s and heart disease and cancer. Like it or not these oils all fundamentally create underperforming cells at the molecular and cellular level. If you don’t give your body the correct building blocks and force it to choose inferior materials for the very essence of your cellular being, you’re going to get what we have today. You’re a hot mess and it starts with these oils. Get the sugar under control. Do the oil change; that is, increase your consumption of fish, fish oils, nuts etc. and end your consumption of the processed oils. You must get your omega-3 level up and your omega-6 level down. To save your life get rid of all of the vegetable oils you’ve got in that cupboard today. Watch any of the superb lectures by Dr. Chris Knobbe; it’s only data in rats but the evidence is conclusive that high levels of linoleic acid/omega-6 are directly related to heart failure and diabetes and as, previously mentioned, obesity. If you want to lose weight, if you want to lose the fatigue, if you want to improve your health overall, get off all of these oils. It will take quite some time to flush them out of your system. It may take up to two years so the sooner you start the better.

This information is not new. Again, I urge you to challenge your doctor about this. This is an essential part of your health; knowing your Omega 3 6 ratio. It should be a 1:4 ratio and most of you are way past that! The higher the ratio the worse your cellular health.

So, I have given you immediate action to take. I have given you suggestions to bring to your health care provider. I have given you references to pursue further research. What’s stopping you now?! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kGnfXXIKZM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHnPinYI2Yc

• Take out • Outdoor Seating • Catering Available

7421 Oswego Road • Liverpool, NY 13090 • (315) 399-5858

www.bulbulcuisine.com

Much healthier olive oil

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION, CALL (315) 474-1011

PAGE 19 • September 2020

•

TABLE HOPPING

WITH CENTRAL NEW YORK

PAGE 20 • September 2020

•

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION, CALL (315) 474-1011

TABLE HOPPING

Word on the Street

by Bill McClellan

Police

It is Leadership—Especially Mayors Much consideration was given to my writing this article. I believe in American Cops.

I believe in heroes. I believe in Policework being performed by the very best among us in keeping with the finest traditions of equality that make America great and unique and a beacon for the world.

This column is intended to address today’s Police difficulties with honesty, compassion, understanding, and respect. This is not a two-sided debate. It is an American debate. It is a leadership debate. Where standards are set. From leadership comes training. From training comes culture. From culture comes quality, from quality comes the best that we can be.

I want to be very clear. Violence is often part of Police work. It often cannot be accomplished with any kind of restriction that may impair what must be done to keep us safe. When I say excess must be “glaring and clear” that is what I mean. This column is about the less than 1% of Police that do not live up to honorable standards. I will tell you where they come from, why they are there and what must be done to stop them.

Perspective applies so prominently in most matters in this article. Please know that the finest, the real heroes, are braving the storm among much public unrest. I believe they are

Delivery or Pick Up Available

Our deck and indoor dining are

NOW OPEN!

Check out our

NEW MENU!

Mon................CLOSED Tues, Wed.......11-8pm Thurs..............11-9pm Fri, Sat...........11-10pm Sunday...........11-8pm

learning that the1% that glaringly violate reason and humane policing has to be functionally retrained or has to go. And with them the rules, the displaced loyalties and the parts of the culture that allow glaring clear wrong. In Syracuse with 497 officers an estimated 5 are demoralizing the public and the police each day. This is what must stop throughout the land.

Donlon, Beeson, McPhail, Sadler, Harrington, Post, McRae, Benbenek, Trow, Knopfler, Downey. This is about an elite profession. Respect for what you read here is what will give it meaning. So, I am leading with these men. Each was a friend. Each is a combat hardened (I did not fight) Green Beret, and these are the men that framed my sense of justice that has held for 50 years. I know what bravery is, I know what loyalty is, I know what American is, I know what equality is, and I am able to apply them all with honor.

Google the first two if you want a feeling for the hearts of the men that are behind what you are about to read.

Civilian leadership is the foundation of “rule by the people”. In every town and city, the quality of Police is a reflection of the quality of their Mayor. Mayors are the immediate civilian authority over Police. Police require a special kind of Leadership.

You are dealing with those that confront our most dangerous citizens every day. Danger on every level is sprinkled in with the innocent.

That is why the very best among us is required.

They must have fined tuned perception and expertise. It requires caring elite individuals to safely excise criminality and danger from the innocent. Training must provide guidelines for expected mindset.

With perspective. Police have been victims of neglected systemic culture creep. Culture creep is the

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION, CALL (315) 474-1011

transmission of course and values and it comes from the top. This is what Mayor’s must learn. This is a compendium. What is truly vital for Mayors is provided.

It must be known with absolute truth that must not get lost in a world of sensationalism and hype. Police departments are virtually full of heroes and bravery. In the midst of this chaos against Police they remain our finest. Each must be willing to expose themselves to danger, gunfire and potential death. They all do this at one time or another. Many do this with tragic regularity. Exposure to guns and gunfire has become a constant. Danger is real. Last night three young men were shot in Syracuse. The night before two people were shot and there were six reports of gunfire. It happens virtually every day with extremely rare exception. A cop must answer to each bullet. This is why their weapon is never far from their mind. And this is where expertise and compassion of the highest order is required. I am 75. I have known an easy 200 Sheriffs and Syracuse Police Officers in my day. And I can tell you Syracuse has some of the finest Cops in the entire Country. That being said they have also been exposed to this culture of tolerance for undue violence.

There are four damaging problems that should not exist in an American Police Department. First, there is no adequate process to prevent the toxic from becoming Police. Second, is the absurd culture of protecting those few. All evil needs to exist is permission. Third, the quality of adherence. Once standards are set adhering integrities “in place” are vital or little will change. Fourth, a failure to recognize that these toxic few are taking you all down.

They are you’re your Achilles heel. These few are why America is in the streets. If you concentrate on these issues the rest will fall in line.

Something I found stunning and highly detrimental is some wording in the Police Officers Creed. This should have been written and reviewed with massive care as every Cop in America is exposed to this “Creed”. In such matters it is not always what is meant that matters. It is how it is taken. It is perspective. If one single item fueled today’s difficulties it is this. The passage I refer to reads: “Whatever I see or hear of a confidential nature or that is confided to me in my official capacity will be kept ever secret unless revelation is necessary in the performance of my duty.”

(Note the implication and then the contradiction in the International Association of Police Chiefs oath that follows) This statement causes attitude confusion and fosters a restrained environment. It serves more as an “Omerta” instruction with “unless revelation is necessary in the performance of my duty” serving as cover. The ramifications from this are enormous. It goes far beyond protecting a citizen’s rights in a case. It provides safety

PAGE 21 • September 2020

•

TABLE HOPPING

for wrong or even heinous behavior. It is incentive to protect glaring and clear intentional or reckless violence, to falsify reports and to relinquish responsibility when peers perform with dishonor. Otherwise this is quite a creed of honor. The intent and reasons for each sentence in this creed should be reviewed in the Academy.

There are different versions of the Law Enforcement Oath of Honor. They often vary by state. The one that matters the most to the lives of Police today is this one: The International Association of Police chiefs - Law Enforcement Oath of Honor: Chiefs around the world understanding the bottom line which embraces protecting the honor of ALL. “On my honor, I will never betray my integrity, my character or the public trust.

I will always have the courage to hold myself and others accountable for “our” actions.”

(The preceding sentence expects you to see the line between protecting a bad actor or the honor of Police) I will always maintain the highest ethical standards and uphold the values of my community, and the agency I serve”.

In all of this we must never underestimate the danger and complexity of policing.

Again, I want to be clear about leeway. Police do need much leeway in the streets. “In the moment policing” is often intensely complicated and takes place in a few seconds.

However apart from those “intense in the moment”responses, there is a space between leeway and “glaring and clear” excessive violence. This is where the elite and the best are tested. And the cruel and prejudiced are exposed. continued on pg 22

“Few Mayors have any idea what attitudes are fostered in training.

History, particularly of the Black plight should be taught.”

LET US HELP YOU

during these difficult times!

pmdbuss@yahoo.com

PAGE 22 • September 2020

•

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION, CALL (315) 474-1011

TABLE HOPPING

Police continued from pg 21 Perspective is vital. It is training and the ability to protect each other that keeps death rates similar to many other professions. Cops are good at what they do. They have to be. And nothing in this article suggests sacrificing personal safety. Training should embrace perspective so that process embraces real rather than imagined danger. There are 800,000 Law Enforcement Officers in America. Last year 89 died in the line of duty.

41 of these were in auto accidents. Police have 63 million interactions with civilians each year. Injuries are very common, 669,100 from 2003 to 2014. Yet this is the era of guns and a cop has every right to begin ready. Perspective on each call is required. What you are looking for is expertise leaving room for compassion. The margin of error “in the

By supporting a small business you help support a dream, a family and so much more. Your purchase from our local businesses during this time is truly appreciated!

WITH CENTRAL NEW YORK

moment” wherever there is a gun must go to the Cop. Except when “clear and glaring” alternative is available. This information should be gathered and offered in a “Perspective” class. Amplified emotion and remote danger are a bad recipe. Police must never sacrifice safety yet there is nearly always (not always) much room for balancing real danger. This is where heroes are made. Yet heroes, must also go home.

Few Mayors have any idea what attitudes are fostered in training. I strongly urge in this era that the following be added to curriculum. History, particularly of the Black plight should be taught. (Refer to my column for August 2020 at “word on the street table hopping”. Re Confederate Monuments - Understanding becomes clear when truth is known) There are reasons for what Police experience that they have not been shown. If ongoing historical truths that forced the ghettos were known, constructive attitudes would vastly improve. There are still, today, on nearly every level of society, major societal deprivations forced on Blacks for being Black. I urge you to start with my referenced column. I researched intensely so you could see and feel the wrongs.

Thinking and attitudes fostered in training need serious review. Adherence to Creeds and Oaths and honor needs to bestrengthened. Tough and Brave is when you see and treat those doing wrong things as broken men and women. The precise definition of bravery is “Heroic deed balanced with compassion”. Suspects are rarely enemies. They are human beings, neighbors and Americans and at this time in their life they are on

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION, CALL (315) 474-1011

one of numerous paths that break the law. They are misguided and the function of police and society is to begin the process that helps them get better. Any cop that does not agree with this is a weakness holding up the course necessary to restore police honor in the thinking of our people.

All but the incorrigible, (those unable to be corrected, improved, or reformed) will agree. The irony is that even with the problems that have evolved American Police Departments do draw the best among us. Among an immense number of our very best and talented the Force also draws a small number of the worst among us. The School bullies while growing up, racists, and genetically cold hearts are often attracted to Police work. They have learned from experience to be normal when expected.

So many can and do become Cops. They are the worst kind of person. And you have some of them in every department. They tarnish the brave and hero and the decent and they are why America is in the streets. And there is no reasonable way to get rid of them.

More than any other matter, this is the one you need to clean up. This is the one that will restore and maintain respect and pride from the public.

Mayors, yes Mayors and Police Unions must come to terms with the truth. You are victims of negligent culture creep. No one has been adequately minding the store.

Buffalo was a clear glaring cruel and disgraceful wrong and largely motivated this article. Police knocked down this old man and with blood pouring out of his head, dozens of Police Officers walked by, restrained by a fear of culture that outweighed loyalty to their Creed and their own humanity. This was evil. 57 officers resigned in protest when accountability was being exercised. Honor would have been protecting the old man. 170 officers called in sick in Atlanta after another incompetent killing. That these 57 and 170 officers thought that these reckless actions should be defended is the scariest part of all. With these protests we have entered a new and unique historical era.

Those are vastly honorable Americans of every race. It is America in the streets. Police are a critical part of what is going to make or break this country. The lessons here are

“The lessons here are clear.

Police must enter every encounter, especially during the excitement of protest, with understanding and compassion, and as little violence as possible.”

PAGE 23 • September 2020

•

TABLE HOPPING

clear. Police must enter every encounter, especially during the excitement of protests, with understanding and compassion, and as little violence as possible. And the few that are offended by this sentence are unfit to protect us.

Recently the New York Police Department Union endorsed President Trump. I have heard he enjoys some favor among Police. All I can tell you is this: Eras have culture and feeling all of their own that often do not follow facts into History. Without this contribution to perspective understanding is often not accurate. I think we have lost touch with too much. There was a post WWII era of patriotism where America shined like no other. The pursuit of human decency was in our Blood. We began to correct our past. The Civil Rights movement played a large roll in this. We had become the beacon for all of humanity as our pursuit was real and just. All of us, no matter our opinion, were respected by each other. Fairness to all mattered. I stood in formations and when the Star-Spangled Banner began to play you could almost hear the click as fingertips flew to foreheads in a salute filled with the chill of Patriotism. Real Patriotism, as we were lived it and breathed it and we loved this land. It still runs through my blood today and as my generation dies, I want the pursuit of this greatness to live on. I can only tell you Donald Trump does not have one ounce of Patriotism in his blood or his soul.

We ask the very best of our young to become our Knights, the exemplars of courage. Our Police. To be our protectors against human evil, and temporary human error, and to maintain order that allows social peace where freedom to pursue happiness is secure. Our elite, our brave, our compassionate, our quick and our good are asked to become Police. We must give them an environment where heroes flourish and values grow and honor is real and decent and American and good. And if careful review shows the diminishment of any of this, it must be fixed or America is lessoned, as our Police are absolutely integral for a land with American values to live those values and be the beacon for mankind that has moved all of humanity forward. If you’re a Cop, stay the course, walk tall in the storm as you are the Knights, the heroes without which America cannot mend or move forward.

Tsha‘hoñ’noñyeñ’dakhwa’

315.498.6813

ONONDAGA NATION www.onondagaarena.com ARENA 4000 State Rt.11 Onondaga Nation via Nedrow, NY

Currently closed but please see our Facebook and website for future upcoming events.

4000 State RT. 11, Nedrow NY • 315.498.6813

www.onondagaarena.com

PAGE 24 • September 2020

•

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION, CALL (315) 474-1011

TABLE HOPPING

Now P l ay i n g

by BRIAN MILLER

NOW

TABLE

PLAY

ING

HOPP

ING

An American Pickle With theaters still shuddered, major productions continue to be released directly via streaming services. July saw the Tom Hank’s high-seas thriller GREYHOUND premiere on Apple Plus TV, and in August, another heavyweight, Seth Rogen, had his latest vehicle, AN AMERICAN PICKLE, debut on the new HBO Max. Life isn’t easy in 1919 for the ditch digging Herschel Greenbaum (Rogen.) Trudging his way through slop, day after day, he has very little in the ways of joy and comfort. When he sees the lovely Sarah (SUCCESSION’s Sarah Snook) haggle to buy a fish (which she then promptly bites the head off of) it is love at first sight. After a tender courtship, the two are married and seem destined for happiness. In hopes of building a better life for them, Herschel gets a job in a pickle factory. While there, it is his job to bludgeon a barrage of rats, earning a commission on each rodent he ravages.

One fateful day, however, the rats revolt, taking matters into their own paws, and move to Seth Rogen and Sarah Snook swarm him while he is on a

catwalk. Herschel plummets off the ledge and into a vat of pickles. At that exact moment, the vat is sealed, the factory is shut-down, and Herschel is trapped.

Flash forward 100 years. Life still isn’t easy, but there’s certainly been some technological advances. After a group of boys accidentally fly their drone into the abandoned factory, they stumble upon Herschel’s vat. They open the lid, and soon thereafter, Herschel is a cultural phenomenon.

The brine that Herschel bathed in perfectly preserved him for the past century, and he wakes up without having aged a day. Sarah passed long ago, and the only surviving relative in his family tree is his great grandson, Ben (Rogen, again.) Ben is stoked to learn that his great-grandpa is still alive, and even more blown away by the fact that the two of them are basically the same age. He immediately begins introducing Herschel to the modern world. And, while things go well at first, before long the generational gap, along with Herschel’s turn-of-the-century beliefs, cause a rift in the relationship.

Given the film’s premise, and its star, one would expect AN AMERICAN PICKLE to be shocking and outlandish. The most shocking thing about it, though, is how subdued it is.

Punchlines revolving around politics and porn are nowhere to be found, and to my utter amazement, I don’t think there was a single marijuana joke. If there was, it was fleeting, and not a standard plot device that seems almost obligatory for all Rogen ventures at this point. Instead, you have a comedy that is more about family, adaptation, and acceptance.

Rogen’s performance is fantastic, and the effects are fairly flawless. It genuinely appears that both iterations of the star in the same room with another, and he embodies two distinct, wildly different individuals conversing with one another. The problem is, as great as he is, neither one of the characters are particularly likable. Herschel is gruff and opinionated, married to antiquated beliefs that make him inept at social graces and sensitivities. While this is to be expected, and often played excellently for laughs, there is never really the growth as an individual that you would expect to see. Ben, devastated by loss, grief, and a fear of failure, is distant and jealous. Though initial interactions lead us to believe that Ben will help Herschel navigate the perils of the future, he eventually emerges as cold, vindictive, and spiteful. Ben, perhaps, possesses the ability to change, but it takes him way too long to get there.

AN AMERICAN PICKLE may not have the same tone and style of the majority of Rogen’s other vehicles like SUPERBAD, PINEAPPLE EXPRESS, or KNOCKED UP, but it is not without its laughs. There are multiple jokes and bits that are laugh-out-loud funny, while others are at least humorous enough to justify their existence.

It’s not all based on over-the-top fish-out-of-water absurdity, which it easily could have devolved into.

Instead, it’s more thoughtful and introspective than expected.

While this may not always work within the confines of the film, credit should be given for trying to elevate the production beyond the expected punchlines and scenarios.

AN AMERICAN PICKLE- B(Now available on HBO Max)

Herschel in the modern world

PAGE 25 • September 2020

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION, CALL (315) 474-1011

•

TABLE HOPPING

My Mind To Yours

by debra Merryweather

Getting Grief I was driving to meet friends for dinner in early August. My route took me along Highland Avenue where, at the stop sign on Highland Street, I enjoyed the multi-tiered cityscape extending from Rose Hill Cemetery up to North Mc Bride Street hill on toward the rooflines of St. Joseph’s Hospital and to the sky. I thought of taking a photo but moved on. Then something happened. As I drove toward downtown on North Willow Street, panic seized me. My mind suggested I was driving

“Delayed or unresolved grief, unaddressed grievances and ungrieved losses affect everything. ” toward where I usually parked for Taste of Syracuse, the Blues Fest, the Polish Fest, the Irish Fest, and the Italian Fest. I quickly judged myself for thinking about COVID robbing us of our summer fun. I breathed deeply to fight my anxiety. Then, I thought, “Kim is gone.”

Days before, after a long battle, my niece succumbed to cancer. My last phone call to her went unanswered. She’d already gone to sleep. And even though we knew the day would come, when I heard that Kim was receiving hospice care at her parents’ home in Washington State, I felt sick to my stomach for days. I alternately sought to stay connected to friends and family, and to stay alone to protect family and friends from my sadness. Grief is unpredictable.

My brother, Tim Harrington, Kim’s uncle, said losing family during this COVID pandemic was probably like losing family during times of war. Travel is more difficult.

Some elders are in quarantine. So, we, who could, attended a Mass said in Kim’s name. That ritual provided one clear stepping-stone through the transition that is grief.

I keep using the word “we.”

Sometimes, families, tribes, cultures, and societies don’t acknowledge, and, following that, prohibit others from openly acknowledging feelings of grief that flow from legal, social, and cultural practices and edicts designed to keep things “copacetic.” Copacetic, defined as running well and in good order, is a word I remember hearing when I was in grammar school and experiencing a huge loss amid much pain and confusion. Brain trauma disconnected me from experience eliminating my

continued on pg 26

WE OFFER

POWER SCULPT • ZUMBA FITNESS • P90X LIVE • INSANITY LIVE CLASSES • STRONG BY ZUMBA AND MUCH MORE!

2019

Get Rid of that Extra COVID Weight !

CURRENTLY OFFERING ONLINE CLASSES!

FOR MORE INFO PLEASE CALL: 315-436-3488 PAY-AS-YOU-GO OR MONTHLY UNLIMITED PASSES AVAILABLE Please visit

us on facebook 5108 Velasko Road • Syracuse, NY • 315-436-FITT(3488)

PAGE 26 • September 2020

•

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION, CALL (315) 474-1011

TABLE HOPPING

Getting Grief continued from pg 25 capacity to grieve. Not knowing why, I’ve felt panic and anxiety my entire life. When my brain started to heal and my memories returned, I felt grief.

My isolation during COVID triggered old grief: if only people had done things differently, if only my brain weren’t damaged, if only everything that occurred back then hadn’t occurred, maybe other things wouldn’t have occurred. “If only” thinking is the “bargaining” stage of Elizabeth Kubler-Ross’s five stage of grief. The first stage is denial. For me simplistically, it’s the thought that “this can’t be.” Stage two is anger, which is self-explanatory. Then comes bargaining. Then comes depression. Eventually acceptance is supposed to follow. Acceptance of loss doesn’t mean the grieving is over.

WIN A FREE OFFICE PARTY For You and Your Co-Workers!

Free Buffet • Drink Specials Giveaways • Prizes

Send your entry on company letterhead and include number of employees who will attend.

SEND TO: TABLE HOPPING / OFFICE PARTY 1129 NORTH STATE ST. SYRACUSE, NY 13208

APRIL 2013

FREE

WITH CENTRAL NEW YORK

*PRIZES MUST BE PICKED UP WITHIN 30 DAYS*

All entries must be received by Sept. 22, 2020. You must be 21 years of age to enter.

Grief over my niece’s passing brings new grief that stirs up new grief over old losses.

If only.

Delayed or unresolved grief, unaddressed grievances and ungrieved losses affect everything. I’ve read a lot of self-help books, attended support groups, and done lots of therapy.

I believe that the only way out of any overwhelming feeling is to move through it one breath at a time. When I watched TV coverage of the World Trade Center collapsing on 9/11, I thought, this can’t be happening. At the 9/11 museum, I watched video footage shot by a t ourist of the beautiful sky over Manhattan. Boats cruised the river. Everything was copacetic. Then, from the right corner, a plane entered the skyscape. From the hijackers’ perspective, everything was copacetic.

I thought, this can’t be happening, as I watched, on “60 Minutes,” several seconds of a nearly nine minute piece of history in which a man named Derek Chauvin kept his knee on a man named George Floyd’s neck, in an activity that Chauvin must have held to be in good order.

I don’t see or want to see Derek Chauvin as representative symbol of all police officers any more than I believe that George Floyd was a martyred hero. Still, history abounds with disenfranchised, unprocessed grief from war, oppression, and legalized torment.

Based on my experience and reading, I believe grief’s anger can well up like lava in a volcano when new situations connect to back to old unresolved grief and grievances.

Our bodies store feelings we don’t release.

Some experts suggest scheduling time each day to grieve recent losses. I wouldn’t begin to know when to set my alarm clock for that. I’d rather trust the universe to let grief surface as it surfaced in my heart and mind on North Willow Street last August.

Grief and love together.

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION, CALL (315) 474-1011

NIGHTLIFE

Now Open

PAGE 27 • September 2020

•

TABLE HOPPING

Syracuse’s Newest Sports Bar SYRACUSE

GRILLE & BAR

EsprEsso basEd coffEEs fEaturing LivE EntErtainmEnt sELf sErvE craft bEEr WaLL W/ 24 taps smokEd mEats and charcutEriE vinyL LoungE 53 Genesee st. • Auburn, NY • (315) 370-9795

2710 James St. • Eastwood, NY • (315) 991-8569

Check out our new website!

WESTERNRANCHINN.COM

Check out our NEW MENU ITEMS coming in Sept.!

Now open

Monday - Saturday: Bar @ 3:30pm / Kitchen @ 4:30pm

**Now Available: Select bottles of wine and 6 packs of beer**

PAGE 28 • September 2020

•

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION, CALL (315) 474-1011

TABLE HOPPING

Sports Take

by Mike Lindsley

Q and A with Baseball 100 Painter/Artist Mark Chiarello I recently sat down with painter/artist Mark Chiarello for a question and answer interview. He is the man behind the paintings for “Baseball 100,” A fully illustrated book celebrating the 100 greatest baseball players of all-time. Mark also did the illustrations for “Heroes of the Negro Leagues.” We talked about his career, the creation of the book, why baseball fans fall in love with the sport, his passion for pinstripes and more!

ML: This book is incredible and your work is amazing. It must have taken a lot of time and effort. How did the book come about?

MC: Like so many baseball fans, I’ve always loved having that discussion/argument about who the best player of all-time was. Who’s the best hitter? The best pitcher? As a lifelong artist, I’ve always enjoyed drawing all of those heroes from the past. With “BASEBALL 100,” I figured out a way to combine my two loves: art and baseball.

ML: Do you enjoy painting certain players over others?

MC: I really love drawing and painting old-time players from the 30’s, 40’s, and 50’s.

It’s those baggy uniforms! All of those wrinkles and folds are a fun challenge, unlike the smooth, form fitting unis of today, which I find kinda boring. Look at an old photograph

Mark Chiarello’s Baseball 100 of Satchel Paige standing there in his dirty, baggy uniform and you can imagine all sorts of tall tales about him!

ML: What is it about baseball that makes us fall in love?

MC: I have no clue! It catches on to us at an early age, and it sticks with us for the rest of our lives. I don’t mean to be corny, but it’s a love that’s always there for us, never goes away. Rooting for “our” team, checking the box scores, having a hot dog at Yankee Stadium… what could be better? continued on pg 30

A NIGHT ON THE TOWN! Long h t n o M l l A Listen ame!

N r u o Y r a e to H

FREE $100

Restaurant Certificate.* SEND IN YOUR: Name, Address, Phone Number & Restaurant Choice TO WIN! (One entry per person per household)

Listen All Month Long to Hear Your Name !

WITH CENTRAL NEW YORK

MAIL YOUR ENTRY TO:

Table Hopping/Sunny 102 Contest, 1129 N. State St. Suite B Syracuse, NY 13208 Go to www.tablehopping.com & enter to win.

Entries must be received by September 22, 2020.

*All Prizes Subject To Availability. Restaurant selection must be an September 2020 Table Hopping Newspaper Advertiser.

Must Be 21 or Older To Enter. Offer Good For 1 Use Only.

Prizes Do Not Include Gratuities. PRIZES MUST BE PICKED UP WITHIN 30 DAYS

PAGE 29 • September 2020

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION, CALL (315) 474-1011

•

TABLE HOPPING

Stay Safe and Healthy from our family at WITH CENTRAL NEW YORK

Art

Events

Tuesdays-Saturdays

Tuesday, Sept. 1

Food Truck Wars: SYR vs. ROC • 11am

Edgewood Gallery, Syracuse

Jamesville Beach Park, Jamesville

Wednesday, Sept. 30

Saturday, Sept. 26

Halloween at the Park • 11am

New York State Fairgrounds, Syracuse

Sept. 1- Sept. 6

Tuesday, Sept. 1

Everson Museum of Art, Syracuse

Live Teen Tuesday • 4pm

LGS Let’s Get Social 30th Birthday Celebration • 5:30pm

Fayetteville Free Library, Fayetteville

The Empire Room, Syracuse

Sept. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29

Tuesday, Sept. 1

Saturday, Oct. 3

Serenity Studios@LAC, Liverpool

Liverpool Elks Lodge, Baldwinsville

Geometric Organics

Jim Ridlon: The Garden

Painting & Drawing Class

Burger and Beverage • 6pm

Fundraiser for Samaritan Center The POUR, “The Sandlot” Movie

Sept. 1 - Sept. 26

Saturday, Sept. 5

Orange Lot at NYS Fair, Syracuse

Schweinfurth Art Center, Auburn

Flippin Unique Antiques, Fulton

Sports

Made in NY Exhibition

Sidewalk Sale • 9am

Sept. 1- Sept. 27

Saturday, Sept. 5

UNIQUE

Chicken BBQ • 12pm

Everson Museum of Art, Syracuse

Sept. 3 - Oct. 4

Camillus Elks Lodge, Camillus

Tim Atseff: The Seven Deadly Sins – A Trump Dystopian Heptology Art Rage, Syracuse

Sept. 7 - Nov. 12 Rewriting History

Point of Contact Gallery, Syracuse

Thursday, Sept. 10

Sept. 5 - End of Oct.

Sept. 19 - Nov. 1 Appositions

Everson Museum of Art, Syracuse

Theatre Sept. 2 - Sept. 26

The Buddy Holly Story

The REV Theatre Co., Auburn

Saturday, Sept. 26

Anthony RodiaThe Road Rage Tour • 8pm

Mulroy Civic Center Theatre, Syracuse

SU Football • Time: TBA

SU vs. Georgia Tech, Carrier Dome

Pumpkins & Fall Family Fun Tim’s Pumpkin Patch, Marietta

Music

Mid-Sept. - End of Oct.

Friday, Sept. 4

Critz Farms, Cazenovia

The Lost Horizon, Syracuse

Fall Harvest Celebration

Sick Of It All • 7pm

Cobble Rockers • 8pm • 15 guest David’s Hideaway, Central Square

Christine Ohlman & Rebel Montez • 7pm

The Cedar Grove Stage, Cazenovia

Monday, Sept. 21

Randy’s Cheeseburger Picnic Tour (Trailer Park Boys) • 7pm The Lost Horizon, Syracuse

Thursday, Sept. 24 Borgore • 8pm

Westcott Theatre, Syracuse

Friday, Sept. 25

Cousin Jake • 8pm • 28 guests David’s Hideaway, Central Square

Saturday, Sept. 26

The BlackLites • 8pm • 29 guests David’s Hideaway, Central Square

Sunday, Sept. 27

The Jess Novak Band • 3pm

The Cedar Grove Stage, Cazenovia

Sat. Sept. 12 & Sun. Sept 13 Saturday, Sept. 5

CNY Folksmarch • 8am Free Outdoor Figure Drawing • 6pm Mill Run Park, Manlius Everson Community Plaza, Syracuse

Saturday, Sept. 26

Saturday, Sept. 19

Sunday, Sept. 13

Blessing of the Hounds Limestone Creek Hunt Club Lorenzo Historic Site, Cazenovia

Tuesday, Sept. 15

2020 Syracuse Career Fair • 9:30am Marriott Syracuse Downtown, Syracuse

Sunday, Sept. 20

Stephane Wrembel with Band • 7pm The Cedar Grove Stage, Cazenovia

Sunday, Sept. 6

Stephane Wrembel with Band • 3pm The Cedar Grove Stage, Cazenovia

Saturday, Sept. 12

Mothercover • 8pm • 75 guests David’s Hideaway, Central Square

The Cadleys • 7pm

The Cedar Grove Stage, Cazenovia

Community Day at Rippleton Schoolhouse

Wednesday, Sept. 16

Lorenzo Historic Site, Cazenovia

110 Grill, Syracuse

Thursday, Sept. 24

Friday, Sept. 18

Qualify. Certify. Compete.

NYS Assistance Workshop

Mark Zane • 4-7pm

In Too Deep • 8pm • 10 guests David’s Hideaway, Central Square

CommonSpace, Syracuse

Deadline is September 22nd for the october issue

All Entertainment is subject to change during these times.

Please check the listings on the venue’s website and/or their facebook to confirm dates and times.

PAGE 30 • September 2020

•

TABLE HOPPING

Q and A with Baseball 100 continued from pg 28 ML: You have had an interesting and amazing career so far as an artist. Take my readers through it.

MC: I’ve been really lucky in that a kid from New Jersey who sat home all day drawing his heroes was able to eventually grow-up and do the same thing for a living. I was the Art Director at DC Comics for a long time, as well as being an illustrator for Disney, The Baseball Hall of Fame, LucasFilm, and the Topps Card Company.

The highlight of my art career (so far!) is the 2007 book from Abrams Publishing, “HEROES OF THE NEGRO LEAGUES.” ML: I know you are a huge New York Yankees fan. How did you become a fan of the pinstripes?

MC: My Dad loved (Joe) DiMaggio, so naturally, my brother Paul became a big Mantle and Maris fan. By the time my brother Robbie and I came of age (and even though the Yankees were pretty dismal during those Horace Clarke and Danny Cater years), we had it in our blood. My guys became the ‘other’ M&M Boys: Bobby Murcer and Thurman Munson.

ML: Do you find it difficult ranking position players and pitchers because there is such a difference in the two?

MC: Very difficult. An argument could be made that Walter Johnson was as great and valuable as any player ever, including Ruth and Cobb.

Pitching is the nuclear center of the sport. You can’t overstate how absolutely primary players like Sandy Koufax and Tom Seaver were to the success of their teams.

SANTANGELO’S RESTAURANT: Now hiring for all positions. Apply within. (315) 457-4447 ACTIVE RESTAURANTS FOR SALE: 4 successful businesses available. Various price

ranges, financing available. All open & generating excellent income. CENTURY 21 Arquette Properties. Call 315.559.4104

OUTSIDE ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE: Part-Time or Full-Time. Looking for reliable, motivated, enthusiastic individual to join the Table Hopping Sales Team. College Degree and Outside sales experience a plus!

Includes Base + Commission + Bonuses. First Year Earning Potential $50K. Email Resume to: art@table-hopping.com GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Looking for reliable, motivated, enthusiastic individual to join the Table Hopping team. Part time, flexible hours. Email Resume to: art@table-hopping.com CUSTOMER SERVICE/MARKETING: Part-Time or Full-Time. Looking for reliable, motivated, enthusiastic individual to join the Table Hopping Team. Part time, flexible hours.

Email Resume to: art@table-hopping.com LINE COOK:

David’s Hideaway. Call for details: (315)-752-5504 COOK WANTED:

Blue Spruce Lounge - Liverpool. Call for details: (315) 373-0833 LINE COOK WANTED:

Kosta’s Restaurant - Auburn. Call for details: (315) 253-7711 DELIVERY DRIVER:

Part Time - Table Hopping. Email Resume to: art@table-hopping.com

Reach over 170,000 people with your classified ad; only $25 for 5 lines!

CALL TABLE HOPPING TODAY AT 474-1011

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION, CALL (315) 474-1011

ML: As previously mentioned, you also were a part of “Heroes of the Negro Leagues,” a book with 60 of the great black baseball players. What should people know about the Negro Leagues and its impact on baseball through the years and today?

MC: Growing-up as baseball fans, we heard and read about the exploits of the great players of the past, Ruth, Gehrig, Ted Williams, Stan Musial… but before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in 1947, there were black players who were every bit as good as their white counterparts. I’m go gratified that we’re finally getting to know of their excellence and contribution to the sport we love. Players like Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, Cool Papa Bell are true American heroes.

ML: What do you hope people say about “Baseball 100” when they get done with it?

MC: I hope baseball fans get a little bit of the feeling they had when they were kids, when baseball was just a lot of fun, without the headaches of steroids and sign-stealing, and ridiculous salaries. It’s the sport we’ve loved all of our lives, and that should be celebrated.

Buy Baseball 100 and support the release here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ baseball100/baseball-100?ref=user_menu.

“Rooting for “our” team, checking the box scores, having a hot dog at Yankee Stadium…what could be better?”

Mike Lindsley has been in sports media for 20 years and is the host of the ML Sports Platter Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify. Download and subscribe today and follow Mike on Twitter @MikeLSports.

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION, CALL (315) 474-1011

PAGE 31 • September 2020

•

TABLE HOPPING

Streaming Flicks

by BRIAN MILLER

Project Power On paper, the latest Netflix thriller PROJECT POWER couldn’t possibly fail. Not only does it feature a plot that cleverly tweaks the superhero genre, but also pairs two spectacular superstars, Jamie Foxx and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, alongside the up-andcoming and immensely talented Dominique Fishback.

There is new street drug called “power” in the city of New Orleans and it is taking its inhabitants by storm. Once ingested, the flashy pill grants its user superpowers for five full minutes. Each experience is unique to its particular user. For some, it causes them to transform into the Human Torch. Others morph into Elsa from FROZEN, while still others become invisible. And, while transforming into a superhero (or villain) certainly has its appeal, there’s always a chance that you can have a minor allergic reaction to the drug. And, by “minor allergic reaction” I mean that it can make your entire body explode.

While some take the drug for mere recreation, others use it for far more nefarious purposes. Robbing a bank is a lot easier when you are invisible, and police drawing their weapons on you is far less intimidating when you can’t be hurt. Whatever the reason may be for the user to indulge, there is no denying that dealing the product can be a Foxx and Gordon-Levitt lucrative endeavor.

In an effort to assist with the medical costs for her ailing mother, Robin (Fishback) starts peddling the power. This line of work can be hazardous to one’s health, and Robin is about to learn firsthand how dangerous dealing can be when she is bailed out by officer Frank Shaver (Gordon-Levitt.) He clearly has an affinity for the girl, but also, is not above taking the drug himself. Understanding that bad guys are hard to apprehend when they have superhuman strength and agility, he willfully indulges in order to level the playing field.

As the police try to combat the rising usage of the dangerous drug, retired military man Art (Foxx) is looking for the supplier. While the New Orleans police department tries to convince its officers (including Frank) that Art is the reason that the drug is on the street, the resourceful vet has more motivation than most to track down those who are creating the devastating pharmaceutical. His daughter has been kidnapped by those in charge of the production of the potent pill, and he will stop at nothing (including a solid dose of murder and mayhem) to get her back. He teams up with the reluctant Robin to unravel the mystery, even if it means putting of their lives at risk.

PROJECT POWER is unabashedly silly at times, but it embraces its own absurdity with relish. Once a user ingests the drug, their powers kick in with a matter of seconds. From there, they morph into a raging inferno, or can Hulk-smash their way through walls.

Despite this fact, our heroes still battle them with relish, effectively taking on a charging ball of flames or an indestructible giant. Some of these moments work, providing stylish, entertaining action sequences, while others are too ridiculous to embrace. Even in its most inconceivable moments, the performances by the three leads make it worth watching.

Foxx, who continuously illustrates that the industry needs him now more than ever, effortlessly carries the film on his back, remaining a shining light of brevity, even when things get heavy. Gordon-Levitt, who has returned to the cinematic world after brief sabbatical, works well with both Foxx and Fishback, exchanging snappy banter between the two with incredible ease. Finally, young Fishback is a strong, engaging character, devoid of the typical banality that many teens on screen exude on a regular basis. Robin is not without her flaws, but she is headstrong, intelligent, and caring. Though we may not agree with her career choices, we understand why she has made these difficult choices.

As an alternative to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, PROJECT POWER is an adequate diversion, but, as so often is the case these days, it merely illustrates how phenomenal the MCU truly is. Whereas The Avengers consistently and effortlessly blend humor, drama, and action for hours at a time, films like PROJECT POWER still have a bit of difficulty fitting all of the pieces cohesively together. Still, it’s nice to see something a little different, and an attempt at originality, even if it is not without its flaws. Thanks to Foxx, Fishback, and Gordon-Levitt, the latest Netflix venture is worth a look, though may not emerge as the most memorable of movie experiences.

PROJECT POWER- C+ (Now streaming on Netflix)

Julie Teeter

was our Lucky Winner for the

Night on the Town Contest!

She chose HARPOON EDDIE’S for dinner!

WITH CENTRAL NEW YORK

Photo does not represent actual winners.

PAGE 32 • September 2020

•

TABLE HOPPING

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION, CALL (315) 474-1011

Computers & the Web

by Nancy Roberts

Other Googles What search engine do you use?

Seriously - which one? Google is so common it’s like “zipper,” or “band-aid,” it’s become a verb and the generic for “search for it on the Internet.”

First, forgive me friends, but here’s a little Internet 101: a search engine and a browser aren’t the same thing. Granted, they appear to us to be very well integrated, but a browser is the software that presents information to you from the web in a way that useful to you - words, pictures, tables and so on. As stored and transmitted, the data itself would be useless to most of us. The browser is our interface so we can talk to the machine(s). We use Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge, and others.

The search engine is the software that actually goes out and searches the Internet for information relevant to what we’re looking for. There are a number of them, and they have changed significantly over the years - and probably the biggest “game changer” of all was Google. When it came on the scene in about 1998, it appeared to divorce search

from other “stuff” that was being offered to a user, such as ads and irrelevant information, most of it based on sales. Yahoo was probably one of the earlier ones you remember, but Infoseek is another early entrant, as were Lycos, Excite, Altavista, and one of my favorite ones early on, Hotbot. But when Google came along, it was sleek, simple, direct, and it had no ads (later, when it did carry ads, they were clearly identified as such).

Google relied on relevance. We’ve talked about the rounds of game playing that webmasters and Google played to keep Google’s search results relevant, and for the most part, Google won. But one thing I’ll never forget, and that was a friend telling me when I first excitedly extolled Google’s virtues: “Google is the evil empire.”

Well, I’m still not sure that it’s the evil empire, but when any one gateway becomes as powerful as Google is, it’s a good time to at least investigate alternatives. One thing our political strife of the last few years has taught us is that information is a highly valuable commodity; that publishing and platforms aren’t identical but the Internet has blurred their form and function; that WE are as much the target as the subject of the information game; that our very act of searching is teaching AI (artificial intelligence) a lot about what is of interest to me specifically, to me as a group, to me as a human in a zip code, age group, ethnic group, and purchaser of Progresso Soups (yes, AI knows).

So, here are a few alternative search engines that you can play with from time to time just to see what happens when you search on a particular subject or string.

DuckDuckGo: one thing this engine promises is not to store your data, and that it offers anonymous searching. It now also offers something called a Bang! search. This is a shortcut that will take you to search results on specific sites - so, let’s say you want a book or product on Amazon. Just type !a (the ! is known as a “Bang” by programmers) and then the name of the book or thing you’re looking for, and you’ll instantly search Amazon. You can do the same for Maps, Yelp, Wikipedia, Reddit, and a number of other popular sites.

Bing: a Microsoft product. It calls itself a “decision engine,” and offers results in categories. It tends to be a little old-school in terms of results.

Dogpile: people who use it feel it’s fast and “honest.” And fun.

Yippy: this one is so popular I’d never heard of it. A search engine of search engine, it can be useful for “deep” searches, to help you find information like blog results, or data buried deep in the archives of a government or university data based, or for that search of a truly arcane subject.

Google Scholar: just as the name implies, this engine focuses on scholarly papers, research, and archives.

Webopedia: this engine is dedicated to searching for technology terminology and computer definition.

Yahoo: yes, it’s still around. I’m not a fan because it mixes “news” with search results with opinion with tabloid type results, as well as email - more of a portal than a search engine.

When I see an article or cite I’m likely to take issue with, it often comes from Yahoo.

Internet Archive Search: I was mainly familiar with the “Wayback Machine,” a means of finding old web content or versions of websites from years ago (snapshots only). But this is a great resource when what you want is a look back, or an overview of a subject over time.

PAGE 33 • September 2020

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION, CALL (315) 474-1011

Tales from the Vine

by Cassandra Harrington by nicholas tan

Why You Should Use a Wine Rack For wine to mature in the proper way, you’ll need to have the right humidity, temperature, light condition, and movement. Whenever you are storing wine for any amount of time, you’ll need to ensure that the wine is in a safe place. Even though there are a few ways that you can store wine, none are safer or smarter than using a wine rack.

When you choose your wine rack, you should always remember to choose one that will store your wine properly. There are a several styles to choose from, including those that stack, wall mounts, and side mounts. You should also pay attention to size as well, as the sizes range from storing a few bottles to storing hundreds. You’ll also have a lot of varieties and designs to select from, all of which depend on your needs and your space.

Among the best types of wine racks are the horizontal racks. Contrary to what many may think, vertical racks aren’t a good choice for storing your wine. Wine that is stored on vertical racks are stored vertically, which means that the cork will dry out and eventually start to shrink, bringing air into the wine and ruining it.

On the other hand, vertical racks can come in handy when storing wine for short periods of time, or wine that is best consumed young.

Tilted racks are another type of rack you should avoid using, as they can dry out the corks or deposit the sediments too close to the cork. For your wine storing needs, you should always go with a horizontal rack. Horizontal racks will keep the cork moist, and keep unwanted air from making contact with the wine. The sediment will fall towards the side of the bottle, preventing spillage when you pop the cork. Horizontal racks are also very affordable and you can always add more racks to the design with little to no problem.

The materials for wine racks are normally wood or metal. You can hang them from ceilings, mount them on the wall, or simply place them on the floor. Metal racks are the strongest, although wood is more flexible. Wooden racks provide a bit more storage, for the simple fact that you can always add to them. Wood racks are also visually appealing, durable, and provide plenty of strength.

All in all, a wine rack is a fine investment for anyone who appreciates wine.

There are various sizes to choose from, all of which are very affordable. The small to medium sizes work best for homes, while the large styles are best for commercial settings. No matter where you keep your wine, you can count on a wine rack to keep your wine stored for years to come.

•

TABLE HOPPING

Recipe THIS MONTH’S

from Lauren Brown

Kale & Roasted Chickpea Salad Ingredients For Roasted Chickpeas 2 (15 oz.) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil 1 tsp. kosher salt ½ tsp. black pepper Directions

For Salad 3 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon 9 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 tsp. kosher salt ½ tsp. black pepper 1 (12 oz.) bag chopped kale 1 (3 oz.) bag sundried tomatoes

Step 1 • Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Step 2 • Place chickpeas on a baking sheet and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes, stirring once until chickpeas are slightly shrunken and crispy. Let cool.

Step 3 • In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. In a large bowl add the kale and sundried tomatoes.

Drizzle dressing on kale and top with roasted chickpeas.

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 15 mins

Servings: 6

PAGE 34 • September 2020

•

TABLE HOPPING

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION, CALL (315) 474-1011

Golf by brian yager

The 3 Types of Golf Handicap There are 3 types of handicaps out there. They include: (1) honest handicaps; (2) sandbagger handicaps and (3) Hollywood handicaps.

Thankfully, the most common type of handicap is the honest handicap. This is a handicap that is determined by using a standard and accepted formula as defined by the governing golf body in a particular country. The golfer who carries an honest handicap is conscientious about keeping accurate scores, adhering to the accepted rules of golf and of considering all rounds played when applying the handicap formula.

The golfer who can be considered to be carrying a sandbagger handicap goes out of his way to make sure that his “official” handicap is somewhat higher than what it should be. The reason for doing this is pretty obvious. When competing in Net Score competitions (often involving money or prizes) he can have a distinct advantage.

A proper handicap, as mentioned above, must be based on all rounds played, good or bad. One “not so subtle” way to achieve the status of an elite sandbagger is to conveniently forget to enter good rounds but to be diligent to the extreme when it comes to entering bad rounds. If the golfer is “on a roll” with nothing but good rounds being shot, it may be necessary to make the supreme sacrifice and actually purposely play a bad round.

“Gee, I just couldn’t hit a fairway today!”

The third type of golfer is the one who carries a Hollywood handicap. This type of player is extremely interesting.

This golfer has his heart in the right place - he takes the game seriously and desperately wants to improve and, perhaps more importantly, to be recognized as an accomplished player by his friends and peers. For the typical Hollywood handicap player, the handicap is everything. He would rather carry a low handicap and lose money than carry an inflated handicap and win money. A rare, but interesting breed!

To make my point, you should understand that the first step in computing a handicap using the standard USGA formula is to convert the Gross Score to what is called the

Adjusted Gross Score (AGS). The AGS is equal to or lower than the gross score with an adjustment made by reducing unusually high hole scores. For example, in the US a typical bogey golfer (with a handicap between 10 and 19) cannot take more than a 7 on any hole.

OK, so you should now understand the difference between the Gross Score and the Adjusted Gross Score. Well, for the Hollywood handicap golfer, there is no difference. In fact, the concept of a gross score becomes obsolete. If the player happens to balloon to a triple bogey or worse on a par 5, he will typically say “just put me down for a double”, knowing that anything higher will not affect his handicap. And of course, the “put me down for a double” statement will have that unmistakable inflection of “surely you would not expect a player of my stature to put down a number higher than that”.

Hmm, I have to wonder what would happen if Tiger, participating in a PGA event and after playing a rare bad hole, were to say “just jot down a par for that hole”. It wouldn’t be pretty.

The final interesting thing about the Hollywood handicapper is that he will enjoy a cold beverage after a round of golf and discuss nonchalantly his final score. It would never occur to him that his 9 on the eighth hole should have any bearing on the validity of the score he discusses - a result where a 7 appears on the scorecard.

Still, when all the dust settles, I would rather play a Hollywood handicapper than a sandbagger in a heads up battle. Hey, who wouldn’t?

Brian Yager has keen interest in golf and his software development skills led to the creation of CaddieMasterPro, a personal handicap and performance analysis software program available at his website, CaddieMaster Golf Software and in North American retail outlets.

PAGE 35 • September 2020

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION, CALL (315) 474-1011

•

TABLE HOPPING

Congratulations to this years winnerS! WITH CENTRAL NEW YORK

2020

THE VOTES ARE IN FOR OUR 15th annual Readers Choice Awards!

DINING & DRINKING

1. Best Diner ______________________________________ Stella's Dinner 2. Best Chef ________________Chris Cesta (Inn Between Restaurant) 3. Best Restaurant for Seafood __________________________Clam Bar 4. Best Deli/Sandwich Shop ______________________ Brooklyn Pickle 5. Best Italian Restaurant _______________ Santangelo's Restaurant 6. Best Asian Restaurant ____________________________ Lemon Grass 7. Best Middle Eastern Restaurant _______________________Munjed's 8. Best Mexican Restaurant________________________________ Azteca 9. Best Vegetarian/Vegan Restaurant_______________ Strong Hearts 10. Best Food Truck ____________________________ Lady Bug Lunch Box 11. Best Fresh Bread _____________________________ Di Lauro's Bakery 12. Best Dinner Cruise _______________________ Mid-Lakes Navigation 13. Best Place for Wings ___________________________ Change of Pace 14. Best Place for Ribs_________________________ Dinosaur Bar-B Que 15. Best Place for Pizza __________________________________Twin Trees 16. Best Restaurant for Steak____________________Scotch -N- Sirloin 17. Best Restaurant for Sushi _____________________________Yamasho 18. Best Place for Ice Cream______________ Gannon's Isle Ice Cream 19. Best Place for Lunch _______________________________ Francesca's 20. Best Outdoor Patio _________________________________ The Retreat 21. Best Place for Breakfast ____________________________ Gem Diner 22. Best Place For Burger _____________________________Ale 'N' Angus 23. Best Place For a Fish Fry _____________________________ Fish Cove 24. Best Place for a Hot Dog ____________________ Heid's of Liverpool 25. Best Place For a Burrito ____________________ Ponchito's Taqueria 26. Best Bakery/Pastry Shop ______________ Biscotti Cafe & Gelateria 27. Best Place for Coffee _______________________________ Café Kubal 28. Best Place for Soup ______________________ The Salt City Soup Co. 29. Best Family Restaurant __________________________________Tully's 30. Best Buffet Restaurant___________________________ New Ling Ling 31. Best Take-Out Restaurant _________Avicolli's Pizzeria Restaurant 32. Best Caterer ____________________ Carnegie's Cafe & Catering Co. 33. Best Winery _________ Dr. Konstantin Frank Vinifera Wine Cellars 34. Best Neighborhood Bar __________________________ Blarney Stone 35. Best Biker Bar ________________________________________ Dinosaur

36. Best Place for Happy Hour _________________________ The Retreat 37. Best Sports Bar ___________________________ Sharkey's Bar & Grill 38. Best Irish Pub___________________ Coleman's Authentic Irish Pub 39. Best Place for Draft Beer ________________________ The Blue Tusk 40. Best Craft Brewery ____________________ Middle Ages Brewing Co. 41. Best Place for a Margarita _____________________________ Azteca 42. Best Place for Glass of Wine _________________ The Brewster Inn 43. Best Polish Restaurant___________________Eva's European Sweets 44. Best Indian Restaurant_______________________________Dosa Grill

LOVE & ROMANCE

45. Best Jewelry Store ________________________ Egon Erhlinspiel 46. Best Bridal Shop/Boutique ________________ New York Bride 47. Best Place for Wedding Reception: Lake Shore Country Club 48. Best Romantic Getaway _________________ Mirbeau Inn & Spa 49. Best Limo Service __________________________ Northeast Limo 50. Best Pickup Joint _____________________________________Trexx 51. Best Adult Sex Toy Shop ________________________Adult World 52. Best Gay/Lesbian Bar _________________________________Trexx 53. Best Strip Club ______________________________________ Alpine

GOODS & SERVICES

54. Best Place For Chocolate _____ Speach Family Candy Shoppe 55. Best Book Store _________________________________ Books End 56. Best Health Food Store _________________________ Natur-Tyme 57. Best Body Art Shop ______________________ Carmelo's Ink City 58. Best Hair Salon ___________________________________ Industry 59. Best Nail Salon __________________ Cosmopolitan Salon & Spa 60. Best Tanning Salon __________ Hakuna Matata Tanning Salon 61. Best Day Spa ____________________________ Mirbeau Inn & Spa 62. Best Inn_________________________________ Mirbeau Inn & Spa 63. Best Florist_________________________________Sam RAO Florist 64. Best Place for Martial Arts _____________Impact Martial Arts 65. Best Place for Massage ______________ Body Works Massage

66. Best Dance Studio________________ Syracuse Dance Academy 67. Best Music Store _____________________________Sound Garden 68. Best Smoke Shop____________________ Rocky's News & Cigars 69. Best Liquor Store__________________________________Pascale's

EVENTS & ENTERTAINMENT

70. Best Local Band _____________________________ Hard Promises 71. Best Live Music Venue _______________ Turning Stone Casino 72. Best Dance Club____________________________ Lava Night Club 73. Best Place for Karaoke _______________Singer's Karaoke Club 74. Best Museum _____ The Most, Museum of Science and Tech.

75. Best DJ Service _______________________________ Whirlin' Disc 76. Best Wedding Band ____________________________ Prime Time 77. Best Festival _________________________________Festa Italiana 78. Best Car Show___________________________Syracuse Nationals 79. Best Haunted House ___________________________Fright Nights

SPORTS & LEISURE

80. Best Local Sports Team________ Syracuse Orange Basketball 81. Best Raceway ________________________________ Watkins Glen 82. Best Local Gym _________________________Aspen Athletic Club 83. Best Local Place to Ski/Snowboard _____ Labrador Mountain 84. Best Public Golf Course ______________ Turning Stone Resort 85. Best Miniature Golf __________Big Don's Wild River Mini Golf 86. Best Country Club ____________________________ Lakeshore CC 87. Best Place for Horseback Riding ____Tanglewood Riding Center 88. Best Place For Zumba ________________________ Pulse Fitness 89. Best Place For Yoga _________________________ Syracuse Yoga

MEDIA

90. Best Local TV News __________________ WSYR News Channel 9 91. Best Weathercaster __________________________ Wayne Mahar 92. Best Local Radio Station ___________________________ B 104.7 93. Best Local Radio Personality/ies ___________ Ted & Amy, 93Q

NOTE: This Reader's choice is a prestigious award for LOCAL VENUES native to Central New York. Nationally-franchised did not qualify.

PAGE 36 • September 2020

•

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION, CALL (315) 474-1011

TABLE HOPPING

EUCLID

ENJOY OUR INDOOR DINING & BAR WITH NYS GUIDELINES

HAPPY HOUR ALL DAY!

BAR IS OPEN: TUES-SAT NOON-8PM 16OZ DRAFT $3.25 DOMESTIC BOTTLE BEER $3.50 WELL DRINK $3.50 WINE BY THE GLASS White Zinfandel • Pinot Grigio Chardonnay • Cabernet Sauvignon

TAKEOUT HOURS: 12-8PM CALL FOR ORDERS TO GO! ONLINE ORDERING COMING SOON CURBSIDE PICKUP AVAILABLE!

ENJOY OUR 9 FLATSCREEN TVs

NOW SERVING PONY’S OF MILLER HIGH LIFE

5 FOR $8

FULL MENU AVAILABLE AT BAR

DAILY SPECIALS

TUESDAY

Cattleman’s Cut 24oz. Prime Rib $27.99 Chicken & Biscuits $10.99

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

Southern Fried Chicken $16.99 Sauerbraten $13.99

Spaghetti or Pasta Only $9.99

ALL YOU CAN EAT

FRIDAYS ONLY

ALL YOU CAN EAT

GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE! BANQUET FACILITY AVAILABLE