Your favorite pasta dishes?

[Jolly Blue Giant]

Ric, having lived in Endicott for over 50 years, you're making me crave some of that good triple cities cooking. My favorite from back in the day was Duff's on the northside of Endicott. It's the place I went with my wife on our first date back when we were 16. Hands down the best homemade pasta I've ever had...anywhere. Love Cortese but not a fan of Little Venice sauce. As you say it's a sweet sauce, which doesn't do it for me. Years ago The Binghamton Press used to occasionally feature recipes from area restaurants in the "local" section of the paper. I remember Little Venice sharing their spaghetti sauce recipe, and If I'm remembering right it contained a bit of apple sauce in it. Or maybe I'm confusing it with something else. Not sure. At any rate I felt the same way about that sauce as I did about Brozetti's pizza. A lot of people love it but too sweet for me. Actually I have no idea if Brozetti's is still there. I'm losing more and more touch with the triple cities with each passing year.

The secret ingrediant in Little Venice sauce is not applesauce, as many have claimed over the years. It's actually grape jelly and apple cider vinegar, if my source is right. Grape jelly is a common incredient for cocktail meatballs at parties, except they also have some chili pepper added

Brozetti's closed down last year. Not surprising, since Wilson Hospital and Binghamton University have acquired all the surrounding land and buildings. It's no longer called "Wilson Hospital", but it's now the "UHS Wilson Medical Center" and it has sprawled into a behemoth. And BU has been tearing down the old brick eyesores that used to be factories for EJs and others, and built big modern buildings for their Nursing School, their Pharmacy School, etc. BU has bought up half of JC...you wouldn't recognize it. The hospital acquired the huge Baptist church on the corner and razed it to build additional buildings and parking, and they aren't through

UHS Wilson Medical Center


BU School of Pharmacy next to the hospital


BU Decker School of Nursing


BU even bought up the new Gannet Press Building after it sold out

[Sem]

Thanks for the clarification on the sauce, Ric.

You're right, I don't recognize much in those pictures. Although Wilson/UHS looks a bit familiar, likely because I spent some time there two summers ago with my mom who had been admitted following a severe stroke which ended up claiming her life. That was the last time I was back in NY. I'm not sure when or if I'll ever be back there.

[Sem]

Ric, my curiosity got the best of me, I had to research Little Venice sauce.

Q. Is apple sauce the secret ingredient in the famous pasta
sauce?
A. NO! and contrary to many rumors there is no peanut butter or grape jelly in the sauce either. Thick, smooth and sweet Little Venice's homemade tomato sauce is unlike anything other. The sauce recipe is a guarded family secret known only to 3 people. During the 6 plus decades that Little Venice has operated only 6 cooks have ever made the sauce. Rumors persist about the sauce recipe, but the truth is the correct recipe is not on the internet

https://littlevenicerestaurant.com/faq/

[Ed Vette]

Dutch noodles in Alfredo Sauce accompanied by grilled Chicken Rollatini with homemade Pesto sauce.

[squibber]

We learned a quick and easy three ingredient pasta dish from Wegmans.

Tricolor tortellini from the refrigerated section of the supermarket.

Lipton noodle soup mix

One package of frozen spinach

[Sem]

We learned a quick and easy three ingredient pasta dish from Wegmans.

Tricolor tortellini from the refrigerated section of the supermarket.

Lipton noodle soup mix

One package of frozen spinach

There's a few things, (and people), I really miss since moving from NY to the west coast. One of those things is definitely Wegmans.

[LennG]

 Not to hijack this topic, but certain large supermarket chains just never get into the NY Metro area. Wegmans was one but hooray, they are opening the fist one on Long Island in a bout a month. A bit far for me to travel for some groceries, but if I am ever in the area, I will visit.

[squibber]

I like Wegmans too but my favorite supermarket is called Seed to Table in Naples, Florida. It's owned by a large produce farm.

It has two bars and live music and dancing at certain times. It has a wine department and you can bring the wine to the bar and they will serve it to you. They have a food court with different types of food like Mexican, etc..  You can buy meat or seafood and they will cook it there and bring it to your table.

[Jolly Blue Giant]

I love Wegmans, but it's too big...unless you have a day or afternoon to waste, and you brought a substantial amount of money. I've perfected getting in and out in less than a few minutes - getting two types of sushi - then browsing the fresh fish and beef departments. I usually (used to anyway) grab a fresh tuna steak or swordfish steak, but at 40-some dollars per pound now, not so often. The filet Mignon steaks, strip steaks, etc., that don't sell on day one, they vacuum seal and sell them the next day, for about half price and that's where I end up getting beef...unless I'm entertaining guests, then I splurge. Usually in and out in less than 10 minutes. Sometimes I grab a Beef'n Wick sandwich and split...like yesterday when I was in Syracuse. They have everything imaginable in the store, but it's pricey and Weiss, Tops, Price Chopper, and even Aldi's has pretty good vegetables for a lot less than Wegmans, without overwhelming crowds. What Wegmans does, is a fantastic job of presentation of unlimited varieties of fruits and veggies...not necessarily more tasty than other stores. I'm used to them as there have been Wegmans in Binghamton, Ithaca, and Syracuse for many years...and I'm about equidistant from each of those cities, although usually I go to the one in Binghamton. Selection is unsurpassed by any grocery store in the world, but along with unlimited selections, great presentation, etc., is large crowd chaos    That's the one downside IMO

People rave on and on about Trader Joes, but I don't get the obsession.

The worst thing about Wegmans is their urinals. When I use them, I get urine everywhere!



Worst urinals ever

[Sem]

Perhaps you don't appreciate Wegman's until there really is no Wegman's. That's where I'm at with it. We have Aldi's, Trader Joe's, and even Whole Foods. We have grocery chains the equal of Price Chopper, Weiss, and Tops. I've shopped and Kroeger, Food Lion, and hell, even Piggly Wiggly. But goddammit, I miss Wegman's!!

[Jolly Blue Giant]

Perhaps you don't appreciate Wegman's until there really is no Wegman's. That's where I'm at with it. We have Aldi's, Trader Joe's, and even Whole Foods. We have grocery chains the equal of Price Chopper, Weiss, and Tops. I've shopped and Kroeger, Food Lion, and hell, even Piggly Wiggly. But goddammit, I miss Wegman's!!

Oh, I know I'd miss it...if only for the their sushi and Beef'n Wick sandwiches and fresh seafood

I don't know if you know the story, but the Baldwin brothers grew up in Camillus (Syracuse), and they've all moved on to bigger places, closer to their acting careers. Alec to NYC, etc. Anyway, the brothers have begged their mother to move to a place where they live now (they'll even buy her a gorgeous house), and she flat out refuses...the reason: she won't leave unless there is a Wegmans close to her (there's one in Camillus of course, a couple of miles from her). Wegmans has actually used her in advertisements

My girlfriend moved to Florida a couple years ago and she still calls and begs me, "will you please call Wegmans' owners and tell them to start stores in Florida", LOL. The funny thing is, she's serious...that is the only thing (well, besides me) that she misses here. I think they've expanded as far south as Charlotte, so I tell her that next is Atlanta, then probably Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, etc. Every city wants one, but the Wegman's family seems to be slowly migrating south, not west 

[Sem]

I hadn't heard that about the Baldwin's, Ric. That's a great story. The power of Wegmans!!

[LennG]

I love Wegmans, but it's too big...unless you have a day or afternoon to waste, and you brought a substantial amount of money. I've perfected getting in and out in less than a few minutes - getting two types of sushi - then browsing the fresh fish and beef departments. I usually (used to anyway) grab a fresh tuna steak or swordfish steak, but at 40-some dollars per pound now, not so often. The filet Mignon steaks, strip steaks, etc., that don't sell on day one, they vacuum seal and sell them the next day, for about half price and that's where I end up getting beef...unless I'm entertaining guests, then I splurge. Usually in and out in less than 10 minutes. Sometimes I grab a Beef'n Wick sandwich and split...like yesterday when I was in Syracuse. They have everything imaginable in the store, but it's pricey and Weiss, Tops, Price Chopper, and even Aldi's has pretty good vegetables for a lot less than Wegmans, without overwhelming crowds. What Wegmans does, is a fantastic job of presentation of unlimited varieties of fruits and veggies...not necessarily more tasty than other stores. I'm used to them as there have been Wegmans in Binghamton, Ithaca, and Syracuse for many years...and I'm about equidistant from each of those cities, although usually I go to the one in Binghamton. Selection is unsurpassed by any grocery store in the world, but along with unlimited selections, great presentation, etc., is large crowd chaos    That's the one downside IMO

People rave on and on about Trader Joes, but I don't get the obsession.

The worst thing about Wegmans is their urinals. When I use them, I get urine everywhere!



Worst urinals ever

I'm sure you were saying this tongue in cheek, but you do know what goes into those machines. At least I hope so.