The ‘lighter’ side of Skaneateles: Noted chef opens new cafe - syracuse.com

takanadalagi.blogspot.com

Skaneateles, N.Y. — Don Agate has cooked in a lot of places. Several have been steakhouses.

His newest venture, the first he’s operated himself, is definitely not a steakhouse.

Good Eats & Sips, which Agate owns with his wife Marie-Hélène Ingras, has a menu based on grain, greens and noodle bowls, along with smoothies and bagels.

“We didn’t set out to make it healthy, specifically,” Agate said. ”But it’s definitely the lighter side of Skaneateles. And we pay attention to the food.”

Good Eats & Sips is at 18 W. Genesee St. in Skaneateles, in the narrow but deep storefront spot previously occupied by the White Birch Vineyards Tasting Room. It closed in March (though the winery remains open).

Ingras had worked at White Birch, and so she and Agate had a jump on the space when it became vacant. They started to set it up in March, just as the coronavirus pandemic hit. It opened June 17.

“Covid (the coronavirus) is a crazy time to start a business,” Agate said. “But here we are."

The menu is based primarily on various kinds of bowls. Some are vegeterian or vegan (like a version of a Buddha Bowl), and others contain proteins, such as salmon, shrimp, chicken, beef or eggs.

There are yogurt bowls smoothie bowls, including one called the Skaneateles Smoothie Bowl, which contains a spirulina, mango an almond-milk base topped with berries, cacao nibs, almond butter, honey and house-made granola. (Spirulina is a blue-green algae often hailed as a superfood).

Grain bowls include one called Antoun’s Poke bowl, with quinoa, rice, raw salmon, avocado, edamame, cucumber, red cabbage, green onion sesame and a SSAM sauce ( spicy Korean style sauce). Greens bowls include a Buffalo Chicken Bowl, with chicken, croutons, carrot, slaw, celery, blue cheese crumbles an a buffalo blue cheese sauce.

The noodle bowl selections feature one called Don’s Hangover Noodle Bowl, which has ramen, jammy egg, spam and green onion.

God East & Sips, it should be noted, does not serve alcohol, though that could be added in a year or so.

Rounding out the menu are smoothies, bagels and a kids breakfast/lunch section. Coffee is roasted at Coffee Mania of Cortland.

The bowls concept allows Agate to experiment with different ingredients and flavors, and continue to act as a “chef."

“It’s less stress than in the big steakhouses and places I’ve worked,” he said. “It’s not fine dining,. You could say it’s more fun."

Orders are taken at a front counter, and there is both take-out and seating (spaced out for social distancing during the coronavirus).

Agate, who grew up in Cortland, had worked until last fall as the chef at Portico by Fabio Viviani, the Italian steakhouse that anchors the dining venues at del Lago Casino Resort near Waterloo. Though celebrity chef Fabio Viviani has his name attached to it, Agate ran the kitchen on a day-to-day basis.

Before that, he was chef at the Springside Inn near Auburn and executive chef for Hamilton-based Hospitality Concepts, former owners of the The Colgate Inn and other venues. He also once worked at a well-known seafood restaurant in Fort Worth, Texas, winning Forth Worth Magazine’s recognition as 2011 chef of the year.

Igras also has a background in the dining industry, serving as a manager at the Olive Garden on Erie Boulevard in DeWitt before her stint at White Birch. The native of Montreal also worked at a fine dining restaurant in Forth Worth and in Canada.

Agate sees Good Eats & Sips filling a niche for both Skaneateles local and visitors. He’s noted that this summer, so far, has brought a large number of tourists to town despite the coronavirus.

“We’re hoping to offer something that you wouldn’t otherwise find here in Skaneateles,” he said. “It’s something different for Skaneateles, just like it’s something different for us."

MORE ON FOOD AND DRINKS

Hidden Gems of CNY: Homemade soups and designer sandwiches in an office park

Skaneateles native helps launch online shopping site for rare, high-end liquors

Greenwood Winery closes bistro, adds NY-themed wine and liquor shop

CNY’s 12 best restaurants for wine: Saint Urban joins the list

Don Cazentre writes for NYup.com, syracuse.com and The Post-Standard. Reach him at dcazentre@nyup.com, or follow him at NYup.com, on Twitter or Facebook.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

"cafe" - Google News
July 06, 2020 at 07:08PM
https://ift.tt/2ZEvccY

The ‘lighter’ side of Skaneateles: Noted chef opens new cafe - syracuse.com
"cafe" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2FkbMR3
https://ift.tt/3c4yPxW