The Black Stallion is worth a visit and a run on Route 5

Route 20 in CNY gets all the love.  Those beautiful signs that herald it as a national scenic byway, its claim to fame as the longest road in the country, the associations and groups formed to sing its praises.  All well-deserved, indeed. But then, just to the north, is Route 5, the ugly sister of Route 20. Don’t hear much about this road, though it shares the same exact pavement with Route 20 in two different sections as it runs 370 miles across New York state. And don’t even get me started with Route 5S.

But there we were the other day, traveling on the Ugly Sister through Vernon. I used to cover the Vernon Town Board for the Rome Daily Sentinel, writing stories about the Hood dairy plant and Vernon Downs. Back when people I knew were getting married and not divorced, I would attend receptions at Dibbles Inn. Lately, I’ve enjoyed breakfast a couple times at Nothin’ Fancy.

The other night, we discovered a place that was new to us and a place we’ll be going back to: The Black Stallion.

There’s the horsey name, thanks to the proximity to the racetrack, and there’s a bunch of miniature race cars (NASCAR, not open-wheel) adorning one wall in the bar, thanks to being across the street from the Utica-Rome Speedway, and there’s a well-organized wait staff and a mighty fine kitchen crew out back. This place was a surprise to us; a pleasant surprise.

The Black Stallion on Route 5 in Vernon.

It calls itself an Italian restaurant, but there is a whole lot more to it. On the Friday night we went, there were six different specials, mostly involving creative sauces and combinations of fish and scallops. You have your CNY standards like Chicken Riggies and Italian Greens, but there are plenty of beef and chicken options, too. Wife L had one of the specials, a grilled, mild white fish on a bed of wilted greens with a garlic butter sauce. She loved it.

I had the Chicken Asiago. This perfectly prepared chicken breast comes with broccoli, artichoke hearts, asiago cheese, and roasted red peppers in a lemon garlic sauce. 

The fish special was $21 and my chicken dish was $16. You can get baked ziti for $10 or Alaskan king crab for $26. There really is an interesting range of entrees and specials.

You might be apt to drive right by because the exterior might not stand out to you, and inside is your standard dining area with not a lot of frills, but it really is a well-run place.

We’ll take another ride on the Ugly Sister one day and try The Black Stallion again.

 On another, completely unrelated, note. Is the flox that seems to be absolutely everywhere I walk these days a good thing or a bad thing? I enjoy the bright colors but I wonder if it is forcing out other plants. This photo is from the Chenango Canal walking path, just off Eaton Street in Hamilton.

Going crazy over Herkimer diner

I received a great e-mail Monday.

Peter wrote that the day before he was riding through Poland and Russia. Of course, he was talking about the Poland and Russia  in Herkimer County. He was winding his way south along West Canada Creek and ended up in the village of Herkimer.

He writes: “Knowing your preferences when it comes to diners, I just had to show you what I found there.” So he attached this photo:

Empire Diner in the village of Herkimer

It’s the Empire Diner in the village, and Peter says it must be placed on everyone’s “Places You Absolutely Must Eat” list. He  points out that Herkimer is a great halfway spot between Albany and Syracuse if you’re ever driving along Route 5 or the Thruway.

He says the diner, now actually called Crazy Otto’s Empire Diner, is operated by a young couple from California who bought the place a couple years ago to restore the classic stainless steel eatery with the Art Deco touches. Mission accomplished, they now deliver outstanding food on a daily basis.

I haven’t been to the Empire in years. We used to drive quite a bit between Rome, where my in-laws used to live, and Schenectady, where we used to live. We’d stop at the diner occasionally, but we were usually too full to eat because while in Rome we usually had feasted on pizza from The Plaza (now closed) or eaten at the fabulous Franklin Hotel (thankfully still open).

In fact we just passed the diner as we were driving up to Dolgeville for a stay at a bed and breakfast.

Peter, it’s on the list for another visit.  Thanks for the e-mail and photo!