While perusing through Syracuse restaurant reviews online, I came across a link titled “Foodie’s Bucket List, Syracuse.” Being a foodie myself — some might call it “food-obsessed” — I was intrigued.

The first “can’t miss” restaurant on the list was Darwin, located at 211 N. Clinton St. Comments on the restaurant’s Yelp page describe it as “the best sandwich place I have EVER seen by far” and “the place to lunch in Syracuse.”

It would’ve been a foodie crime not to check it out.

Darwin is a division of Riley’s, of 312 Park St., also deemed one of the city’s best restaurants. Like its parent restaurant, Darwin’s menu changes daily in order to incorporate fresh produce and the restaurant’s newest recipes, which allows for a different dining experience every visit.

Located right off of Clinton Square, it seemed easy enough to find. After all, my GPS said it was only three miles away. A detour, a few wrong turns and issues finding a parking space later, our 10-minute trip turned into a half-hour expedition. Needless to say, I was a bit peeved when we arrived at Darwin, but this dissipated almost instantly.

It was the kind of spot that just invited you in.

The building is quaint with yellow walls and a white brick front. A sign on the side of the building said, “Out to lunch…”

I wasn’t expecting Darwin to be such a close-quartered restaurant, but it had only a few tables and a countertop seating space. Don’t let the tight space deter your visit, though. The crowd only added to the restaurant’s chaotically cozy atmosphere.

Darwin’s menu was scrawled in chalk on a blackboard in a host of different colors, showcasing the day’s soup, salad, sandwich and side offerings. It’s worth noting the food is served wrapped up and in a to-go bag, seeing as there is such limited space to eat in the restaurant.

The service was amiable and the guy taking our orders even cracked a few jokes with us. Minutes after ordering, our sandwiches and soups were ready, and I have to say, it was one of the fastest meal preparations I have ever experienced.

Our first menu item was a bowl of Sweet Potato Bisque with Maple Cream and Fresh Scallions, $5. Bisque is technically meant to be a smooth and creamy soup, and Darwin’s vegetarian version was as smooth and creamy as a sweet potato soup can be. Although I did find some not-pureed sweet potato bits, the overall texture was luxuriously silky.

The maple cream squirted on top was the best part of the whole dish. The cream complimented the sweet flavor of the bisque wonderfully, providing a balance between sweet and savory. I only wished there was more of it — without the cream, I found the bisque itself to be slightly too sweet. It was almost dessert-esque.

We also ordered the Ships In The Night sandwich, $8. The sandwich had fresh mozzarella, portobello mushrooms, frizzled red onion, tomato, fresh spinach and basil topped with a house-made balsamic dressing, all on stretch bread from Pastabilities.

The sandwich was perfectly portioned. It was large, but not too large that you felt like you couldn’t finish it. There was plenty of thickly sliced mozzarella, the mushrooms were tender and juicy, and the onions were sweet and slightly crispy. The balsamic dressing was creamy, tangy and complimented the rest of the sandwich’s components perfectly.

My one gripe with Darwin’s menu the day I visited was its unbalanced meat-to-vegetarian dishes ratio. There was one meat-free sandwich, but my personal opinion is that when a menu has seven or so meat-based sandwiches, at least two meatless ones should also be offered. It’s all about accommodating as many customers as possible.

If you’re looking for a great lunch spot, check out Darwin. After visiting, you, too, can check it off of your Syracuse Foodie Bucket List. Oh, and if it’s not on there, it should be.

Published on April 3, 2013 at 12:28 am

Contact Riddley: rsgemper@syr.edu