While buying lunch at Nichols Supermarket deli on the afternoon of Oct. 31, I gazed into the hot display case and saw four sets of eyes gazing back at me.
They were stuffed yellow peppers carved into jack-o-lanterns to celebrate Halloween. The clever design was created by deli staffer Joe Emilo, who’s also a gifted guitar player.
The pumpkin-faced peppers sold for $6.99 per pound.
Nichols has been doing business at 327 First St. in the village for more than a half-century; (315) 457-1806.
Sugar and spice
Apple cider and pumpkin spice combine for fall drink specials at The Retreat, 302 Vine St., at the corner of First; retreatrestaurant.com; (315) 457-6358.
The bar’s awesomest autumn highball is a pumpkin spice martini made with Cap’n Morgan rum. It costs $8.
Although it’s no longer being served, the autumn apple sangria was an especially creamy and delicious dessert cocktail combining caramel vodka, apple vodka, pinot Grigio and apple cider, served in a cinnamon-rimmed glass. An apple spice mojito mixed with cinnamon and maple syrup also spiced up the menu in October.
Fresh-made fry cakes
Old-fashioned apple cider donuts are always a big seller at the Regional Donut Authority at 207 Oswego St., also known as Ponderosa Plaza. Owners Rich “Hoss” Lickfield and his wife, Suzi, serve their famous fresh-made fry cakes there daily from 5:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The basic cinnamon donut will almost literally melt in your mouth, but you might want to sample some of the other Regional specialties. For instance the wild Samoan donut combines caramel icing with toasted coconut and chocolate. The ooh la la donut is toasted like French toast, and the Syracuse orange donut blends orange icing with chocolate shavings.
Get in touch with Hoss and Sue at (315) 451-3000.
Fish on Fridays
They’re now serving fish on Fridays at the village’s new breakfast-and-lunch spot, Maggie’s Trackside Diner, down on the railroad tracks, kitty-corner from Heid’s. The diner’s address is listed as 214 Oswego St., but it sure seems more like Old Liverpool Road to me.
Anyhow, now owned by Maggie Voultsios and Paul Johnston, the diner serves a fried haddock sandwich with one side for $6.95, or a fish dinner with one side plus coleslaw for $7.45
If you suffer a sweet tooth (as most of us do this time of year), you could order Belgian waffles with strawberries for just $4.95. Popeye fans might want to sample the spinach pie made with paper-thin phyllo dough for $5.95. Contact Maggie and Paul at (315) 802-6696.
Sweet sausage
I’ve discovered an ambrosia of sausages! Mazzye’s Meat, at 7252 Oswego Road, sells an amazing parsley, wine and cheese sausage. I’m pretty sure it’s made with fresh pork and chicken, and its rich wine flavor paired with parsley and aged Romano cheese, makes for a tender and aromatic sausage perfect for sandwiches, pizza or even with eggs at breakfast. And it costs just $3.99 per pound.
By the way, Mazzye’s, which has operated in the Liverpool area for the past 38 years, pioneered the making of chicken sausage, but now plenty of others are using the birds as a healthy alternative. Call in your holiday meat orders to Mazzye’s at (315) 457-3697.
Bowled over!
Professional bowlers from across North America hoped to make history here last week while kicking off the final round of the 2017 U.S. Open on Nov. 1.
The U.S. Open is the fourth of five major championships on the 2017 Professional Bowlers Association Tour. A total of 144 ten-pin hopefuls (113 professional bowlers and 31 amateurs) competed during the event at Flamingo Bowl on Route 57, just north of the village.
So Liverpool basked in the national spotlight during the CBS Sports Network’s live broadcast of the tour’s stepladder finals last Wednesday night, and that’s a solid strike!
Last word
“The village of Liverpool should establish a policy regarding the use of recreational drones.” – Tulip Street resident Jan Quitzau.
Contact the columnist at [email protected].