Di Lauro's Italian Bakery

Since the 19th century, Syracuse has been a place where immigrants from many different ethnic backgrounds have settled and established their own communities. For many years, Syracuse's north side was home to a large Italian-American community. Before that, much of the north side was settled by German immigrants. In the past 30 years, other groups have settled there: Vietnamese, Afghan, Sudanese, Somali, Bhutanese and Nepali, to name a few. Syracuse seems to be a popular resettlement place for refugees from all over. To some extent the newer groups replace the earlier ones, but there is a great deal of mixing going on as well. On Lodi Street, just a half mile from my house there is an intersection where a small market run by a Chinese family sits next to a Middle Eastern meat market. Across the street is a Bhutanese restaurant, and on another corner is an Italian bakery. Most of the businesses are relatively new, but Di Lauro's Italian Bakery has been there for over a century.

[Edited 10/7/15: My memory failed me, the "small market run by a Chinese family" is a block away from the other 3 businesses.]

I am a regular customer at Di Lauro's. Their bread and rolls are excellent, and their pizza is good too. But it is some of their more unusual items that keep me coming back.

1.
This is called Tomato Pie. It is a thick-crust pizza, topped with a thick layer of rich tomato sauce and just a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese on top. It is baked in a rectangular shape and usually served cold. For many years this was a local dish, only found in Utica, NY. But lately I have seen it available in several places around Syracuse.

2.
This is called a DiLuna. They take a circle of Italian Bread dough, place about a cup of filling on it, then fold it over and pinch the open edges together. Then they put a small slit in the top to allow the steam to escape and bake it. It is similar to the "Pasties" found on Michigan's Upper Peninsula, but with an Italian flavor. Fillings options include: Broccoli & Spinach, Pepperoni, Mushroom, and my favorite, Italian sausage. All of the fillings include some Mozzarella cheese. I often get one of these for lunch.

3.

If I can get there early enough, I get one or two slices of this: Breakfast Pizza. Although breakfast pizza is available at a number of convenience stores and gas stations around the area, I think Di Lauro's makes it best. Unfortunately, they often sell out by 9:00 AM. Breakfast Pizza is made like traditional pizza, but without any tomato sauce. Instead, it has scrambled eggs and Mozarella cheese, and is topped with bits of ham, sausage, and crumbled bacon. It is sooooooo good!! I get a slice or two for breakfast whenever I can.

Closing the Camp

I drove to my camp in the southern Adirondacks today to close it up for the Winter. It started off as a cloudy, chilly, gray day, but around noon the sun came out and it became one of those gorgeous, crisp Fall days, that I love so much. I didn't have a lot of time for sightseeing, and the leaf colors are only beginning to change anyway, but it was a very pleasant drive. I met my friend, Bob, from Albany there and we spent 2 hours bringing in tables, chairs and other items at his camp, then put up plywood over the doors to ready the place for the onslaught of another Adirondack Winter. I spent about 20 minutes getting my small place ready for the Winter and sealed up tight. Bob treated me to dinner at Wendy's in nearby Johnstown, and then we each headed home. Here are two photos from today's trip:


The colors of the trees have only begun changing, even in the southern Adirondacks. By next weekend the trees at higher elevations should be spectacular.


This is Beardslee Castle in Little Falls, NY. I often pass by it on my way to the camp. It was built in 1860, and modeled after Irish castles. It now serves as a restaurant and banquet facility. They also hold murder mystery dinners, which sounds like a lot of fun to me. I have never been there but would love to try the place.
The castle has a long and tumultuous history, burning down twice, and an owner hanging himself there. For many years it has been said to be haunted.