Friday, November 9, 2018
After a good night's sleep and a solid breakfast buffet in our motel we were one the road again heading to Syracuse for a much anticipated lunch and an American football game in a domed stadium.
Our road trip took us through a lot of the rural, forested parts up update New York.
We don't have one of these in the
Camarillo Premium Outlets
Had we not already had breakfast,
we would have stopped here for sure
A sign of our maturity stopped us from simply eating a second breakfast as we most certainly would have just a few years ago.
Finally we arrived ready to
attack one of New York's most
famous dining spots . . .
Syracuse's Dinosaur Bar-B-Que
It was cold and wet with an occasional snow flurry when we arrived but the sweet aroma of burnt animal flesh permeated the air and we were hungry.
Yep, this is the place!
When one mentions great BBQ, I always think of some of the fantastic places I've enjoyed always in the South. The Northeast, for me, means good pizza like the slices we had at Ray's Pizza in NYC last night.
Well, there is only one way to find out if the Dinosaur Bar-B-Que lives up to all of the hype.
Loving the outdoor murals
I liked the interior atmosphere
and it was packed, we would
have to wait for a table
These facts, matched with the incredible aromas, were extremely positive omens for me.
Our server Mallory was a plus
making our dining experience even better
We opted to share the family pack
of BBQ Spare Ribs
Mallory decided on her own that Mark
needed one of her hand made bibs
to protect his nice shirt
With little Liam, Michelle and
Kevin Lynch at the Dinosaur Bar-B-Que
It truly is a small world . . .
This family was eating at the table right next to us and Mark struck up a conversation with them about their handsome 10 month old son, Liam.
As it turns out Kevin's brother Mike is Syracuse's Offensive Coordinator.
Their Dad, also Mike, is a long time coach in Northern California who I have met through EuroBall coach Skip Albano. Skip and I have both been trying to get Mike Sr. to coach in EuroBall to no avail so far but we are still trying.
It was Mike Sr. who secured us two tickets to tonight's game via Mike Jr.
Kevin came across as just the kind of good person that you would think Mike and Judy Lynch would have as their son.
What were the odds that out of the quite large multi-room restaurant, at the same time of day with one guy who likes to compliment babies we would be seated at side by side tables?
A small world indeed . . .
As for the BBQ ribs at the Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, WOW!
In no particular order, I would have to rank the Dinosaur in my personal Top Three BBQ spots in America.
The Dinosaur joins my elite list with Dreamland BBQ in Tuscaloosa, Alabama and the Rendezvous BBQ in Memphis, Tennessee.
By the way, the Dinosaur's chocolate dream cheesecake was as equally amazing as the ribs if that is possible.
A light dusting of snow had fallen
while we were gorging ourselves
On to the Syracuse campus
Honest Abe Lincoln
He is probably shaking his head over the latest rants by that Trump fellow.
ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE
GAME NIGHT!
2-7 overall, 0-6 in ACC play
at
Syracuse Orangemen
7-2 overall, 4-2 in ACC play
Once inside the Carrier Dome,
Orange was the Color of the Day
No argument from me,
many argue his GOAT status as
both a RB and a Lacrosse player
while at Syracuse
We got to the Dome early
to check out the stadium and
escape the inclement weather
Interestingly, the Carrier Dome is not air-conditioned.
I say interestingly because the Carrier Company specializes in, you got it, air-conditioning.
I should mention that wearing Husky purple to a game not involving the University of Washington served as a wonderful ice breaker with the people we met.
The Carrier Dome seats 49,262
for American football games
The number 44 is a special
one in Syracuse football history
It was worn by Syracuse RB legends Jim Brown, Ernie Davis and Floyd Little among others.
I'm guessing he is for Syracuse
Mark was a wrestler in college
Ben Schwartzwalder
was the longtime Syracuse coach
He led the 1959 Syracuse squad to an 11-0 record, a 23-14 victory over the Texas Longhorns in the Cotton Bowl and
the Orangemen's only National Championship to date.
Otto the Orangeman seemed ready
Ernie Davis . . .
Syracuse's only Heisman Trophy Winner
Tragically, soon after being drafted #1 by the Cleveland Browns, he was diagnosed with terminal leukemia and passed away far too soon.
He never played in an NFL game.
The scores indicated a so-so
season but this 91 year old
turtle shell was off interest
Warm-ups continued as
we continued to explore
Two beer limit per purchase
for non-students'
The Louisville Cardinals,
a program in disarray,
was in white
There is that number 44 again
The Syracuse Band taking
the field
HERE COMES SYRACUSE!
The Game was underway with an
eventual crowd of 42,797 in attendance
It was Syracuse's largest home crowd of the season. It was also their final home game of the 2018 campaign.
The action right in front of . . .
. . . our great seats!
THANK YOU Mike Lynch Sr. and Jr. for these great ducats!
Our two fun loving Italian friends
sitting behind us
Their son/brother is Syracuse TE coach Reno Ferri. We had a GREAT time with these two live wires.
The Orangemen had a lot to celebrate!
The Orangemen Defense was dominating
The Syracuse Offense was unstoppable
Add in some solid Specials Teams play and a poorly coached, demoralized Louisville squad and the rout was on.
It was 37-7 at halftime and we still had a long car ride deep into the night once again to get nearer West Point, New York home of the U.S. Military Academy.
Thus we decided to hit the road
at the intermission
Syracuse (8-2, 5-2 ACC) would go on to romp over Louisville (2-8, 0-7 ACC) by a Final Score of 54-23.
On Sunday, the Cardinals' controversial Head Coach Bobby Petrino was fired after his team's lackluster performance in the Dome and their disastrous season.
As for Mark and I, we were on our way to the Lafayette at Army game Saturday at noon.
Stay tuned . . .
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