The Imperial Garden apartment building, located directly on James Street, is an unlikely place for a restaurant. Yet, this multi-storied nondescript housing complex hosts one of the tastiest eateries in Syracuse. You’re just going to need to find it first.

The only indication that Street Eats is even located in this building is the small sign on the front lawn of the apartment complex. Even with an arrow pointed toward the building, it took some exploring to realize it was tucked away behind the traffic and noise of the busy street.

Street Eats was the brainchild of Steve LeClair, who opened the restaurant a few years ago. Originally, Street Eats was a food truck cruising around Syracuse serving tasty and creative soups, salads and sandwiches at a reasonable price. Now, with a permanent location and a new owner and chef Paul Cox, Street Eats can now function year-round and continue to serve the loyal fans it built up through the years.

The space is tiny, with only a few wooden tables and chairs able to fit inside. There are some seats and tables outside, although the scant views and industrial noise coming from the ventilation units didn’t quite have the same charm as inside. The walls are stacked with hand-drawn, colorful food illustrations of goat cheese and exotic mushrooms. A slanted wooden bar sitting area is perched underneath a huge chalkboard that features a menu that changes daily.

The kitchen is just about as big as the dining room. But there isn’t a large crew prepping and serving the meals. It is a singular operation, run by Cox.

The menu, which is posted everyday on the restaurant’s Facebook page, features a good balance of options and hearty portions. Items that caught my eye were the Galveston club sandwich, the corned beef sandwich, the meatball sub, the tacos and the sausage and autumn vegetable soup.

The Galveston club is a layered sandwich with house-roasted turkey, bacon, provolone cheese, guacamole, lettuce and tomato. Served between two substantial buns, the flavor combinations were solid, although it was more of a glorified BLT than anything else. The turkey, which could have used a little more seasoning and smokiness, was a nice compliment to the guacamole.

Although tasty, there wasn’t anything memorable about this sandwich. It could have used a kick of heat from something spicy or some sort of sauce to complement it. Overall, it was my least favorite menu item.

However, the tacos and the corned beef sandwich both had redeeming qualities. The tacos featured Jamaican jerk chicken, cabbage slaw, pineapple, queso fresco and raspberry sour cream. The chicken was tender and juicy, which worked nicely with the crisp cabbage. The rest of the dish added a sweet note to the seasoned chicken; although the pineapples and sour cream would have worked a little better had the meat had more of a spicy jerk punch to it.

The corned beef sandwich was more simple, with Guinness braised cabbage, Swiss cheese, and Russian dressing on rye. The corned beef was served perfectly with the cabbage and offset with the fatty base layer created by the dressing.

My favorites were the meatball sub and soup. Like any good meatball sub, the focus has to be on the meat and bread. This sub had huge meatballs, seasoned nicely and covered with marinara. Served warm on a crispy fresh baguette and rounded out with escarole, peppers and Gorgonzola sprinkled on top, the sub was just full of flavor. Every component had a purpose, and together they wed in a perfect union.

The same went for the soup. Giant portions of sausage shared space with veggies in a tasty, rich broth. It was simple but perfect and, like the other dishes, incredibly filling.

The appeal of a food truck is the mobility. The appeal of a restaurant is the longevity within a community. Street Eats is in the unique position of offering both. Approachable food, served humbly and with care, is a timeless quality for any eatery. It’s just what to expect when eating here.

Just be sure to find the place first.

Published on October 6, 2014 at 12:01 am

Contact Rohan: rythakor@syr.edu