A bright two-tone yellow building, quietly perched in Syracuse’s Near Westside has been transformed into a cozy neighborhood spot. Resembling a house more than a restaurant, Jamie’s Pastries and Restaurant serves up tasty Puerto Rican entrees and desserts in an atmosphere that was filled with art, pride and culture.

Jamie’s sits on a small corner plot of land, with uneven sidewalks and overgrown weeds taking over the entrance. The front of the building has a rectangular sign featuring an image of a mural with the Puerto Rican flag painted on it.

The building itself is hard to miss, though, since its eclectic color scheme makes it visible from quite a distance. Orange, yellow, purple and lime green all make up the exterior color palette.

Inside is much of the same. A red ceiling with purple light fixtures seems to compliment the purple and red wooden chairs at each table. Neon green walls contain a blue and white backsplash and a flower pattern lines the perimeter of the wall. Adding to the charm was a display of golf trophies on an empty table and daytime television flooding the background noise.

But toward the back of the restaurant, the atmosphere becomes all about the food. An open counter showcases staples like beans and rice, while a display case behind the counter offers up sweet treats.

The handwritten menu is simple and straightforward, with only a few items available. It includes a taco bowl, quesadilla, a mixed platter, empanadas, fried haddock and a seafood salad, with the last two being specials on Friday. They also offer subs and sandwiches with a daily assortment of meats.

Eager to try a range of offerings, I ordered the taco bowl, beef quesadilla, haddock and three different empanadas.

The bowl, consisting of a crunchy taco shell, had too much going on. Lettuce, cheese, chicken, tomato, salsa, sour cream, jalapeños and even macaroni and cheese were thrown into the dish. The result was more of a garbage plate than a taco bowl. It tasted OK, though not as authentic as I would have liked, with all the ingredients somehow coming together. The shell was probably my favorite part, since it was simply a deep fried tortilla chip. Overall, though, I was hoping for a bit more authenticity in the dish.

The quesadilla and the haddock fared a little better. The beef quesadilla had pretty much all the components of the taco bowl, minus the mac and cheese, and tasted pretty much like any good quesadilla, but nothing special. It had a generous amount of cheese, tasty beef and a good outer tortilla crust. It was a solid choice.

The haddock also tasted great, with its crunchy outer breading that hid the soft, tender white fish, which was seasoned nicely. A generous and delicious portion of rice, beans and potatoes, sat in a pile next to the fish and kept me full for most of the day afterwards.

My favorite menu items, however, were the empanadas. The beef, chicken and pork were cooked perfectly and mixed with cheese. The mixture was rolled into a empanada shell, deep fried and served bubbling and warm. The cheese melted thoroughly, and the meats were salty and flavorful. And for little more than a dollar each, I could have eaten these all day and felt content.

All the entrees were washed down with Tropi-Cola, a champagne soda that tasted artificial and overly sweet. The taste was similar to liquid bubblegum and coconut extract, and it was a little too strong to offer much refreshment.

Jamie’s Restaurant was interesting. The décor, inside and out, was energetic and alive. The food, for the most part, was tasty and filling. But overall, something was missing. Maybe it wasn’t as authentic as it could have been, or the choice of menu items was limiting. Puerto Rican staples like mofongo, or fried plantains, and yucca, a root vegetable, were missing from the menu. I think I was looking to be transported to Jamie’s home, to experience a meal that defines Puerto Rico — its food, culture, and people — but wasn’t.

Published on September 29, 2014 at 12:01 am

Contact Rohan: rythakor@syr.edu