Cuban Panini -slow-roasted pulled pork, Swiss cheese, mustard folded into flatbread and grilled
ADVENTURE, long drives and culinary discoveries mark the excitement of glorious summer in New York with my daughter Patricia and her family.
Her one-week ADVENTURE, long drives and culinary discoveries mark the excitement of glorious summer in New York with my daughter Patricia and her family. Her one-week vacation to celebrate her birthday on the 9th of August was carefully planned that brought us all the way to the New York-Ontario, Canada bordered fascinating destinations, namely the Thousand Islands on St. Lawrence River straddling the borders, Niagara Falls in Buffalo and the wine producing Finger Lakes Region in Upstate New York.
It was a six to eight leisurely hour drive to Alexandria Bay in the Thousand Island Region that lies near the Ontario, Canada-US border. The Thousand Islands is an archipelago or group of over 1,800 islands, a fashionable retreat for the elite in the late 19th century and home to elaborate mansions of the wealthy.
The quaint Alexandria Bay Village is a sportsman and boaters paradise where we boarded the Uncle Sam, a triple-decker cruise boat providing scenic cruises of the Thousand Islands offering enjoyment of historic and scenic wonders in both American and Canadian waters.
Dawn’s Hang-over Burger
At the end of the trip is an optional stop at the Boldt Castle on Heart Island for a self-guided tour. The Boldt Castle was to be a testimony of the unsurpassed love of self-made millionaire hotelier George C. Boldt for his wife Louise, the magnificence of which was equaled only by his adoration of Louise, who tragically died at age 42 during its construction.
A man of tremendous organizational skill, boldness and imagination, George C. Boldt immigrated to America at age 13 in 1864 from Prussia, son of poor parents. He began as a kitchen helper in New York and became the most successful hotel magnate in America at the turn of the century.
After building the biggest hotel, the 1090-room Bellevue Stratford Hotel in Philadelphia (now Park Hyatt), he became President of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel Company and several companies in New York City, as well as a trustee of Cornell University.
On the lighter side, he is credited in popularizing Thousand Island dressing and other food items such as the Waldorf Salad. The grandest of all Gilded Age Mansions, the 120-room Boldt Castle remains a testament to one man’s tragic love story.
Filled with awe and wonder as our boat docked at Alexandria Bay Village, we immediately located a nice restaurant bar, Riley’s by the River. We were all hungry after the boat tour.
We shared homemade creamy Seafood Chowder Soup with morsels of lobster, squid, fish, and shrimp to warm our tummies. Because serving portions in America are big, I always end up sharing dishes. Patricia and I love seafood so we always agree on our choices.
Grilled Ceasar Salad
We started with Grilled Caesar’s Salad—crisp hearts of Romaine lettuce nicely charred and drizzled with Caesar dressing with croutons and Parmesan. Our Perch Platter was a culinary surprise… Perch fish from the crystal clear North American waters.
Yellow Perch is a freshwater game fish priced for its taste. The perch was filleted (no longer than three inches), breaded and deep-fried, served with cocktail and tartar sauce and coleslaw.
My grandson Silvian enjoyed a huge Dawn’s Hang-over Burger, grilled on brioche bread topped with American cheese, crisp bacon and fried egg. Her sister Sabrina created her own burger, while her dad had Cuban Panini —pulled pork, ham, Swiss cheese, mustard, folded into flatbread and grilled to perfection.
