(In First Look, we pay a quick visit to a new restaurant or bar in Central New York to give readers an idea of what to expect. Our food critics might visit these places eventually and give us their take, but we want to highlight what’s new in our area. If you know of a new place, send an email to cmiller@syracuse.com or call/text me at 315-382-1984.)
Syracuse, N.Y. — One beer was never enough at Now & Later. How could it be? The 12½-foot-by-7½-foot see-through cooler at this Tipperary Hill bar is always stocked with more than 400 different brands.
The problem, though, is you’d want to try something different after that first beer, and perhaps something else after that. And then you’d get the urge to leave so you could get some food in your tummy.
That conundrum disappeared last Thursday afternoon when the owners of Now & Later started serving craft sandwiches to pair with their craft beers. These aren’t just any sandwiches; these are gourmet grilled sandwiches trucked in from the Cider Mill restaurant 2½ miles away.
“These will make you want to stay,” Now & Later co-owner Jason Purdy said. “Actually, these are good enough to get you to come here in the first place.”
He’s right, you know. They are that good.
How they got started
Jason Purdy and Sarah Norcross opened Now & Later on Dec. 24, 2015. They gutted the old Brilbeck’s corner grocery store and turned it into rustic beer emporium devoid of oversized flat-screen TVs. The thought was to create a relaxing space for customers to enjoy hard-to-find beers and have a conversation while listening to music from the vast collection of vinyl albums.
They eventually added an outdoor patio that’s larger than the barroom inside. Drive by on any warm afternoon, and you’ll see why it’s among the city’s most popular outdoor spots for a beer.
Now & Later on Ulster Street.Charlie Miller | cmiller@syracuse.com
From the start, they just offered warm pretzels with a beer mustard and fancy cheese plates. The problem was the snack orders would momentarily pull the bartenders into the kitchen and away from serving thirsty customers.
“On a busy Friday, a group of four might walk in while the bartender is putting together a cheese plate or heating up pretzels. That became a hassle because suddenly you’d have a bunch of people waiting to get a drink,” Jason said. “This is better: Better selection, better ingredients.”
Dan and Teresa Seeley have had drinks at Now & Later several times over the past six years. They own the Cider Mill restaurant at 4221 Fay Road in nearby Taunton. That’s one of Jason’s favorite restaurants. Dan and Jason both graduated from Corcoran High School, and they’ve become friends over the years.
During the second pandemic shutdown, Dan suggested offering boutique sandwiches at his bar. Offer a few unique sandwiches, each with fresh ingredients on artisan breads, and change the menu every other week to mix it up, he suggested.
“It’s really a no-brainer,” Dan said last week. “I told him we could put the sandwiches together at our restaurant before we open and deliver them each afternoon. All he’d have to do is have someone grill them and present it with our homemade chips.”
It didn’t take long for the customers to catch on. They sold every one of the sandwiches Dan delivered Thursday. It happened again on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Jason now has one of his employees working the flattop grill so the bartenders can keep the drinks flowing.
You must try ...
The Caprese Classic ($10): This was the immediate best-seller on the opening night. It’s two thick slices of fresh mozzarella cheese surrounding vine tomato covered with basil pesto and sun-dried tomato on ciabatta.
I washed this down with an 8-ounce draft Single Batch #45, a New England IPA from Syracuse’s Middle Ages Brewery ($5). Mo, the bartender, recommended it, and she served it in a fancy class. She’s much smarter about beer than I, so I happily took the recommendation.
I can see why Jason thinks this concept will work: having this sandwich to fill my belly kept me here for at least an extra hour.
The Caprese Classic sandwich with a Middle Ages single-batch 45 beer at Now & Later on Tipperary Hill.Charlie Miller | cmiller@syracuse.com
The Fine Swine ($10): The Caprese Classic was so good that I felt the need to go back on Friday to try the other sandwiches. I realized that all three could be categorized as gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches. Instead of tomato soup, you serve them with beer.
The Fine Swine sandwich is braised pork belly with caramelized onions, muenster cheese on rustic sourdough bread. This was a little thinner than the Caprese, but it was packed with bacon-like flavor. The chips, by the way, come with a cup of caramelized onion dip. Midway through the sandwich, I jammed a few of the chips between the bread and swiped it with some of the dip. It might not have been the proper way to eat such a delicacy, but it sure was tasty.
Mo recommended a Das Bier from Garland City Beer Works in Watertown ($4). This is what Jason called a “gateway beer.” I think that’s his gentle way of saying it’s transitioning me away from my typical Miller Lite. (They do serve Miller Lite here, by the way.)
The Fine Swine sandwich being served at Now & Later on Tipperary Hill.Charlie Miller | cmiller@syracuse.com
The Grape Ape ($10): Two of the sandwiches offered now are vegetarian. Dan said he is making sure to offer at least one meatless sandwich. Macerated red grapes, taleggio and brie cheeses on brioche bread.
The cheeses makes this sandwich. The semisoft taleggio has a sweet tang that blends with the soaked red grapes. The brie makes the whole thing extra gooey.
Believe it or not, I couldn’t eat two entire sandwiches myself, so I enlisted the help of two gentlemen who had stopped in for a beer after work. They were thrilled to each take a half along with the full baskets of chips.
“Wait a minute,” one of them said as I pushed the meals their way. “They serve food here? Wow, this is great.”
Then they ordered another beer and stuck around for awhile.
The inside of the Grape Ape sandwich being served at Now & Later on Tipperary Hill.Charlie Miller | cmiller@syracuse.com
The Details:
The venue: Now & Later, 620 Ulster St., Syracuse. (315) 422-0606
Hours: Monday-Wednesday 4 to 10 p.m. (food 4 to 8 p.m.); Thursday-Friday 4 to 11 p.m. (food 4 to 8 p.m.); Saturday noon to 11 p.m. (food 1 to 8 p.m.); Sunday noon to 10 p.m. (food 1 to 8 p.m.)
Credit cards? Yes
Parking: On-street parking
****
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Charlie Miller finds the best in food, drink and fun across Central New York. Contact him at 315-382-1984, or by email at cmiller@syracuse.com. You can also find him on Twitter @HoosierCuse.
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