On Route 173 east of Syracuse is a restaurant where you can get high-quality cocktails and a rotating seasonal menu to match whatever the weather. Brian’s Landing in Jamesville is also known for their brunch on Sundays.
Customers may be familiar with the restaurant, which used to be at Green Lakes State Park, however, the current location on East Seneca Turnpike opened in February 2020 as a year-round location.
“Brian’s Landing was there for a few summers, and I worked there our last summer and it was when it was outdoor dining only, so it was just busy from sun-up to sun-down. It was crazy,” said Jaclyn Tesori, manager of Brian’s Landing.
The restaurant, owned by Brian and Renee Bruno, has two seating areas, one near the bar with high top tables and another area with traditional booths and tables. The owners recently added a deck where they seat people in the summer.
Tesori has been bartending for 22 years and has been with Brian’s Landing since it opened. She is the brains behind their cocktail menu.
“There’s so many different flavors you can use. We can mess with botanicals and herbs and people love it,” Tesori said. “Bourbon and tequila are our two biggest sellers, and I pair them with seasonal fruits.”
The menu includes a variety of drinks using different spirits, which Tesori says is intentional.
“People like different things so that’s why we try to have all the spirits,” Tesori said.
Along with their cocktail menu, they have a selection of local beer and wine.
On Sundays, they do a bloody mary bar that allows patrons to pick from a long list of garnishes and rims.
“You can get anything from olives to a lobster claw,” Tesori said.
Christopher Griffin has been one of the executive chefs for Brian’s Landing for about a year.
“When I got here, I had the latitude to do what I needed to do so it’s seasonality with ingredients, but it’s also how people eat seasonally,” Griffin said. “In the summer you want fresh fish, and ceviche. In the winter, you want comfort.”
Like the cocktail menu, they try to have something for everyone on their food menu.
“We have a fairly eclectic menu. We have some Italian influence, we have Asian, we have Mexican, and we have what I would call new American,” Griffin said.
Every Friday there is a seafood feature and Saturdays are for prime rib. Griffin comes up with a new smash burger (made by pressing a thin patty on a hot grill) every week as well.
“We’re really proud of our smash burger. We make all of our sauces and pickles in house. We get a great brioche roll, and we use certified angus ground beef,” Griffin said.
Tesori said that while the industry has faced many challenges through the last few years, people are starting to come back.
“They want to be wined and dined and to feel like they are important,” she said. “We can do that for people.”