Manlius, N.Y — First impressions are important for a restaurant and Scenic Root in Manlius makes theirs with an assist from a local landmark.
We were seated immediately in a lower dining room with large screened windows overlooking the Manlius Swan Pond; a small upper dining area affords similar views. Combined with the light wood paneling and white paint, this eight-table room only felt larger than its size, maintaining its cozy vibe.
The second impression was made within seconds of us being seated. Service is a team effort, so while we had one individual that took our orders and dropped our check, the remainder of the team refilled water glasses, delivered and cleared dishes, and chatted us up in an unobtrusive manner. Five people, including our primary server, stopped at our table at any given moment while working the rest of the floor, and all it took was basic eye contact to get someone’s attention. It’s as if you were being taken care of by a family, not a server with too many tables to cover…