Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I plan on visiting Ithaca area for the day and am looking for a nice restaurant for dinner. Does not have to neccessarily be around Ithaca as I will be hiking and wine tasting around the area. I've done some online research but personal opinions are always best. any suggestions??? thanks.
Last edited by bellafinzi; 10-11-2008 at 08:31 PM..
Reason: Wrong forum
Depends on what you're looking for... I've eaten at all of these except Moosewood, which I mention in case you're a vegetarian:
My favorite Ithaca restaurant is Willow. Upscale American. Small, elegant. Nice wine list. Reservations recommended.
Willow
202 E. Falls Street
Ithaca, NY 14850
(607) 272-0656
Casual, Louisiana-style food:
Maxie's
635 W State St
Ithaca, NY 14850
(607) 272-4136
Italian:
Zaza's
622 Cascadilla St
Ithaca, NY 14850
(607) 273-9292
Famous vegetarian:
Moosewood
215 N. Cayuga St.
Ithaca, NY 14850
607-273-9610
Casual, American, fish, steaks, sandwiches, salads, etc.:
The Boatyard
525 Taughannock Blvd.
Ithaca, NY 14850 |
607 256-2628
Moosewood can be great, but 1) they don't take reservations and there can be hour-plus waits easy depending on the night, and 2) they have a rotating menu, with only 4-5 items available per evening, and occasionally run out of one or more. On the other hand, it's a nationally-famous place, known for their great cookbooks. If it tickles your fancy, I'd recommend stopping by and looking at the menu for the evening before making a final decision. Personally, I love them for lunch and run hot-and-cold for their dinners--lunch is cheaper, less crowded, and for whatever reason the food seems tastier. Try to save room for a brownie, if you go, because they're *incredible*.
Another place I really like in town is on the Commons--Taste of Thai (Thai food, obviously). Really well-done, tasty stuff.
I've heard good things about Mustard, just off the Commons, but I haven't happened to get over there yet. Madeleine's, also on the Commons, is also a nice upscale-ish place. Not sure what to describe them as...they say "unique Euro-Asian cuisine", so I guess I'll go with that.
Within 45 minutes of Ithaca, there are some great restaurants around the Finger lakes.
Over the summer, I had dinner at Suzanne Fine Regional Cuisine, in Lodi. The restaurant is very well reviewed, and I had an outstanding duck entree. While I do recommend the restaurant, I actually found it slightly overrated for "fine dining." (The appetizer and entree were great. Dessert was very good, but nothing exceptional. And the side dishes were very pedestrian)
In Trumansburg, had a good meal at the Hazelnut Kitchen. Kind of bohemian fine dining.
Some of the wineries have pretty good restaurants as well. We enjoyed a nice lunch on the veranda at the Red Newt Bistro, in Hector, New York.
We really wanted to try The Stonecat Cafe, in Hector. Supposedly great "smoked" food, but we didn't have the chance to squeeze it in.
Getting back to Ithaca, to experience a variation on an Ithaca/Cornell tradition, you can get "hot truck pizza" at the Short Stop Deli. Since around 1964, "hot truck" was served late night, from a truck, outside of the Cornell Dorms. It's a variation of French bread pizza--- It actually claims to be the original french bread pizza. It's greasy, served in a paper bag, and delicious. A few years ago, the original owner and operator of the "Hot Truck" retired. Short Stop Deli bought the business. So now they still operate limited hours from the truck behind the Cornell dorms, but also sell the pizza in their deli, 24 hours per day.
...Another place I really like in town is on the Commons--Taste of Thai (Thai food, obviously). Really well-done, tasty stuff.
I can vouch for Taste of Thai. Really good.
I also love the Indian food at Diamonds New Delhi, altho the service is notoriously lousy; better to do carryout here.
Also in Trumansburg: Artisan Cafe. French, homemade bread, sandwiches, very nice.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
