<p>Ithaca was just named as one of the six best "foodiest towns" by Bon Appetit magazine.
Strongly suggest checking out the Ithaca Farmers Market.</p>
<p>I’m not surprised. The restaurants, orchards, and Farmer’s Market are highlights of our many visits to Ithaca.</p>
<p>i hate self described “foodies”. All too many declare themselves experts by simply watching Top Chef and starting a blog, and yet say the words amuse-bouche or tourned carrot and they’ll just give you a glazed (no pun intended) stare. </p>
<p>Ithaca is exceptionally strong in terms of raw ingredients, but IMO the restaurants are a little weak for the quality of produce that is available. My last meal at the Heights was, in fact, disappointing. Regardless Ithaca can still churn out some awesome stuff (and I do really like Moosewood, I just think pork belly would make it better), and it’s pretty incredible for a town of <40K residents.</p>
<p>gomestar u said it best!</p>
<p>(as you, and cayuga and dew drop always do)</p>
<p>Good for it’s size, ok, but this is a rather overreaching claim if ever I’ve read one.
At the $$ end, I’ve never seen much there that would realistically compete in NYC.
If I’m dining at Le Cirque one night, I am probably not trucking up to Ithaca for my next food high. (though I might next dine at Nobu, managed by a Cornell hotel school grad).
Fortunately students don’t really have that much $$ to spend on these things anyway. At their level, it’s fine, even good. Though “beacon”…</p>
<p>
I’d be curious as to their criterion. The restaurants are the biggest “downfall” for Ithaca, but looking at a higher level of extraction (note the Professor Gold reference there), I can see some very valid points: the Finger Lakes wine region, the tremendous agricultural presence, the agricultural science centers (or whatever that thing in Geneva is), the food science students, the culinary students at the Hotel school, the very good farmer’s market, the town’s hippie emphasis on local good and sustainability, one of the biggest French wine and grower Champane retailers north of NYC, a banner Wegmans (hello jamon iberico and big international foods section), and the sheer variety of restaurants might have played a bigger factor. Still, this list is suited more for residents and not those who feel the need to travel to eat but forgot about NYC, Philly, and DC.
at the high end, no, not at all. But I don’t know of many Ithaca restaurants that are $150 for food only. At the mid range, I think Ithaca can do fairly well. If it came between Moosewood and a random restaurant in W. Village that was priced the same, I pick Moosewood without any hesitation. Ithaca, however, can not compete with that breed of incredible NYC restaurants that pummels the competition at the $22-32/ entree range (I’m talking about the likes of Aldea, Union Square Cafe, Grammercy Tavern, Ma Peche, Babbo, and so forth).
way to age yourself 
Nobu is fine, but it’s sort of like a chain restaurant at this point. Perhaps try Corton (owned and designed by Cornellians), or Eleven Madison Park (my favorite NYC restaurant and managed by a Cornellian. A surprising number on staff are Cornellians, actually)</p>
<p>Gomestar – Have you been to Hazelnut Kitchen in Trumansburg? Thinking of going Friday night. Have heard good things.</p>
<p>I have not, but a quick gander of the menu reveals promise, especially the chicken, pork belly, and the pate. If the excecution matches the quality of products available to them (note the Thomas Keller equation of excellence), I imagine it could be a great meal. Do report back.</p>
<p>Alternatively you might consider diverting and instead vetting your refined palate on the Suffering, Dying and Dead Ba***rds at the Rongo. You can even get a Burrito there.</p>
<p>Do report back.</p>
<p>the Rongo has some good sweet potato fries, if I remember correctly.</p>
<p>It’s changed hands a few times.</p>
<p>just to get a zinger in, I had dinner at Daniel last night. Not just at Daniel, but *with *Daniel. Eat that, foodies.</p>
<p>any report on Hazelnut Kitchen?</p>
<p>Meh. Waited until the last minute and couldn’t get a reservation. Went to Maxie’s instead. Good North Carolina-style pulled pork. Fairly disappointed in the crab cake.</p>
<p>Will hopefully be back in mid-October to try Hazelnut Kitchen.</p>
<p>a shame on both accounts. </p>
<p>I might head up in mid October as well, this will certainly be on my list.</p>
<p>My wife passed through last weekend, she was very impressed with the Wegman’s, and the Ithaca farmer’s market. (She’d been before, but not rcently).She said the farmer’s market had a much greater proportion of “organically grown” produce than is typically the case.</p>
<p>My son and I were very impressed with the hot truck products (from Shortstop) she brought back for us. He is now a fan of MBC’s. The bread they use on those things is outstanding. Seems to me they are maklng them smaller than they used to, but that is not necessarily a bad thing.</p>
<p>Still, “beacon for food lovers”…
The Saratoga Springs farmers market was yet better, she reports.
Where she was, many were lauding the Rochester Wegmans.</p>
<p>It should be noted that all of the cities considered were “small towns” with less than 250,000 people.</p>
<p>I’m not going to lie, the vast majority of restaurants I have been to in Ithaca are nothing special at all, and I’ve certainly eaten at much better restaurants than are available here.</p>
<p>I forgot to post this Times article on the food of the Finger Lakes from two years ago:</p>
<p>[Finger</a> (Lakes) Food - NYTimes.com](<a href=“http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/08/22/travel/escapes/22nyfood.html]Finger”>Finger (Lakes) Food - The New York Times)</p>
<p>They sure keep those regional specialties to themselves, I have never heard of cornell chicken, salt potatoes or fish fry, as some things particular to this region anyway.</p>
<p>the fish fry (Doug’s fish fry to be exact) is more of a northern Central New York thing, less Finger Lakes. </p>
<p>Salt Potatoes, however, are big with the locals. I have some family in the region and they are a standard at any warm weather gathering. You can buy big bags of them at Wegmans, they’re just small potatoes boiled in very salty water. The skin takes on a nice saltyness (like a potato chip) and the flesh stays a little firm (much more interesting than a baked potato, IMO). Part of me remembers having them at some of the dining halls (with Cornell chicken), but don’t quote me on that.</p>
<p>At for the other Oenos, some of the wine coming from the Finger Lakes has really been spectacular as of late.</p>