My husband and I picked up two platters of the day from Macro Mamas at the Ithaca Saturday farmers…read moremarket before our long drive back to NYC. Chowing down on the tarragon chickpeas, perfect broccolini, and pickled kohlrabi slaw during a stop on the side of the road was one of the best meals we've had in a long time. We wish there were more chefs and restaurants serving wholesome and delicious plant-based meals like that. Her baked goods were also out of this world. I appreciated that she had a few coconut-free options such as the chocolate tahini cookie (delicious). We were heartbroken to learn that the business is likely closing down soon as the owner retires.

I picked up one of their vegan peanut lime cold noodles from CTB on a recent business trip…read more I typically don't like cold noodles, but I needed something quick for my flight. I didn't eat it until 4 hours after I got it so it had ample time to "defrost" and the flavors shined more. It was so delicious. The right amount of spice and creaminess from the peanut butter. I wish they had it in Dallas. I'm trying to make my own right now at home.

We ordered a Friday night dinner with bagels for breakfast. We had smooth and well flavored hummus,…read moregorgeous shop made, soft pitas, and 2 huge stuffed breads with a really flavorful herb and cheese stuffing. The second was a capresse in a loaf and the basil a and tomato was fresh and full of flavor. Our salad had fresh mint and basil and was made of all fresh ingredients.we'll be havingFriday night dinner with Ba-Li again.

Unbelievably rude and unethical people. I could not believe the utter lack of care or concern for…read moreothers. Having already made a mistake, they went out their way to be rude and obnoxious. I do not recommend this place to anyone!

Finally got to try Asempe Kitchen at the Ithaca Farmers Market - it was actually my first stop of…read morethe day! My sister absolutely devoured the bowl, but one of the dishes I had was peanut butter-based... and I'm just not a peanut butter girl like that. That said, the flavors were bold and clearly made with love. If you're into rich, hearty, West African dishes - especially ones with peanut sauce - you'll probably really enjoy it. Just wasn't fully my thing, but I'm still glad I finally got the chance to try them!

Asempe means curiosity and in this case ours was rewarded with a delicious Ghanaian Vegan feast at…read moreAsampe Kitchen in Ithaca, NY. Nkatsi Froyi & Saffron Rice: "Creamy natural peanut butter cooked slowly with onions, ginger, garlic, tomatoes, and a blend of spices, creating a rich stew" Red Red & Plantains: "A flavorful Ghanaian favorite, Red-Red is a stew of black-eyed peas simmered with onions, ginger, garlic, and tomatoes" Egusi & Saffron Rice: "Rich and hearty, this traditional West African stew combines spinach with onions, ginger, garlic, tomatoes, and spices" Emomi & Saffron Rice: "Dive into this luscious stew where okra meets a medley of onions, ginger, garlic, and tomatoes, all simmered together" Brodze: "A side of sweet & melt-in-your-mouth fried plantains! Comes with 7 pieces" Sobolo: "Hibiscus, ginger, cloves, cane sugar, African spice Cold with ice" I'm generally not a fan of plantains or okra, but both were delicious. The okra wasn't slimy and the plantains we slightly sweet, not starchy. Every dish here was distinctively different. Even better than the food is the attention to hospitality. Four of us shared this feast for about $21 each. If you are by yourself you can get a sampler plate for about $25. We will be back. Food Service Ambiance

This is a new brewery in the small downtown area of McGraw. Finding it can be a little challenging,…read morebut don't let that deter you. The place is much larger than what I suspected and the brewing equipment is first rate. The beers run the whole gamut, from light to dark, mild to hoppy. The brewer is from the former IBU Brewery in Syracuse and may be persuaded to give you a tour.

Just tried to visit new location in North Syracuse. Location is awful. We arrived and sat at…read morebar...sadly all of Jess's ("bartender") friends must have arrived right after us. She chose to skip us over and wait on them and not even acknowledge us. Bad first impression if you're trying to expand and build a presence in Syracuse with a limited tap list and crap service. I'll wait for Heritage Hill to come in around the corner.

This was such a treat! I love Levantine food and it was great seeing a full on family restaurant…read morehere in Ithaca. The location is a small little shop in Collegetown on Dryden road. There are not doing dine-in but it's easy to do takeout and delivery. When we first entered, the cutest little girl greeted us cheerfully. The owner, probably her father, was super attentive and friendly. You could tell he takes pride in his food and was happy to chat through the options. It's more of a readymade place but they assemble in-store. I get the sense that maybe the wife and husband both cook and are experimenting with the menu as they are a super new place. The pies are truly amazing. I tried the cheese and beef pies, which had great bread and rich fillings. I had them both at room temperature but I imagine it would be that much better if you warmed it up for 20 seconds or so. The prices are a little more expensive than other options in that area but honestly it's worth it. I am always happy to pay people for the time and effort to make their cultural food. There's nothing better than authentic food! I do wish the chicken sumac sandwich had some greens or pickled turnips in it but the chicken, onion mixture and bread were delicious. I also enjoyed my 7 spice chicken. It felt very comforting and I could see myself getting it if I needed something simple and comforting. It's definitely warmly spiced with hints of cinnamon. Can't wait to go back and try their salads and other dishes. Overall: Food: 5/5 Service: 5/5 Decor: 5/5 (simple but cute) Pricing: 5/5 Location: 4/5 convenient for Collegetown residents but parking is a little rough

Not your traditional middle eastern place, but I think that makes it special. If you're expecting a…read morebasic gyro place then you'll be disappointed, but if you're open to trying new things with unexpected flavors then you'll love this place! They have some amazing "pies," which can also be described as breads. Their beef one is my favorite, the dough is soft and the meat is well seasoned (I believe allspice?). If you're vegetarian then the cheese one has some type of feta-like cheese which is nicely salty. Their entrees are very big. The chicken dish is a whole 1/4 chicken (drumstick and thigh) with a thick sauce served over rice. The kufta meatballs dish includes about 5/6 medium meatballs and are also served over rice. The flavor is there, it's lightly salted, and you can tell it's a nice home cooked meal. I would love if they pulled back a bit on the protein and added a salad or some greens. But besides I would totally order them again. Finally I tried their chicken sandwich. The bread is delicious and the chicken filling consists of a chicken and onion stew. It's extremely flavorful and filling. They pile on the meat, but if they reduce that and add some veggies I think it might be more popular. Even so, it's worth a try. I'll be coming back often to try the soups and stews!

Expensive but worth it! Gorgeous charcuterie boards were made for our event last summer. Very…read morepleased.

The people are really awesome they made sure my mom and dad got their baked potatoes for lunch with…read moretheir meals. The food made it home hot. The fish is out of this world and the steak has my dad humming we love this place. Nancy the cook please don't ever stop cooking it delicious.

We went here on a Wednesday night and were the only folks in the dining room. It's kind of like…read moregoing to Gramma's house for dinner- lots of silk flowers and quaint decor. Menu is exactly like what my Gramma used to make, and what you will find in many traditional diners. We had a party of 8 so we made reservations in advance. We arrived at 6, and were surprised at 6:15 when we asked to take our order from our very friendly and solicitous waitress that "the cook hasn't come down yet- I'll ring her again." The bloody Marys were good- apparently the bartender makes his own mix. Our soup and salads did not come out until 6:45. I don't think I've ever waited 45 minutes for soup before. Unfortunately the young children were really struggling with the wait but fortunately the restaurant was empty so we literally did a push up contest to keep the kids from going bonkers while we waited. The salad came out in a big bowl family style and was very good. Unfortunately some of the dressings came out 10 minutes later when were done our salad. The soups were excellent- the high point of the meal. I understand she makes them all from scratch on site Dinner finally came out at 7:30. That's right, we waited 1 1/2 hours for dinner in an empty restaurant. Sigh. I got the pork loin- it was respectable, served with roasted potatoes ( a little hard) a decent gravy and Romano beans. My son was disappointed with his spaghetti and meatballs- apparently the sauce was watery. My husband was very disappointed with his rib-eye. He ordered it Medium, but it was grey almost all the way through and had no sear on it. Apparently it tasted like vinegar. I understand some cooks finish steak with vinegar, but I think that should be disclosed on the menu. My sister was Blissfully happy with her dinner and called it her favorite place in town. My recommendation? Have a bloody Mary, a big bowl of any of the wonderful soups and a salad. Leave plenty of time for your meal.

just now New Dave and…read morehis wife have a awesome winery on Seneca Lake. It is a small winery that is operated by he and his wife, they focus on reds, but have a few whites. A good red is hard to fine in the FLX which is not good news for my preference. Flatt Rock Wine Cellar delivers with spectacular reds. In addition to the great reds, there whites are very good as well. The personal service you get from David and his wife are second to none in the flx. The passion and enthusiasm they have for wine shows in there wines. You will love this small personal winery. This was our second trip here, this time joined there wine club, which is the most reasonable and realistic of any winery we have been too. Cant wait for the member event this summer.

We are thankful to have found this boutique winery where they ferment small batch wines, one as…read moredelicious and satisfying as another. Darla, wife of the spouse team, owner-operators, was our gracious host today. David, her husband, was busy in the vineyard. Darla and David are not only winery owners, but wine students and wine lovers for many years. They learned a great deal about wine while living in France for several years. We visited Flatt Rock in early spring on an unseasonably warm weekend in April. We tasted wine in their small tasting room attached to their wine making barn. But, they've recently built another tasting room close by that's open during the summer months. Their wine tasting consists of a flight of 5- two white, three reds. Be sure to visit this wonderful small business.