I joined Cornell CHAARG, an organization (rather scammy one but that's beyond the point) dedicated…read moreto showing college-aged women that fitness can be fun and fulfilling. Anyways... what did I get out of it? An awesome group of people and well... MIX. Updating my review because MIX deserves a proper shoutout and I haven't done it justice. This place is unequivocally my absolute FAVORITE brunch spot. The selection is vast, the portions are hearty, and the staff? They're the kindest, most accommodating folks you'll meet. It's like they've mastered the art of making you feel right at home. And the food? Oh, the food is ABSOLUTELY divine. Every bite is a delicious reminder of why I've converted to the church of brunch. Seriously, I went from a casual brunch-goer to a full-fledged brunch enthusiast, all thanks to CHAARG for leading me to this culinary gem. My brunch game has never been the same.

I've had brunch, lunch, and dinner at MIX, and all with varying levels of enjoyment. My recent…read morebrunch experience included ordering a Where the West Begins omelette, which includes "Braised short rib, butternut squash, red onion jam, spinach, smoked gouda". I wasn't sure how to feel about butternut squash with everything else (I'm not necessarily a huge squash fan - but I'm trying to learn to enjoy it), but the omelette was decent... it's the other side on my plate that looked less than appetizing. The biscuit was still covered in flour (and who wants to bite down on a clump of flour?), the cheddar hashbrown casserole lacked in flavor, and the brown sugar cinnamon oatmeal just... wasn't doin' it for me. Other recent experiences have been similar... there's usually one item on the plate that's flavorful or imventive (sometimes a main dish, sometimes a side), and the other parts of the plate are lacking. In reality, I think MIX is suffering a bit from rising food costs and inconsistency in their service and offerings. They've also changed the style of their menu from the original tapas-style to now being more typical entree options. Again... they've lost some of their innovative, experimental approach. In terms of ambiance, it really depends. I've been here for a work event and, because of the number of people, it was SO LOUD... they had also done a buffet offering for the event. As you can imagine, the food from the buffet was lacking, but that's often what happens when you're more mass producing your food (and it's left in a chafing dish, trying to be kept warm). On the other hand, I've been here for a dinner on a random night and was able to enjoy one of their Thai noodle bowls (and split some other apps with friends). The reality is that experiences at MIX are... well... a mix. Whether service, menu offerings, etc., I've found MIX's recent inconsistencies to be a disappointment. Will probably only visit in the future if it's suggested by others.

The ambiance became, while intimate at first, a bit noisy toward the end of dinner--probably due…read moreto the close proximity of tables and the overall restaurant set up. However, did love the elevated feel of a typical American bistro. We thought the service could've been more attentive, but improved as the evening progressed. Our waitress was super nice and was helpful in explaining the menu specials and answering any questions we had. Most notably on the menu, the NY strip was a perfect medium rare. We opted to get the 4 jumbo shrimp on the side, which we thought retained a nice snap when we bit into it. It was also well seasoned, while still displaying its freshness. The fries complemented the steak, but was too well done for our liking. Our other entree, the lobster mac and cheese, had a nice cheese pull. We liked the added roasted tomatoes in the baked mac and cheese, which gave it a necessary acidity that countered the creamy, cheesy roux. For our appetizer, we chose the meat and cheese board, which was really solid. Appreciated the waitress explaining the selection, as well as the addition of a sour cherry jam and pickles on the side. This gave us a lot of mix and match options (64 to be exact), and we also liked how it came with charred/toasted bread. Finally, we wrapped up with a chocolate peanut butter parfait and key lime pie. Both were really good (get both if possible, but we liked the latter more).

This restaurant has two floors, plus a lot of windows. The atmosphere was welcoming, and the inside…read morewas very clean. Our server was great! Very polite, knowledgeable of the menu items, and let us know about any specials happening. My family ordered a salad and Vin Blanc Mussels to share. The mussels were really good! The sauce paired well with the seafood and was savory. Not only that, but you could dip the bread that came along with the mussels into the sauce and eat it, which was even better. The salad was just fine, nothing special about it. I ordered a Pork Milanese for myself. My parents ordered a Shrimp Scampi and Ahi Tuna Burger. They said that the scampi was decent, though they did wish there were a few more shrimp and that its sauce was a slightly stronger, since they thought it was a tad too light. They also said the tuna burger was kind of plain, but otherwise alright. My Pork Milanese dish was unfortunately overcooked. When it got served to me, at first glance, I genuinely thought it was burnt to a crisp. I decided to eat it anyways instead of asking about its quality, since it was already pretty late at night, near closing time. The pork's outer breading was kind of too hard. While the inside of the meat was better, in my opinion, it was still too firm, and didn't have much juice/oil inside it. I feel that the pricing for some of our dishes were too much, while other price charges were more reasonable. The water we were given also cost money to drink, which we hadn't realized until we were given the bill. Our experience with this restaurant was decent, but I think some aspects maybe could've been better.

Nice atmosphere. Best to order the simplest foods on the menu as this is really more of a cafe. The…read moremenu is a bit too ambitious for the restaurant.

What a quaint spot! So much greenery! I sat in a gorgeous corner by the window. It felt so luxe…read more The lavender mocktail was delicious. I ordered a vegetable flatbread and it was so good and healthy. The staff were upbeat and friendly.

Solid Great friendly ambiance…read moreWe had: Bacon wrapped cheese filled dates Fried chicken - skin layer under batter isn't the best but chicken was tender Pork Schnitzel - on a buttermilk sauce with two fingerling potatoes. Duck fat fries - nice crunch. Overall a no frills restaurant- good solid choice for a weeknight out.

The Rook is located a couple blocks north of the Commons. The staff were very pleasant and…read moreexplained everything on the menu. The menu itself is short and focused, while the interior of the restaurant features wallpaper with anthropomorphic animals, and large windows. I opted for the Burger, and my wife the Salmon. We also ordered the grilled dates and collard greens. I also decided on a Ginger Beer. They serve Goslings (since 1806), with all 47 grams of sugar, over ice and a lime. Highly recommended on the ginger beer flavor scale. The Burger came with a massive amount of their duck-fat fried fries, certainly more potato than burger. I also liked the burger with the added bacon. But my wife's Salmon was even tastier. It featured a nice hunk of fish, skin-on, crispy, and not some half-or-quarter fillet that other places might serve. Plus, it comes over a bed of green peas and canneli beans and green asparagus sauce on the bottom, and a small bed of frisée on top. The combination with the lemon cream leads to very satisfying bites. The grilled dates wrapped in bacon, with goat cheese, Marcona almonds, and honey were presented as a drumstick. The collard greens were nice, though on the saltier side. Seating here can be had inside or out. The bathrooms are located in the hallway next to the restaurant.

Lot 10 is what you expect from a club -- loud music, solid vibes, and a bathroom that progressively…read morebecomes a test of endurance as the night goes on. The music is lit, the energy is good, and while I haven't tried the drinks myself, I've heard the green tea shots are the go-to. Might have to investigate next time. Biggest highlight? The guy outside. Nicest human alive. If this place ever gets awards, he should be the first one up on stage. Would I come back? Sure, but preferably with soap in the bathroom.

5 stars for dj washburn. 1 star for the poop nugget that didn't let me leave through the backread more

I have been going to Cent-Dix for 10 years and let me tell you this restaurant doesn't disappoint,…read moreand is probably my favorite in Ithaca. We are talking about great execution on basic french dishes here with excellent service on the commons. It's also the most elegant of the restaurants in the commons in my opinion. None are particularly elegant, but Cent-Dix feels the nicest. A must get is the beef tartare. It's so good, it's better than many tartare's I've had in france. Just hands down an easy winner. To cut it's richness I think you should get the Frisee aux Lardons. No matter the table size this is a perfect salad. You can always get more salads or greens, but if the table size is 2 or 6, everyone will like this. The fat, acid, bitterness is perfect. Steak frites are amazing, but even better is the cote de bouef on Saturdays. Either way you won't go wrong, but this restaurant does steak so well, and has good wines to pair with the steak. I've personally never had room for dessert, but everyone always orders it and I have some. It's good, but my favorite is that the espresso machine is always running after dinner for a nice pick me up before my walk on the commons!

One of the better restaurants in Ithaca!…read more I enjoyed the coursing- they did a very good job with timing. Service in general was very good. I also like the flowers on the dishes. I came with a friend and we tried the pear appetizer, mussels, leek and gruyere tart, and the ricotta gnocchi. Honestly, everything was really good. The gnocchi was pillowy and the tart did not have a soggy bottom. For dessert we tried the Pear frangipane which was also good. Quite a strong almond flavor and a little on the sweet side. Overall very good, I would recommend!

Came for dinner because we were walking around the Commons on a Friday night. They were busy so…read morethere was a bit of a wait as the single hostess was guiding groups to their tables. We sat in an inside booth but it was very sunny and there were no shades on the window so our friend had to wear his sunglasses at the table. They have a mix of limited local beers, and other craft and domestic beers on tap but they don't make their own beer here. Food was good, I shared the shroomin pizza with a friend.

We stopped for a couple of refreshing sours on a summer evening…read more Meier's Creek Berry Man has prominent dark fruit flavors of goldenberry, strawberry, raspberry, blueberry, blackberry, led by huckleberry. Huckleberry is a more-tart relative of the blueberry, and is notoriously difficult to farm. There was so much fruit here that we couldn't really say it was the dominant flavor. Quite nice. Nice red hue, too. Wait ... "Berry Man"-ilow? Not sure of the intended implications. It seems to get sweeter as it warms up. I still don't get the name. Wachusett Blueberry Ale was a less-tart and more malty brew. This to us was more beer that fruit-punch. So one of liked the first, and the other liked this. There were maybe a dozen more drafts to choose from. The bar was pleasant, bright, and relaxing.

I've become a regular here for lunch, and it's easily one of my favorite spots on campus. The food…read moreis consistently great, but what really keeps me coming back is the incredible staff. A huge shout-out to Lowell, Kristin, Belle, and Schalyne! They're always so friendly and welcoming, and they go out of their way to make every visit enjoyable. They remember my order, never forget my extra pickles, and always make sure I get plenty of their amazing house-made BBQ sauce (seriously, please keep it forever!). I'm especially grateful this was added as a lunch option on campus during the summer when so many other places are closed. It's made finding a reliable, delicious lunch so much easier. Great food, wonderful people, and outstanding service. I highly recommend stopping by for their lunch menu before the summer ends !!

We stayed at the Statler Hotel for work and enjoyed dinner here both nights. Not pictured are all…read morethe appetizers we devoured (crab dip, chicken bites, sweet potato fries, and the fried polenta). I personally wasn't a fan of the fried polenta, but also did not try it with the sauce. The first night I tried their lavender lemonade (non alcoholic), which I thought was good, but fell in with the Lemon Tree cocktail the second night. Both nights I ordered the "burger of the month" which was a pesto burger. I added bacon and asked for a Caesar salad instead of fries. We ordered two of the chicken bites so the group could try both sauces, but since I'm not a fan of spicy, I only tried the honey truffle one and loved it. Our servers were very nice and patient (we were a group of about 10), and if I'm ever back in town, I'll be sure to try some of the other entrees!

We were staying in the hotel (Canopy by Hilton) and stopped by the bar at The Strand Cafe for…read moredrinks and a snack and had a great time. Had the Pineapple Upside Down Cake drink (special drink for the day) which was terrific and nibbled on the Crab Cakes and the Chocolate Torte, both very good. Our server Olivia was terrific - welcoming, friendly and helpful.

Good friendly bar staff at the Strand, serves really creamy homemade cheesecake, old fashioned with…read moreBuffalo Trace whisky, great leather couches and upholstered couches and chairs, college students in tow... Just friendly and collegial make ambience top notch!