recently hosted a dinner party at Allechant in Ithaca, NY, for my daughter's bridal shower weekend…read more At the website it asks that parties over 8 please call, that it may be necessary to rent out the entire restaurant.  Allechant is a small owner/chef run French Restaurant.  They are only open for dinner Thursday-Sunday evenings and for brunch on Saturday and Sunday.  I did call and email. Patience is key, because owner/chef, Matt, is busy Thursday-Sunday at the restaurant and I'm sure the other days, he is planning, shopping, returning emails and calls.  We did connect and he was just wonderful to work with. I did book the entire restaurant as our party was planned for 10-15 people. He offered several selections for entrees, appetizers and desserts for me to choose for our menu.  Since I wanted to have a steak offering, he asked that make entrée selections in advance for shopping purposes.  We worked out a wonderful menu.  He even accommodated a wine tasting of two different flights of wines that would be offered all evening. The evening started with glasses of champagne and socializing in the first room of the restaurant with has the bar area with a few seats and several small dinner tables. Matt had the second room set up with a large rectangular arrangement of the tables, so that our entire party could be at one table.  This room adjoined the kitchen, so you could see Matt at work.  After initially greeting all of us, Matt went to work and his delightful assistant served as hostess, sommelier and waitress all evening.  She was positively amazing!  We were pleasantly surprised to find out Matt had prepared our personal menus and placed them in the Allechant menu books. They not only made wonderful souvenirs, but it was nice to have a record of the wines we tasted. After we were seated, we were offered the first of the wines in the white flight.  What was very nice about the wine tasting, is that each taste/glass was brought out sequentially and each guest was asked if they wanted to try that wine.  The appetizers started coming, and one by one the other white wines were offered for tasting. Both the gyoza and lamb meatballs were cooked perfectly, sauces were delicious. Entrees were coming when the offerings of the red wine flight started.  I had the red curry salmon which was cooked to perfection, the sauce was generous and amazing and portion so large, there were leftovers.  My mother had the coq au vin blanc, and said it was absolutely the best she had ever had.  And those having the steak and the gnocchi raved as well. (entire menu in pictures with review).  The food was incredible, portions generous and service was excellent.  Then came dessert; once again, very generous servings, perfectly prepared.  It was an amazing evening.  I can see why Matt asks patrons to book the entire restaurant when the party is larger.  Since he is the chef, he wants to be able to prepare, serve and time every course and every entrée so that no one is waiting, everything is service at the right temperature and is cooked to perfection.  If you are looking to host a special, elegant evening in Ithaca, then Allechant is the intimate, friendly, 5-star restaurant for you.

Great spot for dinner in Ithaca! I love the house-made desserts!…read more I tried the mussels for appetizer which were very good. Not too heavy or salty. For mains I tried the vodka gnocchi and the cod stew. Both were excellent! I think if I were to return I would get the cod stew though- it is much more unique. Only complaint about the gnocchi is I wish there was more cheese on top. Desserts were divine! I love how they display them all on the table by the fireplace! We tried the pumpkin cake and the poppyseed coconut almond cake. I truly don't think I could pick a favorite. I wish the whipped cream was also homemade though. I came for dinner on a weekend night (with reservations). Service was solid. Overall, I would return! I will definitely be coming back to try their brunch!

First of all, we were a large party that came here for a celebration, and the staff was so nice and…read moretook great care of us. The florals and scenery outside the restaurant are beautiful, so I would def recommend sitting outside unless you're squeamish around flying bugs (because there were a lot). For a large party, we put down a $150 deposit which was then deducted from our final bill. We didn't need to do a prix fixe menu which was good, so we just ordered off the regular menu. There were a lot of beverage options and food options. I personally loved the arancini appetizer. I ordered the breakfast panini as my entree which was just okay -- not very flavorful but it filled me up. Afterwards, we got to take photos in front of their flowers. All in all, I would recommend if you're in the area!

My husband and I had lunch at Field & Vine when we spent a few days in the Finger Lakes a week or…read moreso ago. It's a very casual cafe located at Knapp Winery (but in a separate building from the tasting room for Knapp). It has a pretty patio (we sat outside and enjoyed the space), which has views of the winery, and the service was very friendly and helpful. The outside dining space and the service were definitely the highlights of our meal. I wouldn't say the menu is very thrilling - I might describe it as standard cafe fare; for some reason, it reminded me of menus you'd find at cafes at museums or other similar attractions. We shared a starter - their bruschetta crostini (tomatoes marinated in a balsamic, olive oil, basil, and garlic mixture, and topped with balsamic glaze. It was okay. The crostini were cut very unevenly, and the taste was too strong for me on the balsamic glaze. I had the Vineyard Chicken Salad wrap with chicken breast, apples, craisins, celery, onion, lettuce, and provolone. It was also just okay - sort of average chicken salad in a wrap, something I could definitely make at home. My husband had their grille cheese panini (with seasoned tomatoes, gruyere, smoked gouda, and sourdough), and he definitely liked this more than I enjoyed the food I tried. Overall, the food just wasn't very interesting, but I do think that it has a lovely outdoor space and the service was great, too.

Stopped by in the afternoon for a bagel & beverage! The service was very friendly and efficient…read more Very comfortable ambiance & cute merchandise to check out while you wait for your order. There was ample seating available. The location is convenient as well. I ordered an everything bagel with scallion cream cheese. Although they were out of a regular everything, they did have a whole wheat variety, which is what I ended up substituting it with. The bagel was fine, nothing to write home about. I have heard that their bagels are fantastic so I will probably be back to try a different variety! My understanding is that they sell bagels from College Town Bagels, which I have not tried on its own yet. Note that they call their everything bagels "Long Island Bagels." I also ordered an iced matcha with vanilla and oatmilk. This was the perfect matcha in my opinion! Perfect amount of sweetness, the matcha flavor was spot on, and the oat milk was creamy. This is one of the better matchas I have tried. Overall, pleasant experience and I would like to try more of what they have to offer! Be aware that it is a little pricey, but worth it if you are looking for a wonderful beverage and friendly service!

We contacted Kim of Ithaca Bakery several months prior to our pre-wedding welcome event for initial…read morediscussions, presenting our ideas as well as sought suggestions. From the outset, Kim was exceptional - she was aware that an offsite - park setting had its challenges, and given our menu suggestions, meant creative chef work along with special logistical support. I could not have asked for a more professional, supportive partner for our event - we were on the phone a dozen times; we met personally to cover final details (she even visited Myer's Park and took photos for us!!) to work out last minute issues such as decorating picnic tables; mason jar flower arrangements; and a dozen other fine details. The food - and we are foodies - was one of the best Taco Bars (Mexican with creative sauces, balanced with vegetarian salads) - This was quality restaurant-level offerings provided at our Cayuga Lakeside Pavilion - I can only note the repeat lineup from our over 100 guests as proof that they couldn't get enough of the chef's creations. Our guests were coming up to me to comment about the amazing food! To sum up, our event was an outstanding success (fyi: Ithaca also baked the wedding cake - equally superb). Kim worked with us through all the steps; was available whenever we needed to chat; offered professional advice; and personally, managed the event (she was on site with us from late afternoon until our event concluded late in the evening). This level of service was truly exceptional, and I can highly recommend Ithaca Catering - their food - service - and guidance - If Michelin would give off-site catering stars - Ithaca Catering deserves 5!

Great service. Very nice back patio lots of seating inside and out. Food was delicious.read more

Has a great outdoor area overlooking the lake. Staff was super friendly and someone greeting as…read moreyou walk in explaining the menu, how to order and choose a table. A small bar and has mixed drinks and mostly local wines. The have Scott's Library of wine so ask what it is; it is from the cellar that the deceased owner had collected and the wine changes after every bottle. We had the pulled pork and the barbecue beef . Booth were very good and the French fries are fresh cut and crispy. Really enjoyed our dinner and the staff.

I'm giving this place a 4/5 because the pancakes were solid, they give large portions for a…read morereasonable price, and the wait is surprisingly short for the amount of people in there. This place is an older diner, so just expect the interior to be older, but there is a lake view if you are lucky to get one of those tables!

The chili was good The Reuben wasn't bad…read more The fries were cold The vegetables with the salmon were over salted The waitress seems to be trying really hard, but somehow has a hard time with the 2 occuppied tables Most annoying is the volume of conversation between the kitchen staff which overshadows the entire establishment.

I'm going to dream about the Melrose breakfast sandwich months from now as well as their dirty chai…read morelatte. Don't judge me. This is a place that will spoil other establishments for you. We originally came here because we saw they have gluten-free bagels. And we need someplace to eat safely because of celiac. They made their OG breakfast bagel with a gluten-free one and it was a complete hit with my teen. So much so that we had to come back the next day as well. No complaints from me on doing that.

Stopped by Hound and Mare for breakfast on a busy Monday morning. A little bit of a wait but not…read moretoo bad. Had the Melrose sandwich and a Chocolate Donut - both were pretty good. The Lavender Latte (had it iced) was also very good.

We had a large group of 30 for dinner. We over whelmed the staff a bit but who cares - the view…read more was awesome at sunset. I had the salmon and it was awesome. The wife had the seafood soup - again, a marvelous meal. We stayed until 8:30pm to catch the sunset. Amazing foods and consistent service. Highly recommend

Went for Sunday Brunch. The place was not busy. Seated outside , only one table had an umbrella due…read moreto wind. Took 40 mins for our food order to get taken after our drink order was taken. Due to sun, ice melted in drinks , had to call server to bring replacement drinks. Strawberry mimosas was all pulp. Food was mediocre. Nothing about this experience was worth the hundred dollar price tag!

Especially for the variety seekers!! Loads of local and not so local highly rated beers…read more Service was family friendly and offered board games for the kids while we chatted. My veggie burger and onion rinds tasted pretty good. They also have a back yard but we preferred the cooler indoors

This is one of my favorite places to come for good food, good vibes, and good beers. I'm a little…read moreindecisive so I always get a flight to try a few because they have a large list to choose from and you can try 4 with their flights. We went a little after they opened and it was a great time because it wasn't too busy. Any time I drive by the parking lot is full. They have parking in the front and around the right side of the building. I tried the Meier's Creek Choccy Milk, Other Half BA 10X Bananaversary, TALEA Beer Hibiscus Splash, and Allagash Allagash White and I enjoyed all of them. The bathrooms were clean and easy to find and I can't wait to go back in the spring/summer to check out their outside seating because they have about 15 tables. They also host a game night and have live music. Definitely a hotspot in the Ithaca area.