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.

Unique mac and cheese and good gnocchi!…read more I am debating giving the rook 3 or 4 stars... I was not a fan of the salmon mousse... far too salty and I wish it was paired with crisped bread or at least something other than Ritz crackers. I did, however, enjoy the presentation and taste of the macaroni au gratin. The square shape is very unique and I liked the cheese sauce. The lamb w gnocchi was also quite good. Pillowy and soft. The lamb was cooked well. Overall, I would maybe return. I enjoyed the macaroni au gratin as well as the lamb w gnocchi!

The food was good, but the service was very slow because there was one server working the whole…read morerestaurant. It was a late Saturday dinner for the 6 of us. We got our sodas 30 minutes later. Thankfully the food was good. The tater tots were crispy and the French onion soup was flavorful.

Cozy tavern. Fun server. Two of us at table for 5, they accommodated 5 last minute friends for a…read moretotal of 7. French Onion burger delicious. Tots crispy and warm, partner requested fryer fresh replacement - accommodated. Gratuity added, for less than 8? I wouldn't mind but I didn't look before I added regular tip to my share of bill, my bad.

First time here , food was just amazing !! Large portions and very fresh . Our server Phil was so…read morefriendly and answered our questions. Definitely a must stop for lunch !!

Very nice place and the food is delicious. Would recommend to anyone in the area. Tasty cocktails…read moreas well.

The restaurant is beautiful. We were seated in the front window with a lovely view indoors and out…read more Started out with great PEI oysters. I had the seared halibut with miso beurre blanc. Delicious. Husband had burger and fries also excellent. Ended with mini- desserts key lime pie and mixed berry crumble. Waitress Jenna was lovely and attentive. Very, very enjoyable dining experience.

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).

Amazing server, Genessis, do all the details and knew how to match our interest in preferences with…read morethe innovative menu items. Sitting by the the street was comfortable enough, but the restaurant has a more attractive into you that its advertising might suggest.

We drove to Ithaca on. Monday. When we arrived at the hotel we were told many restaurants are…read moreclosed on Monday. We took a walk to The Commons and were happy that Food Lab was opened. Fortunately, we were able to get seated. Our server, Kylie, was so attentive. We ordered a salad and three shares. Each one was a wonderful blend of flavors and texture. The presentation of each was a work of art. What an amazing find!

Fresh, healthy vegetarian recipes. Smallish menu…read more Whenever we are nearby, we try to make time to stop into Moosewood restaurant, for old-times sake. This time (Jul 2026) was like our visit a couple of years ago. The menu was rather short, and we didnt see many middle-of-the-road or ordinary comfort-food offerings. Their local sourdough bread appetizer was fresh and nicely flavored, and we chose the fresh olive oil side just because it's so luscious. We could have had chive-butter. The marinated olives were flavorful and a little spicy. Their NY-cheese board had a tasty selection of soft and hard cheeses. The salads had choices of a chutney-paneer based mix, which was refreshingly creative. And we liked the Farmstand berry-cherry goat-cheese almond salad. These were all appealing. Chickpea salad or stew, tofu or salmon over steamed veggies, or smoked-trout open-face tartine sandwich, each sounded good, but we didnt bite. None of the mains called to us. I guess we just felt that none of those menu items screamed out we-gotta-come-to-this-restaurant. The food tasted like just homemade and fresh, but not exceptional. The food was ok, no complaints, but not a big thrill.

After decades of waiting, I finally ate at the Moosewood Restaurant last night. I won't say I was…read moredisappointed but I will say I was underwhelmed. I ordered the tofu green curry and the man ordered the Moosewood burger. Neither dish was hot upon arrival at the table - more like lukewarm. The man says the burger wasn't particularly flavorful, although the roasted potatoes it came with were very good. The curry was flavorful and spicy, although the curry sauce was on the thin side. We didn't order appetizers (other than the olives) or dessert, so I can't comment on either. The service was friendly and efficient. When I mentioned that the food hadn't been served hot, the server removed two of our drinks from the bill as compensation, which was appreciated. I would give it another try before leaving Ithaca, but my expectations will be tempered on a second trip.

Excellent food- comfort able ambiance- thoughtful service- good music…read moreStop in for lunch or go out for a classy night on the town

Fantastic setting for a birthday bash! Brewer's hosted our party of 30+ people and offered up…read moreexemplary customer service and delicious food! Some restaurants in the area were not pleasant to even obtain pricing. Brewer's answered the phone and they were wonderful from our initial conversation, right up until the last few moments of our night there. We ordered Tier 2 - five appetizers and two entrees. Our appetizers were Caprese Salad, Charcuterie Board, Veggie Board, Spinach & Artichoke Dip and Poutine. All were freshly prepared presented in a timely manner. Our entrees were the brisket and the salmon. The brisket was smoked for four hours and was the best brisket many of us had ever had. The salmon was cooked to perfection and delicious. We would definitely host another party at Brewer's and now we have a go-to place for when we are in the area for a family meal. Loved our experience here!

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.