Wow, shockingly good!…read more I tried the Za'atar Chicken Malawach and it was delicious! Portions are quite large- at least for the Chicken Malawach. The wrap was overflowing and it was very filling. Cute fast casual spot in downtown Ithaca. Wait was pretty short for our food. The malawach is buttery flaky slightly crisp perfection. I would eat these plain. I will definitely be returning for the malawach!

I found the flavors here interesting and captivating. Yemeni flatbread sandwiches are the big hit…read morehere. I had mine with chicken and my guest had the other with gourmet mushrooms. It went super well with a local Ithaca beer. They have wines available as well. Ambiance is a little blah. Place is low key where you order your food upfront and they bring it to your table. There is extra seating upstairs. I will be coming back!

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!

Loved the Rook's design choices, filled with anthropomorphic art and light yet refined ambiance…read more It wasn't too crowded when we arrived and we were seated immediately. Staff was pleasant and quick. The menu is dominated by drink options (cocktails and wines), and happy hour is 4-5pm, which is perfect for an aperitif. The fried chicken is by far their speciality, with the macaroni coming in as a distant second. But while both were delicious, I'd say the best value and taste goes surprisingly to the simple summer salad, which was crisp, sweet, tangy, and refreshing. It's only $10 for a hefty portion of food and I'd order that again anytime (and that's coming from a guy who'd never normally order a salad). My only criticisms are that the Rook doesn't have many entree choices (which may be a good thing for indecisive diners), and that it's very slightly pricey. Otherwise, it's an easy recommend for me.

Must visit! Five stars! I visited years ago and somehow never got around to leaving a review, but I…read moreremember having a wonderful experience. The atmosphere was great, the service was friendly, and everything came together for an enjoyable visit. Even after all this time, it's one of those places I look back on positively. Definitely worth checking out if you're in the area!

We discovered a good Mexican restaurant by passing by the Bickering Twins. We liked how the…read morerestaurant offered happy hour. The food tasted pretty good. I ordered the fish tacos. The tacos came with sliced avocados, turnips, and lettuce. The plantains tasted a bit over cooked. We did not have to wait for our food long. We ate downstairs and we wanted to enjoy the ambiance.

Loved this spot!! Good for small groups or getting brunch to go. I got a NY Maple Iced Latte in a…read moreLarge and it was delicious!!! It was the perfect amount of sweet. I also ordered a bacon egg and cheese on an everything bagel, which was a lot better than I was expecting. My friend got the avocado toast. Service was quick too. Hope to be back!

Hound and Mare is a cute little breakfast spot that serves breakfast sandwiches, salads, pastries,…read moreand coffee. They have a couple of breakfast sandwich options, but the Melrose stood out to me right away. It has bacon, over easy egg, a slice of crispy cheddar, garlic aioli, and caramelized onions on a toasted sesame bagel. Usually, I'm not a over easy or sunny side up person because I don't like egg yolk, but this whole sandwich with everything made it work for me. It was so tasty and satisfying. I've never had a crispy slice of cheese like this. I enjoyed the sandwich so much that I got it again the next day. I made the mistake of squeezing the sandwich and the egg yolk squirted on my sleeves. It seems like a popular spot. There was a line of people both days I went. The sandwich took about 5 minute wait.

We got our wedding cake and cupcakes from Sinfully Delicious and they were stunning and delectable!…read moreRaquel was great to work with as we nailed down our flavors and numbers, and multiple guests told us that this was the best dessert they'd ever had at a wedding. Our cake was cardamom sponge with lemon curd and lemon meringue buttercream, and my spouse, who has very high standards for baked goods, said that they could not have imagined having a better cake. Truly a fantastic experience.

It was my daughter's 21st birthday and I live in California. To make the day special I wanted to…read moreget a really good cake. I contacted Racquel and she asked what kind of cake my daughter might like. Here in San Jose there was a bakery called Aki's that made a guava cake that was my daughter's favorite. So I asked for a guava cake, even though it was a not flavor listed on the website. A mango guava cake was delivered today to my daughter's coop and the photo is the text she sent me. Highly recommend! Also very easy to order etc!

What can I say? Ithaca Ale House remains a classic…read more As someone who can't eat gluten, I always appreciate the servers taking extra time to find out what I can actually eat from their kitchen. They always go the extra mile!!

Our first bar in the area for some brew, and it didnt disappoint. Drank a few porters from Great…read moreLakes Brewing(yum) started chatting up the bartender (Danielle) who gave us info on some other places to hit, she was super nice. She also recommended the wings with the "garbage" sauce, and im so glad she did!!! Fricking delish!!!! We did boneless, & it was worth it.

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.

A decent place for a cocktail. I enjoy the fact that they are part coffeeshop part cocktail bar…read more The atmosphere is quite eclectic with all of the plants and dim lighting in the evening. We went for a smaller bite and a drink. The BBQ chicken sliders were pretty good, though nothing particularly special. The dark and stormy was the drink special of the night at $7, so we opted for that. The dark and stormy was also nothing to write home about, but was a good dark and stormy nonetheless. We also got a bottle of the Ithaca Apricot Wheat Ale. There weren't many tap options which I feel is something that could be improved. They do have a couple of unique drinks on the menu that I would like to try (the chai cocktail and the blackberry mojito). Overall, I would be back to try the other drinks and enjoyed my time at The Greenhouse.

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).

Food, service and ambiance ON POINT!!! With every visit to Ithaca I try my best to not leave…read morewithout having my favorite at Simeon's which is their magical Mussels with the tasty grilled bread to perfection. The thing that was different this time was I had to leave early so we visited for brunch and I quickly, was saddened that they do not serve mussels during brunch time but to my delightful surprise the chef made an exception an I was smiling so hard that the waiters were please and extremely happy for me. For that I am grateful and needed to recommend my favorite restaurant on the Ithaca commons.

College town Bagels (CTB) makes for the perfect campus-adjacent spot! Its proximity to the law…read moreschool and academic buildings makes it a go-to for faculty and students alike. The atmosphere feels chill and unhurried. It ranks as one of the few places where you can actually focus on your studies while relaxing. The staff provides consistent courteous and prompt service. I find that impressive given how busy they get. Highly recommend the carrot cake; it tastes exceptionally well-made and delicious.

Great coffee and bagel shop. So many options for bagels!…read more Lots of outdoor seating and plenty of college students hanging out. Great spot to meet up with friends.

Wow! It's so good to see such a cute vegan diner! This place is adorable!!!! Me and my partner went…read moreout for brunch and decided to try this diner and we are astounded! The staff are super friendly! We sat down and got our orders in super quick! Me and my partner split a milkshake and it definitely has to be the best milkshake i have had in so long. Our wraps came out soon after and they were amazing! It was super crunchy and all of the flavors played off each other so well and each bite was heavenly!!! I love this place and i will definitely come back next time I'm in the area!

This is what I would consider a hidden gem in Ithaca because I've driven by it a hundred times and…read moredidn't even know it. My friends and I came here for 2 reasons. 1. I'm lactose intolerant and 2. 1 of us is vegetarian. This place checks all the boxes and we both can order without having to worry about anything. They also have wheat free options which is another plus. I got the breakfast wrap and it was probably one of the best wraps I've ever had. Definitely stepped out of my comfort zone trying it because I've only had the cheese on it but none of the other ingredients. I also got the strawberry mango smoothie with oat milk and it was the perfect match to my wrap. My friends had already eaten here and were raving about how good the cheese fries were and how I could actually eat them and they really were so good! Over all it was such a great experience and I love the diner vibes. The parking is a little iffy because it's in the same area of Dominos so it's a little limited but there's a parking garage around the corner and street parking is always an option. I have a new favorite place to eat where I can order and enjoy what I'm eating in peace.