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.

Hound and Mare is one of the cafes that I visit regularly when I'm staying in downtown Ithaca. I…read moreusually am getting either drip coffee or an espresso-based drink, but they also offer a food menu including baked goods and pastries. I tried a tasty chocolate donut recently and learned that their donuts come from an source in Elmira. The coffee drinks have been solid, and the staff have been consistently welcoming when I've gone. I've also seen people working on their computers, so I imagine it's a good place for studying or reading.

To start the breakfast croissant sandwich I got was was AMAZING ! The bacon was the best part but…read morelike all of it was so so so good. The place is really cute but pretty small, it was crowded when I went but our food and drinks came out incredibly quickly so I was satisfied.

A solid spot for brunch in Ithaca!…read more I wish it was located a tad closer to c-town, but when the weather is warm it is actually quite a nice walk (still definitely walkable even in the winter)! We tried the breakfast croissant, the breakfast burrito, and crepes. We also ordered a hot Razz Mocha and an iced matcha (both with oat milk). I wish they had more milk varieties (only had whole and oat). Everything except the matcha was super tasty! I really loved the razz mocha- I will definitely be ordering this again. The crepes were my favorite entree- slightly thicker than your typical crepe, more of a chew. Nonetheless, very yummy. I like the berry compote and whipped cream. I enjoyed the croissant sandwich- ours had lox and egg. Too much egg, but perhaps the right amount of egg if you just want an egg sandwich without meat... Burrito was fine, though a tad watery. There was a bit of a line when we came- Saturday around noon and not much seating. We took our food to-go. Better to come when the weather is warmer- there is more seating under the tend in the back. Have heard mixed things about their other dishes, but I will definitely be returning!

Wow, the place was packed but there was really not much of a wait. Food was fantastic and service…read morewas great! Definitely will be back!

Stopped at the milkstand for breakfast this morning. I was afraid wait would be long and with 3…read morekids that can be difficult but we only had to wait 5-10 minutes. This restaurant ran like a well oiled machine, everyone chipping in to grab empty plates, run food, fill coffee, clean tables... Our waitress was awesome! Extremely attentive and hospitable. - now to the food, I won't post a menu pic because there's plenty of them posted. We ordered the chocolate strawberry waffle, Brie French brioche, a Belgian waffle, the baked apple pancake and a side of chicken with sweet garlic sauce. Everything was delicious!! I'm glad we made this a stop on our road trip. Instagram worthy ambiance and food presentation for sure, check this place out if you're in Ithaca!

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.

Get the home fries, I usually never get home fries but these were so good. The food came out so…read morequickly too. the servers were nice and the food came out fast. Not to loud was able to talk well. 5 stars.

Great little dinner. Good food decent prices…read more Proprietor loves to break the customers balls. It was fun.

Delicious food. Great service. Nice staff. Will go back again. Pastries looked amazing.read more

I loveddd the Dolce Delight! It's unique and has a good mix of savory and sweet! It's pretty…read morepeppery but I like it We got the celebration and macadamia nut cookie too! The egg bacon cheese bagel was good. The only thing is that the blueberry muffin top had no flavor. The texture was great but had no sweetness as all. Great price though, less than $2

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!

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.

Nice overall diner with an old school vibe good food, and decent service!…read more The French toast special was outstanding

Located in the middle of the DeWitt Mall, the cafe features uneven flooring, a bathroom key on a…read moresoup laddle, fish tanks with goldfish and guppies, yes, quite good food. They have a handful of staff and what looks like a tiny kitchen. Even so, they are very warm and welcoming. Since the Carriage House on Stewart Avenue has been long closed, I decided to get the cafe's French Toast. It came out nice and hot, sprinkled with powdered sugar, and a side of maple syrup and butter. The crisp exterior gave way to a moist fluffy eggy interior. Much yum. Bonus points: they can also offer French toast in a gluten free variation. My wife opted for the Potato Pile, which was a plate with a pile of potatoes, dressed, along with their homemade kimchi, and eggs. The potatoes were great. The cafe partners with local farms to serve up great produce.

Collegetown Bagels makes me nostalgic for my times as a college student, so I usually visit…read morewhenever I'm nearby this location in downtown Ithaca. It can be busy on weekends, but I've found that the line moves fairly quickly. If you are ordering bagels, you go to a register in the rear and then pay upfront (where you can also order beverages like coffee). I usually get a breakfast sandwich such as the Bronx bagel (which comes with eggs and a sausage patty) and add cheese for an extra fee. During my last visit, I noticed an error with my order, and I appreciated that they offered to remake my sandwich without any fuss. They offer a variety of pastries, and along with your usual coffee beverages they have a refrigerator with a variety of chilled drinks.

Stopped by a couple of times to this popular place right at the edge of Cornell. Had the 6 Mile…read moreCreek, West End Melt and the Zabs - all good. Friendly service but there can be a bit of wait for the food (we waited about 20 minutes each time)