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.

we made a resy for 5 for a wednesday night dinner, not crowded at all and our server was the most…read moredarling lady. she checked on us many times and would call us "love" after she would take our orders or give us more water. it was very nice and homey. we came here initially because in the past it's been a tapas place and we were looking forward to sharing small plates. unfortunately they changed their menu so they mostly do individual entrees now with a plethora of options from spaghetti to steak to burgers to thai noodles (lots of options) thai mussel bowl - 3/5 mussels a little ocean-y fishy tasting and the thai sauce a little liquidy brazilian cheesy bread gluten free 4/5 - yum appetizers delicious crunchy with cheese inside. the red dipping sauce was just tomato sauce a little strange but not bad osco bucco 3/5 - a little salty but a solid pork shoulder. the gnocci was also fried which was interesting italian sub with house salad 4/5 - good solid sub, i could only finish half and ate my entire side salad which had nice breaded croutons (not the dense thick ones) red clam linguine 4/5 - not bad, only about 4 clams but some more inside the pasta penne alla vodka 3.5/5 - a solid pasta nothing special

One of the only places in the Commons with breakfast service, Monks doesn't coast on how they own…read morethe market. My confit mushroom omelet was just one of plenty of egg dishes on offer. You've got your eggs Benedict, your sausage, your usual American-style proteins. My omelet was just browned - very nice color - and not overcooked, which I was thankful for. That said I could've done with more seasoning. The home fries were pretty crisp; some too much so to eat. Totally worth a try!

Took forever to get food. Ordered seabass. Over 40 minutes with no one in the restaurant except me…read more Also ordered the garlic rolls and it was just reheated and didn't taste fresh

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!

Kind of had low expectations but really yummy!…read more Service was not the best and was a bit slow but food was good! Pretty large portions too. We ordered the ceviche as an appetizer which was nice and limey- perhaps too many onions and rather large pieces. We also tried the popstar cocktail which was good- quite strong. For mains we ordered the taco plate with shrimp, chicken tinga, and lengua, plantains and potatoes. I liked the chicken and shrimp tacos the best. The carnitas platter was also very good! I thought that parts of the pork were a tad on the dry side but this is quickly remedied by pairing it with the beans and guac. Now, the star of the show and the reason this review has 4 stars and not 3 is the chipotle chocolate cake. I was expecting the chipotle/pepper flavor to be completely overpowered by the chocolate cake. However, the peppery taste came through! It wasn't spicy per se but it had a very mild kick but was just noticeable enough. The texture of the cake was also great- not your typical flourless chocolate cake, more custardy and creamy almost. Overall, would recommend! Food was solid- I thought the tacos and ceviche were better than the carnitas platter. The cake was the star of the show!

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.

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!

I've been back twice already. The carnitas in salsa verde were excellent. Nice accoutrements that…read morecome with entrees. The chili relleno was also great, the best I've gotten in Ithaca. I am hesitant to leave a review because I want to be able to get in when I go, but the secret seems like it's already out, it was packed last time I went.

Food was excellent! Service was fantastic. Decor was nice. All was great! Will go again!!!read more

Delicious, artfully made food. Attentive service. Phillip, our waiter really knew his stuff.read more

My husband & I had a late dinner at Food Lab on Friday night and will absolutely be back! Cocktails…read morewere creative and delicious -- the smoked pecan old fashioned was probably the best example of a smoked old fashioned I've ever had, and the razz cloud margaritas was several cuts above the usual flavored margarita in quality and subtlety. We had the spicy tomato calamari and truffle sachetti for dinner, and while the former was good, the latter was out of this world. The chocolate espresso mousse was a perfect ending to the meal -- again, not overly sweet and with more depth and complexity than you usually see. Service was fantastic -- attentive but not overbearing. We especially appreciated that the servers took the time to offer dessert and didn't make us feel rushed even though closing time was approaching and we were the only customers left. My one criticism is that while the cherry duck tartlet appetizer was delicious, the filling was cold. I'd give 4.5 stars if I could, but given the overall good experience, I'm happy to round up.

Ok this place is stunning inside. I could've never imagined that a place in collegetown could look…read morelike this. Service was excellent. The food however, was beyond lacking. I ordered a spinach and mushroom crepe that claimed to come with gruyere cheese. The portion was small for $14 and when I tell you it was bland, it was blanddddd. There was absolutely no cheese in it at all and I thought, ok this will be healthy, but it was cooked with plenty of butter. I wanted to like this place, but the menu is too large for anything to be stellar. My friend got the nutella crepe, and again, it was small for the price. But it was good. I guess a nutella crepe is hard to mess up though. My cappuccino milk was between a latte and a cappuccino. It wasn't bad!

I was pretty surprised by the poor reviews for The Embassy. I popped in with some friends for…read morecocktails, and they were actually pretty good. The inside is super pretty, almost fancy, which is weird because we're in Collegetown, not Downtown. You mean to say that this place existed all along here? It's got two floors of style, but be warned - it DOES definitely get crowded in the evening (especially on Mondays when they host a trivia night). I haven't tried their food or brunch yet, so no opinions there. But for drinks and a cool vibe, The Embassy is definitely worth a visit. Just grab your friends and get ready to hunt for a table!