Budget
The Nines
A former fire station in collegetown turned restaurant/bar, the nines features live music several times a week, as well as some of the best pizza in the region and a patio that's pleasant on warm summer evenings. this, along with the large selection of beers on tap, makes this a favorite of the student crowd. their service is slow; orders of pizza often take more than an hour to receive.
Viva! Taqueria
At the corner of state and aurora streets. maximum calories for your money. very vegetarian and vegan friendly. be sure to check out the viva! cantina next door for an expanded menu, table service, and a bar featuring a large tequila selection.
Ned's Pizza
Inside center ithaca. bargain prices on basic and loaded slices. probably the cheapest fill-up in ithaca.
Lincoln Street Diner
On lincoln st. between n tioga and n aurora, next to the fall creek laundromat. cheap, good quality breakfasts and lunches. favored by fall creek locals, construction and utility workers.
Rogan's Corner
formerly king subs (http://www.roganscorner.net/) located right off the ithaca college campus on route 96b serves the "best pizza on south hill" by the slice with its signature homemade sauce. rogan's also has hot and cold subs, calzones, wings, italian dinners, and breakfast for carryout, delivery, or dine-in. beer on tap coming in september 2008.
Shortstop Deli
On w. seneca st. between albany and geneva. open 24 hours. specializes in large, delicious subs. also has breakfast sandwiches, big cookies, soups, and many varieties of coffee. veg friendly, with veggie burger and seitan subs and vegan chili. counter service only, but you can sit on on the window ledge outside.
State Diner
On state st, a few blocks west of the commons. this railroad car diner is one of ithaca's few 24-hour restaurants.
Napoli Pizza
335 e state gateway building a block e of commons, 607-272-3232. pizza, wings, and italian standards.
Ling Ling Restaurant
East hill plaza on judd falls road and ithaca plaza on rt 13 s at elmira rd. frequently voted best chinese food in ithaca. east hill plaza location has large dining room and elmira rd location is mostly take-out.
Collegetown Bagels/Ithaca Bakery
(http://www.ithacabakery.com) six locations: ithaca bakery downtown: 400 n. meadow st., 607-273-7110; ithaca bakery triphammer: triphammer mall, rte. 13 @ triphammer rd., 607-257-2255; collegetown bagels collegetown: 415 college ave. 607-273-0982; collegetown bagels commons: 203 n. aurora st. 607-273-2848; collegetown bagels east hill plaza: 329 pine tree rd. 273-1036. the brous & mehaffey family operates five locations around ithaca, so collegetown bagels is something of an ithaca institution. they offer bagels, sandwiches, and coffee with a whimsical, new-agey feel at reasonable prices. some of the best authentic bagels and fairly traded coffee, and definitely the most ithacan. great for breakfast or lunch. $5-$10.
Midrange
Just a Taste
116 north aurora street, 607-277-9463, (http://www.just-a-taste.com). dinner every day, brunch 11-3 on weekends. great tapas bar with a large selection of wines available by the glass. you can also select from a number of "flights" of wine, with a small taste of 4 or 5 different wines. the menu changes frequently and usually features local produce. probably the best "walk in" eatery in town, and has less students than many other places. tapas range from $4-$7. expect to order 2-4 per person, and expect to share.
Maxie's Supper Club and Oyster bar
635 w. state st., 607-272-4136, (http://www.maxies.com/). maxie's offers dinner daily until 11pm and midnight on friday and saturday, and brunch on sunday until 3pm. maxie's supper club offers a good selection of cajun seafood food including an oyster bar, as well as authentic southern barbeque. the cajun fries are delicious, but don't miss the shrimp and grits in tasso sauce, and definitely have lots of the honey butter they serve with the free cornbread. the supper club is an excellent place to grab some food and drinks after a late evening event. the restaurant feature locally-produced food and the wine list is award-winningly extensive and also features upstate wines, which often pair well with spicy food. brunch $10-$15. dinner $10-$20.
Moosewood Restaurant
Dewitt building, 215 n. cayuga st., 607-273-9610, (http://www.moosewoodresta...). famous world-wide for their vegetarian cookbooks, this downtown institution offers reasonably-priced for a famous brand vegetarian fare and fish with a different menu every night and a good selection of local wines, beers, and cafe beverages. save room for dessert. ask for a table in the furthest room. in the summer, the street level patio is quite pleasant. lunch $10-$15. dinner $15-$25.
Taste of Thai
216 e. state st the commons, 607-256-5487, (http://www.tasteofthaiith...). taste of thai has a lovely atmosphere . voted best asian and best ethnic in ithaca ithaca times, 2003 and 2005, respectively. heat scale 0-5, where 3 is hot and 5 is "on fire". try the papaya salad, a curry, or one of the delicious fish or seafood dishes. lunch $7-8, dinner $10-20.
Thai Cuisine
501 s. meadow st., 607-273-2031. across from wegmans. this restaurant serves thai food that has been called the best in the state, although perhaps their reputation is overstated. they specialize in spicy food, but if you order your food hot, be sure to explain to the server that you do in fact want it really hot, because they have been known to smile and nod to an order of "jumping hot" and serve only "medium." the menu is extensive, and the wine list has excellent choices, including local wines, that pair well with spicy thai food. try a finger lakes riesling--it matches perfectly. dinner $10-$20.
Blue Stone Bar & Grill
110 north aurora st., 607-272-2371, (http://www.bluestoneithaca.com). on the commons. this restaurant serves a variety of american dishes with unique and exciting recipes. the menu contains a modest list of well refined dishes. the wine list is constantly improving. the drink list heavily emphasizes mojitos and martinis, but a continuing rotation of fruit infused vodkas keeps it fresh and exciting. dinner $12-20.
Garcia's
344 elmira rd rt 13 s, 607-277-3600. good chain mexican food.
Glenwood Pines
Rt 89 5 mi n of ithaca, 607-273-3709. burgers and other american fare, family friendly, dining room with lake view. known locally for the "pinesburger" large burger served on french bread. convenient stop for folks returning from wineries farther up the lake.
Fine Line Bistro
404 west state st. near plain st., 607-277-1077. one of the newer eating spots in town. eclectic american bistro fare, complemented by a well thought out beer and wine list. serving from 5 to 11, closed on tuesdays. dinner $10-$25.
New Delhi Diamond's
106 west green st., 607-272-4508. near the commons. this restaurant serves a large variety of indian dishes at dinner, and an $8 buffet at lunchtime. dinner $15-20.
Top end
The Heights Cafe
903 hanshaw rd. 607-257-4144, (http://www.heightscafe.com/). lunch and dinner. this upscale american-style restaurant is hidden in the ritzy cayuga heights area of ithaca. the menu is definitely among the pricier in ithaca, but the food is well worth it. this is a great place for a special occasion. lunch $10-$15. dinner entrees $20-$30.
John Thomas Steakhouse
1150 danby road, 607-273-2734 or 800-765-1492, (http://www.johnthomasstea...). what is probably one of ithaca's most expensive restaurants is also one of of the best. this traditional steakhouse is in an old farmhouse adjacent to la tourelle country inn on the way to danby, just past ithaca college on route 96b. big steaks prepared traditionally are rated among the best in the state, including nyc. great for a fancy date or to have your parents take you for parents' weekend. entrees $20-$30.
Dijon
311 third st 607-256-0503, (http://www.dijonbistro.com). dinner only; book reservations in advance. this restaurant is a culinary gem in the heart of ithaca. traditional french cuisine with an eye for seasonal specials. dinner $20+.
ZaZa's Cucina
622 cascadilla st., 607-273-9292, (http://www.zazascucina.com/). located on the west end of town, this restaurant offers appealing if a bit pricey for ithaca authentic italian cuisine in a sumptuous, elegant setting that belies its former incarnation as a video store. the food gets rave reviews. good wine list with extensive selections from italy. entrees $11-$25.
Boatyard Grill
525 taughannock blvd., 607-256-2628, (http://www.boatyardgrill.com/). great lively atmosphere right along cayuga inlet. located on a peninsula directly across from cornell university's boathouse, boatyard grill serves greasy food in good portion sizes. does not accept reservations but with "call-ahead" you can cut your wait time down significantly. even with call-ahead, expect to wait awhile on parents' weekends as this is a student's favorite when mom and pop are in paying. entrees $15-$25.
Watercress
2 hickory hollow ln off taughannock rd just past pyramid mall, 607-257-0859, (http://www.watercressitha...). lunch and dinner, mediterranean-inspired fine food.
Taughannock Farms Inn
See trumansburg.
Ithaca has some of the best and most diverse dining options in all of upstate New York. The areas with the highest concentration of restaurants are in Downtown and Collegetown. Downtown and The Commons has the most variety, ranging from Pizza, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Indian to fine-dining establishments. If you are uncertain about what you want to eat, a stroll along downtown's "Restaurant Row" on North Aurora Street should provide almost anything one is looking for. Collegetown also has a wide selection of dining, but has fewer fine dining options. Also notable is the area to the west of Downtown known as the West End, or The Inlet. Elmira Road, south of the downtown and Pyramid Mall, north of Ithaca in the Town of Lansing, have a selection of fast food and chain restaurants.
groceries
Wegmans (http://www.wegmans.com/we...), the largest grocery store in Ithaca, has a very large selection of specialty and ethnic foods, and has a large food court-like "marketplace" where ready-made food ranging from pizza to sushi can be purchased and eaten in the pleasant on-premises eating areas. A tourist experience of its own, like the Wegmans around New York State.
The other main grocery store chain in Ithaca is Tops (http://www.topsmarkets.co...). Tops is smaller and has less selection than Wegamans but is favored by some residents for just that reason. Tops arguably has a better selection of foreign food than Wegmans. Most grocery stores in Ithaca are open 24 hours to serve the college market, although the P&Cs tend to close at 10 or so. There is also an Aldi that sells deeply discounted store-brand foods with limited hours and no free grocery bags.
Greenstar (http://www.greenstar.coop/) is a food co-op on the west end of town and is open to everyone. They offer a good selection of organic produce and bulk dry foods. Also check out their smaller location, Greenstar Oasis, in Dewitt Mall near Moosewood just off the Commons. If you're vegetarian and/or looking for organic selection, this is a great place to shop. It also has its version of the "marketplace" in its deli section where prepared foods are offered to either eat-in there is a dining area or take out. It is the only grocery store to offer fresh baked vegan desserts which are VERY good. Here you will pay for the higher quality since it can get a bit pricey.
If you are in town on a weekend during the warm months Saturday and Sunday April-October, Thursday afternoons June-August, you should consider getting your groceries and some bites to eat at the Ithaca Farmer's Market (http://www.ithacamarket.com/). There is a large selection of not only fresh herbs and vegetables, but also free-range and pasture-fed meat. The breakfast burrito is a local favorite. Many local artisans soapmakers, woodworkers, etc. also have kiosks, and there are about a dozen different food vendors. Local vineyards also have kiosks.
There are three main Asian grocery stores in town. The most popular are Win Li, south of downtown on Route 13 near the McDonald's, and Ithaca Tofu, located in the "Small Mall" on Cinema Drive behind Triphammer Mall. The third is a small shop in Collegetown on Eddy Street called Tong Fang. Win Li is the largest and has a very big selection of fresh Asian vegetables and has seasonally fresh fish. They also have some Chinese housewares pots, bowls, rice cookers, etc. and a big selection of rice. Ithaca Tofu has a slightly more varied selection of fruit and vegetables including fresh shiso/ohba, but has much more in the way of Japanese, Vietnamese, Thai, and Korean sauces. In keeping with their name, they do have a large selection of all kinds of tofu, but they also have a lot of Japanese snacks, sushi-related items, and they get fresh shipments of pre-cooked Chinese deli staples chicken feet, tripe, scallion rolls from NYC every week. Tong Fang caters much more to the college crowd and stocks a large array of teas and instant noodles. It is located right across from the intersection of Buffalo and Eddy streets, so parking is a bit scarce.