Applebee's
2300 North Triphammer Road
607-257-6200
Ithaca Northeast
Hours: Daily for lunch, dinner, and late-night fare
Considering the disdain with which “cookie-cutter” establishments are viewed by some, I was very impressed with how smoothly this trendy, yuppie-oriented chain restaurant has fit into the area. Applebee’s offers very speedy and friendly service, a pleasant surprise to anyone expecting anonymous or uncaring treatment. The food is good, reasonably priced, and plentiful, as well. Hot, tasty soup and a grilled chicken sandwich made a good lunch, and a recent visit for dinner yielded an excellent “Bourbon Street Steak,” their 10oz. sirloin with Cajun spices, all cooked perfectly as we’d ordered them. (Web Site)

Blanche’s Scratch Bakery
Ulysses Square, Rt. 96, Jacksonville
387-6293
Ithaca West Hill
Open from 6 am for breakfast and lunch, and one day a week for a specialty dinner. Listed only.

Boatyard Grill
525 Taughannock Blvd
607-256-BOAT (2628)
Ithaca West End
This restaurant was opened by Mark Campagnolo, a former partner at Joe's Restaurant. The beautiful building with its nautical theme is a great setting for the quick and friendly service and the exceptional, hearty food at this comfortable restaurant. Naturally, there's lots of fresh seafood (brought daily from Boston), but the Texas Cowboy Steak (a porterhouse with a chipotle glaze served on the bone) and Boatyard Angus Sirloin (smothered with fresh roasted garlic) aren’t to be missed. Be prepared to wait for a table. (Full Review) (Web Site)

Capital Corner Restaurant
118 West State Street
607-272-7350 (fax 272-9398)
Downtown Ithaca
Hours: 11am-10pm 7 days a week
This new establishment where Asiatic Garden lived for decades has a lot to live up to, and is off to a very good start. We were impressed that our egg rolls came out of the kitchen almost as soon as we’d ordered them, hot and fresh. The steamed dumplings appetizer didn’t arrive in quite as timely a fashion, coming after the first of two entrees. Our beef satay, with chunks of fresh tomato, was a pleasant surprise, and the sesame chicken (a Chinese restaurant staple) was good. They have affordable combo dinners and lunch specials, and deliver free with an order of $8 or more.

Chili's Grill & Bar
614 South Meadow Street
607-272-5004
Ithaca Southwest
Hours: Lunch & Dinner 7 days a week
The latest of the nationwide chains to reach Ithaca offers an eclectic mix of American-grill-style entrees and sandwiches and southwest or Mexican-style dishes. The huge rack of signature babyback ribs are an example of the generous portions, and the cajun tuna sandwich features a plentiful piece of tuna steak that overflows the large roll. The bar specializes in good (if pricey) margaritas, and they badly need to add Maker's Mark to the shelf. (Web Site)

Collegetown Bagels & Appetizers
Triphammer Mall
607-257-2255
Ithaca Northeast
This bagelry and appetizing establishment offers a wide variety of breakfast and lunch sandwiches and simple entrees from 6:00 am until 7:30 pm. It's informal as dinners go, but that's fine. CTB has an excellent selection of retail gourmet items, along with an ever-changing variety of prepared food items. It’s very vegetarian-friendly. (Web Site)

Corners Deli
200 Pleasant Grove Road
607-257-4019
Ithaca Northeast
Hours: M-F 8:30am-6:30pm, Sat 9-4.
This Community Corners institution is a family-owned delicatessen specializing in Middle Eastern specialties in addition to a wide array of fresh American-deli-style foods. The overstuffed sandwiches and pitas barely leave room for the exceptional baklava and other desserts. Great falafel and gyros, and fresh roast beef whose aroma permeates the neighborhood. In the morning, stop by for a pastry or rice pudding and a cup of flavored coffee. (Web Site)

Felicia's Atomic Lounge
508 West State Street, Ithaca
607-273-2219
Ithaca West End
Felicia's has a very simple menu and a very straightforward lounge philosophy that says a lounge is for lounging. The funky decor, with metal panels and velvet couches, fits nicely. On the menu when we visited were personal-sized flatbread pizzas, salad, and homemade apple pie. (Full Review) (Web Site)

Franco's Restaurant
Route 96B
607-277-6666
Ithaca South Hill
Hours: Sun-Thu 11am-9pm, Fri-Sat 11am-10pm
What makes Italian-American restaurant fare the ultimate comfort food? Is it the simplicity (and affordability) of a plate of spaghetti and sauce? The sheer ubiquity of Italian cuisine in Anytown, USA? The fact that just about anyone, from carnivore to vegetarian to vegan, can select from a wide variety of choices on the menu? I never expected a shortage of Italian eateries in Ithaca, but with two long-time favorites closing in the last few months, it's nice to have new options. Franco's menu features the expected array of pastas and sauces, parmigiana entrées, steaks, and subs. A bit farther from the beaten path are the grilled veggies with pine nuts and sundried tomatoes over linguini, the shrimp and feta, and the margherita pizzas with fresh garlic and marinara sauce. We were also intrigued by the "Mixing it Up" dinner selections, presented as a matrix of prices that apply when combining such entrées as prime rib, chicken parm, or London broil with add-ons like grilled salmon, shrimp scampi, or a lobster tail. (Full Review)

Friendly’s
Cayuga Mall, Triphammer Road
607-257-5797
Ithaca Northeast
We’ve never been a big fan of Friendly’s, but they certainly have their place in the local dining scene. This restaurant, across Triphammer Road from the Pyramid Mall, offers decent service. There are also Friendly’s locations inside Pyramid Mall (next to Café Square) and along Fast Food Row on Route 13 south of downtown Ithaca. We find Friendly’s does best at breakfasts (which are inexpensive) and ice cream (expensive but with good variety). For lunch and dinner, we suggest going elsewhere.

Glenwood Pines
1213 Taughannock Boulevard
607-273-3709
Ithaca West Hill
Hours: 11-11 Sun-Thu, 11-Midnight Fri-Sat
A casual eatery four miles north of Cass Park on Route 89, with an active bar and plenty of relaxed seating. We highly recommend the fresh fish fry dinner or sandwich (depending on how hungry you are) or the infamous Pinesburger, served on French bread. (Full Review) (Web Site)

Hal's Deli
115 North Aurora Street
607-273-7765
Downtown Ithaca
A Jewish-style deli with good hot and cold deli sandwiches, burgers, salads, soups, and breakfasts that include bagels and lox. The triple-decker sandwiches are named after Hal (the deli’s late founder) and assorted relatives and regulars; the "Ron Mack Special" is a plate of potato pancakes and corned beef named after the late Cornell professor of psychology. The food's not fancy and the service is friendly and well-meaning, if not expert, but sometimes you just gotta have a Reuben and a knish, y’know? (Full Review)

Ithaca Bakery
400 North Meadow Street
607-273-7110
Ithaca West End
When I told a friend in Florida I was going to visit the Ithaca Bakery, she exclaimed, "Oh, I love bakeries!" I had to stop and think for a moment, then explain that our Meadow Street "bakery" doesn't just do bread and pastries. They do bake the fresh bread, rolls, donuts, cookies, and cakes for a staggering number of hotels, stores, offices, and other eateries around the region, but I was there to visit the eatery part of the business. Any time of day, you can satisfy your appetite at the Ithaca Bakery for just a few bucks for a bagel sandwich or deli sandwich, or spend $5-10 for a full meal. (Full Review) (Web Site)

Jade Garden
113 North Aurora Street
607-272-8880
Downtown Ithaca
Hours: 11:00-10:30 Daily, Fri & Sat til 11 pm, Sunday opening at noon.
Jade Garden offers a small but well-stocked Chinese lunch and dinner buffet right off the Commons, plus tasty food prepared to order for dining in or carry-out service. The restaurant is clean and casual, and while they don’t compare to the sheer variety at the larger buffets in town, they don’t seem to have to.

Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwiches
122 North Aurora Street, Ithaca
607-645-0075
Downtown Ithaca
Hours: 11am-3am daily
This sandwich shop offers well-stuffed sandwiches on French bread or thick-sliced whole-grain bread, with delivery available (the prices are higher for each item). The sandwiches are made to order, and they're lightning-fast. (Web Site)

John Thomas Steakhouse
1152 Danby Road, past Ithaca College
607-273-3464
Ithaca South Hill
Hours: Dinner starts at 5:30, 7 days a week
If you’ve just eaten at John Thomas Steakhouse, you know you’ve eaten. It’s a carnivore’s paradise (though there’s some effort to provide for the vegetarians who occasionally arrive with meat-eating friends) with substantial, top-quality steaks, chops, lobsters, and more. The entree doesn’t come with any side dishes, and we recommend the creamed spinach and roast garlic mashed potatoes, served family style, as sides. John Thomas also has a good wine list and an excellent whisky selection. Ask about their occasional cigar-and-scotch theme nights. Expensive, but worth every penny.

Juna’s Cafe
146 The Commons
607-256-4292
Downtown Ithaca
Hours: 7:30-7:00 Mon-Thu, 7:30-9:00 Fri, 9:00-11:00 Sat, 10:00-7:00 Sun
Juna’s offers a wide variety of fresh, tasty, made-to-order sandwiches, salads, and wraps, and a vegetarian-frendly attitude. (The chef salad, for example, offers tempeh in place of the chicken at no extra charge.) On a cold day, try the chili, and don’t miss out on the coffee drinks. (Web Site)

Just a Taste
116 North Aurora Street
607-277-9463
Downtown Ithaca
Hours: Dinner Sun-Thu 5:30-10 and Fri-Sat 5:30-11.
Catering to an interesting mix of business owners, college students, and everyone in between, this wine and tapas bar offers an ever-changing menu of creative food, and a broad array of wines to sample. Since the menu changes every night we can’t suggest a specific dish, but we’ll tell you that if it sounds like an odd combination, it’s probably exquisite. Try the sangria. (Full Review) (Web Site)

Kelly’s Dock-Side Kafe
319 Taughannock Blvd
607-273-9642
Ithaca West End
Kelly’s, opened in a 28-seat trolley car 28 years ago, is famous for its omelettes and Sunday brunches, and has outdoor seating that’s perfect for a pleasant Saturday morning. The owner, whose full name is Albert Kelly, though everyone just calls him Kelly, does most of the cooking. Try the spinach, mushroom and cheese omelette, with a side of crisp bacon and some home fries. Even the toast was done to perfection.

King Buffet
734 South Meadow Street
607-256-3388
Ithaca Southwest
Hours: 11 am - 9:30 pm daily, til 10:30 Fri & Sat
King Buffet starts out as a Chinese buffet, but ends up with a much broader array of food. Their fresh and flavorful dishes include plenty of vegetarian dishes, sushi, carve-to-order ham and roast beef, and kid-friendly items like pizza and spaghetti.

Kyushu
2300 North Triphammer Road
607-257-6788
Ithaca Northeast
A new Japanese hibachi restaurant and sushi bar in the Tops/Applebee's plaza on North Triphammer Road in front of Pyramid Mall, Kyushu offers hibachi-style dishes (cooked table-side), fresh sushi, and a variety of other Japanese meals. The food is delicious, well prepared, and surprisingly affordable; complete lunches cost $6-9, and complete dinners $12 and up. Things seem vaguely uncoordinated, but on opening day, we won't complain. (The hibachi chefs certainly aren't uncoordinated, or someone would lose a finger!) When the staff has everything down pat, they may well rate a "5."

Lehigh Valley House
801 West Buffalo Street, Ithaca
607-273-4410
Ithaca West End
There’s nothing extraordinary about the dinners at the Lehigh Valley House, unless you consider sheer generosity of portions. You can order appetizers or snacks or a sandwich (such as a burger), but if you order an entree, be prepared for a feast. The entrees come with soup or tomato juice, plus a small salad, plus two side dishes, plus bread and a plate of onion rings for the table. The entrees themselves aren’t small, either. It’s traditional American steaks, seafood, and chicken dishes, and while it’s not the best food in town, you won’t leave hungry.

Ling Ling
Ithaca Shopping Plaza & East Hill Plaza
607-272-0718 & 607-273-1668
Ithaca
Hours: 11-10 Mon-Thurs, 11-11 Fri & Sat, Noon-10 Sun
Ling Ling, a pair of carry-out or eat-in Chinese restaurants, offers quick and inexpensive and tasty Chinese food. They offer a surprising variety of Szechuan, Hunan, and Cantonese cooking a la carte, with several options available as combo dinners ($7-8 or so for entree plus fried rice and egg roll), and a couple dozen lunch special possibilities, where $4.60 gets you an entree with fried rice, plus soup or an egg roll. Make sure you check which one you’re calling, or you’ll go pick up your food at the wrong place!

Little Thai House (Triphammer)
11 Graham Road
607-266-8780
Ithaca Northeast
A new Little Thai House, at the Graham Road entrace to Pyramid Mall Ithaca, features tasty Thai food in a more relaxing setting than the original Little Thai House on Dryden Road in Collegetown. This one’s a top-notch sit-down restaurant with prices to match. The menu still bears a few remnants of the months as Little Pisces Seafood and Grill, such as a grilled grouper wrapped in banana leaves, and the “Forest & Sea” combination of steak and jumbo prawn. I really enjoyed the massaman chicken curry, with a delicious peanutty flavor. The potato chunks were underdone, but not disastrously so.

Little Tokyo Korean Japanese Restaurant
113 East State Street, Ithaca
607-272-8638
Downtown Ithaca
Hours: Lunch 11:30-2:30, dinner 4:30-9:30
Little Tokyo is a promising new restaurant, with a variety of Korean and Japanese lunches and dinners, plus a list of sushi rolls made fresh. Lots of the meals offer a choice of meats, tofu, or vegetables, making this a promising downtown vegetarian destination. The food was very good, and plentiful, though they need to work on better-organized service in this oddly shaped (long and narrow) restaurant; one waitress might well have been enough in a different layout, but ours seemed overwhelmed when the tables were only about a quarter full. They should do well with the $10 business lunch crowd, if not the $5 bargain lunch crowd.

Lost Dog Cafe
106-112 South Cayuga Street
607-277-9143
Downtown Ithaca
Hours: Closed Mondays
The Ithaca version of this legendary Binghamton hangout was a long time in the making, but it was definitely worth the wait. It’s both coffee shop and eatery, and dinner was a wonderful array of creative flavors. Sundried tomato dip with slices of garlic toast, and smoked trout served with crackers and a creamy horseradish sauce, were great appetizers. I recommend the tortellini amore, tricolor cheese tortellini served with a mound of lobster chunks, enormous shrimp, and spinach and mushrooms in a cream sauce. The Dog has several good beers on tap, including Guinness and the fine Ithaca Stout, and a wide array of coffee drinks. The Lost Dog is a welcome addition to the west end of the Commons, and to Ithaca’s culinary landscape! (Full Review) (Web Site)

Lucatelli's Ristorante
205 Elmira Road
607-273-0777
Ithaca Southwest
Lucatelli’s is best known for its plentiful Italian-style entrees. It’s also best known for its juicy steaks. And, it’s best known for its extensive antipasto salad bar. The food’s tasty, the parking’s easy, the pasta and gnocchi are fresh, and if you haven’t been here in a while, what are you waiting for? Lucatelli's has a surprisingly good bourbon selection -- important to this bourbon afficionado. The shrimp cocktail features four large, juicy shrimp and deliciously sharp cocktail sauce, and the "side" of pasta (one of the choices with each entree) looks like a meal in itself.

Madeline's
215 East State Street
607-277-2253
Downtown Ithaca
Hours: Lunch and dinner 7 days
A trendy bar and eatery with fancy food and fancy prices, on the east end of the Ithaca Commons. Exceptional bar featuring a great single malt Scotch selection. Listed only.

Mahogany Grill
112 North Aurora Street, Ithaca
607-272-1438
Downtown Ithaca
Hours: Until 1am
American cuisine with lots of steaks and seafood entrees. Listed only.

Main Moon Buffet
401 Elmira Road, Buttermilk Falls Plaza
607-277-3399
Ithaca Southwest
Ithaca’s original "Chinese Buffet," Main Moon has expanded in response to the arrival of competing buffets in town. They’ve added sushi and a more complete salad bar, in addition to the wide array of Chinese food and such kid-friendly offerings as chicken wings and french fries. There are always vegetarian dishes on the buffet.

Manos Diner
Elmira Road
607-273-1173
Ithaca Southwest
Hours: 24 hours
Dubbed "The Diner of Fate" by those who know, Manos offers the usual diner fare, from breakfasts 24 hours a day to sandwiches, burgers, and entrees, plus a full bar (and the same food menu) in the attached Ichabod's. Manos is perfect for an inexpensive but filling breakfast. Later in the day, try the fries with a side of gravy, and if you’re in the mood for a big meal, the turkey dinner can’t be beat. Ichabod's also features a nice, fresh salad bar, great with your dinner. (Full Review)

Maxie's Supper Club
635 West State Street
607-272-4136
Ithaca West End
Hours: Sun-Thurs till Midnight, Fri & Sat till 1 am.
It’s worth putting up with the cramped feeling and excessive noise in this marvelous oyster bar and Cajun eatery. The food is almost all spicy, and you’ll need to go again and again to try everything that tempts you on the menu. Happy hour until 6 pm means half-price oysters and clams from the raw bar. For a good sampling, try the Cajun Mixed Grill and a side of fresh corn bread with tasty orange-honey butter. Vegetarian options are limited; go for the veggie jambalaya. (Web Site)

Moosewood
DeWitt Mall
607-273-9610
Downtown Ithaca
Moosewood is far more famous for its series of vegetarian cookbooks than for the meals actually served in the restaurant, but the meals are quite creative and popular, too. Moosewood offers an ever-changing variety of mostly vegetarian entrees (there’s sometimes a fish or seafood dish). If the service matched the food, and the prices were a little better matched to the portion size, they’d rate a 5. We recommend Sunday “ethnic nights,” when the offerings fit an ethnic or national cuisine, such as a recent Greek night that offered a “Grecian stew” and a tasty vegetarian Pastitsio. The fresh soups are often great.

Napoli Pizzeria
401 East State Street
607-272-3232
Downtown Ithaca
Hours: 11am to 1am (weeknights) or 2am (weekend)
Napoli, at the foot of the State Street hill in the Gateway Center, has some of the best pizza and wings in town, for dine-in, carry-out, or delivery. Hot and cold subs and Italian specialties round out the usual pizzeria menu, but they also have ribs, burgers, and fried clams, shrimp, or scallops in addition to the typical fare.

Olivia
381 Pine Tree Road, Ithaca
607-272-1020
Ithaca
Hours: Lunch to late night
The latest eatery in town is Olivia, on Pine Tree Road near East Hill Plaza. Olivia aims for a sophisticated but comfortable dining experience, and we think they've hit the nail on the head. Their building, formerly Coyote Loco, has been completely renovated and rearranged. It looks great, and everything seems to flow well. (Full Review) (Web Site)

Pangea Restaurant
120 Third Street
607-273-8515
Ithaca
Hours: Tuesday-Sunday nights
Pangea offers a surprising and delicious variety of dishes, varying in size and price, with a creative menu they call “precontinental cuisine.” (The menu changes frequently.) Many of the dishes seem ideal for sharing; they’re all flavorful and colorful. We were especially pleased with the summer risotto, featuring roasted red peppers, wild mushrooms, and white truffle oil; and the tagarashi-dusted seared scallops. (Full Review) (Web Site)

Ralph's Ribs
344 Elmira Road, Ithaca
607-277-RIBS
Ithaca Southwest
Hours: Lunch and dinner
This new restaurant from the owners of Ralph's Momma's Gourmet Sauces offers delicious BBQ ribs, pulled pork, chicken, gumbo, chili, and lots more. There are even a couple of vegetarian entrees. (Full Review) (Web Site)

Roma
Meadow Street
607-272-5800
Ithaca
This traditional Italian-American pizzeria and restaurant serves what we consider the best pizza in town, eaten in, carried out, or delivered. (There’s a small delivery charge.) Their pasta specials are enormous and tasty, with a variety of well-prepared sauces, their subs are filling, and their entrees are delicious. Try a chicken parm sub with pepperoni and hot peppers, or enjoy the all-you-can-eat pasta special early in the week.

Rose, The
Triphammer Mall
607-257-5542
Ithaca Northeast
This casual American-style restaurant offers wings and fajitas in addition to an array of sandwiches, steaks, chicken and fish entrees, and salads. The salad bar is a meal in itself.

Sangam
Center Ithaca
607-277-6716
Downtown Ithaca
Hours: Open 7 days a week
There are a few select entrees from the main Collegetown Sangam Indian Restaurant here at this steam-table counter in Center Ithaca. The food always tastes fresh, and it's always ready when you walk up. There's also a small selection of Indian groceries and videos.

Shortstop Deli
200 West Seneca St., Ithaca
607-273-1030
Downtown Ithaca
Hours: 24 hours every day
Whether you call them subs or grinders or hoagies or whatever, Shortstop Deli specializes in those long sandwiches on fresh-baked French bread, or smaller sandwiches on kaiser rolls. They've got the usual ham, roast beef, and turkey, but they've also got seafood salad, eggplant, seitan, or prime rib. For the last couple of years, the Shortstop hot sub menu has had a selection of the famous Hot Truck French bread pizza subs. Supplement your sub with a fresh hot bowl of soup or chili. (Full Review) (Web Site)

Simeon's
224 East State Street, on the Commons
607-272-2212
Downtown Ithaca
Hours: 11 am to midnight daily
Simeon’s is a favorite spot for seeing and being seen, at the corner of State and Aurora Streets on the Commons, but it’s also a good place to eat and drink. Long-time Simeon’s fans will be pleased to see the menu still has most of the old favorites, and we’re also pleased at the variety of creative and tasty dishes added to the specials board nightly. The “sandwiches with a history” are a good fallback if you don’t need lots of food, and the generous salads are a good choice as well. Or, dive in with garlic bread with cheese, a crock of French onion soup, and Jamaican Jerk chicken or pork. The good wine selection should have more local choices, but the scotch and bourbon offerings are without peer. (Web Site)

Sticky Rice
401 East State Street, Ithaca
607-275-3641
Downtown Ithaca
Hours: Lunch Mon-Fri 11:30-2:30, dinner 7 days
Thai and Laotian restaurant at the back of the Gateway Center, just east of the Ithaca Commons. Theoretically open for lunch, but always closed when we try to go. Listed only.

Taste of Thai
216 The Commons
607-256-5487
Downtown Ithaca
Hours: Tues-Sun, 11am-3pm lunch, 5pm-10pm dinner
With a great fancy Thai restaurant on Route 13, and a great casual Thai restaurant in Collegetown, it’s nice to see something in the middle price-wise, but with top-notch food. The Pad Thai was delicious, and not quite what we were used to, and the Khao Pud Supparod, or pineapple and chicken fried rice, with slices of Thai sausage and raisins, was our first experience with sweet fried rice. Nearly all the dishes can be made vegetarian, using tofu, vegetables, or mock chicken or duck in place of meat ingredients. Our waitress was great, but some of the “supporting cast” in the dining room seemed to need a bit more coordination.

Taste of Thai Express
526 West State Street, Ithaca
607-272-8424
Ithaca West End
Hours: Mon-Sat, 11:30am-2:30pm lunch, 4:30pm-10pm dinner
This west end eatery, just east of Route 13 on State Street, features the same exceptional food as Taste of Thai on the Commons, but this one delivers as well as having eat-in service. Our food arrived far faster than the promised 40-45 minutes, and everything was correct, fresh, and hot. The cashew chicken, a Vietnamese-style dish, was a delightful surprise, with a marinated wood-grilled flavour and crunchy strips of onion and green pepper. (Web Site)

Thai Cuisine
501 South Meadow Street
607-273-2031
Ithaca Southwest
Known for having "the best Thai food in New York State," Thai Cuisine could rest on its laurels, but there always seems to be just that extra attention to detail. This is certainly one of Ithaca’s best restaurants, with good service, exceptional food, and an attractive presentation. Thai Cuisine specializes in spicy food (there are options for those who prefer their food blander) and it’s important to note that "medium" is more than spicy enough even for the hardiest spice lovers. The deluxe pad thai makes a wonderful shared appetizer, and we recommend the "Ped Long Song" duck dish as an entree. Don't forget dessert! On the weekend, try the dim-sum style brunch. It's an affordable and fun way to sample many of the restaurant’s specialties in smaller portions.

Viva Taqueria & Cantina
Corner of State and Aurora Streets
607-277-1752
Downtown Ithaca
Hours: 7 days until 10 pm
This downtown corner eatery features inexpensive and plentiful handmade, fresh Mexican food, focusing on tacos, burritos, nachos, and the like. The fillings include deliciously spiced chicken, beef, pork, or bean-based vegetarian mixes. The next-door Cantina offers table service and a bar that mixes (among other things) a respectable margarita.

Wendy’s
Pyramid Mall & Elmira Road

Ithaca
Wendy’s isn’t Ithaca-specific, but it’s always got affordable, tasty food, usually beats the other chains on quality, and if the staff isn’t the quickest or most talented around, at least they’re not ruining any expectations. A pair of 99 cent “double stack” cheeseburgers and a soda makes a filling and quick meal, and if you’re inclined to step up to a spicy chicken sandwich or a stuffed pita, so much the better. The fresh and inexpensive salads and potatoes have always edged Wendy’s onto the good side of healthy eating for those who want it, and the grease is of course there for those who prefer that approach.

Willow
202 East Falls Street
607-272-0656
Ithaca
Hours: 5-10pm Tue-Sat, Martini bar till 1am Fri & Sat
A contemporary American restaurant in Ithaca’s Fall Creek area, next to Fall Creek Pictures. Chef Sean O’Brien has whipped up an enticing menu that features a number of creative appetizers, salads, pastas, and entrees. The menu includes several fresh seafood dishes, and they've added more vegetarian variety. We were very impressed with the food quality and presentation, and the service and decor are top-notch. (Full Review) (Web Site)

Wings Over Ithaca
East Hill Plaza
607-256-WING (9464)
Ithaca
Hours: 11a-1a Sun Tue Wed, 11a-3a Thu-Sat, 4p-1a Mon
This new branch of "Wings Over Albany" offers an affordable lunch buffet and free delivery (4pm to close, daily). The hottest "Afterburner" wings are hot enough for Ithaca, if not Buffalo, and flavourful as well. Vegetarians are basically out of luck, unless they're satisfied with fries and macaroni salad. Poultry-eaters, though, might enjoy the 15 varieties of wings, and those who can't stand bones should try the "boneless wings," excellent hand-battered chicken strips sold by the half pound. We have yet to try the wraps, sandwiches, or ribs. Let us know what you think. (Web Site)

Wok Village
23 Cinema Drive
607-257-8881
Ithaca Northeast
This attractive and casual Chinese restaurant offers lunchtime dim sum on the weekends, a plentiful and ever-changing weekday lunch buffet, and nice dinners consisting of traditional Cantonese, Hunan, and Szechuan Chinese dishes, plus an array of Vietnamese specialties. (Web Site)

ZaZa's Cucina
622 Cascadilla Street at Route 13, Ithaca
607-273-9292
Ithaca
A new restaurant from the owners of Madeline's, ZaZa's Cucina transmogrifies the dumpy old Video Ithaca building into a sumptuously designed space. The food fits in perfectly, with a good variety of ambitious yet well-prepared appetizers ($5 to $8) and main dishes ($14 to $23). An appetizer pizza adorned with thinly sliced apple, melted brie, and fresh tarragon, all drizzled with truffle oil, was star of our dinner. Following closely were the main dishes, a handmade ravioli stuffed with wild mushrooms and finished with a walnut cream sauce, and a herb-encrusted rack of lamb with soft polenta and braised escarole. The desserts were good but not great, with the chocolate cherry dome cake lacking an assertive cherry flavor, and the blood orange sorbet being a bit too icy. Service was good, though another couple was seated right next to our table despite plenty of empty tables further away. [ACE] (Full Review) (Web Site)