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)

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)

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)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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)

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)