Trumansburg offers homestyle fare at Ida May's

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Five of us took the short trip up Route 96 from Ithaca to Trumansburg recently to try the area's newest eatery, Ida May's. At 21 East Main Street in Trumansburg, Ida May's offers large portions of homestyle cooking for a reasonable price, in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.

We all split four appetizers... including excellent calamari, good corn fritters, and a fun twist on chicken wings... large, meaty chicken drumsticks fried with wing sauce, bleu cheese dressing on the side, and celery. Since my least favorite aspect of chicken wings is the low meat-to-effort ratio, I really loved these massive, spicy drumsticks. Our appetizers were followed by house salads, mixed greens with a creamy citrus vinaigrette or roasted garlic dressing, and "Mom's" homemade dinner rolls with warm butter.

My plum and black cherry marinated pork tenderloin medallions were delicious and tender, and not surprisingly the leftovers made a great sandwich on a kaiser roll the next day. I chose the sweet potato fries as one of my side dishes, and they were hot and sweet. The pineapple cole slaw was tangy and creamy, a fun escape from the ordinary.

There was only one dessert available when we visited, but it was fantastic, a thick, warm, toasted slice of pound cake with strawberry-rhubarb sauce and slivered almonds. The accompanying coffee wasn't bad, but the iced tea I had with the meal was top-notch.

The check for five of us came to just $95.02, an excellent value... especially since all five of us went home with leftovers. Vegetarian options are somewhat limited, such as a veggie fajita and several of the appetizers and side dishes, but at least they exist.

Service at Ida May's was friendly and practiced, a neat trick on only their third night in operation. The staff seemed to know the menu inside and out, and definitely seemed happy to be there.

Expect to pay $8-20 per person for a meal. Ida May's is open for lunch and dinner six days a week, closed Mondays, at 21 East Main Street in Trumansburg, right next to the Dragon Village Chinese restaurant, on the right as you come into downtown T'burg from the southeast. Call them at 607-387-3478 and tell them you heard about them here.