Finger Lakes, NY
 

Does anyone have some suggestions for some really good restaurants in the finger lakes region?

Uncle Joe's Pizzeria
99 N Genesee St
Geneva, NY
Phone:(315)781-1199

I have a few on Seneca Lake

At Belhurst - Edgar’s for a fancy/expensive dinner and Stonecutters for a casual lunch. Great location

The Inn at Glenora just all around good food and a beautiful dining room

Emile's Restaurant great family dining, outdated country feel.

If you can get a copy of the May issue of Wine Spectator magazine, there are several good articles about restaurants and wineries in that region.

Just got back from the area. On the western side of Seneca Lake, about 10 minutes south of Geneva, is a restaurant called Madder Lake. Ate there on Friday night, and back again on Saturday night. I'd say it was one of the best restaurants in the area - very fresh ingredients, reasonable, and excellent service, and interesting interior glass artwork on the walls.

If you want a view, check out the Esperanza Mansion at the top of Keuka Lake. Breathtaking view from the restaurant - both outdoor and indoor dining. Cannot vouch for the cuisine, since we got there around 11 am and it wasn't lunch yet, but what a view!

My favorite wine on the lakes, so far, is the dry riesling from Ravines (on the south eastern tip of Keuka Lake). The style is very Austrian, and in a taste test, one actually could not discen that this wine was not from Austria.

Also, we stayed at a relatively new b&b in Geneva on Seneca Lake, called the Bragdon House. The hostesses were exceptionally nice and the full breakfast of very good quality. They have 3 or 4 rooms, with one having a king bed. The hotel sits on the hill, with a partially clear view of the lake. Too bad the b&b is not on Keuka Lake, b/c we felt that it had more charm than Geneva, since Geneva basically seems to center around the college with very casual pubs and bars, rather than a more upscale environment.

True, the fancy hotels like Geneva on the Lake and Bellhurst Castle are a few minutes from Geneva, but these two restaurants were more old world style, rather than offering innovative cuisine, which is too bad, considering that the farms nearby have amazing produce that could have been highlighted in creative ways.

If you are driving past Ithaca, it is worth a stop to drive up the hill, to Cornell University. The campus is just beautiful, and the Cornell Dairy store sells ice cream that they make on the premises that is so fresh, it rivals gelato in Italy. And believe me, I have had my share of gelato throughout Italy, most recently this past June. I never thought that I would get that same flavor back in the states, but lo and behold, the espresso with dark chocolate bits was pure nirvana!