My husband and I will be taking a leisurely trip from Cooperstown, NY toward Erie, PA with another couple on the weekend of June 6. We'd love to find a great restaurant (we are adventurous food and wine folks) somewhere in this area and we don't mind a meandering drive to reach it. I think Ithaca may be out because it is reunion weekend at Cornell. Any suggestions or a reference to a source of information would be appreciated.

The town of Skaneateles would be a great place to stop. It's right at the top of Skaneateles Lake along Route 20 (which is a great drive along the Finger Lakes routes.) It's very quaint and the main street is lined with shops and restaurants. The Blue Water Grill is very good (315-685-6600), and I would also recommend The Sherwood Inn (315-685-3405; www.thesherwoodinn.com).

I know you said Ithaca might be out due to reunion but I would try the Moosewood Restaurant in Ithaca (607) 273-9610. They do not take reservations. Fresh and creative vegetarian fare. They serve seafood/fish too.

Seneca Lake area is beautiful. Spend the day visiting wineries, hiking, etc. we had a great meal at Glenora.

There's a pretty famous Italian place in Skeneatles but the name escapes me? Anyway, it the Clinton's (don't hold that against the place) have eaten there on a couple of occassions.

Thank you for the info. Moosewood is an old favorite of mine. (I used to visit Cornell regularly but never visited any other town in the area.) We're planning to stop at Moosewood on the way to Cooperstown earlier in the week. Skaneateles sounds like a real possibility and I will investigate.

The Italian restaurant in Skaneateles mentioned above is Rosalie's Cucina, wonderful place to try if you are going to be in the area. Interesting menu and great wine cellar. They have a website, it's http://www.skaneateles.com/rosalies/index.html.

The Sherwood Inn is nice, but seems to be "coasting on it's reputation" lately as it has recently served up some very poor service and mediocre food.