The Wheelhouse Restaurant in Union Springs, NY

On July 3rd, three of us made the trip to Union Springs, on the east side of Cayuga Lake, north of Aurora. This was our collective second visit to Wheelhouse Restaurant on Hibiscus Harbor. This best-kept secret of a hideaway is well worth the drive!

This is a seasonal business, so make sure to call before heading out. It's nestled in a marina, just off of the lake, which on Saturday, was riddled with whitecaps. Our cove, unexpectedly tucked in a mere paddle from the lake proper, was serene. Accessible by boat and car, Wheelhouse is both charming and unassuming. But there is a certain elegant ambiance in the dining room and a casual, comfortable feel to the tavern side. That said, both times we've gone, we have opted for seating on the deck since we love sitting by the water and, let's face it, outdoor lakeside dining options are limited by weather, season, and locations in the Finger Lakes.

On this visit, we opted to share most of the items that we ordered: A bottle of Treleaven Chardonnay (pricey), Cajun bleu-burger, fish tacos and medium chicken wings. The burger came with fries, but it was extra to add them to the tacos, which we did. The staff were charming. It did take quite a while to get served once we ordered, so don't plan to rush this dining experience. In retrospect, we should have asked for the wings as an appetizer. 

As I reflect, I think the burgers we ordered on our first visit in 2019 were more sumptuous than Saturday's editions, and the servings of fries more generous. However, we really enjoyed the burger and really, how many fries can you eat anyway?! The fish tacos were simply sublime - lightly breaded and fried with just a tad too much iceberg lettuce. But there was plenty to go around - in fact, the large serving of three tacos was too much for our party of three and our friend took home the third. The fried wings were good. Not breaded, thank goodness! We opted for medium, which was a compromise for all of us: Our friend dislikes spicy food and the two of us prefer hot Buffalo-style wings. But honestly, the medium wings just didn't have the kick any of us would have preferred. Still the serving included 10 large wings and we took 6 home. We added hot sauce to the leftovers and they were excellent!

Wheelhouse Restaurant is about a 45 minute drive north from Ithaca, NY. Be sure to put this little hole in the wall, gem of a place on your next trip itinerary!

(C. Cat, 07/05/21 @ 10:36am)

Lakeside Dining Recommendation #1: Lakeside Restaurant and Tavern on Keuka Lake

The Finger Lakes Region is astonishingly beautiful and nothing can beat sitting by the water enjoying a glass of locally produced wine or beer – or partaking in a complete meal. Cascadilla Cat is on a quest to find lakeside dining on each of the Finger Lakes and here’s my first of several recommendations:

Lakeside Restaurant & Tavern

13807A West Lake Road

Hammondsport, NY 14840

607-868-3636

This is my all-time favorite place to have a meal and take in the gorgeous scenery on the west side of Keuka Lake. In fact, I try visit at least once a summer. Well, I didn’t get it together until fall this year, but three of us finally made the drive to Hammondsport two weeks ago. Lakeside is a seasonal operation, so be sure to call ahead if you’re hoping to visit in late fall. On the day that we visited, the inside bar and boat docks and lowest open deck were hopping with a large group of folks celebrating Halloween early as they toured the lake in their motor boats. A good time was definitely being had by all!

What makes this place so special?

First off, it’s situated directly on Keuka Lake, which is arguably the most breath-taking of the Finger Lakes. Seriously, when I drive down the hill on the east side of the lake and head towards Hammondsport, the stunning view can literally take my breath away! With the fall foliage nearly at peak, we surely picked a terrific day to make the trip. FYI, I get the same sensation when I visit Heron Hill Winery and Dr. Konstantin Frank, both of which sit high up overlooking the lake from the west side. (Please note: Neither of these websites are secure.) Both of these superb wineries are a short but steep drive from Lakeside. But I digress…

The good folks at Lakeside have really upped their game and expanded their seating options over the past few years. They have added more tiered deck seating outside and have also added an open air bar down by the dock, which has plenty of slips for those wishing to visit by boat. They also put on an addition with rooftop seating and a nice indoor seating area overlooking the water. The first year that we sat inside the new addition, we liked the open air dining. They’ve since added windows and, when we visited recently, they had a space heater going. So, you can dine in comfort here even when it’s rainy and/or chilly. They also have a lovely dining room inside the older part of the tavern, and a terrific indoor bar. Plus, their food is consistently excellent and the staff are friendly and attentive. They also serve a superb Bloody Mary! Oh, and there’s a friendly yellow lab occasionally on the premises, who hasn’t met a visitor he doesn’t like!

As you travel north, Lakeside will be on the right. Note that there is a very steep driveway with limited parking next to the business. It’s much easier to park directly across the road where there is ample, level parking. I’ve checked their website and have gotten a message today saying that the site has been suspended. But, they do have a presence on Facebook, so that link is provided above. This is definitely one place you don’t want to miss. Enjoy!

(C. Cat, 2:55pm, 11/3/19)

Travels in Trumansburg

Trumansburg, NY: This quaint village is located on the west side of Cayuga Lake and is just a short and scenic 15-minute drive north from Ithaca, NY.  Also known by locals as "Tburg", it may be best known as home of the annual Finger Lakes Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance in July. But I'm not here to write about that four-day music extravaganza that raises money for the Southern Tier AIDS program. Nope. I want to share our experiences visiting a few local establishments in recent months.

We wanted to celebrate our anniversary and decided to get out of our hometown this past June - but we didn't want to have to travel very far. After checking out a number of websites, we settled on Morning Glory Bed & Breakfast located at 89 Cayuga Street in Tburg. Now, I've driven through Tburg many times over the years and have occasionally hiked nearby Taughannock Falls State Park, stopped in to have a beer or catch a band at the now-defunct but legendary Rongovian Embassy, and have enjoyed a meal at several of the several restaurants in town. However, this was the first time I was able to spend the night and explore the village a little bit.

Once we crossed the village line, we followed a short and somewhat circuitous route to Morning Glory B & B, which is located about one mile from the business district. To my surprise, the property was surrounded by a tall wooden fence that, on first glance, seemed almost fort-like. Not to worry! As we entered the grounds, we were delighted by the surrounding gardens and many private outdoor sitting areas. The wall simply adds to the privacy of the place. The gardens were nothing short of magical. Indeed, they struck me as enchanting! The care and attention to detail that went into creating this lovely outdoor space were evident. The gardens felt comfortable, rambling, and not at all fussy.

We were greeted by the charming host and owner, Laurie, who welcomed us and gave us a quick tour before taking us up to our room. We had expected to stay in Shiloh's Room but, because the B & B wasn't full on the night we stayed there, Laurie opted to have us stay in Seneca's Room instead - at the lower Shiloh's Room rate. She felt that we might prefer a room with an attached bathroom rather than having to leave our room to access a private bath. Much appreciated!

Laurie's former house has been lovingly transformed into a lovely bed and breakfast and, as mentioned on the website, she's been managing it for over 30 years. There is a huge, covered porch overlooking the property, replete with comfortable seating. We entered the front door into the large, warm, and homey kitchen. Each room in the Morning Glory is filled with artwork and antiques. The dining room, where we enjoyed breakfast the next morning, was ornate and lovely. The spacious living room, open to all guests, was filled with books to enjoy. Our room was beautiful, comfortable, and private. We were so grateful that we had an air conditioner, as it was a very warm that night.

After we got settled, we decided to walk into the village for dinner. Laurie cautioned us about the state of the sidewalks along the way and mentioned that they could be uneven - and, when made of slate, slippery when wet. We proceeded to enjoy a leisurely walk down Cayuga Street to Main Street. We loved the myriad, sprawling, and varied homes along the route and were struck by how quiet it was.

Once on Main Street, we opted to dine at Little Venice. The restaurant doesn't have a website, but you can download the menu by going online. They have a nice salad bar and the menu is fairly extensive. We kept it simple and decided to order and share a delicious fish sandwich with fries and a couple of beers. Plenty of food to keep us happy for the rest of the evening. The staff was welcoming and the place was hopping that Friday night. Clearly popular with locals!

We wandered back by continuing south on Main Street and then following the route that we had driven when we first came into town. There weren't always sidewalks to use on this part of our walk and, with the road being a bit windy, we kept on our toes, hoping not to surprise unsuspecting drivers. We made it back safe and sound and slept well.

One thing that I will mention is that there did not appear to be any televisions on site - not even in the living room. We had no problem with that, but I recognize that might be unexpected and viewed as a downside by some.

Laurie outdid herself with breakfast on Saturday morning. We joined the other couple staying on site and we all enjoyed the sumptuous feast Laurie had prepared for us: Fresh fruit, quiche, sweet breads, yogurt, superb coffee, juice, and more. We ate until we couldn't possibly have another bite and barely made a dent in the food offerings!

Bottom line: We'd definitely stay here again!

(C.Cat, 12:50am, 9/16/19)

Back and Ready to Blog

I know that you've heard it before. I wait months - then years - to post on Cascadilla Cat, always promising that this time, it will be different. Well, moving forward, I am very optimistic that I'll be able to post on a more regular basis.

You see, I recently retired from a rather demanding 30+ year career in higher education. I've taken a few months off to recharge my batteries, started getting the house and garden in order, and worked - or at least started to work - on a number of projects that I've been looking forward to doing, but just haven't made time for...including this blog.

On a related note, I also got diagnosed with adult ADHD about a year ago. This helped to explain why I was able to succeed in a career that required some crazy hours, with lots of people contact, where no day was ever the same - or boring. But it also helps to explain the gaps in publishing this blog and why I have a tendency to start so many projects and have such a hard time finishing them. As I like to say: "Oh look! A chicken!" It doesn't take much to draw my focus away from the task at hand.

In any event, I'm looking forward to getting to spend more time traveling around the Finger Lakes and sharing some highlights and other insider information with you. I've had a few adventures since retiring and I'll be posting about them shortly. Really! Please stay tuned.

(C.Cat, 11:35pm, 9/15/19)

Welcome back to Cascadilla Cat!

After a far-too-long gap in posting on this blog, I am finally ready to start up again. I'm quite optimistic that it will stick this time because I recently retired from a 30+ year career in higher education. So, now that I'm no longer holding down a more than full-time, rather demanding position, I'll have more time to explore the Finger Lakes and share some highlights and insider information with you. I'm excited to get back to writing! I've had a few recent adventures and will be posting about them shortly. Stay tuned. Really!

(C.Cat, 3:10pm, 08/28/19)

This is a test!

Happy fall, friends.   Just signing back in and trying to get the hang of this blog.  Yeepers!  It's been so long!  CCat 7:04pm EST 13 October 2014

Yep! I'm back!

So...one post in 2012.  Not at all impressive and I'm disappointed that I didn't make more of it.  But, hello 2013!  With a new year, all kinds of things seem possible.  So let me put this out here:  My goal is to post at least once or twice per month in 2013.  That seems like a resolution that I might be able to keep in spite of all the various demands that come my way.  I sure hope so!  More soon. Really.  

Oh wait!  I really must post SOMETHING about the Finger Lakes!  I've got it!  K. and I met a friend, her daughter and daughter's boyfriend for a late lunch at Simeon's on the Commons in Ithaca recently.  It had been 2-3 years since I'd eaten in there and it really brought back some great memories.  Before I lived in Ithaca, Simeon's was my "go to" restaurant whenever I came into town for a day trip.  The ambiance of this corner establishment at the east end of the Commons has always been great and that remains true today.  The architectural embellishments are marvelous and a few years back they expanded to create a nice, quiet and elegant dining area separate from the original dining/bar area.

The teens made a very astute observation as we perused the menu:  "There are pages and pages for you guys and only one for us!"  They were right!  The food menu, at least for lunch, was limited to a single page with what seemed to be very few options.  (Note:  For some reason, the on-line lunch menu seems longer somehow.  Hmmn.)  The beverage menu however, was another matter:  it boasted an extensive array of wines, beers, drink specialties and whiskeys, ryes, bourbons and more - with flights available for wine, beer and whiskey!

That said, we all had a wonderful meal and yes, some age appropriate beverages.  In fact, K. and I enjoyed the White Tuscan Flatbread and Torre Bruschetta so much, we returned and ordered it again over the holidays!

Simeons is located at 224 East State St. and more information can be found at www.simeonsithaca.com.  CCat,1.8.13, 11:18pm.