Recently heard an interview with Joe Bonamassa talking about playing at The Haunt. The customers filled in the proposed recipe naming forms, and I would make, eat and decide on the weekly Winners. The Connection was a favorite happy hour hangout. I prefer to remember fondly those places as they were, not as they have become! My wife and I mourn its passing. I think that the fact that we werent talking about all of those things lent itself to people wishing April could be nicer. During under graduate days,I lived in Cascadilla, and many nights, for dinner, I went to Collegetown for a TULI-BURGER !! VT ' Ingllih mftWrtw Mini a. mams cnOon Maying American Music Music performances to aJJ sizzle to your nights, including October 5 "Neapolitan Festival" Ciiillari Di Piazza November 2 "Flour City Blues & Rbytbms" With radio host Doug Curry Tickets: S6.00 Strong Museum members; $8.00 nonmembcrs All performances and lectures at 7:30 p.m. Get access to this page with a Free Trial, Millions of additional pages added every month, Exclusive licensed content from premium publishers like the. Johnnys on Dryden Rd was definitely open into the mid 80s- but I had no idea they served food. That little store introduced me to sambal olek, which more than satisfied a New Mexicans craving for a little more in his meals. The Exxer and the Tuna Moon were my favorites. How different my life would be without Olivers. I really liked it. Pizza at the Nines and the Chariot. At the back of the shop, behind a big window, is the coffee roaster where David blends and roasts beans from all over the world. A Mk fc. Nothing beat sharing a literal fishbowl (always blue red was gross) with at least a pint of vodka and a signature plastic animal with 5-10 friends. Many other alums share happy memories of the Souvlaki Housestill in business on Eddy Street after more than half a century. Henrietta, NY Amish Country Quills & Crafts brings (heir first sale to Rochester. Endless salty popcorn from the Connection Customers 7 WEEKEND, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER IS, 1994 7 FOOD & DRINK order and pay at the counter and seat themselves, and the food is delivered to the tables. It also offers up some of the best home cooking. Her only plan is to survive, but as she looks for work, she finds a kindred sense of belonging at Cafe Decadence, the local coffee shop. It was very affordable. I was a Hotelie and taking Advertising classes in the Ag School. 14614, or call her at (716) 258-2417. I loved Sas too. Senior year conversations (over decent beer) at the Chapter House. It follows April, a teenage musician who, in 1994, leaves her hometown of Little River, a place where she feels lost and alone, for the quaint Ithaca. Among these are smoked turkey, pesto and fresh moz-zarella; avocado, brie, lettuce and tomato; turkey, mushrooms and parsley-garlic dressing with melted Muenster, and others, all available on French rolls, wheat rolls, sourdough rolls, bagels or croissants. I remember getting pitchers of green beer for $2 at Duffys- the day after St Patricks Day! This book needed caretakers that could see the soul of it. Larkin eventually found a home with an editor and a publisher that understood Aprils journey and wanted to help tell that story. 9. To use our mobile site, please enable JavaScript. I want one NOW. Sadly, a few years after graduation I returned to Ithaca and saw that the restaurant had closed! Her only plan is to survive, but as she looks for work, she finds a kindred sense of belonging at Cafe Decadence, the local coffee shop. I think I ate 14 or 15 meals a week at Petes restaurant, the Souvlaki House, Johnson said, then led the audience in a round of applause for Papachryssanthou (who was in attendance) and added: I highly recommend the large Greek salad with extra feta.. I never visited the Vet campus but chose it as a recipient of my philanthropy. Its owner, Mark Kielman, was something of a mentor to many of us. Great memory! But A&W would have none of it and wanted to install their typical interior. I know there were a lot of people that flocked to Dunbars on Wednesdays for Group Therapy, but I found a Wednesday home across the street at Level B for Fishbowl night! Being a North Campus resident with most classes in Martha Van I really never ventured into Collegetown and had to ask him where Duffys was when he asked me out! Speaking of the grill in there, it was so cold one winter night that (having had a few drinks) I leaned over the grill to get warm. I have fond memories of going to Cosmos with Rick Curreri (1973, quoted above), Brian Prindle (1973) and others during my sophomore year, usually to order strip rare, french [fries], which indeed, with tax, came to $2.22. There were a lot of them. I would give a lot for one of those subs today. And Aladdins was great first place I ever tried falafel. I live in Collegetown and we used to eat breakfast at Pops and in the evening drank beer at the Palms. My favorites: (1) The Chariot (great pizza and beer, jukebox, mismatched plates), where my friends in the band Your Mother serenaded me on my birthday one year. Still, somehow, it doesn't make sense to her that life could be this easy. Since the conception of her novel, Larkin has had a specific idea of who April would be, and she learned that it was not stubborn or unreasonable as a writer to stick to that idea. Otherwise, I bought Chinese foodstuffs at a tiny little Asian food store past the top of Buffalo St. and made my own noodle dishes. Went there the day it opened, pre-liquor license. Heres a part of it that I recall (but there is more): The people at the Uni Deli While alums weighed in on nearly two dozen favorites, otherssuch as Caf Decadence, the Connection, Dinos, and Johnny Osdidnt get detailed shout-outs. Too many other memories to count at Dunbars, Souvlaki, Nines and more. I came to Ithaca in 77. I couldnt believe my luck that I could get a fresh toasted bagel with cream cheese. Downright folksy, as I recall. The three partners were graduate students at Cornell University when they started the business: Novak, a native of California, was studying genetics; Molly, who's from Rochester, was in nutrition; David, of Erie, Pa., was in the veterinary medicine program. Cant believe its been 30 years! Help me out here please Cindy. The most coveted seat in Collegetown as soon as the temperatures rose in the spring was on the CTB patio.. CAFE DECADENCE trademark information | BizStanding. yes! If my wealthy Japanese Hotelie friend was treating, the Nabeyaki Udon at the Kayuga restaurant was the best. I also loved Johnny,s after chorus rehearsals or concerts. The North 40. Mrs. Sa was always friendly and remembered that I wanted a Guerrilla Delight (if my age addled mind recalls correctliy). Larkin explained to me that it took 12 years to form and polish The People We Keep from start to finish. Greek salad from Souv. I loved the pizza at Sindbads on Eddy Street. I was at Cornell in the late 1980s, and other than Collegetown Bagels and Louis Lunch Truck, my favorite restaurant was Sas Place, where I usually got a delicious calzone. Still, somehow, it doesn't make sense to her that life could be this easy. Sometimes we had to go back for several weeks before the weather was good enough to take the photo. That Stewart Avenue watering hole had opened in the late 1920s; it segued into the Chapter House in the 1960sweathering a 1980s stint as an ice cream parlor before reemerging as a popular hangout that eventually offered 49 beers on tap as well as house-made sodas, games, live music, and popcorn. I think the specialty was apple turnovers, open almost all night but I cant remember the name. I still walk through there a couple of days a week but when I eat out its at the tavern in my town, or the Glenwood Pines, or, if Im feeling upscale, at one of the farm-to-table places along one of the lakes. It moved to its familiar corner spot in 1994, operating there for a quarter century before moving to its current home in 2020. Also loved Vinnies pizza! Definitely cant forget Bills, sort of grubby but invaluable for all-nighters. I loved the spiedies and Lambrusco at the Vineyard on College Ave. The more she falls in love with her friends in Ithaca, the more she . Real Decadence Molly and David Basak-Smith (left) describe their style as "elegant, but not pretentious." Before CTB and Olivers, the restaurant on that corner was Pops Place. Rulloffs was another favorite and I liked that they had both an upstairs and downstairs bar. Hidden in East Hill's Quarry Arms, the Valentine Caf is built upon one of Ithaca's longest love stories. Great cast of characters on both sides of the bar. It was a great cheap night out. Little River, New York, 1994: April Sawicki is living in a motorless motorhome that her father won in a poker game. I cant seem to find anything on the web confirming they had a little dance floor. Another great Collegetown jukebox! Coffee with my college girlfriend at Cafe Dec. And, finally, a nice meal at Aladdins, Kayuga Sushi on Eddy Street or at little Joes (or Big Joes downtown). Dinos, the first bar to hit on way into the center of Ctown senior year when I lived on Catherine. Their dog. It was made with apples, grapes, kiwi, melon, berries, and maybe some other fruit, topped with plain yogurt, drizzled in honey, and sprinkled with walnuts," Rubinstein recalls. The winning subs for about 8 weeks went onto our new permanent specialty Sub Menu ( 8 new sandwiches including the Tuna Moon, X-er, D MC D, Hot Cosmos and a few others. When she "borrows" her neighbor's car to perform at an open . Another nearby hangout, often for the hockey team, was the Fall Creek House. . Its seems very cavernous and big city-ish and impersonal. There are so many great comments here making me nostalgic for my reunion coming up this June where our son, Ezra (5), will be getting his first memorable Ithaca experience! And I like vegan food now. There was a Vietnamese restaurant too, best beef cubes rice. And it was just a short walk from my basement room in Cascadilla. Driving without a chosen destination, she stops to rest in Ithaca. Combine with recent large construction projects, it will be very interesting to see how a somewhat new collegetowns identity grows and shifts over the coming years. Great article Joe. It was a cafe inside a church. Sunny days at Olivers. (https://cornellsun.com/2021/07/29/the-people-we-keep-and-discovering-yourself-in-ithaca/). Amish Quilt & Craft Sale Direct From Lancaster County, PA Sat. Plus Plum Tree, still hanging tough on Dryden Road. There are not many things certain in this life, but getting a slice during prelims or a night out to get your greasy fix at Mama Ts was certain, says Lorraine Medeiros 01. 215 N Cayuga St, Ithaca, NY 14850 !, What can I say? We used to get pizzas at Elba, which were absolutely great, and bring them to the Eddy Street Bar and consume numerous pitchers of beer, OK Kids, Heres the real story of the X-ER, As the then current owner of King Submarine House 1970-72, Lastly, Id be remiss not to mention that I met my spouse pouring over the Karaoke song book on a Monday night in March 2008 at Ruloffs. Their plan was to bring an A&W to Collegtown but when we stripped out all the layers inside and found the lovely chestnut woodwork, pressed tin ceiling and penny round tile floor of the original ice cream parlor they wanted to restore it. I initiated a customer menu write-in promotion for extremely great Sub sandwich creations. Paintings by local artists are displayed; the owners intend to feature a different artist each month. Too many beers at Dunbars. To this day it remains my gold standard for diner food. As I recall it, a decent dinner for $1.99. That was probably the best bar/restaurant job I ever had. In the late 70s/early 80s, Reggie Jackson was playing for the New York Yankees. Cherished memories! The best one though is meeting my bride-to-be, Heather Straka (Sytsma) 95, on the patio at Olivers during summer break. The best! OOPS, I messed up on my first post. Their Exxer sub was crave-worthy, I think its still the best sub I ever had. Once your comment is approved, your email address will not be published. There was a rumor your could turn in 18 animals for a free fish bowl (they were $18 a piece I believe) but who would ever trade in their treasured collection for one measly free drink?! Owners Herve and Karen Pailler say this will make the restaurant available for private parties of 20 to 50 during daytime hours. Shout out to John Browns Body and Kevin Kinsella best concert I ever saw there. I also recall frequenting The Connection (this was early 80s), with its economical beer and popcorn diet. 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