I just published a piece about the Harriet Tubman historical sites in Auburn, Cayuga County, New York, including her home, church, and gravesite. Besides visiting the numerous wineries in this Finger Lakes region, there are many wonderful restaurants where you can sample some truly special cuisine.
Elderberry Pond Restaurant in Auburn, NY at 3712 Center Street is on the grounds of a certified organic farm, which is its own source of many fruits, vegetables, herbs, and pasture-raised meats. Each day, it gets freshly caught fish from Boston. They also grow more than 50 varietals of apples on the property.
The wine list includes bottles from around the world, but I went for a Riesling from the Thirsty Owl Wine Company in the Finger Lakes’ Ovid, New York. (I liked it so much that I promptly ordered 6 bottles.)
While the exterior looks like a large red barn, the interior is quite elegant. It’s casual fine dining personified. Kudos to Executive Chef Chris Lego and Pastry Chef & Dining Room Manager Cheryl McDonald. I was enormously impressed with their menu and the quality of their dishes. Everyone in my group ordered different things, but not one person had a complaint. All I heard was a satisfied “mmmmm…” from each chair.
New Hope Mills Cafe & Store in Auburn at 181 York Street is a family-owned establishment that has been around for three generations and since 1823 (more than 200 years now). It’s famous for its pancake mixes, so it might ring a bell. The store is super cute, but it also has a cafe. It was so much more than I expected.
Take a look at this menu. You can create your own pancakes. I went for one of their creations, though – the coconut pancakes with raspberry sauce, whipped cream, and a drizzle of white chocolate sauce. OMG! I’ve never had anything like this, but it was to-die-for! I tasted someone else’s biscuits and gravy – also excellent.
Aurora Cooks! provides chef’s table dinners in Aurora, NY, which is also in the Finger Lakes region not too far from Auburn. With a minimum of settings around the kitchen, the chefs make the meal right in front of you and describe it as they do. We had the good fortune of sampling the talents of Chef Lou Ruscitto-Donato, who provided a meal worth writing home about.
Upon arrival, we were given a glass of champagne. Then, Lou made us homemade margaritas – the best I’ve ever tasted. Our first course was a salad of local fresh greens, and I’m talking truly fine greens, along with yellow watermelon slices, and pancetta.
Our second course consisted of a divine polenta with goat cheese, basil (something akin to a pesto sauce), and pieces of dehydrated black olives. The tomatoes were the most delicious ones I’ve ever had in my life.
Our third course consisted of scallops atop roasted potatoes and charred broccoli with slightly spicy corn in a lemon beurre blanc sauce. I had never had charred broccoli before, but it was tasty enough that I want to try making it at home. The combination of these flavors was unique and exceptional.
Chef Lou’s dessert was homemade peach ice cream over vanilla cake. It was the perfect exclamation point at the end of our memorable meal. We also had both white and red wine during the course of the dinner.
Cafe 108 in Auburn at 108 Genesee Street is a community gathering space, and every dollar spent goes to the Auburn Public Theater (APT). While the breakfast food here was the usual fare, I’m all for championing theater!
The Apple Station Winery is a fun and different kind of winery that’s family-owned and located in nearby Cayuga, New York at 5279 Cross Road. Most of their wines are made from apples – something I had never tried before. I wouldn’t call them “fine wines,” but they were quite tasty and with automobile-inspired names you won’t soon forget like Dipstick and Chassis Lube.
Stop by there while you’re in the Finger Lakes area for an unusual and inexpensive tasting experience. And give their rescue dog, Bear Bear, a butt scratch (his favorite).
While my meals and drinks were subsidized while I was in Cayuga County, my superlatives are 100% sincere. The meals described here were some of the best I’ve had anywhere in a long time. If you’re in Auburn or other parts of the Finger Lakes, do yourself a favor by eating at all of these establishments. You will thank me.
Melanie Votaw is the Publisher and Executive Travel Writer of LuxuryWeb Magazine. She has visited more than 50 countries on 6 continents and written for such magazines as Executive Travel, Just Luxe, Business Insider, South China Morning Post, Travel Mindset, and more. She is a member of the International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association, New York Travel Writers Association, and International Travel Writers Alliance. Melanie's photography has won awards, and she has also written 43 nonfiction books as either the author or ghostwriter.
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