Ivy League booze?

[CowbellGuy]

So the count is - 1 Vietnam (sic), 1 mixed Asian noodles, 2 Thai (Lemon Leaf and Little Thai House II - both not very good/downright bad - if you want Thai, go downtown), 3 Korean, 1 Chinese, 2 Japanese.  None of these places is particularly good[/q]
I don't think that's really fair. Vietnam is pretty good, and for the price it's downright amazing. Four Seasons is usually good, and Kayuga isn't cheap, but the sushi is generally worth it.

[q]Why doesn't somebody open a decent cheap Italian restaurant in this town, anyway?

What, like the failed Little Joe's?

[ugarte]

Cowbell Guy wrote:

[q]Why doesn't somebody open a decent cheap Italian restaurant in this town, anyway?

What, like the failed Little Joe's?

[/quote]I never understood the high regard people had for Joe's when I was at Cornell.  I thought the bottomless salad was OK, but the breadsticks were overrated and the entire menu was ordinary.

And then it became a multimillion dollar chain called The Olive Garden.

By the way, speaking of Italian, where do I go to get (ShortStop) Hot Truck now?  Is it still behind West Campus, or do I actually have to go to ShortStop, the original Ithaca-style deli? (F Atkins.  I've been away too long and need my fix.)



Post Edited (11-21-03 11:53)

[gwm3]

Cowbell Guy wrote:

What, like the failed Little Joe's?

I actually don't think Little Joe's failed.  The owner apparently moved to Florida, selling both restaurants.  Say what you will about the quality, it did do a good business.


As for the C-Town Pizza/Mama T's debate, I seem to remember the new place copying Mama T's menu right down to the garlic knots.  The quality seemed more or less the same, but mind you I only went there a couple times in the few months it was open before I graduated (I think I was too bitter about the closing of Wendy's to take the place seriously).

[tml5]

You're right, Age.  That was unfair.  Sorry, I was being lazy.

For the price, Vietnam is amazing (it's like $5 a meal, and significantly better food than Hong Kong and the Little Thai House II, which are comparably priced).  

I think it was also a generally bad choice of words on my part - I like Four Seasons now and again.  Their Kimchee is good, which is more than I can say for Collegetown Cafe (maybe they've gotten better since I was there last), and the soups at Four Seasons have never let me down.

A better way of putting it would have been:  none of these places is really fantastic, but you can do well if you order the right things.

However, I don't think we'll ever agree about the Japanese in this town.  :)IMO, Kayuga/Plum Tree are generally way overpriced for what you get, which wouldn't even be great if it was cheap.  Being half-Japanese I'm pretty spoiled when it comes to that style of food, so maybe my opinion isn't really worth as much.  

The exceptions:  if you go with a large group of people and order a special catering tray of sushi, Kayuga is pretty good (it may still be overpriced - I've never had to pay in those situations - and it probably helps to be Japanese).  The nabe dishes are good, and not *too* expensive, and the yakisoba is passable, but avoid the donburi and unajyu (unless you absolutely, positively, have to have an oyakodon, which has happened to me, and then it was worth it to not have to track down a good recipe).  I was never impressed by the standard sushi at either place, but again if you absolutely, positively, have to have it I think it'll be worth it.

As for Little Joe's, I think it failed because it just went bad.  The first time I ate there, I thought I'd found my favorite C-Town restaurant.  The second time (and every time thereafter) the pasta (not the sauce - just the pasta) was god awful, although the non-pasta dishes were still great.  By the time it closed, nothing was especially good (although most of the non-pasta food was at least ok).  It's a shame, but that restaurant (and Joe's downtown) just slid downhill.  Maybe it was doomed to failure from the beginning, but I think a truly great pasta joint would do pretty well, provided the location and price were right.

I'm more interested in getting good cheap Italian food in Ithaca - doesn't have to be in C-Town.  Any suggestions?  I can't think of any place that fits the description downtown, and the place off of 96 (no, not Franco's - hey is their sit-down any good?) isn't so cheap anymore.  

This isn't in Ithaca, but I had a pretty good (if garlicky) experience at Aiello's in Whitney Point.  Pretty long haul, though.

[tml5]

You people are too fast for me.  

Maybe the quality slid after the sale.  Or maybe it's just nostaligia, but I do remember both Joe's and Little Joe's being much better when I first got to Ithaca.

[Will]

Tom Lento wrote:

I'm more interested in getting good cheap Italian food in Ithaca - doesn't have to be in C-Town.  Any suggestions?  I can't think of any place that fits the description downtown, and the place off of 96 (no, not Franco's - hey is their sit-down any good?) isn't so cheap anymore.  

Are you referring to Angelina Centini's, on Coddington Road?  I like this place, and it's merely moderately priced (not cheap, but not overly expensive either).  The pasta is decent, and the salad comes from a gondola.  Seriously.  More info: http://www.angelinacentinis.com/

[Will]

big red apple wrote:

By the way, speaking of Italian, where do I go to get (ShortStop) Hot Truck now?  Is it still behind West Campus, or do I actually have to go to ShortStop, the original Ithaca-style deli? (F Atkins.  I've been away too long and need my fix.)

The Hot Truck is still on Stewart Avenue, right behind Class of '22.  It's open during most of the academic year (i.e., not during breaks).  Come on down to the Truck like people should, or just get delivery (and tip your driver, since there's a decent chance that'll be me :-D ).  More info: http://www.thehottruck.com/

A recommendation for the hungry: Try the Big Willie.  It's new, but soooo good.

A word to the wise: You CAN get certain classic Truck sandwiches (the PMP, the WGC, the MBC, the Sui, and the CSC, which isn't classic but is among the newer chicken sandwiches) at Shortstop, but don't.  It doesn't taste nearly the same.  It's not bad, really, but it doesn't taste like Hot Truck.  Just get normal deli sandwich stuff at Shortstop, and get real Hot Truck at Hot Truck. :-)

[CowbellGuy]

I was quite underwhelmed by Angela Centini's the one time I went. And the accordion guy really had to go. Sure, small sample size and all, but still...

[Will]

Cowbell Guy wrote:

I was quite underwhelmed by Angela Centini's the one time I went. And the accordion guy really had to go. Sure, small sample size and all, but still...

Accordion guy?  I must be going on the wrong nights. :-P

[jtwcornell91]

Did they used to be closed Sundays?  For that matter, were the hours ever posted anywhere?  I seem to recall it just being word of mouth.

[jtwcornell91]

One of the guys who got revenge on Volonnino wrote:

Cowbell Guy wrote:
I was quite underwhelmed by Angela Centini's the one time I went. And the accordion guy really had to go. Sure, small sample size and all, but still...

Accordion guy?  I must be going on the wrong nights. :-P

Reminds me of the restaurant I used to go to in Matamoros where the old Tom Lehrer line was literally true: "The mariachis would serenade, and they would not shut up 'til they were paid." :-D



Post Edited (11-21-03 12:42)

[Keith K \'93]

They do delivery now?  That's just wrong.  You've got to stand out and wait or it's just not... Admittedly I considered doing mail order a few years back but that's different  :-P

Great.  Now I'm going to be drooling over thoughts of a Double PMP, Heavy, Soprano all day.

[Will]

Keith K '93 wrote:

They do delivery now?  That's just wrong.  You've got to stand out and wait or it's just not... Admittedly I considered doing mail order a few years back but that's different  :-P

Yeah, I agree that it's wrong, but on the other hand, if I have to lower myself to be a delivery boy for any restaurant/food service in Ithaca, it might as well be the Hot Truck.

If it makes you feel better, I'm still fairly sure the majority of their business comes from the window and not the phone, particularly on the weekends.

[rhovorka]

I'm pretty sure that Joe's changed owners at some point, which probably led to the demise.  Now it seems the default place to go for nice-informal dining is the Boatyard Grill.  From what I heard the Boatyard was opened by the old owner of Joe's.  By the lake, nice atmosphere, good bar, and pretty good food the times I've eaten there.

The new Korean BBQ place opened recently at the site of the old "Billy Bob Jack's Outhouse on Dryden.

For "cheap Italian" there's always Luccatelli's on Elmira Rd. (near Pudgies and Northside)

[tml5]

I'll have to try Luccatelli's.  As for Angelina Centini's (that's the name of the place I was thinking of before), I'm with Age - underwhelmed is the perfect description of how I felt after eating there.  Small sample size, to be sure, but the marinara sauce was pretty blah.  The sausage was good, as was the salad bar, but overall not a great meal.  Accordian guy?  I must've missed his night on, but I think that might be a blessing.

I've still never eaten at the Boatyard Grill, although I've been meaning to try it.  I like Bistro Q, which is also on the lake, although I don't eat there often.