ITHACA - Ithaca Bakery

ITHACA - Ithaca Bakery

It’s a movie date day but we’re old homebodies so that means we start with breakfast and hit the early showing! We did a scouting mission and, upon seeing a couple full parking lots for local diners, we ended up with our pick for the day.

LOCATION: TRIPHAMMER MARKETPLACE, 2255 N. TRIPHAMMER ROAD, ITHACA, NY 14850

We’ve been to Ithaca Bakery before a couple of times and this location is the most convenient when we’re trying to hit a movie so here we are. It’s been awhile, but we don’t LOVE going here since it’s usually a pretty busy spot. I also don’t love the layout of this location - it’s pretty cramped by the doors and the menu is nowhere near the registers so don’t forget what you were planning to order. Caleb wanted a bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwich but everything has a name so he got a Brooklyn bagel (add cheese for $.90) and I decided to go with an Avocado Toast #2. I had a moment at the counter wondering if I really did want the #2 and not the #1 or #3 and since the menu is over by the door, I just hoped for the best. The upside was that I was correct and I did want the #2 which comes with avocado, feta crumbles, bacon, olive oil, salt and pepper on oatmeal wheat toast. I’m not the biggest fan of wheat toast at all but I figured it’d be fine with all the extra toppings included.

Not gonna lie, this was a disappointing toast. And for $10 I should’ve known better but I’ve been having a mental aversion to eggs lately and didn’t want a whole bagel sandwich because I knew I wouldn’t eat it all. Joke’s on me because I didn’t eat all of my avocado toast either! For an avocado TOAST you would thing that they would actually TOAST the bread but no luck. I could’ve used a little extra bit of support but the bottom was floppy. It did manage to stay together well enough so that’s what hearty bread will do for you but just a light toast on it would’ve made a world of improvement.

Honestly, this felt like an avocado toast you could get at a dunkin’ donuts. Pretty generic ‘avocado spread’ that didn’t really scream freshness, microwave bacon that smells smokey but only tastes like salt, and some pretty mid feta crumbles. Each component tasted the way I wanted it to, but all together it was so muddle and one note. My wallet is crying for a meal that was not worth the $10. We’ve got to find some alternative breakfast options for days like these.

ROC - Mission BBQ

Caleb and I were in Rochester for the weekend and unluckily for us, there’s not a ton of BBQ options back in Cortland so if we’re in the mood we try to pick a spot when we’re in Rochester to get our fix. This time, we decided to give Mission BBQ a try.

LOCATION: 100 MARKETPLACE DR. SUITE 100, ROCHESTER, NY 14623

I’ve never been to a Mission BBQ before and didn’t even know it was a chain before this. For a BBQ place in New York, I’ll take it - not that I’m THAT discerning when it comes to BBQ. Being born and raised in NY has its flaws sometimes.

Having a small stomach also has it’s disadvantages so sorry for the empty looking tray but this was the right amount for me! I had to get the brisket sandwich (moist because I love a fatty piece of beef) along with some baked cheesy potatoes.

For someone who knows very little about BBQ - this place was spot on. I like that I can pick my own sauce to add since I’m not a huge fan of too much sauce and I prefer a more vinegar base to my bbq over something sweet. The potatoes weren’t my favorite but from the list of offerings - this did feel like my best bet so I do have to stick it out whenever we visit but it wasn’t anything to complain about so that’s alright with me. They were just a little tangy and not as savory as I wanted them to be. Plus - the cheesiness took away from a simpler potato-y style that I prefer. If ‘too much flavor’ is the problem, I think we’ll be ay-okay.

ROC - Möge Tee

I’ve gone for a ride here trying Möge Tee in Rochester so come along for my journey!

LOCATION: 3679 W HENRIETTA RD., ROCHESTER, NY 14623

Of course, I’m a little tapped into the bubble tea scene in Rochester, even though I’m in Cortland/Syracuse now, but having friends in town scoping out the new spots is always a win. This is how I knew I had to make a stop next time I was in town. I’ve been following along on their instagram to check out their menu and see what they had going on, so I was super excited to get a cup with a cute bear lid with ears and all.

Unfortunately, social media isn’t always 100% truthful and I was hoodwinked! (I’m exaggerating of course, and a bear lid is not the end of the world though they are going to get me to visit again to see if I’ll get any luckier next time so I guess their marketing worked!)

In my attempt at getting the bear lid, I even ordered a drink that they featured on their socials with the lid - Yogurt Mango Tea - now I typically don’t get yogurt drinks since they’re super filling and dairy is not my BEST friend but we trucked along. I do love a good mango drink a la mango lassi so this was not a bad choice if you like something like that. This drink did come with a crystal boba topping too which I’m not the biggest fan of. The texture is less chewy than regular tapioca/boba and it’s kinda dense. Not huge in flavor but I guess it’s a good filler and a different texture to add to the mix. I’d still rather have a normal boba or go with a lychee jelly or similar for more flavor and a more familiar texture for me.

While I was there, I figured I’d also get some wings as well since it was lunch time. I got their 6pc with fries in a soy garlic sauce which seems like a pretty safe choice. These wings were a lot bigger than I expected! They’re a pretty classic, chinese style breaded wing which is something I grew up with. Doesn’t taste like any sort of classic buffalo style wing I’ve had so if that’s what you’re looking for, adjust your expectations. These wings have a crispy seasoned exterior that’s flavorful without the sauce tossed around it. I don’t know that the soy garlic did too much for me but this took me back to my dad’s fried chicken wings when I was growing up so major points for nostalgia and taste.

As mentioned, I’ll be back - gotta get that cute bear lid! Plus there’s a whole menu of other items to try out if I’m feeling up to it.

SYR - Il Limone

We’ve made it to the end of the semester! And to celebrate, a bunch of us went out for a semester holiday lunch at Il Limone.

LOCATION: 7421 OSWEGO RD, LIVERPOOL, NY 13090

This is a super cute restaurant in a strip mall (makes perfect sense for central New York) that I’ve been told is a gem of an Italian restaurant. It’s not too big, family owned vibes, and it feels fun and casual. This was a great spot for our group and I’m never one to turn down pasta, even at lunch.

I decided to get the Chicken Riggies, a classic for the area and never a bad time. I’m not a huge fan of bell peppers, but luckily for me, this had huge chunks that were super easy to eat around. This portion was huge and I had enough leftover as well, even though it was de-licious! I don’t know that I would say that this felt like a super special - must stop restaurant, but if you’re in the area and want some solid Italian food, this is an easy win.

ROC - Taichi - Snowflake

I’m back and town at a trusty spot for a new menu item!

LOCATION: 1367 MT. HOPE AVE., ROCHESTER, NY 14620

Taichi is basically a Rochester staple at this point. I love that it started here and because of that, we get to try all the new menu items that they’re testing before they hit other markets including the new Snowflake which is basically a bingsoo style shaved ice. I’m in.

I’ve met up with bestie Julia for a dinner/dessert catch up and trying this new menu item was the key. As always, I’ve been keeping an eye on socials and saw that taichi is testing this out and I’ve never seen bingsoo anywhere in Rochester so I was pumped.

Julia and I each ordered our own snowflakes since they’re so customizable and we have different tastes for dessert. I got a coconut ‘snow flavor’ base with strawberry, mango, blueberry, and crystal boba. They offer up to 6 toppings included per order and I didn’t want to go too overboard or mix too many flavors so I went all fruit with the crystal bobas because I haven’t had it before and was really interested to try. I also got a condensed milk ‘dressing’ on top to add a little extra sweetness.

This dessert came out much bigger than we expected! This was the size of a full cereal/soup bowl - not one of those little guys you get at a froyo shop. We probably could’ve just shared one but snowflake is just shaved ice so it’s light and fluffy right? Let’s just say were were there for a while and more of it melted than necessary but it was a fun discovery.

Overall, I love having a new option to try and mixing and matching toppings always makes for a good time for everyone. Not sure that I’d eat an order solo again and I can’t say that I love a crystal boba, but for Rochester’s first bingsoo spot, I’m in.