Tuxie's Sub Shop is a true local joint. Play amazing vintage pinball machines for just a quarter or grab some ice cream or a sub. I have to admit I didn't eat here, but if you're looking for entertainment central for the kids in an off-beat town, visit Tuxies and support local business.
While I haven't had the food from Hal's, it certainly was not the most welcoming atmosphere in the interior. Fairly unkept with newspapers and food scraps still on tables. That being said, they deliver!
Wow. Homemade Ithaca chocolates and a classic soda bar to sit and enjoy all the sweets you could ever ask for. Life's So Sweet also caters. They provide as much gifts and hard candy as they do truffles and chocolate bark. If you love chocolate, don't miss it.
Rogues' Harbor Inn is just outside of Ithaca in Lansing, NY. It's historic feel and off-the-beaten path location make it the perfect B&B experience complete with an authentic bar for after dark and a beautiful ballroom where the innkeepers make homemade breakfasts for guests. I had a wonderful stay in a quaint room that came complete with AC, a beautiful bathroom with standing shower, king bed, and even a noise canceling machine! The decor is definitely darker like a historic B&B, but when the sun comes into the ballroom in the morning the yellow walls are amazing! Definitely a good place to think of hosting a function as well. In the morning (after a delicious hash browns and egg breakfast!) I drove down to the Ludlowville Falls (2 min drive) which is a locals favorite.
This place is not just an antique flea market. It's in an old abandoned K-Mart (which is semi-typical of antique markets). But unlike other spots, the vendors are all in the middle of the market in individual stations while the checkout is at the end in the old K-Mart checkout booths. Pretty surreal.
I still haven't been to Just a Taste, but when asking every young person I saw what they're favorite restaurant was in town, 9 out of 10 named Just a Taste. That's got to be worth something. There's also a great little bookstore across the way where Evelyn will help you sort through her horror/sci-fi collection if you have to wait to be seated!
This has been around forever. It looks like a gas station when you pull up, and in fact has a lot of stuff that a convenient store would sell alongside a place where they're making subs. It's a good spot for a HEARTY sub if you're on the run. Not very personal and mostly grab and go. Probably don't want to stick around inside the gas-station-ish interior. Ice cream takeout and benches on the side!
There's a reason Carmen's has been around for so long. They bake fresh daily and they have irresistible specialties. Despite selling their own homemade canolis and waffle crisps, one of the many bakers told me she liked their blueberry muffin best. It was moist and yummy--fairly classic. There's a huge rush around lunch, so if you're hitting Carmen's for the first time make sure you know what you're doing or come in early or else you'll be in the way of Hazleton's locals...grasping at something to do around this historic town.
The staff at the Sayre Mansion are beyond helpful. I stayed in the Conservatory which is the stunning room with vaulted glass windows on the third floor. The "star of Bethlehem" is visible from the room, and it is equipped with a wonderful couch, electric fireplace, water cooler, delicious bed, and television (see gallery). I cannot say enough good things about the Sayre Mansion. It is conveniently located, and the innkeepers stay over at night and welcome conversation if you want to get to the know the area and it's historical significance. Breakfast served in the morning for every guest from 7:00am until 9:30am.
Tod from the American Sign Museum + his insanely extensive sign collection from the light bulb period to neon and plastic make this museum one of the coolest I've ever been to (Smithsonian's included...) Take a tour (Wed-Sun beginning at 11am) and get a whole lot of information about sign makers from the early 1900's until today. It's visually so appealing and great for getting your instagram game back on par. If you happen to pass through Cincinnati on a Monday or Tuesday it's still worth it to stop in at Neonworks. They are neon sign-makers with a shop inside the museum, and they'll show you the real tricks of the trade from bending glass to injecting gas.