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Hello, We're headed to Ithaca for a rare mid-week getaway in March. Please pass on any recommendations / experiences that would lead us to a special restaurant for dinner during our stay. We're looking for excellent food and a welcoming atmosphere. Previous postings have praised Dijon Bistro, Willow, & Rose Inn - any recent reports? Thank you in advance for your ideas!

I was visiting my hometown of Rochester for a few days last week, and I ate very well! My first stop was for lunch at Open Face Sandwich Eatery on South Avenue. I’ve been keeping an eye on their website for months, wishing I could pop in and get one of their unusual sounding sandwiches. So it makes sense that 5 minutes after pulling into the driveway in Rochester and unloading my bags, I was headed out again to get some lunch! I ordered the Sandwich Tasting – which is 2 sandwich halves. I chose the Corn Mash (roasted corn seasoned, mashed, and mixed with red bell pepper, served hot and open with melted cheddar, apricot bbq glaze and french fried onions) and the Soft Brie (brie spread with a sweet apricot preserve, topped with sliced pear, on baguette). Both sandwiches were a successful melding of flavors (although I would have preferred the brie melted). The sandwiches came with a side of ginger carrots, with a potent spicy kick. Open Face has put a lot of care into the details in the design of their restaurant (it is a small place - just a few indoor and outdoor tables); for instance, the ice tea came in tin mugs and a small ginger candy is wrapped up with the silverware. It is a pleasant and interesting atmosphere. The next day we went to the Wegman’s restaurant, Tastings, for lunch. Well, first we browsed the Pittsford store, checking out what is new and looking for free samples. At Tastings, the portions are small, and it is definitely pricey, but the food was fresh and flavorful. We had one serving of salmon and one of scallops, and a cheese plate for dessert. The bread served with the meal was very good, and we enjoyed the dried fruit / sweet almond mix that accompanied the cheese (3 American soft cheeses). Of course, we knew right where we could go to buy all of these items! Afterwards, we went to Swan German Sausage and Meat Market on Parsells Avenue. It is a lone German outpost with wood paneled walls and communal tables. I had a fun time hoisting about the 10 lb. rye bread that was for sale. We only had room for the sausage sampler plate ($1.50); 3 varieties of sausage served with spicy mustard. We’d like to return for their schnitzel. Later in the afternoon I was hungry again, so we went to Goodness Cakes, a tiny new bakery on University Avenue. Their specialty is mini-cupcakes (for 80 cents) and wedding cakes. The frosting decoration is beautifully detailed, even on a tiny cupcake that you can pop into your mouth in one bite! I am picky about frosting, and this was a bit too buttery for my personal taste. But I thought the mini-éclair was quite nice and the cake part of the cupcake was also good! Saturday morning I went to the Public Market, which is one of my all time favorite places. I started off with a breakfast taco with green salsa from Monterray Mexican Tacos next to Java Joes, and then did my shopping…olives and Midnight Moon cheese (goat cheese with a sweet complex flavor that I love!) from the European cheese shop, yellow bell peppers, Empire apples, ramps, new potatoes, strawberries. I finished off with a vegetable empanada from the Empanada Stop. It was a beautiful spring day, and the market was packed! I’m so happy to see that it is thriving. I live in a bigger city, but I always enjoy coming back to Rochester for some memorable food!

For some time, I've wanted to check out the donuts in Norristown. What is Suzy-Jo's like? Any standouts or suggestions? Thanks!

Does anyone have info about Am-E-Lyn's or Suzy Jo's Donuts in Norristown?

Earlier this year, Philadelphia Weekly ran a story about the Supreme supermarket at 43rd and Walnut. According to the article, this store has a "staggering array of international foods." While I haven't been to this store myself, I bet it would be a good place to look for the foods you mentioned.

From my family foodie in Rochester: "Probably the most expensive restaurant in rochester is Tournados located in The Inn on Broadway. There are items on the menu that rise to the stratosphere level from the point of view of money, but not necessarily cuisine. But if you are interested in serious and interesting dining, I would recommend Sienna, Max of Eastman Place, or Rooney's. Both 2Vine and Bamba Bistro are fine bistro restaurants, similar to those in other cities, but would not fall into the category of Rochester's fanciest. I like the idea of combining Max with the Rochester Philharmonic as they are across the street from each other, but would also think about a Kilbourne Hall concert right next door to the RPO. But if the person in question is local, he may already have had this experience."

For fresh fish in NW Philly, I would recommend Groben Seafood at 6833 Germantown Avenue (in Mt. Airy), phone number 215-843-4717. I have always been pleased with the fish that I've purchased there (usually salmon), and they are very professional. Next door to the fishmarket is a take out restaurant where you can get a good fried fish sandwich. But what I really like are the dozens of signs posted all over the place with motivational phrases. It makes the place have a very positive feel!

My friend Joe and I went to a cheese party last week, where each guest was asked to bring cheese to share. Based on reading the recent post about Hendricks Farm, we decided to stop by for something truly unique (plus we were hoping for some samples!). We were not disappointed (and neither were our fellow guests!) We enjoyed speaking with Trent, who explained that his goal is to create very special, artisanal cheeses. After we explained the type of event we were preparing for, he supplied us with generous samples and helped guide us towards some excellent choices. We came away with the Telford Tomme (2 month) and Telford Reserve (10 month), which allowed us to taste the difference as the cheese ages. We liked the Reserve especially, which we thought had the beginnings of a sweetness that we start swooning over in some aged goudas that we've tried! The real star of the show, though, were the rounds of Bluebell. These are the cheeses pictured above, with a blue rind and a wonderful runny interior. We are cheese enthusiasts, but novices...and when I asked whether we were supposed to eat the rind, Trent responded that if we threw away the rind we were in BIG trouble, since it had been very carefully cultivated! Anyhow, it was a wonderful cheese and was highly complimented on at the party! I think that our trip to Hendricks Farm and our conversation with Trent helped us appreciate how cheese is alive! It was fantastic to hear about the process from the source, and also to taste something that was so unique! We also purchased some raw milk cottage cheese. Hendricks Farm is fairly easy to get to by car - it is about 15 minutes off the Turnpike. It would make a nice daytrip combined with a picnic at nearby Green Lane Reservoir Park. The one time that I went to the park a few summers ago, there were a number of peach festivals going on at local churches en route! We were very happy that this topic came up, as is was very timely and led to a great foody field trip!

My friend and I stopped by Cafe Sud last week, on a lovely warm evening. They have 2 tables outside. We split 2 sandwiches: Pocadillo - Carrots, onions, tomato, cabbage, romaine, beets, rice, chopped hard boiled egg and chopped olives. Macroata - Batter fried potato patties made with cayenne, cumin, paprika, coriander, garlic, and parsley, served with a sweet tomato sauce and chopped olives. Both were very tasty, on a Sarcone's roll. I usually avoid beets, but the flavors and textures all came together beautifully on the Pocadillo. It made me start thinking that I should give beets another try! The Macroata was also very good - the potato patties tasted kind of like falafel to me. There were also several meat sandwiches and some salads on the menu. Each sandwich was made to order, which meant a little wait, but it was worth it!

Zeps is the Armenian restaurant in the Northeast. Here is a link to their website: http://www.zeps.biz/index.html The family that owns this restaurant belongs to the Armenian church up in Andorra that has a fabulous food festival every November. They are very friendly and thought I might be Armenian based on my pronunciation of "borekka" (I'm not - I was just showing off by rolling my R a little bit!) The pizza at Zeps also comes highly recommended.

Here is a report from the amazing "Shuffle Down to Bustleton" party I attended last January: The theme of the party was a mission into a territory rich with foods of all varieties - Bustleton Avenue in NE Philly. After meeting and strategizing, "teams" fanned out to designated sections of Bustleton Avenue with a set amount of money to spend. After about an hour and a half, we met back at the host's home, unloaded our bags, shared our stories, and filled our stomachs! Some of the highlights: Al Amana Middle East Food Market @ 6746 Bustleton, which yielded some tasty pistachio pastries called Jaffa Sweets. Cafe Brazil @ 6918 Bustleton - who could resist the "A Moda da Casa" sandwich, which consisted of bread, chicken, steak, mozzarella, ham, bacon, egg, corn, sausage, potato sticks, lettuce, tomato, ham, mayo, and pineapple! Mediterranean 2000 @ 8026 Bustleton, where the bar area was loud with Portugese soccer games playing on tv, while a private party was being held in the dining area (the dessert table was tremendous!). An appetizer order of "Portugese flamin sausage" was enough for at least a dozen people! Bell's Market @ 8354 Bustleton was also very busy on a Sunday afternoon, and a great place to buy lots of Russian specialties. We came away with horseradish flavored kvass (a malt beverage) that smelled vile but tasted better, sour cherry juice, cucumber slaw, cabbage pierogies, and smoked sable, turbot, and salmon. Saraha Turkish Restaurant @ 9859 Bustleton - eggplant puree, pita filled with pastrami, stuffed grape leaves Zeps Pizza and Kabobs @ 9965 Bustleton - Armenian specialties such as stuffed grape leaves (very different from those at the Turkish restaurant), and an eggplant and ground beef kabob Red Lion International Market @ 9983 Bustleton, another Russian market which was very generous with free samples! A chocolate "kielbasa" was a fudgy chocolate and nut roll, there were also beef pastries and chicken blintzes and a pickled apple. We all agreed that it was a fun opportunity to venture out to a part of Philadelphia that none of us were familiar with. And in doing so we found a lot of delicious, authentic, inexpensive food! Also noteworthy - Abe's Smoked Fish - in the 7000s on Bustleton, just north of Bustleton/Cottman, on the left side if heading north, just past the mall. I had a very nice smoked sable sandwich there. Of the Russian markets, Bell's market is the biggest - we especially like the boxed juices and the slice to order pistacchio halvah at the deli counter. Others recommend Casa Dolce at Castor and Rhawn for Italian specialties. I can't remember any poppy seed pastries, but the Russian markets are a good bet!

Another restaurant to try is El Balconcito, which serves Peruvian and Portugese food. The address is: 658 E. Godfrey Avenue ( in lower NE Philadelphia) and the phone number is 215-342-2340. I ate there last year on the recommendation of a Peruvian friend, and we had a very pleasant experience. Nothing fancy (big screen tv playing in the background), family run (very cute little girl hanging out behind the counter), friendly service (helpful in explaining the menu). Their specialties include ceviche; I remember being pleased with the seafood I ordered. My friend had a steak, and we shared a pitcher of a fruity iced drink that was recommended as a Peruvian favorite.