Congratulations to Janilex and Kevin of Atabey Restaurant & Lounge, now open for lunch and dinner in Downtown Ithaca! The pair are also co-owners of La Bamba Cuisine in Cortland, and they’ve been preparing for over a year to open on the corner of Seneca and Aurora Streets in the building that used to hold Collegetown Bagels and Ooy’s Deli.

First Look: Atabey brings Puerto Rican flavors to Downtown Ithaca

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Serving as an anchor of the Fall Creek neighborhood since the fall of 2009, Northstar Public House will close at the end of April, according to an announcement Thursday from the restaurant’s owners. The restaurant has focused on seasonal and local ingredients, and has been a reliable source of both vegan and gluten-free offerings as well as plenty of meat.

Fall Creek stalwart Northstar Public House announces they’ll close this spring

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This week, 14850 Dining is up late and looking for grub! The late-night scene in the Ithaca area has changed a lot over the last several years, and not just because of the pandemic. While there are still bars open until 1am, even those that serve food tend to close the kitchens earlier, and most of the 24-hour options have faded away.

Up late and looking for good night-owl food in and around the Ithaca area

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Passover and Easter, two of the major religious holidays that fall in springtime, arrive this week, with Passover beginning at sundown on Wednesday, April 1st and Easter falling on Sunday, April 5th. Several eateries around Ithaca and Tompkins County have offerings for the occasion.

Two springtime holidays, Passover and Easter, arrive this week, with tasty foods to match

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This week the 14850 Dining Report is celebrating some new weekday lunch options around town. The Ithaca Ale House in Downtown Ithaca has daily lunch specials alongside their regular menu, and Ciao! Wood-Fired Pizza and Pasta up in the northeast is open for lunch for the first time in six years.

At the Ithaca Ale House, the week begins with Monday specials of Chicken & Biscuits and a Buffalo Chicken Sandwich, followed by Chicken Saltimbocca or a Corned Beef Rachel sandwich on Tuesdays. Wednesday features a Caesar Steak Sandwich and an Italian Delight Pie.

Related: A new round of daily lunch specials at Downtown’s Ithaca Ale House

On Thursdays, the lunch specials include a Beef on Weck sandwich or a Meatball Sub. Fridays mean a choice of sandwiches, either Hot Cheddar and Roast Beef or a Beer Battered Fish.

Once the weekend arrives, there are lunch and brunch offerings, with a Bo Burger (that’s an Ithaca specialty with a fried egg) or an Omelet of the week on Saturdays, and on Sunday there’s a choice of Steak & Eggs or Chicken & Waffles. All week, the regular menu remains available at lunchtime.

Up the hill off North Triphammer Road, Ciao! is now opening Monday through Friday at 11:30am. On the weekend they’re still opening at 4 for dinner, weekday happy hour are 4-6, and they’re open until 9 daily.

Related: At long last, weekday lunch returns to Ciao in Ithaca’s northeast!

The lunch menu looks like a simplified version of Ciao’s dinner menu, with many of the same 11-inch pizzas cooked in the brick oven, plus a few appetizers, salads, panini sandwiches, and lunch-sized (and lunch-priced) portions of several pasta dishes like lasagna or rigatoni scarpiello and specialties such as eggplant or chicken parmesan.

Each day of the week there’s a different daily $15 special from the wood-fired oven, such as a calzone, stromboli, even a Friday fish fry. Panini prices start at 12 bucks and the pizzas are $15-23 and totally shareable, especially if you pair them with an appetizer or a salad.

Find the Ithaca Ale House at 301 East State Street and Ciao at 2 Hickory Hollow Lane, and tell them you heard about them here.

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Happy St. Patrick’s Day from 14850 Dining! Or in some places, St. Patrick’s Weekend or St. Patrick’s Season! Unlike some cities, Ithaca doesn’t have a St. Patrick’s Day Parade, unless you want to count the parade of good eats that await the next few days.

An Ithaca St. Patrick’s Day starts early and lasts all weekend long!

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This week, we’re focused on the upcoming Downtown Ithaca Chili Cook-Off and all the fun that goes with it. It’s this Saturday, March 7th from noon to 4pm on and around the Ithaca Commons, and tickets are already on sale. Saturday promises to be just as Chili, but not as chilly, as last year’s Chili Cook-Off.

Heating up Downtown Ithaca with the 28th annual Chili Cook-Off

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This week 14850 Dining is visiting Modern Ohana, the brand new restaurant that’s opened where Mix was. Same owner, same chef, but a brand new Pacific tropical islands and Asian fusion theme. An exterior paint job had already been finished before Mix closed in mid January, a bar rebuild was already under way, and a dining area refresh was completed in the three weeks the restaurant was closed.

Tropical island vibes all day long at Ithaca’s new Modern Ohana

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