Last week, my friends Carol, Jen, Liz and I were invited to visit the Finger Lakes for a girls weekend– which also coincided with their first annual Foodie Awards.
If you are a foodie – and specifically a farm to table foodie, The Finger Lakes is a destination you will want to visit!
While we were there we had the chance to enjoy some of the delicious food being cooked up in The Fingerlakes, taste their amazing wines, and of course get to see some truly breath taking views!
Below is a list of 5 foodie must do’s based on my trip.
1. Visit the New York Wine And Culinary Center. Located in Canandaigua and founded by loved food companies such as Wegmans Food Market and Constellation Brands– This place is state-of-the-art and down right gorgeous! The New York Wine and Culinary Center offers everything from 1-time cooking and baking classes to wine tastings and a casual bistro, all in one place!
With a wide variety of classes to choose from (all taught by master chefs), you can sign up for a class for a date night, girls night and even some family fun . As a mother of a pint-sized foodie who was watching Food Network cooking shows at the age of 5, I *love* that the NYWCC offers family classes and children’s classes. I hope to go back to visit the Finger Lakes again this year with the whole family, and this is definitely something we will be doing.
During our recent visit, we had the chance to take a class and prepare (and eat) our own brunch. Our group made delicious quiche, scones, fritters
….and let me tell you, Carol Cain and I rocked salad making like it was nobody’s business ;)
2. Seek out family owned farm-to-table restaurants. Unlike my suburban neighborhood in New Jersey (that my husband an I lovingly call “The Chain Restaurant Center Of America”), The Finger Lakes has a ton of amazing quaint, family-owned restaurants.
At first glance some of these restaurants may look more like a home, and home is what it will feel like. The owners are passionate about their locally sourced food, the meals they cook and the customers they serve.
Have fun seeking out these gems throughout the various counties.
The Leaf Kitchen (Geneva, NY) was one of the small restaurants we had the opportunity to visit and was one of my favorites! Owned by a ridiculously adorable and sweet couple, Tatiana and Jack who have quite the culinary talent, The Leaf Kitchen is set up more like a friend’s home than a restaurant. 
I could tell you how their 4 cheese mac & cheese was heaven, or how their freshly cured bacon was a bacon lovers dream come true, but none of it would do it justice and because their ingredients are always fresh- their menu is always changing to fit what was is season.
photo credit: Finger Lakes Connection
The Brown Hound Bistro, is located on the Canadaguia Wine Trail and started out as a food truck business. Today, they are located in a cozy home setting that seats about 30 customers at a time. While I don’t know that it is always on the menu, while we were there the Brown Hound Bistro served us the best spicy butternut squash and carrot cake I’ve ever tasted – ever. All ingredients are locally sourced and they serve a variety of wine from the area, including wines from next door neighbor, Arbor Hill.
Simply Crepes is a business that was was inspired by Oprah– seriously. We all know Oprah inspires amazing things and you can add Simply Crepes to that list! Her book club recommendation of “What are you going to do with your life?” lent inspiration to husband and wife team, Karen and Pierre Harroux to begin a new business venture that honored their Canadian background by making creatively delicious meals with crepes for breakfast, lunch and dinner– Why hello, Chicken Cordon Blu Crepe!
This restaurant is another must-visit with locations in both Canandaigua and Pittsford, NY. Their Foodie Award winning “Great Grape Crepe” was made using the locally famous Monica’s Grape Pie Filling {drool}…. more on Monica’s in 3, ….2,….
3. Visit Monica’s Pies. For the love of all things sugary and delicious, if there is one single dessert I implore you to taste while you are in the Finger Lakes it is Monica’s Grape Pies in Naples, NY. Family owned and operated, Monica and her family (including her 95 year old mother and resident pie crust expert) Monica’s grape pie offers a wide variety of pies. Her grape pie is the business’ #1 seller, followed by her chicken pot-pie… and unfortunately? They do not ship…. so while your there taste… and STOCK UP ( I did!)
photo credit: Monica’s Pies
4. Take a tour of wine country. You might be surprised to know there are over 100 wineries all along the Finger Lakes region. You can tour of the Finger Lake wineries by car, boat and even a trolly!
If you are visiting with the whole family during the summer/fall months, JD Wine Cellars is one you don’t want to miss. Located on the Ontario Wine Trail in Wayne County, NY, JD Wine Cellars is more than just a winery it is also part of Long Acre Farms.
photo credit: Long Acre Farms/ JD Wine Cellars
During the summer months, the farm offers a slew of outdoor activities for the kids including a jumping pillow (that I kind of want to jump on), and a corn maze in the fall!
On the flip side of wine… if you love beer just as much (or more), The Naked Dove Micro Brewery is another spot I highly recommend.
This microbrewery is relatively new in town but growing fast. While we were there visiting, there was a constant flow from locals filling up their growlers for the weekend. Displayed on the top of the bar are growler jugs from across the country that visitors have brought in for the Naked Dove’s growler exchange program – which I thought was super cool. You bring in an outside growler, they fill up one of theirs for you for free!
5. Have romantic dinner at Geneva On The Lake’s Lancelotti Dining Room
Geneva On The Lake offers one of the area’s most popular inn’s, a gorgeous scenic landscape right off Seneca lake, as well as a small upscale restaurant, Lancelotti’s dining room. If you are sans kiddos (or traveling with a sitter perhaps?), this dining room is quaint elegant and serves delicious dishes, often accompanied by live entertainment.
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If you are interested in learning more about out trip, including some more family-fun type places in the area that we visited, you can follow our journey on Instagram with the hashtag #FLXTrip
