A-1 Pizzeria and Family Restaurant
A-1 is a long-standing family restaurant near the intersection of Routes 13 and 38 in Dryden, and a glance will show it's expanded several times. They serve pizza and Italian dishes, steaks and chicken, and some Greek fare, as well as a good diner-style breakfast.

Aladdin's Natural Eatery
Aladdin's offers pretty good but not spectacular Mediterranean-style or Greek-style food, at prices that generally seem too high for what they're providing. The fact that their menu can't even spell "souvlaki" consistently right is an unfortunate sign of the inattention to detail throughout the Aladdin's experience.

Applebee's
Considering the disdain with which “cookie-cutter” establishments are viewed by some, I was very impressed with how smoothly this trendy, yuppie-oriented chain restaurant has fit into the area. Applebee’s offers very speedy and friendly service, a pleasant surprise to anyone expecting anonymous or uncaring treatment. The food is good, reasonably priced, and plentiful, as well. Hot, tasty soup and a grilled chicken sandwich made a good lunch, and a recent visit for dinner yielded an excellent “Bourbon Street Steak,” their 10oz. sirloin with Cajun spices, all cooked perfectly as we’d ordered them

Blue Stone Bar & Grill
This beautifully furnished and serenely lit little eatery has dining inside or on the sidewalk, a gorgeous granite bar, and pieces from local artist Warren Bunn on the walls to set the mood. There's a variety of sandwiches and burgers, salads and entrees, and appetizers and desserts, with many appetizers and a few entrees landing in the vegetarian column. The food's all pretty good but a bit pricey, and doesn't always match what you think you ordered.

BoatYard Grill
This restaurant was opened by Mark Campagnolo, a former partner at Joe's Restaurant. The beautiful building with its nautical theme is a great setting for the exceptional, hearty food at this comfortable restaurant. Naturally, there's lots of fresh fish and seafood (brought daily from Boston), but the Texas Cowboy Steak (a porterhouse with a chipotle glaze served on the bone) and Boatyard Angus Sirloin (smothered with fresh roasted garlic) aren’t to be missed. Be prepared to wait for a table, and we keep hearing horror stories about iffy service.

Bru Dogs
This new lunch-and-late-night hot dog cart in front of Jason's in Collegetown started out by swooping in nightly (Tuesday through Saturday) at about 9 and staying until the wee hours, offering the perfect handheld food: hot dogs or sausage and peppers. They're now trying out weekday lunchtime hours, Tuesday through Friday.Their quarter-pound dogs are $3 plain, or $4 served Chicago style or with chili and cheese. Bru Dogs is experimenting with vegetarian options, but they haven't found one they like yet. "Little" dogs start at $2 if you want something smaller than a quarter-pounder, and they're trying NYC-style onion sauce and other trial toppings in the coming weeks. 

Buffalo Wild Wings
Ithaca probably had plenty of chicken wings already, we're checking out Buffalo Wild Wings, the latest chain restaurant to open in town. On Route 13 in Ithaca's southwest, Buffalo Wild Wings serves not just wings and so-called "boneless wings," but wraps, burgers, and even ribs. We were pleasantly surprised that the wing sauces had lots of flavor. The hot actually was, and the spicy garlic and garlic parmesan both weren't shy about the garlic. The wings themselves weren't that big and meaty; at about 75 cents a wing for a typical size order, meatier would be nice. Between the quick, friendly service and the affordable lunch specials, though, we think Buffalo Wild Wings has a place in Ithaca's dining scene.

Cafe Dewitt
In the basement of the Dewitt Mall, this tiny cafe offers breakfast, lunch, and Sunday brunch featuring lots of local food and creative recipes. Enjoy a cup of soup and a sandwich, or creative breakfast platters available any time. It gets crowded fast, especially on weekends, so be prepared for a wait -- both before and after you're seated.

Carriage House Cafe
This restored old building in lower Collegetown has been turned into a beautiful eatery with gorgeous event space upstairs that features live music on some weekends. During the week, stop in for breakfast, brunch, or lunch Tuesday through Sunday, but be prepared for a long wait on weekends. The brie stuffed french toast is decadent, the steak and eggs the best in town, and the burgers, made from local beef and served on ciabatta with homemade sundried tomato puree, are out of this world. All this comes at a price, though; look for weekday specials to make things a little more affordable.

CC's
This brand new Collegetown eatery, in the alley across from the Royal Palm Tavern, offers healthy, fresh, design-your-own wraps, salads, and smoothies. The custom wrap and salad menu (starting at $6) features no fewer than 35 ingredients to choose from, not counting the tortillas and meats (grilled chicken, tuna, or eggs), plus a couple dozen dressings. Or pick from one of the $6 pre-designed salads or wraps. Check it out from lunch through late-night if you're tired of bagels, pizza, and cheeseburgers.