I couldn’t end my coverage of visiting Corning and the Finger Lakes Wine Country without sharing the great food I had in some of the best restaurants in Corning, NY. As my Corning, NY travel guide mentioned, the Gaffer District is the place for shopping, nightlife, and the best food. There are over 45 restaurants in the Gaffer District, with most options on historic Market Street.
A benefit of eating from the restaurants in Corning, NY, is the variety of cuisines at an affordable price. Although it is a small town, many restaurant owners purchase fresh ingredients from local farms and farmers’ markets. Today I’m sharing places to eat in Corning that I visited and some restaurants on Market Street I want to try on my next visit to the Southern Finger Lakes Region.
Hand + Foot
I started my “food tour” of Market Street restaurants by eating at Hand + Foot. Not knowing prior to my visit, Hand + Foot is the number one restaurant in Corning, NY, and did not disappoint my taste buds. Hand + Foot has different types of sandwiches, wraps, and salads on its menu and an extensive drink menu for beer, wine, and cocktail lovers. I went to Hand + Foot on two different occasions; the first for lunch and the second being a black travel bloggers meetup dinner. I ate the Beer Brisket pictured above and the tostones appetizer below.
Soul Full Cup
Since my walking tour of Corning was on a rainy day, I decided to visit Market Street to take some pictures during my free time. I stumbled upon Soul Full Cup, which is a coffee shop. Since I didn’t want to stay up late, I ordered a chai latte, but Soul Full Cup offers high-quality coffees at reasonable prices. Soul Full Cup also sells gluten-free and vegan baked goods.
The Cellar
After doing research about other places to eat in Corning, NY to visit, I really wanted to have tapas at The Cellar. The Cellar is a wine and tapas restaurant on Market Street serving modern fusion cuisine from local food sources with gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan options.
For wine lovers, The Cellar has a large wine selection of over 100 wines from all over the world, including a selection of local Finger Lakes wines. The Cellar has a diverse menu, so it was kind of hard to choose what to eat, but I enjoyed the poutine with duck fat and pickled vegetables. My friends went with the Chicken and Waffles and Pad Thai dinners.
Dippity Do Dahs
I love ice cream and couldn’t turn down a chance to eat fresh homemade ice cream from Dippity Do Dahs. Dippity Do Dahs sells traditional and even some seasonal ice cream flavors like maple walnut, gingerbread, pumpkin, and cheesecake.
If you’re not an ice cream lover or have a restrictive diet, Dippity Do Dahs has sorbets and dairy-free ice cream. To welcome the fall season, I had a scoop of pumpkin ice cream which also comes in soy pumpkin.
Nine Elephants
Since I had an evening flight, I left my luggage at the hotel and took the shuttle to visit Market Street one last time. A few other Corning NY restaurants weren’t open, so I stopped by Nine Elephants for lunch. Nine Elephants offers Thai dishes, and the hosts greet guests in Thai (Sawasdee Ka for females or Sawasdee Krab for males). That made me smile as it was one of the greetings learned on my girls trip to Thailand.
If you like spicy but flavorful food, this place is for you. I ordered a mild Drunken Noodles with Thai iced tea, but it still had a kick to it with lots of flavors.
Poppleton Bakery and Cafe
Saying “Yes” to my sweet tooth before going home, I stopped at Poppleton Bakery and Cafe for a slice of carrot cake after lunch. Poppleton Bakery is the number 1 bakery in Corning and reminded me of the cafes in Paris. In addition to selling baked goods, the cafe offers crepes, sandwiches, wraps, soups, and salads on its menu.
I spent almost a week in Corning, NY, but between the conference parties, lunches from food trucks, and learning sessions, I didn’t get to eat at all of the restaurants in Corning that I wanted to. Here are some other Market Street restaurants and bars I want to visit on my next trip to Corning and the Finger Lakes.
Three Birds Restaurant
I passed by Three Birds Restaurant a few times and didn’t think to walk in and really regret it because the menu looks great. Three Birds is one of the few fine dining restaurants in Corning, NY. They offer French and American dishes with gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan options.
Mooney’s Sports Bar
Mooney’s is an Irish Pub mixed with a sports bar with several locations in Upstate New York. If you’re a Mac n’ Cheese fan, Mooney’s has over 17 varieties. During the TBEX conference, Mooney’s was the “spot” for watching the game, enjoying happy hour, and good food.
Market Street Brewing Company
Market Street Brewing Company (or MSBC as it is labeled outside) was another restaurant on Market Street that I passed often but didn’t get to visit. The restaurant offers a number of craft beers, with 6 being brewed in-house.
Market Street Brewing Company has a rooftop bar and Biergarten for a different view of the city. They also have a Mug Club for regulars to enjoy discounted beers after paying an annual fee.
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A City Girl’s Guide to Visiting Corning, NY
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I hope this list of downtown Corning NY restaurants was helpful for your trip planning to the Finger Lakes Wine Country. For more suggestions of restaurants in Corning, NY, or information about shopping and events held in the Gaffer District and surrounding areas, visit their official website.
Before you go, check out these great posts!
A City Girl’s Guide to Visiting Corning, NY
Wine Tasting on the Seneca Lake Wine Trail