Ithaca Ale House

NEW LOCATION, SAME GREAT BURGERS, LOTS TO DRINK

By Henry Starke

When people learn that I review restaurants in the greater Ithaca area, the question I’m most o en asked is, “What’s your favorite restaurant?” I never respond because it’s a quick way to make one restaurateur friend and dozens of enemies. However, the more important reasons are it would be journalistically unethical, and I don’t really have a favorite as there are so many ethnicities, ambiences, price levels and locations. On the other hand, if anyone asks me, “Where would you go to get a good hamburger?” I usually recommend the Ithaca Ale House as being in my “top ve” for having a variety of perfectly cooked, innovative, reasonably priced burgers. Including their weekly burger special, they o er a halfdozen and they’re all good.

I recently had the “Ale House Burger” ($17) because I like blue cheese and bacon. It came rare, as I ordered it, open faced on a large hunk of focaccia. ere were two slices of fresh lettuce, two beautiful tomato slices and four pickle chips on one half, with a plump burger, blue cheese, smothered onions and two crisscrossed bacon slices on the other. It’s served on a platter with tasty french fries. e Ale House only o ers one soup and it’s a winner: “6 Onion Soup” ($7). e broth is full of avor and texture and loaded with smothered onions and large pieces of crusted bread acting as croutons. It’s covered with melted provolone and Swiss cheese and topped with a fried onion ring. Although listed in the “Smaller Plates” section, it’s quite a substantial portion.

I once ordered the “Chicken Wing” ($18) from the “Smaller Plates” part of the menu. I think the cooks serve portions based on weight, trying to max up with about one pound. at day, I received ve large drumettes and two wingettes. ey were covered in a relatively light breaded crust and came with a few fresh carrot and celery sticks with a choice of blue cheese or ranch dip. I chose the blue cheese and was glad I did, as it had bits of cheese incorporated. If you order the wings, you’ll have a choice of about a half-dozen sauces. I want to warn you that “garbage” sauce is a bit hot and I prefer any of the milder ones. Incidentally, the wings were more expensive than four of the “Larger Plate” o erings and could easily serve as a satisfying lunch.

In the “Larger Plates” section of the menu, I’ve tried the “Sweater Weather Sandwich” ($15). It has a myriad of in- gredients, including smoked mozzarella, kale bits, roasted pepper relish, garlic aioli, and bacon-onion marmalade. It came on toasted bread with the crusts removed and, because of the creamy nature of the ingredients, was a bit mushy. e bread, too, was just a tad greasy, but overall, I did like the sandwich.

Another important category of entrees is “Hand Stretched Pizzas” and the ones I’ve tried are terri c. e crusts are thin and I enjoy eating the edges. “Artichoke Heart” ($16) came with bits of re-grilled artichoke hearts and red peppers with concentric rings of baby spinach. e pizza was covered with a very mild garlic cream. I can also recommend the “Garlic Shrimp Pie” ($17), which came with about two dozen baby shrimp strewn across the top along with bits of basil.

I think of the food o erings at the Ale House as mostly comfort food, and I tend to prefer beer with comfort food and wine with more upscale o erings. Appropriately, the beer selection here is large and varied. ere are a dozen and a half dra and another two dozen in cans and bottles ranging from $4 to $14. If you like beer, I think the selection here is fun to work with. e wine menu, on the other hand, is not as extraordinary. For example, there are only seven whites on o er, and living in the Finger Lakes, I would have liked to see a dry riesling instead of one of the three chardonnays. e reds are ne although a bit unbalanced with half of the eight o erings being cabernet sauvignons. Glass prices range from $9–$12 and bottles from $30 to $125.

I have always enjoyed the food at the Ale House and nd it a fun place to eat. I’ll look forward to eating here many more times in the near future.

TIDBIT:

In case you haven’t heard, the Ale House recently moved from “Restaurant Row” on Aurora Street to near the corner of State and Aurora Streets. is incarnation is about double the size, although, as with many restaurants these days, the menu o erings have been reduced. I think of the interior as minimalist industrial with track and pendant lighting. It’s comfortable, quieter and o ers more privacy.