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Southern Tier Life / June 2021 / ISSUE 004
by Bob Thomas
www.hill-top-inn.com
“Destination Dining” – one of those buzz phrases heard on Food Network or the Travel Channel. Here in Chemung County, one restaurant comes to mind that fits the bill, Hill Top Inn, atop Jerusalem Hill in Elmira. Hill Top Inn is known for having, ‘the view that inspired Mark Twain.’ Twain spent 22 summers in Elmira and wrote many of his most famous works from East Hill, where the restaurant is perched. More than just a view, Hill Top Inn is the “OG” of the restaurant scene in Chemung County. The doors opened in 1933, making it the oldest licensed restaurant in the county. Oldest does not mean old. Every year current owner Mike Sullivan updates and expands the facility, which has now become a local favorite for weddings, reunions, and special events.
families. Family owned by the Sullivan family from the start. Now it is where families come to celebrate milestone moments and holidays. My wife Marisa and I made the short drive from our Hourseheads home, East on I-86 and up Jerusalem Hill on a hazy and hot May evening for a Chef ’s Best date night.
activity. A wedding reception was ‘Electric Sliding’ their way across the patio, the first of the season according to owner Mike Sullivan. Beige and white clad servers were buzzing inside and out. They moved with a smile and a purpose. All the while Sullivan was working the room and ensuring no details was left unattended.
“While we pride ourselves on providing excellent food and beverages, it is more than what is on the plate,” Sullivan said. “ Relax and dine overlooking the Chemung Valley while enjoying Irish Hospitality that goes back three generations.”
We entered the restaurant, took in the view and the day melted away. We opted for a cozy indoor booth in the bar area. There is a seating option for everyone, indoor, outdoor, intimate or open.
Hill Top Inn is about family, and for
The place was alive, a beehive of
The wine list at Hill Top Inn is expanisve, but the 85 degree day called for coktails. The recommended drinks fit the bill perfectly; a cool and refreshing Cucumber Elderflower Gimlet and the Crab Trap, a beach-ready beverage with fruit juices and tropical rums.
