3 days Ago By Christopher Malone [email protected]
Town, village and business reporter {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. The Cayuga County area saw many changes to its restaurant landscape in 2024. A longstanding staple said goodbye after nearly a century.
Another storied location saw a happy ending to the year, while yet another’s future is unclear. Franchised sub shops are now independently owned to better serve their customers. And other restauranteurs have opened new establishments specializing in sushi, cocktails, coffee, bagels and more.
Here are the local restaurants that opened and closed in the last year: Hidden Fish in Skaneateles. The latest Skaneateles restaurant involving scrap metal billionaire and influencer Adam Weitsman, Hidden Fish gave the village's residents and constant flow of visitors a premier sushi destination beginning in January. It's located in a former doctor's office at 7 Fennell St.
, adjacent to Skaneateles Creek, renovated into a stylish dining room that feels almost secretive. Hidden Fish partner Jeff Knauss told The Citizen it's “an elevated sushi experience that doesn't really exist in upstate New York." Similarly to Weitsman’s other Skaneateles restaurants — The Krebs, Clover's and Elephant and the Dove — profits from Hidden Fish will be donated to local charities.
Chicken and waffles is on the menu at At Long Last, a new breakfast and brunch restaurant in Sennett. Opening in February, At Long Last focuses on breakfast and brunch in the longtime restaurant space at 3193 Route 20 in Sennett, previously the Pioneer and Bonca's, among others. Owner Robin Long, a native of the town and former general manager at the Sherwood Inn, enlisted the creativity of executive chef Zach Piraino, formerly of The Krebs.
They’ve prided themselves on serving an upscale take on familiar breakfast and brunch offerings. Customers can order shrimp-and-grits eggs Benedict, for instance, or chicken and waffles with sriracha maple and bacon jam. "Zach has a super funky brain," Long said.
"I think it pairs really well here." Customers at Charlie's Lakeside Grill & Bar in Moravia. Turbulence continued at the 2846 Fire Lane 1 restaurant in Venice, overlooking Owasco Lake, when Charlie's Lakeside closed in April.
Charlene "Charlie" Janke and her husband, Jim Yesalusky, took over the restaurant in December 2022. They were the latest of many chapters in the history of the restaurant, which prior to that was Drifters on Owasco from 2018 to 2022. Many remember the restaurant as Baylor's in the 1980s, and after its sale a fire destroyed the building.
It was then rebuilt as the current restaurant. The restaurant has been so turbulent in recent years, changing hands and names, that it will appear on this list again later. Auburn Bagel Co.
owner Tony Daddabbo prepares fresh cinnamon raisin bagels for baking. In mid-April, Auburn native Tony Daddabbo opened Auburn Bagel Co. at 105 Genesee St.
, bringing a New York City-style bagel shop to the space where his family once ran Daddabbo's Pizza. Along with drawing on his experience as a bagel maker at the renowned Upper West Side shop Columbia Bagels, Daddabbo even brought its recipes to the new shop. Auburn Bagel Co.
also offers a variety of breakfast and lunch sandwiches and homemade cream cheeses, both regular and tofu. "As I imagined it, I thought Auburn and the greater area has got an appetite for bagels," Daddabbo said. Simple Roast Coffee Co.
has opened a new café and cocktail bar called Roast & Toast in downtown Auburn. Matt Peirson continued growing Simple Roast Coffee Co. with a third location, and its first cafe, in April.
But Roast & Toast, located at 99 Genesee St., doesn't just serve coffee and other morning beverages. On Thursdays through Saturdays it reopens in the evening for cocktails like the King of Hollywood, a twist on an old-fashioned with brown sugar chai syrup.
As its name suggests, the restaurant also serves food. The morning menu boasts a variety of toasts, while cocktails can be enjoyed with grilled cheese sandwiches and desserts like affogato and tiramisu. The Sub Stop, formerly Jreck Subs, in Weedsport.
Two former Jreck Subs locations owned by Candy Duprey and Jeffrey Emmette became free of the franchise in May. Reopening as The Sub Stop , the shops at 2700 E. Brutus St.
in Weedsport and 251 Genesee St. in Auburn now offer fresher ingredients, more customized menus and better rolls at affordable prices, Duprey and Emmette told The Citizen. They made the decision to become independent after ownership put them in a pickle by requiring $300,000 in renovations.
“I want people to come in here and have a good time," Emmette said. "I want them to say: Hey, that’s a fun place to go. They’re having a fun time working.
It’s a good vibe. I want to go back there.” Hollywood Restaurant chef and owner Joe Colella Jr.
is pictured in one of its three dining areas with painted portraits of his grandparents and original owners, Dan and Rose Cecora, left, and his parents, Joe and Bridget Colella, right, on the wall at the Auburn restaurant Thursday. The three-generation, family-owned establishment is closing this month after 91 years of service. After a 91-year legacy in Auburn, Joe Colella Jr.
closed the Hollywood Restaurant in June. The three-generation restaurant was started by his grandparents Dan and Rose Cecora in 1933. It prided itself on its homecooked Italian and American fare.
Colella took over from his parents, Joe and Bridget Colella, in 1983. It wasn’t until a couple years ago that running the restaurant became challenging, he told The Citizen in June. It was mentally and physically wearying, and finding dedicated help was difficult.
"I am saddened about what I have to do," he said. "I do appreciate the community that has supported us for years." The Lakeside Grill in the town of Venice.
Jackie Scanlon, who since 2013 has owned the restaurant where Charlie's Lakeside and Drifters on Owasco operated in Venice, decided in July to try something different there. Scanlon reopened the restaurant that month as the Lakeside Grill , the name of the business she briefly operated there after she bought the property at an auction in 2013. But instead of a traditional restaurant, the new Lakeside focused on events like weddings and reunions, as well as ticketed buffet lunches and dinners.
Customers could also order from a small menu. The venture was short-lived, however, as Scanlon announced in October that she was putting the restaurant up for auction. "It’s been a restaurant for more than 50 years," she told The Citizen in July.
"It’s never made money." Violet Wednesday at Fingerlakes Mall. A family-owned farm-to-table bakeshop in Fingerlakes Mall, Violet Wednesday has continued to blossom since opening in early September.
The shop is owned by Romulus-based farmer Tara Van Wormer and her niece Amanda Hathaway. The menu is focused on sweet treats homemade with locally grown ingredients, such as cookies, pies, pastries, cupcakes and more. There's also coffee and fresh, locally grown flowers.
"We're thrilled to bring our family's passion for farming and baking to the community," Van Wormer said in a news release at the time. Fingerlakes Pizza at Fingerlakes Mall. Another option was added to Fingerlakes Mall's food court in September, when Matt Warren opened Fingerlakes Pizza there.
The veteran-owned business offers slices, pizzas, garlic knots, wings, stromboli, calzones, salads and more. The food court space has traditionally offered pizza to shoppers and moviegoers, making Fingerlakes Pizza a welcome addition. "Whether you're looking for a quick snack or a full meal, Matt Warren and his team have something for everyone," the mall said in a news release at the time.
Heather McAvan owns the Craic House Pub in Jordan. After Burly’s Firehouse Pub in Jordan went up for sale, Heather McAvan decided to take over the village bar in October. It was renamed the Craic House Pub, a tongue-in-cheek play on the Gaelic word “craic,” meaning a good time and great conversation.
The pub also leans into the Irish heritage of the village, where the Camillus resident said she has found a second home. “The village really feels like a Hallmark movie,” McAvan told The Citizen in December. “I’m the only bar.
The bank is across the street. There’s a pizzeria and cafe. It’s so homey.
” Editor's note : Look for a feature about the Craic House Pub in The Citizen and on auburnpub.com in early January. Arnold's Family Restaurant in Weedsport.
After 32 years of serving Weedsport, Arnold’s Family Restaurant closed its doors in mid-November. The beloved diner at 2667 Erie Drive was co-owned by husband and wife Frederick and Sandy Arnold. It was known for its menu of comfort food and desserts, particularly pies.
Frederick passed away that same month after a brief battle with cancer, prompting the restaurant's closure. "We cherish every memory made and will miss every single one of you,” the restaurant said in a Facebook post. Kubal Coffee Auburn at 27 E.
Genesee St. in the city. Matt Godard stepped out of Onondaga County for the first time in November, bringing his Cafe Kubal brand to Auburn.
Kubal Coffee Auburn opened its doors that month at 27 E. Genesee St., the former home of Gretchen’s Confections and Cafe .
Along with its coffee, Kubal is known for breakfast and lunch options like the Upstate Grinder, a sandwich made with turkey, bacon, cheddar, pickled apple slices and maple mayo. Godard told The Citizen he wants Kubal Coffee Auburn to also serve as a distribution point for his coffee for customers that serve it, like offices and restaurants. “We’re going to see hundreds of people per day.
I hope every one of them leaves feeling a little better and having a positive outlook,” he said. "Even if it’s after a short interaction for a takeaway coffee.” Local officials and members of the Auburn business community help owner Matt Godard cut the ribbon on Kubal Coffee Auburn on Friday.
Staff writer Christopher Malone can be reached at (315) 282-2232 or [email protected] .
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