Eating and Drinking Around Town

Blue Duck Tavern:  I was impressed with the food at Blue Duck Tavern when the chef was a guest on my Sunday Brunch episode a couple years ago, but I still hadn't been to the restaurant.  

I was blown away during the Cassoulet Cooking Class with Chef de Cuisine John Melfi.  A small group gathered around Blue Duck Tavern's open kitchen and assist Chef with preparing this hearty, winter dish. 

After the class, we sampled cassoulet and other delicious dishes paired with wines from Ravines Wine Cellars in Hammondsport, NY.  The restaurant will be offering more Masters of Food and Wine events throughout the year.  Stay tuned... but in the meantime, stop in to dine!

Acre 121:  This was a miss for me.  We went for brunch.  The service was extremely slow and forgetful and the food was not worth a return visit.  We tried two different types of eggs Benedict dishes and they both flopped.  It wasn't awful, but just not that great. 

Pearl Dive and Black Jack:  If you're willing to wait quite a bit for a table, the food is pretty good.  Most of it was a little too heavy for my stomach, but everything was cooked perfectly and had great flavor.  The best part about waiting for a seat at Pearl Dive is heading upstairs for a pre-dinner drink at Black Jack.  Micah Wilder had done an awesome job with the drink menu.  Be ready for large crowds on the weekend.