The high-ceilinged
Doubleday Cafe (93 Main St., 607/547-5468) has a friendly small-town feel, with a counter bar to one side and lots of tables and chairs in back. The menu has a nice variety of sandwiches, salads, and simple entrée s. Most dishes are priced under $10.
The Hawkeye Bar & Grill in the Otesaga Hotel (60 Lake St., 607/547-9931, average lunch entrée $9) is especially good for lunch in summer, when lakeside patio seating opens up. On the menu are overstuffed sandwiches and simple entrées. A more elaborate dinner menu is also served.
Less than two blocks from the Baseball Hall of Fame is the cozy, two-level Hoffman Lane Bistro (2 Hoffman Ln., 607/547-7055, $15). This local favorite serves everything from linguine with meatballs to sesame-seared tuna steaks. Downstairs is a square-shaped bar and one snug dining area, while upstairs is another.
Another local favorite is
Nicolleta’s Italian Café (96 Main St., 607/547-7499, $16), housed in an airy, high-ceilinged, former storefront. They serve lots of tasty pasta dishes made from fresh local ingredients, along with such classics as veal picatta and salmon filet.
A variety of international dishes are offered at the lovely lakeside
Blue Mingo Grill (Sam Smith’s Boatyard, Rte. 80, 607/547-7496, open in summer only, average dinner entrée $19). Lunch dishes include salads, grilled fish, and pizzas, while the dinner menu changes weekly and can include anything from Thai dishes to fresh lobster.