Hey Joe! I know that I recommended some great spots to eat in Ithaca last time you were all in town, but 2 years later, I've got some new ones (and would probably take away some of my old ones too).

There are so many wonderful restaurants here, along with many local farms. When I go out to eat, it's usually at a restaurant that sources food locally, so most of my recommendations are places like that. I hope you get to enjoy the food at one of these places while you're in town!

In short walking distance from the State Theatre:

Bandwagon Brew Pub: http://www.bandwagonbeer.com/
Local brew pub 1 block from the theatre. They brew their own beer and serve lots of creative food. All of the land-grazing meat is sourced locally, and lots of their vegetables are too. I work at a local vegetable farm and in the summer, the head chef is up at the farm once a week to pick up produce. The food is fresh and delicious. I haven't tried any meat dishes there but I haven't heard a bad thing about them. They also have the best cheesecake I've ever tried. I highly recommend this place! (I think on weekends they are open for both lunch + dinner, but I'm not positive. Definitely dinner)

Just a Taste: http://www.just-a-taste.com/
One of my favorite places to eat in Ithaca. Just a Taste is a tapas restaurant with delicious, consistent food. I love the potato wedges with chipotle aioli, and the brussels sprouts in brown butter (sometimes it's asparagus or squash, but it's the same amazing dish). I've also heard wonderful things about the salt cod fritters. AND they have a delicious chocolate souffle. Yum! They only serve dinner here, and it's a pretty popular spot so there may be a wait.

Not within short walking distance of the Theatre, but highly recommended if you can hop in a car:

The Piggery: http://www.thepiggery.net/
This place would be my absolute #1 restaurant recommendation for you. Local pig farmers opened up a deli & butcher shop where they serve their own meat as well as meat and produce from other local farms (seriously, the farm I work at delivers 4-5 pounds of MICROGREENS to them a week, and that's a lot!). The link to their lunch menu seems to be broken on the website and I've only had their vegetarian dish (I've just started eating meat after 5 years without, but I'm cooking a pork tenderloin from The Piggery today!), so I can't recommend anything, but I have heard great things about the "3 little pigs" for lunch. They are open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. My boss often raves about the "pork wings" which are available at dinner (though I'm not sure if they are open for dinner on Saturdays). For breakfast, their breakfast sandwich & breakfast burrito are both delicious. The Piggery is a wonderful establishment, and you're likely to run into one of the farmers or butchers behind the meat counter there. I can't stress it enough--you gotta eat at The Piggery!!!

Mexeo: http://www.facebook.com/Mexeo
Another locally sourced restaurant. Mexeo has Texas-style taquitos & burritos that are very delicious. Even the simplest things are amazing... every time I eat there I wonder how he makes black beans so perfectly flavorful. They're open lunch & dinner, but there are no tables in there (just benches).

Northstar: http://northstarpub.com/web/Welcome_to_Northstar.html
Northstar is just a good, classic restaurant. It's a pretty affordable place with, again, great, locally-sourced food. AND they have a mac & cheese of the day! I try not to eat at restaurants frequently but it's hard to resist Northstar. It's just a really charming establishment with great food.

I know that last time I recommended Moosewood and since it's world-renowned, it may seem like the place to go, but honestly, the best things to come out of Moosewood are the cookbooks, not the restaurant. I've eaten there many times, especially in my first few years of living here, and the restaurant is VERY hit-or-miss. I have been cooking vegetarian for 5 years and I find that my home-cooked dishes are always better, even the ones that aren't so special. It's just very plain, unexciting food. It never tastes as fresh as food from other restaurants. There are many places in Ithaca that SHOULD be world-renowned (like The Piggery!) with better food and a better mission & ambiance. That being said, if you eat there, skip on any dish that is a stew--they often have a stew and it is always dull. You can certainly find delicious food at Moosewood, you just gotta choose the right dish. They DO always have great soup.

I hope you have time to check out one or some of these places! Let me know if you have any questions or want more info on these spots. Looking forward to seeing the band back in Ithaca, and I hope my town shows you all a great time (and great food)! :)

All the best,
Taryn

Also, it looks like The Piggery is now open for dinner on Saturdays, so it's an option all day!