cured topography. We pass the stained glassed monolithic sanctuary, Sage Chapel, and the Second Empire-inspired AndrewDicksonWhite House as scores of students,faculty and visitors walk by ener- getically along the sloping scenery.
We arrived at the ILR Conference Center in King-Shaw Hall.A courtyard-ed meet- ing place with nine modern rooms, accommodating two up to 100 guests,and possessing a tech-equipped, 36-seat amphitheater. This learning center of matriculation is a clean and spacious enclave for intimate to medium-sized gatherings during the week. The ILR is a convenient on campus corporate retreat and a reliable venue for classroom-style functions.
That night…
I grabbed a light jacket (and my traveling bone), shut off the lights and closed my hotel room door. It was time to explore Ithaca.
If you were to stand at the main entrance of the Statler Hotel, taking a volley ball and then gently give it a roll, I swear, I think gravitywould verywell take that ball downhill ‘til it ends up in Ithaca Commons at the very heart of the city.
Friendly and easily traversable by foot, the Commons is a four block pedestrian shop- ping area with over 100 unique stores, restaurants, street vendors, and scads of year-round festivals and events. I parked. I wandered.
Temptation wanted to lead me to Moosewood Restaurant - make that nationally famous Moosewood. Forty-one years in operation, thirteen acclaimed cookbooks, and a vegetarian-only menu that proves, in a most natural way, how fare-of-the-earth can be. Yes, haute culinary masterpieces. This landmark groundbreaker has led the way in sustain- able, truly farm-to-table fare for decades.
However, my food radar was pulling me elsewhere, and I knew that I had found It as soon as I walked into Jennifer Irwin’s unassuming little Spanish tapas store- front, Just a Taste.
70 July August 2014
This was the exact place I always look for when I’m on the road, in any American city for that matter. Casual and convivial, the cuisine here could compete with most any tapas restaurant in the country. Just a Taste is just that good.
There’s a smattering of tables, a blip of a bar holding an abbreviated series of stools; a 16-spigot wine Cruvinet and a seriously-Euro feel and vibe.
A dainty bowl of mixed spiced nuts served as a savory starter. Flatbread with roasted garlic,white bean puree,artichoke hearts; chive, fontina and Romano cheeses all encompassed a comforting second course. Then, roast duck breast with French green lentils,roasted zucchini and a rich balsamic reduction gave me a NewYork state of mind…a night’s special of salmon cake and dill crème completed the feast.
By the timemyminiwarmchocolate souf- flé arrived, admittedly, this meal had turned into much,much more than Just a Taste for me.
That morning…
La Tourelle is located high on the East Hill range along 70 sweeping acres - a chateau’d realm replete with hiking trails and contiguous with nearby Buttermilk Falls State Park. La Tourelle is a hotel, a spa, a bistro - a family-owned operation with a small team who usually end up turning guests into family, and visa-versa.
Rooms are luxurious and spacious with modern conveniences blending sublime- ly with the French Country decorations. Just off the lobby is The Bistro offering plentiful American breakfasts and lunch- es in a cheery sunroom. I grabbed a gruyere-filled hummus and arugula wrap to nosh on the way home…
Adjacent, the John Thomas Steakhouse is known for Prime, dry-aged hand cuts of beef, live Maine lobsters, and an array of superb wines, many coming from local vineyards.
Then there’s August Moon Spa, an indul- gent surprise there among an otherwise
countryside retreat. The spa’s treatments, massage and skin care components, plus its two tranquility rooms (each with a fire- place and waterfall) all are decorated in the Japanese Zen-style motif one would expect from a top revitalization center like La Tourelle’s.
The venue’s banquet space has vast usability, even more so when the French doors are opened airily onto the slate stone outdoor patio beyond for a 360- degree panorama of the Ithaca country- side - a perfect setting for weddings and casual corporate events.
Sales Manager Kristen Stucky pointed out the resort’s provisions for offering ultra- luxe corporate retreats. “We’re all about creating the unique,” she shared with me, citing complimentary wine tastings daily (3-6pm); hot air ballooning, team build- ing, cheese receptions,“Wine &Wellness” programs,plus, the addition of“Glamping” (glamorous camping) on the lush periph- ery. “Glampers” get to enjoy the best of La Tourelle’s provisional items, keeping their stays luxurious and comfortable.
Homeward bound…
Upon my return, I revved up my laptop and began recording notes from this trip. Doing so, I found myself instinctively log- ging on to my favorite publicly funded Philly radio station. Soon, the same spin- ning circle I’ve seen hundreds of times enveloped my screen for a few seconds, and then
VisitIthaca.com’s couples, fami- lies, friends and coworkers began cavort- ing along my screen once again.
I smiled, happy and grateful to finally count myself as another one of Ithaca’ s satisfied souls - at least for one day.
Ken Alan is theVice President of Concierge Services for Equus Capital Partners. He is
the founder of the Philadelphia Concierge Association and a contributor for several regional publications.
kalan@bpgltd.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84