Going Local Part Deux

A cousin got married this summer up in New York. We don’t go to many extended family weddings, but this is the only cousin on that side of the family and it was a few hours from Niagara Falls so we decided to make a trip of it. Meet my parents and older sister at the falls and had a grand time. It’s not as tourist trappy as you might think, though definitely a tourist trap.

But I‘m not going to bore you with vacation photos but I do want to highlight some of the places we stopped and ate at during the trip. I’ve pointed out some of my favorite local places before after our trip to Victoria, BC last year, so I thought I’d do it again.

First place was an amazing ice cream parlor near Buffalo. Dee Dee’s Dairy had the best ice cream I think I’ve ever had. While the icecream they serve is Perry’s, which I think is a New York brand that they also sold at the Niagara tourist spots, the range of flavors and the serving size Dee Dee’s served is unique to them. Seriously, a regular size was two giant scoops, each of which I would be more than you’d get most places. Grasshopper Pie and Let’s Dough Buffalo were my two favorites and rival even the Cookie Monster Icecream I once had in Florida and have seen replicated at home.

Next, on the way to our final destination in Binghamton, we stopped at the Falls restaurant in Trumansburg near Ithaca. We went to see the falls there and this seemed the perfect place to eat. It was a well renovated log cabin style building. This was definitely a small town and it had that nice small town vibe. The waitress knew everyone who came in who was local and it was very friendly.

I had a very good burger there but, again, it’s the deserts that stood out.  We couldn’t decide what to try and since we were on vacation, we each got a piece of something. apple crumble, peanut butter pie, and chocolate cake.  I love PB and it was amazing but it took third place. The apple crumble was amazing and the icing on the cake was reminiscent of the wonderful Publix cake I remember from childhood.

Finally, in Binghamton, we ate breakfast at a place called the Park Diner. The food selection wasn’t tremendous but they did what they did well. Bacon was crisp, eggs cooked properly and the pancakes fluffy and buttery. The best part, though, was the view. You had a great view of Susquehanna river which made for a relaxing and pleasant meal.

If you’re ever in any of these three places I recommend you check them out.