Moosewood: An Ithaca Classic
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Though Ithaca is hardly a haven for world-class restaurants, one local establishment stands out as a nationally recognized destination. Moosewood Restaurant, which opened in the Dewitt Mall at the corner of Cayuga and Seneca streets in 1973 and has been there ever since, is often lauded as one of the best vegetarian restaurants in the country. It was also named one of the most influential restaurants of the last century by Bon Appetit magazine.
While I am certainly not a vegetarian, I have an appreciation for vegetables and many other delicious non-meaty foods. Additionally, Moosewood does serve seafood, though it does not serve any poultry or red meat. With this in mind, I dragged my reluctant boyfriend down to Moosewood a few times for reviewing purposes.
It is important to note that the menu at Moosewood changes on a daily basis; soups and entrées vary from day to day. Thus, it is impossible to get a full grasp of the restaurant and its menu in three or four meals, though we did order a diverse selection from every part of the menu.
For the beginning of your meal, Moosewood has an interesting offering of starters: small items including an olive plate, cottage cheese and bread from Ithaca Bakery all grace the non-rotating starter menu. While all of the plates we tried were adequate, none blew us away; why pay for a bread basket at Moosewood when you can get the same thing at CTB? Why buy a bowl of cottage cheese when you can buy a whole vat at Wegmans?
While the standard offerings are a bit disapointing, the rotating appetizers were a bit more interesting. A white bean and garlic dip, served with pita triangles, was one of the more delicious dips I have had in recent memory, and left me craving more for weeks (sadly, I haven’t seen it on the menu since). On the other hand, a homemade chunky guacamole was laden with cucumbers, and left a less-than-delightful cucumber and avocado flavor on my palate. While the guac itself was fresh and well made, the cucumber flavor threw off the whole dish.
The soups, by far my favorite part of the menu, were consistently good and well prepared. A creamy shrimp soup had hearty pieces of shrimp and a delicious base. Every variety of lentil soup that I tried (about five, from Moroccan lentil to just plain lentil) was consistently delicious, as was a garlicky tomato-based rice soup. Salads are always fresh, with house-made salad dressings that are unique and tasty.
Entrées, which rotate constantly, are generally hit or miss. An Asian-inspired vegetable dish, flavored with soy and ginger and served over rice noodles, was pleasing, but left me hungry at the end of the meal. A seafood stew was very pleasantly flavored, but a bit lacking in the whole seafood thing (a bowl of seafood-flavored cream is decidedly unsatisfactory). The “Southwest Combo,” which sounded great on the menu, was basically a glorified stuffed bell pepper, with a side of salsa and a warm coleslaw-like salad. Balkan Moussaka was by far my favorite dish, with layers of pasta, mushrooms, cheese and tomato sauce.
While I didn’t always love the offerings, all of the ingredients were always fresh and high-quality. However, when it came to entrées, my boyfriend put it best when he said, after three bites, “If your mother cooked this, I could eat the whole thing. But since she didn’t, I’m done.” Lucky for him, my mother doesn’t cook, and the dessert menu at Moosewood is delicious enough to round out a meal.
Perhaps the best part of Moosewood is that, unless you get an unusually heavy dish, you are bound to have room left for dessert. While dessert is usually my favorite part of a meal anyway, at Moosewood, dessert took the cake by far (no pun intended). Their classic fudge brownie à la mode was by far my favorite, with locally made ice cream and the most delicious brownie I have ever tasted. The apple-blueberry crumble was perfectly flavored and textured, and vegan chocolate cake was a favorite of everyone who tried it. Dessert at Moosewood is so good that it always makes me forget how lackluster the entrées are.
To go with your meal, Moosewood offers a small liquor selection, as well as a fairly extensive selection of local beers and inexpensive wines. For non-alcoholic beverages, Moosewood offers a full selection of Italian sodas, juices and other offerings (though neither Coke nor Pepsi products are offered).
Overall, the Moosewood experience is a positive one. Soups are always delicious, as are salads and dessert. Entrées vary highly night by night, and are often determine whether or not you enjoy the full meal. The service was consistently friendly, and prices are reasonable, with entrees around $15 and salads, soups, starters and desserts in the $2 to $6 range. If you are a vegetarian, a soup lover or a big fan of dessert, Moosewood is definitely an attractive option. If you are none of the above, I suggest checking the menu online before you go. It is updated every afternoon, so you can see if you like any of the dinner entrée offerings before committing to eating there.