Best Ethnic Restaurant in Ithaca??

Annually, in filling out the Ithaca Times "Best of Ithaca" poll, there are a few categories that stop us, or stump us entirely.

One this year is Best Clergymember. Another, less expectedly, is Best Ethnic Restaurant.

There is plenty of good food in Ithaca, as we mention here from time to time. But "Ethnic" is really a bit lacking.

The "new" ethnic food in town is Thai. Correct? Well, only if one considers presence for over a decade new.

We just got back from a trip to NYC where the dinner choice one night was Senegalese versus Chinese/Peruvian. They were both neighborhood places, within a few blocks.

There is an unpretentious but excellent Vietnamese place on Dryden Road in Collegetown - or was, when we were up there last. Maybe that would be our choice for the Times poll (after checking its continued existence).

There are some good sushi places, too, but sushi is pretty old hat anymore, isn't it? When you can get it in Tops?

Maybe we will just withhold our vote, until it can really reflect something new and fine. Ethiopian or Sri Lankan, anyone?

Steve Burke
for Ithaca NY Blog