Ithaca NY, Day 1: Ithaca Commons

One area of the northeast that I've wanted to revisit is Ithaca, NY. I went there a few years ago with my best friend and loved it. When she said she was going there again this weekend, I had to tag along. We ended up driving there on Friday, staying overnight at a hotel, then driving back on Saturday.

Pictured: part of the Ithaca Commons
We parked in downtown Ithaca near the Ithaca Commons, a two block pedestrian mall. We were mainly looking for a place to eat, but we also enjoyed a little window shopping prior to lunch. After driving for over three hours, it was nice to stretch our legs a little before sitting down to have lunch.

Pictured: outside of The Mahogany Grill
We chose The Mahogany Grill, an American bistro, for our lunch. We could have gone to any of several restaurants featuring ethnic cuisine, but I wanted something less exotic.

Pictured: grilled pesto chicken sandwich, french fries and pickle
My lunch was the grilled pesto chicken sandwich. The combination of roasted red peppers, mozzarella and pesto made this sandwich different from most of the grilled chicken sandwiches I usually order. I'd love to go back to the restaurant to try their apple cider marinated chicken sandwich.

After we had lunch, we walked the length of the mall a second time, stopping at a kitchen supplies store, a shop for all things 'green' and a shop filled with all sorts of artistic pieces.