Renée's Rates High Among Ithaca's Restaurants
Desserts Get Star Billing
Stacy Schulist '01
Issue date: 5/3/00 Section: Diversions
When I pulled my car into the lot at Renée's restaurant, I was surprised to see it was almost empty. All year I had been hearing that Renee's was "Ithaca's best restaurant." I determined that the lack of cars indicates why there are not many good places to dine in the area. Fortunately, Renée's turned out to be one of the good ones.
Serving French-American food, Renée's is elegant in an understated way. Pale walls feature watercolor paintings of flowers, and the booths are upholstered in burgundy and green floral print. The service has the same quality as the decor -unobtrusive yet proficient. There was only one server for the entire restaurant, which had acquired additional customers since my arrival, but service remained seamless throughout the evening.
The Rosemont Shiraz ($5.25) and the Echelon Pinot Noir ($6.50) were two of a fairly extensive group of wines offered by the glass. Renee's wine list includes 70 wines, several of which are from New York vineyards. Bottle prices start as low as $18 and most are under $30.
A Buckwheat crepe filled with mushrooms and Gruyere cheese ($7.75) is a "must have" for any fan of the fungus. The intense, earthy flavor of the mushrooms was perfectly countered with the rich cheese. A sprinkling of bright red diced tomato added an attractive visual element. Spinach with Gorgonzola cheese, toasted sesame seeds and black-currant vinaigrette ($5.00) was less inspiring. The neatly trimmed baby spinach leaves flecked with toasted sesame seeds offered an uncharacteristic appeal. However, the salad lacked even a hint of the promised black-currant flavor.
Dinner included a rare-seared Ahi Tuna "au poivre" with demi-glace, perched on a bed of duxelle mashed potatoes ($ 22.00) and Sautéed Calamari with squid ink linguine, roasted garlic, tomatoes, and capers ($16.00). The Tuna was devoid of the indicated "au poivre" but the ample portion of the fish created an interesting union with the rich demi-glace. The brown speckled mashed potatoes had a delicate mushroom flavor that made them difficult to stop eating. The Calamari were served tender (tentacles and all) over a bed of supple black linguine fortified with whole roasted garlic cloves, sun-dried and fresh tomato pieces and capers. Unfortunately these elements were drowning in a pool of oil. The flavors had not melded together, and the oiliness of the dish made it a challenge to consume more than just a few mouthfuls.
Serving French-American food, Renée's is elegant in an understated way. Pale walls feature watercolor paintings of flowers, and the booths are upholstered in burgundy and green floral print. The service has the same quality as the decor -unobtrusive yet proficient. There was only one server for the entire restaurant, which had acquired additional customers since my arrival, but service remained seamless throughout the evening.
The Rosemont Shiraz ($5.25) and the Echelon Pinot Noir ($6.50) were two of a fairly extensive group of wines offered by the glass. Renee's wine list includes 70 wines, several of which are from New York vineyards. Bottle prices start as low as $18 and most are under $30.
A Buckwheat crepe filled with mushrooms and Gruyere cheese ($7.75) is a "must have" for any fan of the fungus. The intense, earthy flavor of the mushrooms was perfectly countered with the rich cheese. A sprinkling of bright red diced tomato added an attractive visual element. Spinach with Gorgonzola cheese, toasted sesame seeds and black-currant vinaigrette ($5.00) was less inspiring. The neatly trimmed baby spinach leaves flecked with toasted sesame seeds offered an uncharacteristic appeal. However, the salad lacked even a hint of the promised black-currant flavor.
Dinner included a rare-seared Ahi Tuna "au poivre" with demi-glace, perched on a bed of duxelle mashed potatoes ($ 22.00) and Sautéed Calamari with squid ink linguine, roasted garlic, tomatoes, and capers ($16.00). The Tuna was devoid of the indicated "au poivre" but the ample portion of the fish created an interesting union with the rich demi-glace. The brown speckled mashed potatoes had a delicate mushroom flavor that made them difficult to stop eating. The Calamari were served tender (tentacles and all) over a bed of supple black linguine fortified with whole roasted garlic cloves, sun-dried and fresh tomato pieces and capers. Unfortunately these elements were drowning in a pool of oil. The flavors had not melded together, and the oiliness of the dish made it a challenge to consume more than just a few mouthfuls.