The Restaurant at the Park Inn is made up of 2 adjacent rooms on the first floor under the small inn located on the second floor.  It’s an old building with the current chef arriving 4 years ago.  We read about their locally sourced and seasonal menu from Chef Dan Eaton and the accompanying wine program under the care of Sommelier Jason Ferris (who received a “Best of Award Excellence” from Wine Spectator Magazine in 2022) and wanted to try the wines of the Finger Lakes area.  We spent 3 nights in the region and managed to snag a reservation at the 60-seat restaurant each evening.   The entry room is long with a bar counter on one side and tables in the back, heading toward the fireplace.  The other room steps down to your right as you enter and has windows to the street with bench seating around the perimeter. The full menu is available at the bar counter as well as at all the tables.  Lots of historical photos are on the walls, music was in the background, lights are lowered, the floor is wood while the ceiling is tin and the tables are well-spaced.  Service is friendly and attentive and will offer guidance if requested.   Its menu has enough choices that it was no strain to go 3 nights in a row but we learned the first night that the portions are generous so don’t over-order.  I totally recommend visiting the region and staying and eating at the Park Inn.

Facility

 

Food

Deviled Eggs contained house-smoked bacon and pickled farm vegetables.  There were 6 egg halves well stuffed and very tasty.  The bacon had a nice strong smokiness and the pickled vegetables punctuated the flavor perfectly.

 

Crispy Calamari was plated on Glenn Scott Farm (GSF) cherry tomatoes, greens,  and basil aioli.  This was a huge pile of perfectly cooked rings and tentacles.  It was nicely crispy yet not too heavily breaded.  The squid managed to stay tender and the tomatoes were outstanding.  The aioli had good flavor and was delicious with the fried pieces.

 

House-made ricotta gnocchi were with GSF green beans, squash, tomato, corn, and basil pesto.  The pesto came off as very herby and there were tons of nicely cooked vegetables mixed with the large gnocchi dumplings.  While the ricotta gnocchi were not as light as some I’ve had, these were perfectly seasoned for a tasty dish.

 

Shrimp and House-made fettuccini were made with crisp prosciutto, cherry tomatoes, and GSF herb cream.  Five large perfectly cooked shrimp topped the rich fettuccine and sauce.  The crisp prosciutto added texture and tons of flavor to the dish as did the cherry tomatoes.  This dish was heavy and rich and I loved it.

 

Apple Cider doughnut holes were plated with apple compote and cider caramel.  Six doughnut holes were perfectly crisp on the outside and cakey on the inside with a good coating of cinnamon sugar outside.  In the middle was fresh apple compote – like the best pie filling ever – and on the edges were drizzles of cider caramel.  This was seasonal and terrific and easy to share – except I really didn’t want to share it – it was that good.