Finger Lakes Region Taste of New York Restaurant
New York State Wine & Culinary Center Restaurant Promotes Local Food
Sep 8, 2009
The New York Wine and Culinary Center in Canandaigua has been open since June 2006 and showcases vintners and food producers from throughout the state. Outside, lush gardens are thick with grape vines, espaliered fruit trees and lettuce and herbs, some of which may be used in the center’s food preparation.
Taste of New York Restaurant at the New York Wine & Culinary Center
Inside, the second floor of the NYWCC holds a tasting area, private dining room and the Taste of New York Restaurant. The décor is sophisticated craftsman style with wide plank floors. An eclectic mix of Jacobean chairs sporting tooled leather seats cluster around copper-topped coffee tables. Bold, original artwork covers the walls and mission-style chandeliers hang from oak-beamed ceilings.
Eat Outside at the Taste of New York Restaurant
Dining al fresco on the balcony is an option with views towards the Canandaigua Lake pier or a romantic sunset over the verdant grounds. The atmosphere is casual and a light jacket or sweater is practical for cool summer nights.
Taste of New York Dinner Menu Suggestions for White Wine Drinkers
The focus is on local seasonal food so the selection is apt to change. A recent dinner menu featured an appetizer of freshly shucked Shelter Island oysters bathed in Great Western Brut and iced pink peppercorn mignonette and julienne cucumbers. The sweet and salty taste of the oysters was enhanced by the sauce as well as the wine pairing, Lucas Sparkling Wine, sold by full or half glass.
The main course, pan roasted wild salmon filet and fresh asparagus, was cooked to perfection and perfectly paired with cucumber dill salad and tomato chive vinaigrette. A glass of Macari Sauvignon Blanc was a delicious match.
Taste of New York Dinner Menu Suggestions for Red Wine Drinkers
Fans of red wine and heartier fare would do well to choose an appetizer like Hartmann’s Charcuterie meat plate with salami, liverwurst, prosciutto and buttery toast. The recommended wine was Bedell Cellars merlot.
For the main course, traditional mint lamb and mashed potatoes were reinvented with a delectable twist. Herb and Naples Valley mustard rubbed rack of lamb with a Madeira reduction sauce was expertly prepared to medium-rare, nestled beside English pea and mint puree and savoury roasted potatoes. Castello Borghese Pinot Noir was the suggested red wine.
Beer Tastings and Pairings at the NYWCC
Local beer and meal pairings are also recommended. The New York Wine and Culinary Center is the only place in New York State where one can experience wine and craft beer sampling in the same space.
Lunch at the Taste of New York Restaurant
The Taste of New York Restaurant is open for lunch. The menu features lighter but still creative choices, such a pan roasted scallop and smoked fish cake, or focaccia bread filled with cheese, home-made bacon and a tangy mayo-garlic mustard. Wine and beer pairings are also offered at lunch time.
Servers are friendly, professional and well-informed about the wines, beer and menu ingredients. Most often, the wines and beers that are suggested as pairings are available for purchase in the tasting room downstairs.
Local Purveyors of Fine Food at the NYWCC
The Taste of New York Restaurant showcases New York State producers like Lively Run Goat Dairy, Oink and Gobble Farm and Red Jacket Orchard.
Information on the New York Wine & Culinary Center
The NYWCC is a not-for-profit enterprise, founded by Constellation Brands, the New York Wine and Grape Foundation, Rochester Institute of Technology and Wegmans Food Markets. It receives support from many other sponsors as it works to promote the agricultural bounty of New York State to visitors and locals alike.
The Center is open year round. 585-394-7070. Located at 800 South Main Street, Canandaigua NY 14424. In the Finger Lakes region, on the north end of Canandaigua Lake, 15 minutes south of the New York State Thruway.
Resource Credits
This article was researched with information gathered during a visit to the New York Wine & Culinary Center.
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