Setting Sail on a Culinary Journey: A Evaluation of The Boatyard Grill in Ithaca

Well-known for providing free burgers on Cornell recreation days, The Boatyard Grill has established itself as a preferred vacation spot for locals and guests alike. However this Ithaca gem provides way more than only a whole lot on recreation day. As you push open the picket doorways of The Boatyard Grill, the very first thing that hits you is the maritime decor — darkish pine paneling and uncovered beams creating the sensation of being onboard a vessel. The partitions are adorned with glowing neon indicators, potted crops and punctiliously crafted replicas of bass fish. The lighting is dim and heat, giving the area a comfortable, intimate feeling. As you’re escorted to your seat, you’re feeling as if you’ve been transported from the chilly Ithacan winter to the hull of a ship, surrounded by the huge expanse of the ocean.
Not ten minutes away from the towers of Cornell’s campus, The Boatyard Grill has an ambiance that’s well-known to Cornellians as one among informal class. After a tense week of prelims, drawback units and lengthy nights in libraries, college students are all the time in want of someplace they’ll take pleasure in a satisfying meal and cozy expertise off campus. So, with its vast number of steak and seafood choices, just one query stays — is it definitely worth the distance and the fee?
To start the night time, our waitress introduced over a complimentary roll of bread and housemade butter, which we rapidly wolfed down. From the seafood part of the menu, we ordered the lobster and shrimp mac and cheese, a dish that mixes the creamy taste of macaroni and cheese with the unique style of seafood. Whereas we anticipated a slightly meager portion of seafood for a $22 meal, we had been stunned by a slightly beneficiant amount of contemporary lobster and tiger shrimp. The shrimp itself had a barely briny style, with a agency but chewy texture. The lobster, then again, was extra stringy, and got here in lengthy items. As a complete, the seafood helped to distinction the sharp taste of the gouda-parmesan cheese and the consistency of the pasta, making a deliciously balanced dish that satisfies cravings for each tacky pasta and contemporary seafood.
Subsequent, we tried a dish from the “handhelds” a part of the menu. Attending Cornell typically means isolation from common quick meals chains that may in any other case be extra widespread than the plague in medieval Europe — even the closest McDonalds requires a automotive to succeed in. Nonetheless, the Nashville hen sandwich provides an ideal stability between high quality restaurant preparation and a well-recognized fast-food style. The toasted bun enhances the spicy buttermilk hen properly, and the bread-and-butter pickles add a kick of taste that makes every chunk savory. Along with the sandwich, the dish comes with a plethora of crispy french fries. Nonetheless, the guts of the meal lies within the selfmade creamy chipotle herb sauce, which provides a wealthy taste with out overwhelming the remainder of the dish. Total, for a $17 price ticket, the Nashville hen sandwich provides a singular but conventional tackle a basic meal and ample portion sizes with out being overpriced. Mixed with a captivating, nautic environment, the sandwich is properly definitely worth the drive and value in our opinion.
Lastly, for one thing candy to complete off the night time, we indulged in a molten chocolate cake. With a wealthy, truffle middle, the cake is just not for the faint of coronary heart, however is properly value it for followers of darkish chocolate. It’s also topped with famously scrumptious Purity ice cream that balances out the dessert properly. Total, it was the right finish to a superb eating expertise.
The Boatyard Grill maintains a various menu whereas nonetheless emphasizing its number of seafood choices. In the end, whether or not you’re craving lobster, crab or an quaint sandwich, you may anticipate a top quality meal and a captivating environment, making the Boatyard Grill properly definitely worth the worth and drive.
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Conner Smith is a freshman within the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. He could be reached at [email protected] Aaron Zhu is a freshman within the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. He could be reached at [email protected]