Ithaca Farm To Fork - Newfield Hamlet

I have been a regular at Just a Taste for 20 years, and I am completely disappointed with how downhill they have gone. It was by far my favorite restaurant in Ithaca for years and would be my go to with friends and date night. But unfortunately no more. The service was awful. Took 20 minutes to get a menu and another 20 minutes to get a drink. They took one of the top menu items, roasted potato wedges, and ruined the dish by cutting them up into hash browns. The squash was swimming in oil/butter and was completely mushy. Same with the braised greens. The number of glasses in a wine flight went down and there’s next to nothing in the glasses. This was a locals favorite but I know many who will no longer return due to the poor service and food. I think it’s time to bring back the old full menu and the window wait staff who are no longer there, both cherished by locals. So disappointed!

We arrived just when the restaurant opened, but the service was prompt and the food was tasty. We ordered several options, but we particularly liked the wings, scallops, chicken sandwich, and the short ribs. The wine list looked good too, but we didn't order anything. Would recommend!

The homemade focaccia with garlic oil was excellent. We then found out that every other dish was loaded with garlic, and not always in a welcome fashion: the lamb meatballs, the braised duck leg, the sauteed zucchini... Overall the food was OK but not spectacular. Great service, though.

We came here last year and overall had a wonderful experience. The food was all very flavorful, beautifully presented, and creative. These are small plates, tapas, which means that we had to order quite a bit of food to satisfy the more hungry men in our group, which meant it was rather expensive by the time we were done. There was also a line to wait outside before being seated, though we were able to wander around downtown Ithaca while waiting. Inside the restaurant, the atmosphere was lively and fun, though it was rather loud and reverberous, making conversation difficult. The staff was extremely helpful and friendly, and overall we had an enjoyable evening.

Dining-in or outdoor seating are currently not available at Just A Taste but curbside pick-up via online is. The street was closed and parking was really bad around the area. We tried their Braised Duck Leg, Bourbon Banana Breadpudding and Shortrib Entree with reasonable price $50 +tax and tip). We assigned pick up at a specific time and the service was helpful by sending a reminding text. The food was amazingly tasty especially the Bourbon Banana Breadpudding which was soft, creamy and melted in our mouth immediately. The duck leg was also flavorful and tender with appetizing onion olive. However, the portion of Shortrib Entree was small and not enough for my husband. The order didn’t come with plastic utensils and napkins which was eco friendly but they should’ve let customers know in advance.