The Flavors of Ellicottville: A Guide to Local Food & Drink

Local

Aug 26

Ellicottville may be best known as a four-season destination, but its food and drink scene deserves a trip of its own. Within just a few blocks (and a short drive beyond the village) you can start the morning with a fresh pastry, settle in for a hearty lunch, sample locally crafted beer and spirits, enjoy an unforgettable dinner, and finish the evening with a cocktail that’s worth sipping.

In this article, we’re taking our readers on a tour of some of our favorite local stops and providing a few suggestions for what to order along the way.

LET’S GET FUELED UP

Alpine Bistro is the kind of place where it’s easy to settle in and stay awhile. The café offers plenty of seating, along with a relaxed lounge area furnished with comfortable couches. It works just as well for breakfast with friends as it does for a casual lunch, a coffee meeting, or a quiet afternoon break.

The menu includes breakfast sandwiches, salads, flatbreads, and customizable pitas and rice bowls. For breakfast, our pick is the Hikers Grilled Cheese, layered with bacon, egg, smoked Gouda, spinach, tomato, and garlic aioli on housemade white toast. At lunch, build a rice bowl with chicken souvlaki, or choose a gyro-style pita filled with plenty of fresh Mediterranean options.

Pair breakfast with a handcrafted coffee, or linger later in the day over a glass of wine or a cocktail. Downstairs, Alpine Roots Bourbon Bar offers a completely different experience, with fine bourbon and handcrafted drinks in a sleek, sophisticated space tucked beneath the café. It is one of Ellicottville’s best little secrets.

Just down the street, the Ellicottville Bake Shop is an essential stop for coffee and something fresh from the oven. Its breads, pastries, breakfast sandwiches, and desserts are made fresh daily, filling the cases with plenty of tempting choices each morning.

If you need a breakfast that can travel with you, order up a simple scratch bagel with butter and cream cheese. For the more sophisticated, a Smoked Salmon on Everything Bagel, complemented with sliced red onion, tomato, capers, and spinach with lemon dill cream cheese. Or grab something sweet on-the-go. A cinnamon roll, morning bun, croissant, or blueberry-lemon scone pairs perfectly with a cappuccino or one of the shop’s rotating seasonal drinks. Spoiler alert! The Bake Shop is already featuring a number of fall flavors to warm you up as the temps cool down, including Maple Pecan Pie latte, Pumpkin Cookie Butter latte, Candy Apple Chai, and for those that never get cold, Apple Crisp iced coffee. Before leaving, pick up a loaf of artisan bread to enjoy at home - if it survives the ride.

Katy’s Cafe has long been a popular breakfast and lunch stop in the heart of the village. Its menu covers the classics - from eggs, bacon, sausage, home fries, and toast to breakfast sandwiches, burritos, and lighter options like oatmeal with brown sugar or a fresh fruit bowl.

Our breakfast recommendation is simple: two eggs over easy, bacon, home fries with onions, and salt rising toast, paired with a hot cup of coffee. Sometimes the traditional order is exactly the right one. Those looking for something a little sweeter can opt for French toast, while the café’s full-service coffee bar can prepare everything from a simple steamer to any espresso drink.

For lunch, Katy’s offers paninis, wraps, soups, and salads, making it an easy stop for a midday meal. Our favorite hands down is the Happy Wanderer - turkey, apple, almonds, gorgonzola, honey, and mayo on sunflower panini bread. Delish!

DINNERTIME OPTIONS

When the craving calls for pizza and wings, Monroe St. Brick & Brew is the place to go. Located on Monroe Street in the heart of the village, the restaurant specializes in thin-crust pizza made with homemade dough and sauce, then baked in a custom-built brick oven. Even the chicken wings are finished to perfection in the brick oven!

Our suggestion is to gather a group, order a couple of pizzas for the table, and add a round of wings. A classic cheese-and-pepperoni pie is always dependable, but take a look at the specialty selections before deciding. (Ahem - garlic white, I see you!) As for wings, with sauces such as dry cajun, mango habanero, and Jamaican jerk, those looking for a little heat won’t be disappointed. The open kitchen adds to the experience, giving diners a view of the pizzas being built and baked.

Pair your meal with any of the beers on tap, including locally crafted selections. Pizza, wings, and a cold draft may be a simple combination, but it is one that is hard to improve upon.

No tour of Ellicottville’s food and beverage scene would be complete without a trip to Ellicottville Brewing Company. Since opening in 1995, EBC has grown into one of the area’s best-known craft beer names, with locations in Ellicottville, Little Valley, and Bemus Point.

The original Ellicottville brewpub combines the energy of a busy village restaurant with the appeal of a working craft brewery. The menu offers burgers, fresh salads and plenty more, with their signature craft beers at the center of the experience.

If it is your first visit, start with a beer flight. It is the best way to explore several EBC styles before choosing a favorite. Ask which seasonal and limited releases are currently on tap, then order a burger and fries or grilled chicken caprese to go with it. For those skipping the beer, EBC’s house-made sugar cane root beer is a treat - especially served as a root beer float.

Each EBC location brings its own setting and personality. The Ellicottville brewpub puts visitors in the center of the village with all your pub favorites, Little Valley offers a spacious destination with a focus on gourmet pizzas (and it’s just a short 10-minute drive away), and Bemus Point serves up the EBC experience along Chautauqua Lake with options like sesame tuna wontons, blackened fish tacos, and New England style shrimp salad on a croissant.

For a relaxed Italian dinner, make your way to Villaggio in Ellicottville. The restaurant combines comforting family recipes with creative Italian-inspired dishes, an inviting bar, and a wine list designed to complement the menu. It is equally suited to date night, dinner with friends, a family gathering, or a leisurely meal after a day spent exploring town.

Begin with the risotto bites, made with Italian sausage and banana peppers, topped with Romano and served with rosé crema. Nani’s Meatball is another must-try - it’s a seriously large family-recipe meatball smothered in Sunday Sauce and finished with Ricotta, Parmesan, and parsley. For the table, add an order of cheesy garlic bread made with house focaccia, garlic butter, and Mozzarella over Marinara.

Choosing an entrée may be the hardest part. The gnocchi is tossed with basil pesto, cherry tomatoes, and Italian sausage, while the rigatoni Bolognese delivers the rich, slow-cooked flavor many people want from an Italian dinner. Villaggio also serves familiar favorites such as spaghetti and meatballs and chicken or eggplant Parmigiana.

Those who prefer seafood can choose shrimp scampi with lemon-garlic butter, parsley-Parmesan risotto, and broccolini. For something beyond pasta, the twin filet mignon is served over roasted garlic mashed potatoes with a blackberry demi-glace reduction.

Complete the meal with a glass of Chianti, Sangiovese, or Montepulciano. A crisp Pinot Grigio is a natural match for shrimp scampi, while a bolder Italian red stands up beautifully to Bolognese, meatballs, and Sunday Sauce. For dessert, share the cannoli chips and dip, zeppoles, or tiramisu (although we fully support ordering your own).

Villaggio’s motto says it best: “Come for the food. Leave as part of the family.” With generous Italian flavors, a welcoming atmosphere, and enough variety to make every visit different, it is a restaurant worth returning to throughout the year.

A COCKTAIL OR TWO

The Banq Cocktail Lounge is the stop where we recommend indulging a little. Housed in the former historic Bank building, the lounge has an atmosphere unlike anything else in Ellicottville. Its dramatic artwork, vintage-inspired décor, and richly styled interior give the room an upscale, speakeasy-like feel.

The cocktails are creative, beautifully presented, and designed to be part of the experience. Mocktails receive thoughtful treatment as well, giving everyone an opportunity to order something special.

Rather than rushing through a single drink, settle in and share a few selections from the appetizer menu. Ask about the evening’s featured plates, then let the bartender recommend a cocktail or mocktail pairing. The Banq is made for slowly sipping, sampling, and taking in the room around you.

A few minutes’ drive east of the village, Ellicottville Distillery produces small-batch spirits using locally sourced ingredients. Its lineup includes bourbon, whiskey, gin, vodka, Blueberry Vodka, Honey Spirit, Appleshine, and Maple Bourbon Créme, with an on-site tasting room offering cocktails and bottled selections.

Our fall-inspired pick is the Appleshine, with local cider, caramel, and cinnamon flavors. For something creamy and distinctly Western New York, try the Maple Bourbon Créme, sweetened with locally sourced maple syrup. Visitors can also explore the spirits through a tasting or enjoy them in a handcrafted cocktail.

The grounds offer plenty of room to relax, especially during the distillery’s Sunday music series. Live music, an outdoor setting, and a cocktail made with spirits produced just steps away make it an easy way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Back in the village, the Winery of Ellicottville offers more than 20 wines and ciders, available through tastings, flights, glasses, and bottles. No reservation is needed for a regular tasting, making it an easy addition to an afternoon downtown.

Let the knowledgeable staff guide you through a flight, or choose a glass to enjoy inside or on the second-level porch overlooking Monroe Street. It is a relaxed way to discover a new favorite, and you can take a bottle (or 5) home to remember the trip.

The best way to experience Ellicottville’s food and drink scene is to take your time. Start with coffee, stop for lunch, sample something made locally, and make dinner an occasion. Every restaurant, brewery, distillery, winery, and lounge adds its own unique flavor to the community. Our advice for this tour is simple: come hungry, bring a few friends, and always save room for one more stop.