Lake Canandaigua

[Bill from NYC]

I made reservations up there at a hotel on the lake. The pictures look great. When I take trips like this my primary goal is to relax, enjoy great scenery, and eat good food. I have never stayed in this reigon before and was wondering if any of you know much about the area.

 

Thanks. 

[EmotionallyUnstable]

Canandaigua Lake is a prime spot for summer and fall. If you like being on the water, this is a fantastic spot for you. My family has rented places yearly for a week to 10 days at a time in late summer. 
 

The northern end of the lake is 10x more busy than the southern tip. All the action is north (restaurants, town, Public beach, etc). Idk if you own or have access to a boat, but if not, I’d suggest renting for a day (Sutters or German Brothers). Get a pontoon and drive the length of both the east and western shores. Check out the landscape and some of the coolest properties and houses you’ll see in NY. From tiny shacks with thousands of steps up onto a cliff, to new build multi million dollar mansion right on the water, it’s a relaxing ride. Keep your eyes peeled for bald eagles, too. 
 

One of my favorite yearly summer moments is waking up at the lake early, drinking coffee by or looking at the water. It is serene.

 

I don’t have many food recommendations, as we generally cook out. One place, Casa Italiana, has a good deli if you’re looking for a sub for boating day. Nolan’s is supposed to be a good spot, too. 
 

Enjoy!

[Bill from NYC]

Thanks!!! Our hotel seems to be pretty close to a brewery with live music. They even have a riverboat that serves breakfast and lunch.

 

I truly appreciate the info.

[teef]

my office is right in the area and we live about 15-20 mins away.  are you staying at the lake house?

[Big Turk]

Love that place...usually book a stay in Victor a few times in the summer for the weekend and then go to Canandaigua during the day as it's only a short 15 minute drive between the two.

 

Love both of those places...if you like Mediterranean food El Basha is amazing in Victor.

[Bill from NYC]

1 hour ago, teef said:

my office is right in the area and we live about 15-20 mins away.  are you staying at the lake house?

The place owned by Hilton.

 

[Your Brown Eye]

If there's a lot of dust on one side of the lake, just keep it moving, Danny Wegmans is having another one of his cocaine parties.

[Metal Man]

Canandaigua is one of my favorite quick getaways.

Me and the wife do a couple of nights at the Lake House every summer but any other hotel within walking distance of the village would work as well.

There are several good breweries you can walk to, plenty of good places to eat, and beautiful scenery.

The pontoon rental mentioned above is a good idea too. We did that once and just driving up and down the lake looking at all the houses made for really nice relaxing day.

 

Also, not sure if you are a dog person but Canandaigua is also one of the most pet friendly towns I have ever been to. 

[BringBackFergy]

Go to “Other Half” brewery. Check out “The Office” for great dinner with local vibe. 

[teef]

1 hour ago, Bill from NYC said:

The place owned by Hilton.

 

that great!  it's the good northern part of the lake, and is really the only area around there know...and there's a lot.  i'd start by seeing what your hotel has to offer.  i'd definitely take the riverboat around the lake to see the houses, or if you can rent a boat.  always makes time on a lake way more enjoyable.  some hotels will have bikes you can take out an ride along the lake.   if you're going with anyone that likes the spa, the lake house apparently has one of the best in the states.

 

for food, there's a lot.  if you leave your hotel and go west, you start heading towards the lake house.  that has two restaurants.  one is the sand bar with is more bar food on the water, and they have a nice place in the hotel called the rose tavern, (https://www.rosetavern.com/).    in the same parking lot is nolans, which i've never been to but is supposedly good.  also in the parking lot is the new york kitchen.  it's a culinary academy that you can take or watch classes while you drink.  they also have a good bar with liter food.  good drinks.   young lion brewery between your hotel and this lot is great too.  it's worth taking a trip up main st into town.  cool small town feel to it, and a number of great places.  one of my favorites in kix on main. you can sit outside or on a roof top.  that have a german place called reihblick that's popular.  nicks chop house is great too.   simply crepes with always great for breakfast.  

 

there's a lot to do.  definitely use the lake if you can.  depending how many days you'll be in the area, visit the other finger lakes.  keuka is a fan favorite.  i spent this saturday on cayuga lake and it was blast.  we had lunch in auroa and took a boat to a bunch of the wineries.  hey...i completely forgot about the millions of wine tours in the area.  check those out as well.

[Metal Man]

3 minutes ago, teef said:

 

for food, there's a lot.  if you leave your hotel and go west, you start heading towards the lake house.  that has two restaurants.  one is the sand bar with is more bar food on the water, and they have a nice place in the hotel called the rose tavern, (https://www.rosetavern.com/).    in the same parking lot is nolans, which i've never been to but is supposedly good.  also in the parking lot is the new york kitchen.  it's a culinary academy that you can take or watch classes while you drink.  they also have a good bar with liter food.  good drinks.   young lion brewery between your hotel and this lot is great too.  it's worth taking a trip up main st into town.  cool small town feel to it, and a number of great places.  one of my favorites in kix on main. you can sit outside or on a roof top.  that have a german place called reihblick that's popular.  nicks chop house is great too.   simply crepes with always great for breakfast.  

 

 

I can second Kix on Main for good food. 

Also Simply Crepes, we have never done a trip to Canandaigua without a meal there.

I have eaten at Nolans a couple of times as well and both were excellent meals.

 

Young Lion is a good brewery and Twisted Rail Brewing is another decent one right down the street right on the North shore of the lake as well.

 

Up into the village/main st area are a couple other breweries we like to visit, Frequentem Brewing and Peacemaker.

Peacemaker has a big outdoor seating area behind it and I have seen live music there before so it could be the one mentioned by the OP or if not an additional option.

 

[teef]

9 minutes ago, Metal Man said:

 

I can second Kix on Main for good food. 

Also Simply Crepes, we have never done a trip to Canandaigua without a meal there.

I have eaten at Nolans a couple of times as well and both were excellent meals.

 

Young Lion is a good brewery and Twisted Rail Brewing is another decent one right down the street right on the North shore of the lake as well.

 

Up into the village/main st area are a couple other breweries we like to visit, Frequentem Brewing and Peacemaker.

Peacemaker has a big outdoor seating area behind it and I have seen live music there before so it could be the one mentioned by the OP or if not an additional option.

 

these are all great calls too.  if you just take a casual walk up main st, there's a number of breweries and restaurant to stop at.  there's enough that you'll have to pick and choose.  on top of that, almost every winery now has a small brewery attached.  there's no problem finding good beer or wine in this area.

[Mark80]

We enjoyed the Rose Tavern at the Lake House for a more upscale restaurant if you are looking for something along those lines.

[Bill from NYC]

4 hours ago, teef said:

my office is right in the area and we live about 15-20 mins away.  are you staying at the lake house?

Hotel Canandaigua, Tapestry Collection by Hilton

[teef]

25 minutes ago, Bill from NYC said:

Hotel Canandaigua, Tapestry Collection by Hilton

i've never been to that hotel.  let me know what you think/what the scene is.

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

This was the lake I went to growing up. Great memories of sailing on it, and going to camp on it. And of course spotting Danny Wegman’s mansion!!! 
 

get some grape pie too!! 

[T&C]

10 minutes ago, Miyagi-Do Karate said:

This was the lake I went to growing up. Great memories of sailing on it, and going to camp on it. And of course spotting Danny Wegman’s mansion!!! 
 

get some grape pie too!! 

We used to go every summer when Roseland Park was still there.. my uncle had a place right on the lake. 

[boyst]

4 hours ago, teef said:

that great!  it's the good northern part of the lake, and is really the only area around there know...and there's a lot.  i'd start by seeing what your hotel has to offer.  i'd definitely take the riverboat around the lake to see the houses, or if you can rent a boat.  always makes time on a lake way more enjoyable.  some hotels will have bikes you can take out an ride along the lake.   if you're going with anyone that likes the spa, the lake house apparently has one of the best in the states.

 

for food, there's a lot.  if you leave your hotel and go west, you start heading towards the lake house.  that has two restaurants.  one is the sand bar with is more bar food on the water, and they have a nice place in the hotel called the rose tavern, (https://www.rosetavern.com/).    in the same parking lot is nolans, which i've never been to but is supposedly good.  also in the parking lot is the new york kitchen.  it's a culinary academy that you can take or watch classes while you drink.  they also have a good bar with liter food.  good drinks.   young lion brewery between your hotel and this lot is great too.  it's worth taking a trip up main st into town.  cool small town feel to it, and a number of great places.  one of my favorites in kix on main. you can sit outside or on a roof top.  that have a german place called reihblick that's popular.  nicks chop house is great too.   simply crepes with always great for breakfast.  

 

there's a lot to do.  definitely use the lake if you can.  depending how many days you'll be in the area, visit the other finger lakes.  keuka is a fan favorite.  i spent this saturday on cayuga lake and it was blast.  we had lunch in auroa and took a boat to a bunch of the wineries.  hey...i completely forgot about the millions of wine tours in the area.  check those out as well.

You live that close and don't come to the TBDHOT?

 

I did miss last year tho...

 

I'm trying to drag Royale up to it this year. 

[Irv]

A lot of great concerts at CMAC.  A lot of good golf courses.  Don’t forget Bills training camp too.  

[Augie]

23 hours ago, teef said:

these are all great calls too.  if you just take a casual walk up main st, there's a number of breweries and restaurant to stop at.  there's enough that you'll have to pick and choose.  on top of that, almost every winery now has a small brewery attached.  there's no problem finding good beer or wine in this area.

 

We were in NYC recently and the hotel bar had a Chardonnay that I thought was pretty good. I asked the bartender about it and was surprised to learn it was from the Finger Lakes region. I knew they had wineries, so I don’t know why it surprised me, but it did. I forget the name, but I’d drink that on a regular basis.

 

Side note: I asked why each glass was $22 since it said $15 on the wine list. They pointed out the fine print said $15 for a 3oz glass. Who on earth gets 3oz of wine? Would that evaporate before they get it to you??? I thought the 6oz was a light pour! 

[teef]

19 hours ago, boyst said:

You live that close and don't come to the TBDHOT?

 

I did miss last year tho...

 

I'm trying to drag Royale up to it this year. 

i live about 90 minutes door to door from the stadium.  i really would love to go at some point, but i'm to the point that the games i go to are very last minute, so it's gotten hard to plan anything.  last year was the first time in i don't know how many years i've missed a game.  

21 minutes ago, Augie said:

 

We were in NYC recently and the hotel bar had a Chardonnay that I thought was pretty good. I asked the bartender about it and was surprised to learn it was from the Finger Lakes region. I knew they had wineries, so I don’t know why it surprised me, but it did. I forget the name, but I’d drink that on a regular basis.

 

Side note: I asked why each glass was $22 since it said $15 on the wine list. They pointed out the fine print said $15 for a 3oz glass. Who on earth gets 3oz of wine? Would that evaporate before they get it to you??? I thought the 6oz was a light pour! 

The wineries around here have gotten very popular.  forbes recently did an article about the finger lakes, and specifically the town of geneva.  they're calling it the new, less expensive napa.  if you don't want to travel to the west coast, you can spend time on the finger lakes wineries and breweries.  if you're willing to drive and hour and a half to two hours, you can go to niagara on the lake in canada, which has it's own wine region.  fun tours, etc.  

 

that being said, $22 for a glass of finger lakes wine, (or any wine) is insane.  i get nyc prices, but my god.  i honestly don't love a lot of the wines from around here.  many tend to be sweet, but on occasion we find one we like at a winery and buy a case.  it's always very reasonable.

[Augie]

14 minutes ago, teef said:

The wineries around here have gotten very popular.  forbes recently did an article about the finger lakes, and specifically the town of geneva.  they're calling it the new, less expensive napa.  if you don't want to travel to the west coast, you can spend time on the finger lakes wineries and breweries.  if you're willing to drive and hour and a half to two hours, you can go to niagara on the lake in canada, which has it's own wine region.  fun tours, etc.  

 

that being said, $22 for a glass of finger lakes wine, (or any wine) is insane.  i get nyc prices, but my god.  i honestly don't love a lot of the wines from around here.  many tend to be sweet, but on occasion we find one we like at a winery and buy a case.  it's always very reasonable.

 

Sweet is the enemy of good, and to be honest if I had heard finger lakes first I probably wouldn’t have ordered it. It was a pleasant surprise. 

[AlCowlingsTaxiService]

Recently took our boat there with friends … cruised the lake, spent the afternoon at the sand bar and evening entertainment was the nearby Del Lago Resort and Casino.  Would definitely go back and spend time exploring the town though. 

[Bad Things]

Enjoy your time on Canandaigua Lake! 

I used to love spending time there and in other areas of the Finger Lakes.  It's such a beautiful region.

 

Do yourself a favor and get a "Charlie Burger" at Charlies when you're there.

https://www.charliescanandaigua.com/

 

OMG, I miss NY food!

[Augie]

10 minutes ago, Bad Things said:

Enjoy your time on Canandaigua Lake! 

I used to love spending time there and in other areas of the Finger Lakes.  It's such a beautiful region.

 

Do yourself a favor and get a "Charlie Burger" at Charlies when you're there.

https://www.charliescanandaigua.com/

 

OMG, I miss NY food!

 

Ohhh, that opens up the flood gates for all my glutinous wishes! 

[sherpa]

6 hours ago, teef said:

 if you don't want to travel to the west coast, you can spend time on the finger lakes wineries and breweries.  if you're willing to drive and hour and a half to two hours, you can go to niagara on the lake in canada, which has it's own wine region.  fun tours, etc.  

 

that being said, $22 for a glass of finger lakes wine, (or any wine) is insane.  i get nyc prices, but my god.  i honestly don't love a lot of the wines from around here.  many tend to be sweet, but on occasion we find one we like at a winery and buy a case.  it's always very reasonable.

 

Not to cast stones here, but I don't think that region can produce top quality wines compared to other regions with longer growing seasons.

I am not criticizing them, I just don't think it is possible, but being familiar with the work, I am happy they are successful.

 

For bona fides. I have run a commercial vineyard on my property for seventeen years, and our 2017 grapes won a silver medal in the 2021 Virginia Governor's Cup.

I have ultimate respect for the folks in that region who do what I do here. 

The whites require less growing  season than the  Bordeaux red I grow here,  the odds are so stacked against them, and I would take a Virginia white at every choice.

[Augie]

23 hours ago, sherpa said:

 

Not to cast stones here, but I don't think that region can produce top quality wines compared to other regions with longer growing seasons.

I am not criticizing them, I just don't think it is possible, but being familiar with the work, I am happy they are successful.

 

For bona fides. I have run a commercial vineyard on my property for seventeen years, and our 2017 grapes won a silver medal in the 2021 Virginia Governor's Cup.

I have ultimate respect for the folks in that region who do what I do here. 

The whites require less growing  season than the  Bordeaux red I grow here,  the odds are so stacked against them, and I would take a Virginia white at every choice.

 

We are going to a wedding in north Georgia this weekend. Chateau Elan has their own winery and there are a number of them in the surrounding area. A friend who lives closer to that area has checked out most of the wineries and reports they are good people doing their best, but he wished he didn’t sign up for a subscription during a weak (and likely impaired) moment. 

 

I don’t think I’ll be drinking the local stuff much. And I will NOT be signing up for anything! We have a back log from Lambert Bridge near Healdsburg, CA. What a lovely town! You may be near or at least familiar with it. 

[sherpa]

52 minutes ago, Augie said:

 

I don’t think I’ll be drinking the local stuff much. And I will NOT be signing up for anything! We have a back log from Lambert Bridge near Healdsburg, CA. What a lovely town! You may be near or at least familiar with it. 

 

Ya. We used to live near Napa in our early years, which is what got me interested in viticulture.

I'm more a fan of Spanish, Italian and South American vintages, but to each his own.

 

[teef]

On 7/26/2023 at 7:08 PM, sherpa said:

 

Not to cast stones here, but I don't think that region can produce top quality wines compared to other regions with longer growing seasons.

I am not criticizing them, I just don't think it is possible, but being familiar with the work, I am happy they are successful.

 

For bona fides. I have run a commercial vineyard on my property for seventeen years, and our 2017 grapes won a silver medal in the 2021 Virginia Governor's Cup.

I have ultimate respect for the folks in that region who do what I do here. 

The whites require less growing  season than the  Bordeaux red I grow here,  the odds are so stacked against them, and I would take a Virginia white at every choice.

oh i get ya.  i wasn't so much talking about the quality of wine vs being able to visit a region much less expensive than napa.  i don't know much about wine, but i've never been a fan of ones that come from that region.

[scuba guy]

On 7/25/2023 at 8:35 AM, Bill from NYC said:

I made reservations up there at a hotel on the lake. The pictures look great. When I take trips like this my primary goal is to relax, enjoy great scenery, and eat good food. I have never stayed in this reigon before and was wondering if any of you know much about the area.

 

Thanks. 

What weekend are you coming up to Canandaigua lake?

[Joe Ferguson forever]

We went to see Alison Krauss and Robert plant at CPAC last year and stayed at a relatives cabin on the lake.  Loved it.  Check to see if there's a show there.  Also there's a great diner in the town Hobart College is in.  On main st.  And a fantastic cheap Thai restaurant in Watkins Glen

This is worth the drive.  looks like they ended the lunch specials which were an amazing deal tho https://www.beyondmenu.com/47553/watkins-glen/thai-elephants-watkins-glen-14891.aspx

here's the diner.  great for breakfast

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g47777-d4004689-Reviews-Water_St_Cafe-Geneva_Finger_Lakes_New_York.html

Edited August 5, 2023 by redtail hawk

[Bill from NYC]

On 8/4/2023 at 11:14 PM, scuba guy said:

What weekend are you coming up to Canandaigua lake?

I got back last night. I stayed at the place on Lakeshore Drive next door to a brewery which had live music.  and directly if front of the boat that gives tours of the lake which was fairly interesting. The hotel is either new or recently bought and renovated by the Hilton people. They are still working on it (for instance, we couldn't use the balcony because mine was connected to a bridal suite lol and they are going to put up concrete dividers).

 

The area really is beautiful and the folks up there are friendly. That said, the money is pouring in. There were guests from all over the country, some with Porsches, etc. The food in the hotel was not appealing, but I do recommend a place called "Nolan's."  I had an IPA from Young Lions which was better than average. Breakfast at a really cool place. I think it was called "Patti's."

 

In all, we had a really nice time. We looked into reservations for next year and July and August were already booked. 

[Orlando Tim]

On 7/26/2023 at 12:21 PM, teef said:

 

The wineries around here have gotten very popular.  forbes recently did an article about the finger lakes, and specifically the town of geneva.  they're calling it the new, less expensive napa.  if you don't want to travel to the west coast, you can spend time on the finger lakes wineries and breweries.  if you're willing to drive and hour and a half to two hours, you can go to niagara on the lake in canada, which has it's own wine region.  fun tours, etc.  

 

I would have called BS on this a month ago but just found out some work friends got married in Geneva as a destination wedding. Families are from Cleveland and Boston and this seemed like a good middle ground. They said was really well done and enjoyed it.

[Fr. Jerk]

Its a great lake to throw stuff in, ya dig?

[teef]

On 8/6/2023 at 10:26 AM, Orlando Tim said:

I would have called BS on this a month ago but just found out some work friends got married in Geneva as a destination wedding. Families are from Cleveland and Boston and this seemed like a good middle ground. They said was really well done and enjoyed it.

just for clarification, the article was referring to the finger lakes in general as a cheaper napa, not just geneva.  my wife, (who works in geneva) and i were actually surprised that they used geneva as a talking point, as the lake it's on isn't as popular as the some of the others.  that said geneva has done a great job over the last decade improving the waterfront.  i've been to a couple of weddings in the area and have always had fun.

[mead107]

On 8/6/2023 at 7:01 AM, Bill from NYC said:

I got back last night. I stayed at the place on Lakeshore Drive next door to a brewery which had live music.  and directly if front of the boat that gives tours of the lake which was fairly interesting. The hotel is either new or recently bought and renovated by the Hilton people. They are still working on it (for instance, we couldn't use the balcony because mine was connected to a bridal suite lol and they are going to put up concrete dividers).

 

The area really is beautiful and the folks up there are friendly. That said, the money is pouring in. There were guests from all over the country, some with Porsches, etc. The food in the hotel was not appealing, but I do recommend a place called "Nolan's."  I had an IPA from Young Lions which was better than average. Breakfast at a really cool place. I think it was called "Patti's."

 

In all, we had a really nice time. We looked into reservations for next year and July and August were already booked. 

Come up to Saratoga next august. 
 

[frostbitmic]

On 7/26/2023 at 7:08 PM, sherpa said:

 

Not to cast stones here, but I don't think that region can produce top quality wines compared to other regions with longer growing seasons.

I am not criticizing them, I just don't think it is possible, but being familiar with the work, I am happy they are successful.

 

For bona fides. I have run a commercial vineyard on my property for seventeen years, and our 2017 grapes won a silver medal in the 2021 Virginia Governor's Cup.

I have ultimate respect for the folks in that region who do what I do here. 

The whites require less growing  season than the  Bordeaux red I grow here,  the odds are so stacked against them, and I would take a Virginia white at every choice.

The Finger Lakes are most noted for their Rieslings. Both Dry and semi dry are quite good (great on a fall day). There are some top notch Chardonnay's though.

 

Sweet wines however are what floats the NY wine industry.