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Within reach It's very easy to miss.

A veritable hole in the wall with a big, heavy wooden door and a little blonde girl pressing her nose on the glass, grinning at me. A sign almost as big as the café says EAT with "Creekside Café" printed at the bottom, almost as an afterthought. A display case, whitewashed with the knots showing through like misplaced drawer pulls.

The entire restaurant is about the size of a normal living room with three small tables and a shelf along the wall for another 8 – maybe ten people to eat. The little blonde is giggling. I love giggles.

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Frankly, I was just looking for someplace new to have a relaxing lunch with my sweetheart, and saw the posting on one of the local web sites. Unsure of what to do since the cook was busy preparing the lunches of others who came in before me, I stood there looking lost. Ok, I usually look lost but that's another story. When she saw me, she said to sit anywhere, and someone would be there to take care of us shortly.

A gentleman came in quickly wearing an apron over a t-shirt and shorts, obviously returning from a very local delivery. In a moment, he was with us. For a teeny establishment, they have a fairly robust menu. Janet ordered a 'Cubano' and I had 'The Barton', named after the Boy Scout Camp 'Camp Barton' which is on the lake, just down the road.

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'The Barton' is a sort of Reuben sandwich, piled high with pastrami and (I think) pickled onions instead of sauerkraut, served with the tastiest salad I've ever had, and that is saying something. I could identify basil, lettuce, dill, maybe cilantro and some other leafy things that defy description. A few sunflower seeds and a slice of tomato dressed with a simple vinegary dressing completed the plate.

The little blonde was giggling again.

The iced tea deserves notice. I have ordered iced tea at hundreds of restaurants. Many have been good, and a few excellent, but this was 'just right'. 'Classic Iced Tea' they call it, retrieved from a plastic jug in the front of the cooler, gave me the taste I was longing for; a perfect complement to the 'reubenesque' sandwich I was happily consuming.

The price was modest, the two of us had a hearty and VERY tasty lunch for under $25 (including the tip).

This weekend, the fall colors will be at their peak. Why not visit the Creekside Café at 4 West Main St in Trumansburg on your way to enjoy Taughannock Falls State Park and its delightful riot of fall colors?

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Just look for the big, friendly 'EAT' sign.

The Creekside Café is open Wednesday through Sunday from 8 a.m.–2 p.m.( 9 a.m.- 2  Sun.) Breakfast  on Saturday is offered until noon and on Sunday, all day. Count on a friendly welcome. And guess what? They are 'Within Reach'!


'Within Reach' highlights the food, wine and fun of places 'within Reach' of Lansing NY.  Of course, your reach extends exactly as far as you want it to. I am Monroe Payne, Uncle Monte to some. Come with me as I visit, taste and play in our own back yard, the beautiful Finger Lakes of Central New York.

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