Five restaurants NOT to miss in Lewiston, NY
I had the absolute pleasure of visiting the idyllic village of Lewiston, NY during my epic “Best of the Road” rally this summer. I was so impressed with the community of Lewiston—the people are friendly, outgoing and gregarious. The town is full of culture with a thriving art and music scene. And, the town sits right on the banks of the mighty and majestic Niagara River. The quality of restaurants for such a small town also thoroughly impressed me. Here are my top five restaurant picks you must try when visiting Lewiston, NY, located just below the iconic Niagara Falls.
Mangia Cafe and Bakery – When you step inside Mangia Cafe & Bakery you’ll feel like you’ve entered a formal, yet cozy colonial dining room. If it’s a nice day, enjoy the wonderful patio. The bakery case will draw you in with its assortment of goodies, like homemade cookies, sweet rolls, muffins, brownies, pies & cakes, and whole lot more. Everything I ate at Mangia’s was superb, including:
- The tomato tart with caramelized
onions - Salmon croquettes with freshly made tomato cucumber salsa, organic spinach and olive oil/lemon dill dressing
- Chicken Waldorf sandwich on multi-grain bread with fresh fruit
- Quiche with roasted red pepper and fresh fruit salad
The Brickyard is the place to go for some seriously tasty and huge portions of BBQ. All the meats are slow smoked to perfection using a nice blend of Hickory & fruit woods in an authentic wood-pit barbecue smoker. If you’re like me and want to try a bit of everything, check out “The First Timer,” which includes: pulled pork, 1/3 rack ribs, 1/4 smoked chicken, brisket, smoked turkey, and house rubbed Buffalo wings. Bring your appetite, or a few buddies, cause this platter will easily served 3-4 people.
Casa Antica was one of my favorite places in town. This family-run Italian restaurant prides themselves on a warm, welcoming atmosphere, and their authentic homemade dishes originating from various regions of Italy. If the weather permits, dine al fresco on their beautiful outdoor patio, often with live music. Like many Italians, they don’t want you to go away hungry, so bring your appetite, share, or be prepared to take home some leftovers. There are so many wonderful dishes to try, that you may have a tough time deciding. Here are some of the items I had a chance to try:
Chilean Sea Bass: Served in a lemon caper white wine sauce. Over home made spinach fettuccine and fresh spinach.- Veal chop Florentine: cut veal chop stuffed with perschutto asiago cheese and spinach. Topped in a balsamic reduction sauce with sautéed Portabella mushrooms and onions. Served over roasted potatoes and fresh vegetables.
- Arancina: Award winning rice balls are stuffed with aborio rice ground beef mozzarella cheese and snow peas.
- Risotto Asparaci e Capesante: Pan seared scallops served over a creamy risotto with sautéed asparagus and onions.
- Banana Peppers: Stuffed with Genova salami and pecorino cheese topped with our famous three cheese cream sauce.
- Involtini di melenzane: Breaded eggplant rollatini stuffed with ricotta baked and topped with melted mozzarella and marinara sauce.
Carmelo’s is where western New York chefs and foodies alike go to eat…partly for its “farm-to-table” philosophy—harvesting fresh local foods and presenting them to patrons in the most creative and delicious ways possible. Carmelo’s is fine-dining at it’s finest, with an amazing staff that anticipates your every need. During my visit they had a special menu created just for team “Road Bros” and our guests, which included:
Road Bros Cocktail: Steam Punk hard cider/Hudson Valley Baby Bourbon- Starters: Butcher’s Plate: assortment of T-Meadow cured meats; Farm Stand Salad: Peggy’s Herbs/David’s Asparagus/Coulter’s Strawberries
- Main Course: T-Meadow farm Suckling Pig: Carolina BBQ sauce (this was an entire roasted pig carved up at our table.
- Sides: Cayuga Pure Organics: Faro Risotto; Hurtgam Farm Braised Chard; Roasted Root Vegetables in port jus
Lewiston Village Pub was a big surprise for me…sure, they offer everything you’d expect in a pub, but for those like me with more discerning tastes buds, they accommodate us as well. From burgers to Lobster, Ahi to wings, they have something for everyone…including one of the largest selections of beer in the state of New York, with 40 on-tap. They also have a full bar, entertainment, games and much more to make for one hell of a good time while in Lewiston.
If you’ve been to Lewiston before and have visited any of these five restaurants, please post a comment below and let my readers and me know what you think. Or, if you have another local favorite, post their name and site below as well.
To see just how much the folks in Lewiston love their restaurant scene, watch the video below as they sing about their culinary prowess.
Thanks so much for reading. Clicking the “like” or share buttons below would be much appreciated.
Mike Shubic
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34 Comments
Thanks, Mike. It was a joy to have you in Lewiston. Come again soon. Meanwhile, keep a song in your heart – preferably our song:
The weather’s fine. The air is sweet.
So let’s go strolling down Center Street.
It’s delightful. It’s delicious. It’s Lewiston.
Hey Mary! LOL…too funny. Now I have that jingle in my head. 🙂
Mike,
It was a great pleasure meeting you and having my group sing for you. This town is great in so many. Please come back and visit us again. We’d love to have you.
Don
Hi Don…thanks so much for stopping by and for the kind words. I would absolutely love to make it back to Lewiston…I just had a fantastic time there. All the best, Mike
I visited Casa Antica in Lewiston, New York last week, to enjoy the half-price antipasti special served during the first part of the week. We had the Portobello Mushroom Asiago, the fabulous Arancini and an order of Eggplant Rollatini on the outdoor patio, on a gorgeous summer evening. Everything was prepared beautifully and the atmosphere was wonderful. Lewiston is a local treasure, and food is definitely a specialty there!
Hey Lynn…thank you so much for stopping by and posting your thoughts/comments. I couldn’t agree with you more! Cheers, Mike
All good choices, tho surprised u did not comment on waterfront spots. Water street landing for excellent food and view, and the silo for the “haystack” and view. I know only room for 5, but as a summer local, I would recommend those two over Carmellos and Mangia. Just my taste buds prefer….
Hi Murph…thanks so much for your feedback. I love it when I get comments with additional recommendations so that readers have an opportunity to explore other suggestions. My post was geared more toward the “foodie,’ and you’re right, both the Silo and Water Street are excellent places…and, you can’t beat the views. Unfortunately I only had dessert at Water Street, so it makes it tough to judge them. I do plan on doing another Lewiston post where I talk about my overall experience….in that post I can mention all the places I visited. Thanks again for stopping by, appreciate it. Cheers, Mike
Many refer to Lewiston as the Miami of the North. I agree we do have some of the finest eating establishments. I, too, am a little surprised you didn’t comment on the Silo, Apple Granny or The Orange Cat (which has been awarded the business of the year twice). Hope you make another trip to Lewiston in the future – the area also has a number of fantastic wineries!!!!
Hey Linda…thanks so much for your comment. So, let me ask you this…of the five restaurants I have listed, which one would you take off and which one of the three you listed would you replace it with? 🙂
That’s the one huge problem we have in Lewiston. There are sooooo many wonderful places to eat that choosing the top 5 is quite impossible!
LOL…I hear ya Peggy! Thanks for stopping by.
Mike.
I am one of the Choraleers,and even though I live in Niagara Falls, I would not mind living in Lewiston.I find every reason i can to go to Lewiston.To eat,sing, attend carnivals,whatever other reasons I can find.. You should really take time and just visit Lewiston as wow,all the people walking around,sitting outside at the different places chatting and eating. So delightful,so delicious so delectable ,it’s LEWISTON.!!!!
Welcome back anytime…Maybe Mary will make up another song for us to sing for you too.
FROM CANDY
Hey Candy, thanks so much for stopping by and posting a comment. I totally agree…Lewiston is great! All the best, Mike
Great article! We live in the Village of Lewiston and love it!
I do the websites for both Casa Antica and the Brickyard so I’ll be adding this link now 🙂
Here are some photos from the area if interested: https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/104355888553035365377/albums/5740730866084467137
Hey Michael, thanks for stopping by. Appreciate the links. BTW, awesome pics! Are they yours? Cheers, Mike
Thanks! Yes – my wife and I run a local business “Stu Stu Studio” that does photography and web design.
https://www.facebook.com/justsaytheword
Thanks Mike for the excellent tips and positive energy you create! Tomorrow I am driving my parents (who are visiting from Downunder) from Toronto to Lewiston and I think we’ll hit the Village Pub. It looks like a great spot for some grub and a pint. May You continue your Happy Travels for many years to come:-)
Hi Catherine! Oh, it sure is a great place…so many to choose from. 🙂 Do me a favor and post another comment after your trip and let me know what places you visited and what ya thought. Cheers!
Mike,
So glad you visited Lewiston. I came north from Miami 33 years ago and I love it here. Lewiston has become The place for dining and entertainment. Not only do we have great restaurants but you can see live music almost every night of the week here. The only other town that supports local musicians as well as Lewiston is Nashville. Hops & Vines, a swanky little pub, located on 5th & Center, is the greatest supporter for local music and their menu is supplied by, your favorite, Casa Antica. Come visit us again soon and be sure to check out the live music while your here. Have a great day.
Hi Colleen! I have heard about your amazing performing art scene…I hope to perhaps witness a performance this summer as I plan to stop by for a few days after a blogger conference in Toronto. Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing your passion for Lewiston. Cheers!
My relatives live in nearby Niagara on the Lake, Ontario and always come to Lewiston for dinner. They usually choose Carmello’s or Casa Antica. Personally, I seem to gravitate to the pub (for one of their grogs). Eddie always remembers me and has a ‘new one’ for me to try. Kenny makes sure that the food comes out ‘hot’ and to his perfection. While burgers are usually a staple for most restaurants, it seems that the Pub has perfected them. Sometimes they have ‘very special’ meat (read Kobe style). They have even ordered in a hamburger meat from New York City that’s specially prepared and priced. A hamburger treat for sure. The rest of their menu is always prepared to my liking. Maybe it’s the ‘new one’ from Eddie that sways my thinking!
Always a treat. Come on back to Lewiston. Things are changing weekly.
Hey Marty…thanks so much for stopping by and sharing! I too love the Pub…Eddie and Kenny are awesome! I am hoping to be in the area again this summer. Cheers, Mike.
Hello Mike, we also discovered and fell in love with Lewiston last summer. Met Rebecca who owns Savory Sips…this summer went back for their Jazz Festival, Rebecca remembered us, purchased yet more wine to sip and share with a few friendly folks passing by!!! Had dinner with two new friends at Carmelo’s recommended by Dian Ruta! Dinner for one can feed two, i.e. sea bass, appetizer not necessary…
Glad we discovered this lovely Village which is filled with village charm…the place to go back to!
Emily
.
Hi Malcolm & Emily…thanks so much for stopping by and sharing. Lewiston holds a fond place in my heart. Cheers, Mike
Hi, Mike,
Thanks for all your kind remarks about Lewiston. Love to come along on Mike’s Road Trip, if only vicariously. For some reason, however, I haven’t been getting email notices of the latest newsletters. Put me back on the list. Okay?
Hey Mary…my pleasure. You know what, I haven’t sent one in quite a long while. I need to re-design as it was too labor intensive. I will probably start back up toward the end of the year. Thanks for continuing to follow! Cheers, Mike
Mike,
Did you know that celebrity chef Geoffrey Zakarian often visits Lewiston and is a frequenter of Carmelo’s (and Orange Cat)?
When you were back recently, did you have a chance to check out Town Hall? YUM!
If you’re ever in Alexandria, VA I’ll scope some places out…
Hi Carissa…no, I didn’t. Also no on Town Hall. I have heard it’s pretty good. The first time I was there in the summer of ’12 it had not yet opened. Will do. Thanks for stopping by and sharing. Cheers, Mike
the Brickyard has a great assortment of beer and the food is good as well as consistent
Serivce was excellant. We go there about once a month as well as Apple Grannys across the street for home cooked style meals. Roast beef dinner for two $36 includes wine or beer
Hey Tom…Oh, I loved the Brickyard! Thanks for stopping by and sharing. Cheers!
Hi Mike, I’ve lived in Lewiston for >35 years. Carmelo’s is my favorite as I knew his father very well and good friends with his Mom. I live on Lower River Road between Lewiston and Youngstown. Hop you had the opportunity to drive the road as the view is spectacular. Also another absolute favorite is Hibbard’s Custard!!! Bobby Flay called it the best Custard he had ever eaten when he was here for Geoffrey Zakarian’s wedding.
Hey Jeannine…thanks so much for stopping by and sharing. I used to get a lot of traffic to this post, but not for a long time. I love Lewiston. Would enjoy going back one day soon. I hope you will check out some of my other road trip travel destinations. All the best, Mike