Lewiston sings about culinary prowess

Located in upstate New York, near Niagara Falls, Lewiston is one of the most charming small towns I’ve ever had the privilege of visiting. I was lucky enough to experience the VIP treatment while in Lewiston as the town was selected as one of the stops for “Best of the Road.” Lewiston was vying for the Best Food category in small town America, and let me tell you…justly so.

Lewiston was the smallest of the six communities on our tour, so I wasn’t sure what to expect–but whatever it was, Lewiston exceeded it!

While The Silo is probably the most popular or famous restaurant in town because its Haystack sandwich was featured on the Travel Channel’s “Man vs. Food,” I think there are some better options (you can click the following link to learn about five other restaurants not to miss in Lewiston). One eatery that just missed the list, and deserves an honorable mention, is the Water Street Landing with its fantastic deck overlooking the Niagara River. Lewiston is so proud of their culinary prowess that they love to sing about it.  Don’t miss the video below to see what I mean.

In addition to many outstanding fine dining options, Lewiston also has a plethora of casual dining choices as well:

• Apple Granny famous for their Wings
• Tommy George’s for their mixed eggs
• Orange Cat Coffee for very unique coffee-infused blends
• The Village Bake Shoppe for a “mile high” apple pie (seriously one of the best apple pies I’ve ever had)
• Di Camillo Bakery
• To a childhood favorite, Hibbard’s Frozen Custard

This list just scratches the culinary surface of Lewiston, and are only the places I visited. If you have a favorite not mentioned, please leave a comment below.

Lewiston is not just a place for mouth-watering food, they also have a thriving art scene–from visual to performing arts. The community has a spacious area dedicated to cultural activities and events called, Artpark.  Artpark is an intimate, but well-known venue attracting some of the biggest and brightest bands on the music scene.

Public art sculptures can be enjoyed throughout the park, which is frequented by residents and visitors even when special events are not taking place.  Located right on the banks of the Niagara River, I discovered some great trails that follow the shoreline in either direction, just be careful not to fall in as the current is extremely
powerful on this stretch of the river.

Lewiston is also a community rich in history…some notable facts include:

• Freedom Crossing – The last stop on the Underground Railroad which encompassed a secret network of trails and homes that helped slaves escape from the southern U.S. to Canada in the early to mid-1800s.
• First major battle of the “War of 1812.”
• And, the invention of the “cocktail” took place in Lewiston. Click here to see a video story reenactment of Catherine Hustler from Hustler’s Tavern.

There is no denying that the main attraction in upstate New York is Niagara Falls, but if you’re in the area, do yourself a favor and stop by Lewiston for a dose of culinary, visual and performing arts.

If you’ve been to Lewiston, or are from the area, leave a comment below and let my readers and me know what you enjoy most.  If you found this post/video helpful and/or entertaining, please share it with your friends and family, it really helps.