What started as an innovative program at Tomkins Cortland Community College (TC3) has blossomed into a top-dining destination in the Cayuga Lake’s area. A marvel of freshness and creativity, Coltivare restaurant is a favorite of guests (and the owner!) of The Inn at Gothic Eves, and for more than just its incredible flavors.
Through TC3’s Farm to Bistro program, students at the College get hands-on experience growing organic produce that supplies the kitchens of Coltivare, the school’s on-site restaurant. In addition to the full-service restaurant, the savvy facility at TC3 also includes culinary labs, an amphitheater, a wine cellar and special event space.
An impressive curriculum teaches students sustainable farming and food systems, emphasizing the skills required for managing small, diverse farms, as well as the ecological importance of sustainable farming. TC3’s wine marketing program taps into the local Finger Lakes industry, and a hotel/restaurant management program prepares students for careers in the hospitality industry.
But it is TC3’s restaurant Culinare that rightly gets a bulk of the attention. The bistro’s name means cultivate in Italian, and the restaurant lives up to this with its farm-fresh dishes and creative professional staff. In doing so, it is also cultivating quite a following with its inviting setting and innovative flavors. Signature flatbreads use wild yeast and local ingredients such as Northland Sheep Dairy blue cheese. The sustainable fish of the day is served with fresh-grown veggies like celery root puree and crispy leeks. And vegan dishes make eating this way tempting with entrees such as eggplant-porcini meatballs. Desserts are equally delectable, with a nice mix of fresh fruits and home-baked goodness.
Coltivare
235 South Cayuga Street
607-882-2333
Lunch, Tuesday – Friday, 11:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Brunch, Saturday – Sunday, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Dinner, Tuesday – Sunday, 5:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Late night, Friday – Saturday, 10:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m.
Closed Mondays
Tomkins Cortland Community College is not only teaching students the importance of sustainable farming, it is also teaching diners. How wonderful that such a vital mission can also be such a delicious one!
This is a mission we share at The Inn at Gothic Eves, from our solar panels to the locally-sourced products we use in our delicious breakfasts. With warm weather upon us, this is a grand time to come visit!
