Coltivare has always been a dine-in experience.
At once spacious yet intimate, TC3’s culinary center in downtown Ithaca includes a farm-to-bistro restaurant, event center and wine cellar. The restaurant’s warm atmosphere and subdued service invites diners to linger.
Yet when New York state shuttered dine-in service for all restaurants in mid-March, Coltivare unexpectedly pivoted from a reservations-suggested culinary experience rich in ambiance to a curbside carryout service offering a pared-down menu of favorites — along with batch cocktail kits — six days a week.
Ithaca’s response to Coltivare’s takeout option has been “phenomenal,” said Jason Sidle, Coltivare’s director of operations.
“We’ve had orders every single day, which initially we weren’t sure we’d even have orders every day because we were not a carry-out or delivery place at all,” Sidle said.
“People have been super friendly, very understanding of the haphazard logistics of parking outside and either wait for us or either come inside themselves," Sidle said. "Everybody’s taking precautions with masks and gloves and just being really thankful for the fact that we even stayed open.”
Yet despite the newfound success of restaurant’s carryout service, Sidle and the rest of Coltivare’s management team are eager for the reopening of in-house dining.
“We’re in the hospitality business, so we’re all ‘people’ people,” Sidle said.
Coltivare, along with all restaurants, bars and food services, falls in the third phase of New York Forward, Gov. Cuomo’s four-phase plan to safely reopen the state.
In anticipation of reopening for in-house dining, Coltivare’s management team has been making plans for reduced capacity and social distancing.
“One of things we’re thinking about doing is utilizing our event space as additional seating for the restaurant. We’ll reduce our capacity in our dining room in order to follow all of the laws and guidelines and we can move tables into our event space and utilize empty space,” Sidle said.
Coltivare also plans on an outdoor dining area this summer, while many events — which can be found on the restaurant’s Facebook page — are still tentatively planned for the upcoming weeks and months.
“We have “plan A,” if everything works perfect, and we have about 10 contingency plans after that based on all the different factors that could happen,” Sidle said. “We’re just trying to be as open-minded and as fluid as possible.”
Kim Engelheart spent the last few months tweaking recipes and creating new items for Angelhearts Diner, the vegan restaurant with a retro twist she opened last fall.
Located on East State Street in Ithaca, Angelhearts features made-from-scratch vegan comfort food like “The Philly" — shredded seitan topped with mushrooms, onions, peppers, cashew cheese whiz on a toasted roll — as well as hearty brunches and drool-worthy desserts.
When NY pressed pause on restaurants and most businesses in March, Angelhearts initially did takeout for a few days before pulling back.
“We opened with good success and then everything just stops, that’s the challenge right there,” Engelheart said. “But at the same time we felt we had to close for safety, for the staff and the community.”
After experimenting in the kitchen and adding new baked goods to the menu, Angelhearts reopened for curbside pickup in mid-May, with a full reopening anticipated when the state allows.
Engelheart said while she’s kept up with the Angelhearts supportive community through Facebook and Instagram, she longs to see everyone in Angelhearts again, enjoying the diner’s warm food and welcoming space.
“We miss everyone. Part of my dream of doing this is having a place where everyone can gather and feel welcome, and unfortunately we can’t do this at this time,” Engelheart said. “When everything allows us to return to normal, we hope to see everyone back, to see everyone’s faces.”
What You Need to Know
- Restaurants, bars and food services fall in the third phase of New York Forward, Gov. Cuomo’s four-phase plan to safely reopen the state.
- The Empire State Restaurant & Tavern Association has been urging state leaders to let restaurants and bars open sooner.
- When the NY on PAUSE was ordered, many restaurants remained open for takeout or delivery, but some, like Angelhearts closed before reopening with a restructured plan and menu.
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Ithaca restaurants dish up new offerings, look to reopening after coronavirus - Ithaca Journal
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