Hello Sourcers!

Let’s see what we’ve got this week.

🍺 Big Beer News

🥖 🧄 Festivals You Can Eat

🍳🥓🥐 Brunch You Can Also Eat

🎸 Bands You Probably Shouldn’t Eat

First up, let’s talk beer. Next month, we’re holding two Pints for Public Media events. These are opportunities to meet some folks from WSKG and raise a glass for public media. We’ll also have Locally Sourced pint glasses for sale, along with some nifty pins and other swag.

The first one is Friday August 15th from 3-6pm at my local, Liquid State Brewing in Ithaca. Since dogs are allowed, you might even get to meet this Liquid State regular.

That's my Wednesday Night Trivia cohost, Oshi.

But as much as I love my local, the one I’m really excited about is the event on Thursday August 28th from 4-7pm at Crooked Mouth Brewing in Endicott. Because that’s the release party for Locally Sourced Pilsner, a collaboration between WSKG and Crooked Mouth Brewing. This has been a project spearheaded by Peter Zayac, our intrepid beer corresponded, and it’s brewing even as we speak. More to come from the Hops Along team on that soon.

Before quaff with us, you should probably eat something.

You don’t get much more local than the spiedie. I’m not even sure it’s a regional delicacy. It seems to be very Broome County specific (please correct me if I’m wrong). But here in Broome, the spiedie is a pretty big deal, and this weekend, it gets its moment in the sun. Spiedie Fest in Otsiningo Park is a three day celebration of this fantastic marinated meat. The fest began in 1983 with a family cookoff to determine whose spiedie game was strongest, and the cookoff is still a component. But now it’s a sprawling party with music, hot air balloons, and a bunch of family activities. 

I do love me a spiedie, but they always make me a little nostalgic for Chiavetta’s, a Western New York chicken marinade that was always the smoky smell of summer for me growing up. What cuisine is, or feels, hyper-local to you?

Meanwhile up north, Geneva is hosting their annual Garlic Festival this weekend. This one is all about the bulb, but it appears booze is on the menu as well. In addition to music and food demos, wineries and breweries will be in attendance, along with the rather intriguing Boozy Ice Cream truck from Ice Cream Factory in Fairport.

That’s a little bit of what’s going on out there that may be worth a drive. See you soon, Sourcers.

Bob Proehl

Locally Sourced editor

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Out of My Way- sharing stories of food across the region that I would go out of my way for…and so should you! 

Here

5646 NY-414

Hector, NY 14841

Open Fri-Mon 9-3:00

Earlier this month, I convinced my brunch-averse husband to drive out to Hector with me to visit Here, a delightful breakfast and lunch spot on the east side of Seneca Lake. Here is owned and operated by Jen & Stan Walton who are well known in the Ithaca area for their beloved tapas-inspired restaurant, Just a Taste, which closed in 2020 after 25 years in operation. Suffice to say, they know what they’re doing!

Here prioritizes locally sourced and seasonal ingredients from regional farms whenever possible. They offer creative takes on classics like French toast by using a non-traditional bread option, like cinnamon focaccia, and adding interesting toppings that change every few weeks depending on what’s available, like blueberries in elderflower and whipped cream.

This time around, my husband had the breakfast sandwich on a buttermilk biscuit with scrambled eggs, cheddar, and house made breakfast sausage. He noted that the biscuit, eggs, and sausage were all cooked perfectly and tasted amazing together. I went with the huevos rancheros with over easy eggs, fresh pico de gallo, and house made chipotle sausage, all of which combined to create a satisfying, saucy and spicy mess. Both were served with crispy garlic home fries which tasted suspiciously like their deep-fried russet potatoes wedges, a fan favorite that also appeared on the Just a Taste menu back in the day.

The staff at Here were funny, welcoming, and very willing co-conspirators in my quest to discover and consume delicious food. As we were placing our order at the counter, someone brought out a platter of freshly baked and frosted cinnamon buns which my husband couldn’t resist getting. It did not disappoint. Here offers a variety of baked goods and sweet treats that appeal to all tastebuds. During my last visit, I had a slice of their coconut cream pie which was recommended by one their employees, and it was absolute perfection! (Probably one of my top five favorite pies but that’s a list for another day.)

Here is dog-friendly and a great place to kick off a day of wine tasting along the Seneca Lake Wine Trail or U-pick at a nearby local farm like Wickham Tango Oaks Farm. 

What local restaurants, diners, bakeries or farms do you go out of your way to visit? Send me a note. I love discovering new places to eat in the region!

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Music-festival season is in full swing across our Southern Tier area, with a vibrant blend of community-focused and regional events to choose from.

The Finger Lakes GrassRoots Festival is held in Trumansburg, it features 80+ music acts across 4 days and 5 stages, featuring genres such as bluegrass, zydeco, reggae and hip hop. With workshops, children’s activities, healing arts and local artisans.

Endless Summer Festival occurs in the heart of downtown Binghamton on Washington Ave. This is the 2nd year that this free festival has brought musicians, vendors, food, family-friendly activities, as well as awareness around mental health provided by the Mental Health Association of the Southern Tier.

I hope you were able to get out and enjoy one or both of these festivals, but if you haven’t had the chance to enjoy a music festival yet this year here are a few more opportunities!

Of course what kind of Southern Tier resident would I be if I didn’t mention the annual Spiedie Fest. August 1st through the 3rd this festival will feature national acts such as Gym Class Heroes and Trade Adkins, as well as local bands, plenty of food, vendors, hot air balloon launches and lots of fun for the family.

August 1st and 2nd is the 28th annual Blueberry Jam festival at the Red Barn in Danville Springs. It’s a 2 day festival that will feature 18 bands, homemade food and vendors.

Also in its 2nd year is the Live From Binghamton Block Party, this festival will feature regional artists as well as nationally touring bands. It’s taking place at the Historic Lackawanna Train Station in Binghamton on August 10th, and a portion of the proceeds will go to Advocates for Autism and Gigi’s Playhouse.

And my personal favorite, Porchfest! The Ithaca Porchfest is on September 21st (EDITOR'S NOTE: WSKG will be there, and so will Backyard Tracks correspondent Mike Micha. More info soon!) and the Binghamton Porchfest is on August 31st. I look forward to this event every year, 100+ bands directly collaborating with the local community to perform on our neighborhood porches. There is no other event in this area where the community can go see this many bands, spanning all genres for free. This amazing DIY festival began in Ithaca in 2007 and has since taken off across the country, now with more than 230 Porchfests across the US, Canada and Australia.

Hope to see you out there!

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