The Cellar

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Wine Bar Turned Destination Restaurant

The Cellar opened in August 2007 as a wine and tapas bar in Corning's Gaffer District, known from the start for its plates-to-share format and creative martini menu. In September 2011, it expanded into a full-service restaurant, and in July 2015, long-time executive chef Michael Lanahan and his wife Ellen purchased the establishment from its original owners — the moment, by their own account, that The Cellar became a true destination. Michael continues to work the kitchen himself, designing dishes built around locally sourced ingredients from an extensive network of Finger Lakes–area farms and producers.

The Food: Seasonal American Fusion

The menu shifts with the seasons and changes frequently enough that the kitchen works daily with local farmers, markets, and importers to source what's freshest. The current menu reflects that restless creativity: small plates range from pan-seared lamb lollipops with fig demi-glace and Lively Run chèvre to kimchee fries topped with Ithaca cheddar, while entrées span a cast-iron–seared Wagyu steak, crawfish étouffée over jasmine rice, and the restaurant's signature chicken and waffles — fried pasture-raised chicken breast over an Ithaca cheddar and chive Belgian waffle with sriracha maple syrup. A cauliflower version of the same dish makes the kitchen's commitment to vegetarian and vegan guests feel genuine rather than obligatory. Desserts are made in-house, including ice creams churned with non-homogenized Ithaca Dairy milk.

Suppliers read like a map of upstate New York: Remembrance Farm, Stick & Stone Farm, Lively Run Goat Dairy, Farmer Ground Flour, and more than a dozen others. That specificity shows up on the plate.

The Wine Program

Wine Spectator recognized The Cellar with its Best of Award of Excellence — an honor the restaurant has earned multiple years running — and the list justifies it. The bottle selection runs to 500 labels, with 40 available by the glass, and includes a deliberate focus on the Finger Lakes region alongside producers from around the world. The bar team applies the same inventive approach to cocktails, building seasonal drinks with house-made infusions and ingredients like black sesame, ube, rhubarb, and hibiscus.

Who It's For

The Cellar accommodates gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan diners without making them feel like an afterthought — the kitchen designs specific dishes for each. The warm atmosphere and knowledgeable staff make it equally suited to a date, a group dinner, or a solo seat at the bar working through the wine list. For anyone passing through Corning, it is the clearest argument for staying for dinner.