FINE DINING, FUN DINING

From Funghi Formaggi

To Panina, Tuna Sandwich

Editor’s Note:  Here are mini-reviews of local restaurants submitted by the Summer Dreams’ staff.

Bocca has always been one of my favorite places to dine in Cooperstown! If it’s really nice out, they have outside seating, just perfect for lunch and warmer nights.

If you want to a different kind of appetizer, order the Tonno. It’s a grilled ahi tuna on a toasted guacamole crostini then topped with corn salsa and wasabi cream.

My mouth is watering just thinking about it! The Calamari Fritti is delicious as well, it’s served with hot cherry peppers that add a nice spiciness to the calamari.

For the kids, they have a great menu that spans from chicken strips to rigatoni to pizza (made right at your table). But for the adults…you’ve got to try the Risotto Alla Pescatora. They take shrimp and scallops, roast them, add in spinach risotto and wait for it…toss it in a white truffle cream sauce!

Simply delicious.

Bocca has an authentic pizza oven direct from Italy that cooks your pizza in minutes. My favorite? Funghi Formaggi – shredded fresh mozzarella, smoked gouda, Portobello porcini, truffled mushrooms topped with parm and reggiano. Oh so good! (Bocca Osteria, 5438 State Highway 28, Cooperstown)

TARA BARNWELL, General Manager

When you want a tuna sandwich, sometimes it’s because you plan to eat light.

Too light? Well, no. But not a honking sandwich with all the sides, either.

That’s where The Jive Café comes in.

Located in Cooperstown Commons on Route 28, en route from Dreams Park to Cooperstown, it’s convenient.

And the tuna sandwich is just right, grilled on substantial bread, but not too substantial. Enough tuna to feel you’d had a lunch, without feeling stuffed.

Fresh potato chips, a pickle. That’s it.

I’m a fan of the tuna, but there’s a selection of 10 sandwiches and paninis, including, if you have an appetite, “create your own custom deli sandwich.”

The Jive’s open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., and breakfast – from bagels to omelettes – is served all day. (For the adventurous, there’s the Jivin’ Egg – jalapeños, baby).

In other words, it’s worth a stop. (Jive Café, 12 Commons Dr, Cooperstown)

JIM KEVLIN, Editor/Publisher

Stagecoach has always been my go-to for an afternoon pick me up, but with their recent renovation, it’s an even nicer place to meet a friend for coffee and a sandwich!

Whenever I stop in, I always get the veggie panini, overstuffed with roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, tomatoes and pesto, toasted golden brown and gooey with sharp cheddar. And since you’ve already had your vegetables, go ahead and get the chips as the side!

The service is quick but the atmosphere is leisurely, so get a large latte and sit out on the patio for a
lunch worth savoring. (Stagecoach Coffee, 31 Pioneer St #2, Cooperstown.)

LIBBY CUDMORE, Managing Editor

Experience the beauty of Otsego Lake while enjoying delectable fettuccine offered by the Lakefront Restaurant.

The pasta is soft and the sauce just the right amount of cheesy. If you order the sun-dried tomato pesto fettuccine you get a comfort food with a flavorful tang. Want more goodness?

Add some chicken or shrimp and enjoy. (Lakefront Restaurant, 10 Fair St, Cooperstown.)

LARISSA RYAN, Office Manager