Restaurants in Auburn

Ambrosia Bella is a cozy escape for those who crave fresh-made desserts, café fare, and rich espresso hidden beneath a cap of foam. Co-owners Miranda Hartwell and Ben Lamson, a former Marine who doubles as Ambrosia's executive chef, take care to keep their restaurant relaxed and slightly whimsical. Drawing on a catering background with the Food Network and charitable catering events for Rosie O'Donnell and FEMA, Miranda and Ben prepare a rustic-hewn menu for breakfast, lunch, and snacks, with refined accents such as champagne vinaigrette and garlic-truffle cream cheese.

After sinking teeth into a few crab-cake sliders, guests can thank Ambrosia Bella for its contributions to the Steuben County Animal Shelter, or solicit Ben to craft a bone-shaped danish to feed the dogs, cats, and tiny humans within all of our hearts.

At Timbers Steakhouse and Seafood, chefs craft dinners from a menu of surf-and-turf classics paired with all-American eats. Appetizers include traditional pub fare such as cheese fries, garlic mushrooms, and chicken wings in flavors such as buffalo, garlic, and mango habanero. Classic caesar, chef's, and spinach salads pave the way for burgers made from 100% ground sirloin. Pounds of snow-crab legs arrive with a coverlet of melted butter, whereas sautéed tilapia comes encrusted in a combination of panko and pecans.

Steak is, of course, the main event. Hand-cut rib eyes, filets mignons wrapped in bacon, and thick, unyielding portions of porterhouse that clock in at 20 ounces are dusted in the restaurant’s secret spice blend and charbroiled to order. Chefs also slice off portions of slow-cooked, tender prime rib served with horseradish sauce upon request.

In addition to the regular menu, Wednesday evenings boast a selection of Mexican food such as tacos, enchiladas, and fajitas, and Thursday shows off pasta prowess with Italian favorites. Although most dinners unfold in the spacious lower-story dining room, Timbers also makes the most of its attic. The restaurant's upper-story A-frame loft houses a banquet facility equipped with seating for up to 120, with custom menus, full bar service, DJs, and photographers available.

The grills in Billy’s Downtown Zulu’s kitchen crackle and hiss as meats, seafood, and vegetables are prepared for the restaurant’s Mexican and American dishes. Chefs whip up house-made tortilla chips, salsa, and guacamole for an array of taco, fajita, enchilada, and burrito plates, and American--style dinners are crafted by carving up T-bone steaks or hand-sculpting ground-beef burger patties into the likenesses of respected Revolutionary War generals. As servers tote steaming dishes to tables, bartenders dole out specialty margaritas and beers by the glass and pitcher.

Pioneer and entrepreneur Smedlap Effingtas famously forged a trail into the West, brewed his own secret moonshine, drove a general mad, and won a fair maiden’s heart as a stowaway. But his most memorable contribution to the world turned out to be his descendants. Generations after Smedlap's heyday, his kin opened a restaurant to honor the memory of their infamous ancestor, instead of conducting a seance. After nearly 30 years in business, ownership was passed to John Favorite and his family, who had blazed a trail West in the footsteps of Smedlap.

After years of working in the steak-house business, Favorite snatched up the opportunity to transform a local institution into his dream restaurant. Though he and his chefs changed the menu a bit, he made sure to preserve some of the beloved traditions, such as the two-story slide behind the hostess stand. The overhauled menu includes a varied blend of dishes, from lake perch to lean bison burgers decked out with a dozen possible cheeses. Though broad, the menu's focus remains the steak, with choice cuts served on a plank and drizzled in peppercorn sauce.

The decision between eating out and purchasing culinary goods for home cooking may waver in the face of available time and piercing hunger. Shopping for culinary products at The Cider Mill is like a get-out-of-cooking-free card, offering fast and affordable delicacies that trump quick-fix burgers and fries. The quaint dining area is nestled among the shop's gourmet fare, and features a menu highlighted by the fresh herbs and tomatoes grown on site. House-made sandwich selections include the warm Cider Mill dip (roast beef, melted provolone, and horseradish served with dipping jus, Brit's brie, and a dill pickle, $5.95), as well as a build-your-own option ($5.95) to tempt control freaks with their own choice of meat, cheese, bread, and toppings. Popeye aspirants will savor the spinach salad with grilled prosciutto, walnuts, dried cherries, hardboiled egg, and balsamic ($5.95), and fickle foodies will delight in a classic caprese with fresh mozzarella and house-grown tomato and basil ($6.95). A customizable chili menu ($4.95), allows you to order the meaty classic with any combination of noodles, cheese, onions, and beans; and seasonal, homemade soups ($3.95) rotated daily. A homemade brownie ($3.95), cookie ($3.95), or slice of the pie du jour ($3.95) is an ideal way to finish a meal or punctuate a day of reading The Autobiography of Alice B. Tolkas.

Installed above its first-floor sister eatery, The Dam Deli, The Mill surrounds diners with airy, barn-like architecture flooded with natural light and updated with hardwood floors and crisp white décor. The all-American menu also features contemporary twists and runs the gamut from juicy half-pound burgers to Asian-inspired tuna. Large windows invite the sun inside to illuminate hearty lunches, as well as to reveal stunning views of the Marion waterfront's whale population. Come evening, the bar's martinis and cosmopolitans wash down entrees and lubricate intimate conversations. The Mill's abundant floor space lends itself to frequent dancing during special gatherings, such as wedding receptions and monthly union meetings for soul-train conductors.