One of My Favorite Finger Lakes Restaurants – Trombino’s

How many times have you been to a restaurant where the owner greets you at the door? That’s how it is at Trombino’s Restaurant in Lyons. The last time I was there, Mike, who owns the restaurant with his brother Paul, greeted us like old friends and showed us to a table.

The restaurant has been family-owned and operated since 1947 – and that’s just how you feel at Trombino’s – like part of the family. The servers were all friendly and seemed to enjoy what they were doing. Our waitress, Barb, was very sociable, and took good care of us. Mike came over to check on us during our meal, and I even saw Paul helping a waitress serve a large party.

And the Food is Good Too!

I ordered French Onion Soup and it was sooo good. I also ordered their New York Strip Steak and it was excellent. It was grilled exactly the way I requested – medium – and was served with vegetables and choice of potato. (I had a baked potato.)

My husband had steak as well, but he had a salad with his meal. He pronounced it delicious.

The place was jumping on that Friday night. I got a sense that Trombino’s is popular place for locals to gather, although I’ve heard that many people come from out of the immediate area to dine there. I know that my husband and I are going back!

Fair Haven State Park

Photo(c)Brenda Potter Reynolds. Fair Haven State Park.

New Haven State Park is one of the loveliest of the Finger Lakes State Parks. It has awesome views of Lake Ontario; a shaded, grassy picnic area; and incredible, colorful sunsets.

I’ve camped at Fair Haven for several years now with my husband and son. We like to canoe Sterling Pond within the park and camp in the Lakeview Section, while my son and his friends would rather bike down to the beach and hang out at the park store. My husband Nate and I would always try to be at the campsite when the sun went down so we could catch those incredible sunsets.

I first visited Fair Haven State Park many years ago when some friends from Rochester suggested that we meet there for a picnic. I loved the picnic area and playground, watching the multi-colored sailboats head out to Lake Ontario, and walking out on the pier that reaches out into the lake.

The bluff isn’t the only nice camping area at Fair Haven, it’s just one of our favorites. There’s camping sites around the pond, on the bluff, and on a drumlin*. The park also has cabins available for rent.

*According to the Encyclopedia Britannica Online, a drumlin is an oval or elongated hill believed to have been formed by the streamlined movement of glacial ice sheets across rock debris, or till. The name is derived from the Gaelic word druim (“rounded hill,” or “mound”) and first appeared in 1833.

“drumlin.” Encyclopædia Britannica. 2007. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 21 Aug. 2007 <http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9001619>.

If you’d like more information about New Haven State Park, their phone number is (315) 947-5205. If you’d like to camp there, the phone number for reservations is (800) 456-2267.

Finger Lakes State Parks

The Finger Lakes area is a region of waterfalls, gorges, and scenic views. Finger Lakes State Parks share the same  characteristics.

At Taughannock Falls State Park, Taughannock Falls plunges 215 feet. Pinnacle State Park has both awesome views and a golf course. And Robert H. Treman State Park features a trails that passes by 12 waterfalls, including 115-foot Lucifer Falls.

Here’s a listing of Finger Lakes State Parks.

Allan H. Treman State Park
c/o Robert H. Treman State Park
105 Enfield Falls Rd.
Ithaca, NY 14850
Phone: (607) 273-3440
Phone: (607) 272-1460 (marina office, summer)

Bonavista State Park Golf Course
7194 County Road 132
Ovid, NY 14521
Phone: (607) 869-5482

Buttermilk Falls State Park
c/o Robert H. Treman State Park
105 Enfield Falls Rd.
Ithaca, NY 14850
Phone: (607) 273-5761 (summer)
Phone: (607) 273-3440
Reservations: (800) 456-2267

Cayuga Lake State Park
2678 Lower Lake Road
Seneca Falls, NY 13148
Phone: (315) 568-5163
Reservations: (800) 456-2267

Chimney Bluffs State Park
7700 Garner Road
Wolcott, NY 14590
(315) 947-5205

Dean’s Cove Boat Launch
2678 Lower Lake Road
Seneca Falls, NY 13148
Phone: (315) 568-5163

Fair Haven State Park
Route 104A, P.O. Box 16
Fair Haven, NY 13064
Phone: (315) 947-5205
Reservations: (800) 456-2267

Fillmore Glen State Park
1686 St. Rte. 38
Moravia, NY 13118
Phone: (315) 497-0130
Fax: (315) 497-0128
Reservations: (800) 456-2267

Harriet Hollister Spencer Recreation Area
1082 Route 36 South
Dansville, NY 14437
Phone: (585) 335-8111

Honeoye Lake Boat Launch State Park
6150 East Lake Rd.
Honeoye, NY 14471
Phone: (585) 335-8111

Lodi Point State Park
c/o Sampson State Park – 6096 Rte. 96A
Romulus, NY 14541
Phone: (315) 585-6392

Long Point State Park
451 Oneida Road
Elmira, NY 14901
Phone: (607)732-6067
Reservations: (800) 456-2267

Mark Twain State Park and Soaring Eagles Golf Course
201 Middle Road
Horseheads, NY 14845
Phone: (607) 739-0034
Phone: (607) 739-0551

Newtown Battlefield State Park
451 Oneida Road
Elmira, NY 14901
Phone: (607)732-6067
Reservations: (800) 456-2267

Pinnacle State Park & Golf Course
1904 Pinnacle Road
Addison, NY 14801
Phone: (607) 359-2767

Robert H. Treman State Park
105 Enfield Falls Rd.
Ithaca, NY 14850
Phone: (607) 273-3440
Reservations: (800) 456-2267

Sonnenberg Gardens & Mansion State Historic Park
151 Charlotte Street
Canandaigua, NY 14424
(585) 394-4922

Stony Brook State Park
10820 Route 36 South
Dansville, NY 14437
Phone: (585) 335-8111
Reservations: (800) 456-2267

Watkins Glen State Park
P.O. Box 304
Watkins Glen, NY 14891
Phone: (607) 535-4511
Reservations: (800) 456-2267