Owl Outing: Fun and functional creekside fare
Canadice Press –
Sometimes going out is a last minute thing and you turn to some place homey and familiar. Such was the case on April 18th when my son and I pulled up to Mill Creek Cafe in Honeoye, NY. My son had just rolled into town for a two week visit and I had been on the road all day. There were several cars in the parking lot when we arrived and a group of folks were heading inside.
What we neglected to realize was that the cafe had not yet switched to their summer hours and was (sorta) closed. It turned out the folks heading in – a group of folks who help maintain the trails at Harriet Hollister Spencer Recreation Area – we were told upon inquiry – were an after hours accomodation.
That the restaurant is willing to slide this group in is already awesome. What made our evening – in addition to our meal – was the welcome we received. Kaleb quickly acknowledged us and let us know that the restaurant was closed at 8 pm – 15 minutes earlier – then said, “We can serve you,” motioning for us to find a seat – “I’ll be right with you; as soon as I take care of these guys.”
We settled into a corner and immediately felt at home in their ecclectic and relaxing space. Poring over the menu, it took quite a while to decide on something. The cafe may be small in comparison to some, but they have a tasty menu that includes enough options to make choosing a bit challenging. Thankfully, they always have some local carft beer on tap to sip on while making a leisurely decision. I chose a Young Lion Brewing Company Stout. Mill Creek added some broth bowls to their menu over the winter, along with some flat bread options. They also have rice bowls and a creative assortment of sandwiches and in house and daily soups. They pull ingredients from a variety of local sources and are always willing to try new things. They just recently starting offering desserts – we tried the fried banana, which was deliscious.
Soon Mill Creek Cafe will expand their hours and begin offering their summer concert series – outside on the patio they added in 2017, giving everyone another great reason to stop by and check it out.