About the Finger Lakes Weekend Getaway Blog Series: Discover Seneca is here to help all tourists, whether they're local or traveling from long distances to enjoy their time here. Seneca County is filled with so many unique experiences, wines, and foods that it's impossible to do everything all at once. There are 8 towns and villages in all throughout the entire County, and in this series we will be providing readers and potential tourists with pre-made itineraries.
Sometimes it's nice to just get away for awhile, and the scenic Seneca County area in the Finger Lakes region has many wonderful options. Let us guide you!
Fayette, New York
Fayette is a quaint little town that takes up about 55 square miles in the heart of Seneca County, located in the Finger Lakes region. With a population of just over 3,500, there are so many scenic options for visitors.
The town is surrounded by hills and wooded areas along Seneca Lake and provides a rich, rural and agricultural life for its residents.
Whether its fishing, wine tasting, trying great food, or just taking in nature, Fayette offers plenty of great options to choose from for your weekend getaway.
Check-in:
Check-in to the Three Brothers Wineries Vineyard Cottage, located right on the winery's property! You'll have access to the full cottage, which fits up to 4 guests and has many 5 star reviews on Airbnb!
The cottage is located right in the vineyard and has amazing views of the lake where you can watch the sunset. The cottage has both a deck and patio for great views and family time, and a gas grill is on the property available for use.
Feel right at home with a stocked bathroom, use of a full kitchen, and even a reading nook to relax in!
Day One:
1. Have breakfast at Tucci's Diner and enjoy one of their many specials!
Tucci's Diner is a locally owned diner located right outside Fayette in Waterloo, NY. They offer so many different options for breakfast and lunch, and on Fridays they're open late for dinner, where you can enjoy their fish fry special!
The diner has been serving customers for more that fifty years, and was a seasonal drive-in at the start. For forty years it operated as Patsy's and served breakfast and lunch. New owners took over in 2018 to keep it open until new ownership showed interest, and in 2022 two locals took over renaming it Tucci's Family Diner.
They have been featured on the Empire Plate and were recognized in 2022 as the best diner by Finger Lakes Finest.
2. Have a wine tasting at Three Brothers
After having breakfast, head on back to Three Brothers Winery and Estates to grab a wine tasting!
Reservations are highly recommended for tastings on Saturdays. When making a reservation, they are paid in full at the time of booking. Cafe seating is very limited and given on a first come first serve basis. If you'd like to remain in the outdoor spaces, dogs are welcome!
Three Brothers is a large estate, and holds three different wineries in one location, each with its own unique vibe. There is also a brewery on-site!
There are three options for tastings
Option 1: Full Experience Pass, $40
With this pass you can walk throughout the campus and receive a flight in each one of the three wineries as well as the brewery, War Horse Brewing Co. The recommended time to devote to this is 2-3 hours and in all, the pass will give you 20 samples (4 flights)
Option 2: Shared Experience Pass, $40
This option is similar to option 1, but you can do it with one other person for the same amount of flights!
Option 3: Single Tasting, $15
If you're only interested in visiting one building, you can purchase one flight at that location, which will get you 4-5 samples. The time devoted to this should be about 30-45 minutes.
3. Grab lunch while you're still at Three Brothers at the Iron Heart Coffee & Eatery!
4. Visit Rose Hill Mansion
Rose Hill Mansion was once a farm, but today it's opened for guided tours and showcases life in the 19th century.
The mansion is a Greek Revival built in 1839 in the middle of a working farm. The tour is about the Swan Family, residents of the home from 1850 to 1890.
Book yourself a one hour tour for just $12! Seniors get a discount and can purchase tickets for $10, and children between the ages of 10 and 18 are only $6. Children 9 and under are free.
5. Have dinner at Ventosa
Stop by Ventosa by 5 p.m. and enjoy a delicious dinner while overlooking the lake! Cafe Toscana offers various options for food, whether you're looking for a salad, pizza, sandwich or wrap. View their entire menu here!
On Wednesdays they're open late for live music! Their tasting room offers many choices for different types of wine, and you can enjoy all of this while overlooking their vineyard.
6. Take a brewery tour at Watershed before 8 pm
Schedule yourself a tour ahead of time at Watershed Brewing Company, where you can taste various beers both on tap and in cans. Some of the local namesakes include "Tempting Fayette," an American Pilsner named for the very town Watershed resides in, and "Shake Your Boody's Hill," a sour named after a well-known road in Fayette. You can view their entire list of craft beers on tap here.
If beer isn't your thing, that's okay, because they have white, red, rose, and sweet wine available too! All wines are from select vineyards in the Finger Lakes region, including Thirsty Owl, Airy Acres, and Zugibe.
Sometimes people don't want alcohol and that's okay, Watershed has you covered. Check out their assorted juices from Red Jacket Orchards or their assorted sodas from FIZ.
Snack on some of their tasty munchies like giant pretzels, flatbread pizzas, or focaccia pizza sticks. View the full menu here!
7. Relax back at your Airbnb and get a good night's rest!
Day Two:
1. Breakfast at Connie's Diner
Have breakfast in downtown Waterloo at Connie's Diner!
Opened in 1989 by Connie herself, Connie's Diner has become a staple in Seneca County. They're closed Sunday and Monday, and Tuesday through Saturday they're open bright and early at 6 a.m. and close later at 9 p.m.
This authentic diner serves delicious breakfast with classics like pancakes, French toast, and omelets. For lunch and dinner, they offer the delicious options like their Quickie, a hamburger and French fries smothered in gravy, or their Trash Plate, with two meats, fries or home fries, mac salad or coleslaw, topped with spicy meat sauce and onions!
Whether you want to squeeze Connie's Diner in for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, they'll fit in any time of day!
2. Try a cheese tasting board or some local craft beverages at Muranda Cheese
Muranda Cheese was started in 1991 by owners Tom and Nancy Murray, where they focused on the production of high quality milk from their cows. They were able to break a world record in 1997 when one of their cows was recognized for the most milk production in one year! Muranda Oscar Lucinda produced a whopping 67,914 pounds of milk that year. That's 8,500 gallons of milk!
They've won many awards for their quality milk, and today their son manages the dairy farm and cheese plant.
The cheese company started in 2007 and today they produce 17 types of cheese!
They're open 7 days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. where you can have some great tastings.
You can choose from wine pairings, beer pairings, and cider pairings when you visit.
3. Check out the Zugibe bistro for lunch
The Phoenician Grill at Zugibe Vineyards has delicious food, and many unique options.
They offer hummus, falafels, stuffed grape leaves, kibbeh, various loaded fries like brisket and parmesan truffle, and even Ceprese Pitza! Check out their menu here.
On occasion, they'll offer interesting wine pairings with different types of food like baked potatoes, pasta, or tacos! These are their "Elevated" tastings!
4. After lunch, have a tasting at Zugibe (or do both at the same time with the Elevated tasting!)
Zugibe Vineyards is open daily and offers wine, mimosas, local beer and cider from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day. Standard tastings are $10 for 5 wine samples. Beer and ciders are $7 for pints and cans. Mimosas are $7.
"Elevated" tastings are offered each month with a new theme! These tastings offer you a unique food item to go with your wine. For Saturdays the elevated tasting is $25 and for Wednesday through Friday and Sundays it's $20. In the past they've offered baked potatoes, pastas, and even tacos with wine pairings!
5. After a long afternoon of wine tasting, stop by Bella's Seneca Lake Steakhouse for dinner and have a hearty steak and all-you-can-eat salad from the infamous salad bar
Bella's Seneca Lake Steakhouse is located just outside of Fayette in Waterloo, right in the heart of the Finger Lakes! They're a traditional steakhouse with a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere where they only serve the finest cuts of meat.
This is a local favorite, home of the former Emile's Restaurant. The infamous all-you-can-eat salad bar was once an Emile's favorite, and the owners of the Seneca Lake Steakhouse have carried on that tradition.
Start out with a delicious shared plate appetizer, like the Steakhouse Platter with fries, onion rings, battered mushrooms and ravioli with various sauces. If you're looking for seafood, try the Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail or Crispy Fried Calamari!
The main entrees range from seafood, to pasta, and to specials like the Friday Night Fish Fry and the Saturday evening Prime Rib specials. There are plenty of options for seafood and steak as well (after all, it is a steakhouse). Check out their full menu here!
Don't worry if you have kids- there's a menu just for them! They can choose from cheeseburger sliders, penne pasta with sauce, chicken fingers, grilled cheese, grilled chicken breast, and cheese pizza!
6. Get a good night's sleep back at your Airbnb!
Day Three:
1. Grab breakfast one last time before heading out!
If you enjoyed Tucci's Family Diner, check them out one last time before leaving! If you're looking to just venture out a bit further, or try something new, check out some of these great options in Seneca County:
Gift Ideas:
- Seasonal Cheese Box from Muranda Cheese
- Sweatshirts, blankets, and other gear from Three Brothers Wineries
- Antiques and trinkets from Penny Lane Mall (located near Tucci's Family Diner)
- Bottles of your favorite wines and cases of your favorite craft beers!
Keep in mind:
Planning a trip is part of the fun, and this itinerary is intended to be used as a guide to help you plan your own vacation to Seneca County in the Finger Lakes region. Hours and seasonal opening times can vary, and are always subject to change. Please be sure to verify details with businesses you plan to visit on your trip. If you would like to learn about other restaurants, hotels, activities, or accommodations, visit www.DiscoverSeneca.com to learn about other fun things in the region!
Happy travels!
