This week, we’re welcoming some new food to a waterfront spot, Deep Dive in Ithaca’s west end. We’ve talked about Yxi’s Arepas and Babe’s Burger, and both will be serving food at the music venue on the Cayuga Lake Inlet.
Deep Dive opened a year and a half ago with their own kitchen, and has since partnered with a variety of local eateries to provide meals and snacks for happy hours and shows.
Related: Deep Dive opens this week with island vibes and comfort-food eats
As springtime arrives, we can expect Yxi’s Arepas serving their blend of Venezuelan and Mexican flavors midweek, and Babe’s Burger will be around for the weekend with burgers and babelicious fries.
The Deep Dive family, the Yxi’s Arepas family, and the Babe’s Burger family, plus Hugo the very good boy. Photo provided.
Yxi’s menu features homestyle arepas, cornmeal cakes stuffed with a variety of vegan, vegetarian, and meaty fillings, as well as fries and fried plantains.
Related: Now open: Yxi’s Arepas & Gordito food truck in Ithaca’s west end
Lots of the food is vegan because it can be, like the black beans made from chef and owner Yxi Ojeda’s grandmother’s recipe, and, of course, those deceptively simple arepas, a centuries-old cornmeal cake popular in the region that includes Venezuela and Colombia.
El Plate, a combination of Yxi’s menu items. 14850 Photo by Mark H. Anbinder.
Babe’s Burger opened a couple of years ago at Lucky Hare Brewing in Hector, and added an Ithaca outpost in Northstar Public House’s back yard last summer, with simple but super tasty local beef burgers — as well as veggie burgers and spiedie-marinated chicken sandwiches. We love the creative combinations of toppings, whether it’s crispy fried onions or sharp cheddar or pickled jalapeños, or even the classic lettuce, tomato, onion, and American cheese.
The Rodeo Babe from Babe’s Burger has crispy hot peppers and onions. 14850 Photo by Mark H. Anbinder.
Babe’s also serves up excellent french fries and sweet potato fries, but our favorite is the Babe’s Butt Fries, featuring smoked pork butt as well as drizzles of cheese, BBQ sauce, and BBQ sauce, topped with chopped scallions. Also at the new Deep Dive location expect to see the addition of onion rings and a Friday fish fry.
Babe’s Butt Fries feature smoked pork butt, cheese sauce, BBQ sauce, and scallions. 14850 Photo by Mark H. Anbinder.
Right now there’s no plan for Yxi’s or Babe’s to reduce their hours elsewhere — they’re just adding opportunities to enjoy their food at Deep Dive a few days a week. Yxi’s will be there Wednesday evenings 6-10pm, and Babe’s is serving Friday and Saturday 5-10 plus every other Sunday, including this Sunday, coinciding with the Southern Supper Sunday shows.
Find Deep Dive at 415 Taughannock Boulevard, check their Facebook for music and events and food plans, and tell them you heard about them here.
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