Three new food-and-drink establishments have opened over the past several months in an old timey setting in Ontario, Wayne County, about 6 miles west of Webster.
Empire State Distillers, Sunny's Country Kitchen and Café Cortile are up and running on Knickerbocker Road, just north of Route 104.
The three businesses are connected by shared owners as well as by a large patio where the owners envision hosting outdoor events in the future.
"We’re trying to create a one-stop shop for family fun in our area," Crane said.
Empire State Distillers
The distillery is owned by Joe Geiger, Jason Leisten, Justin Smith, Evan Miles, Juan Morales, Dan Luce, Paul Hadcock, Nate Crane and Alyssa Crane. The group came together through various connections − from being college roommates to sharing
an attorney to serving in the armed forces together.
Geiger, Luce and Morales served in the Army. Morales and Leisten worked for the Rochester Police Department and Crane was a volunteer fire fighter and EMT.
"We all try to have a service mindset, be of service to others and be patriotic as well," Crane said.
Empire State Distillers makes two brands: Battle Rattle, its call brand, and Legends of 1776, its discount brand. The brands lean into the distillery's veteran and first responder ownership. The owners intend to donate time, offer meeting space and contribute a portion of their revenues to mental health services for veterans, first responders and others.
Empire State Distillers is a New York State farm distillery and farm winery; its license requires that at least 75 percent of its raw materials and agricultural ingredients come from New York State. Miles is its master distiller.
It produces bourbon, whiskey, vodka, gin, rum, brandy and agave spirit. The owners plan to grow its product line to include coffee cream spirits, canned cocktails and premium spirits.
At the tasting room, housed in the former Whistle Stop Antique Center, the spirits may be ordered as tastings, tasting flights and in cocktails. The tasting room also serves local craft beers and wines from Miles Wine Cellars in the Finger Lakes. A full food menu may be ordered from Sunny's Country Kitchen, the restaurant in the same complex.
The tasting room has a rustic look accented in Americana. Live music is featured occasionally and it has a pool table, dart board and board games.
Sunny's Country Kitchen
While the distillery was under construction, Heintzelman's BBQ Pit closed its doors and some of the owners saw an opportunity to open a business that would complement the tasting room.
Smith was already a partner in a successful restaurant − Sunny's Country Kitchen in Dayton, Nevada. Smith, Geiger and Sunny Phillips, the restaurant's namesake, teamed up to open its second location in Ontario.
The quaint restaurant serves country-style fare − burgers, hearty sandwiches and homey suppers like meatloaf, pot roast and chicken fried steak. It is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner five days a week and a fish fry is served on Fridays.
Café Cortile
The coffee shop was also not part of the partners' original plan, but when the coffee shop on the property closed, Nate and Alyssa Crane, along with Geiger, opened Café Cortile. "Cortile" is Italian for "courtyard," reflecting that the shop is situated next to a patio.
The cozy café serves coffee from Finger Lakes Coffee Roasters, espresso beverages and specialty drinks. Pastries are baked in house; you'll usually find croissants, cinnamon rolls, brownies and "whatever I feel like baking that morning," Alyssa Crane said.
If you go
Empire State Distillers is at 6363 Knickerbocker Road in Ontario. It is open 4 to 10 p.m. Thursday and Monday; 2 to 10 p.m. Friday; noon to 10 p.m. Saturday and noon to 8 p.m. Sunday. It is closed Tuesday and Wednesday. empirestatedistillers.com
Sunny's Country Kitchen is at 6361 Knickerbocker Road in Ontario. It is open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday through Monday. It is closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Find a full menu online at sunnyscountrykitchenny.com. Call (315) 333-1013.
Cafe Cortile, at 6362 Knickerbocker Road in Ontario, is open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday through Monday. It is closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Call (315) 521-2453.
Tracy Schuhmacher has been food and drink reporter for the past 11 years. Notice a food establishment open or close near you? Email her at tracys@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Distillery, diner and coffee shop open in Ontario
