Explore Corning 2025 by Mountain Home

Baggallini

Corning Souvenirs

Demdaco

Inis

Beekman 1802

Stonewall Kitchen

Pura Vida

Jelly Cat

Scout Bags

Design

Joy Susan

Katie Loxton

Blue Q

Gourmet

Mud Pie

Scout Jewelry

Nora Fleming

www.connorsmercantile.com

#ExploreCORNING 2025 Guide

E ditors & P ublish E rs

Teresa Banik Capuzzo

Michael Capuzzo

A ssoci A t E E ditor & P ublish E r

Lilace Mellin Guignard

A ssoci A t E P ublish E r

George Bochetto, Esq.

A rt d ir E ctor

Wade Spencer

A ccounting

Amy Packard

contributing WritErs

Nancy Hesser, Phil Hesser, David Higgins, Karin Knaus, Karey Solomon, Carolyn Straniere contributing PhotogrAPhErs

Nick Thayer

s A l E s r EP r E s E nt A tiv E s

Shelly Moore d istribution

Michael Banik

#ExploreCORNING is published by Beagle Media, LLC, 39 Water St., Wellsboro, PA 16901, in partnership with Corning’s Gaffer District. Copyright © 2025 Beagle Media, LLC. All rights reserved. E-mail info@ mountainhomemag.com, or call (570) 724-3838. #ExploreCORNING is distributed at hundreds of locations in Tioga, Potter, Bradford, Lycoming, Union, and Clinton counties in PA and Steuben, Chemung, Schuyler, Yates, Seneca, Tioga, and Ontario counties in NY.

Whether you are reading the Explore Corning area guide for the first time or are one of our faithful followers, I want to thank you. This guide became a reality ten years ago after a conversation with the Editor & Publisher of Mountain Home magazine, Teresa Capuzzo. In my travels, I’d seen a nifty guide that was a snapshot of businesses featuring their products and services and thought it would be a great showcase for small businesses in the Gaffer District. Fortunately, Teresa and I spoke the same language of “let’s do it” and that was nearly 240,000 copies ago!

One of the best suggestions Teresa made was to also highlight the “rest of the story.” Hence, this guide has always been a way to introduce the reader to the stories behind the hundreds of entrepreneurial dreams that come true in Corning and the surrounding area. It was meant to share the reasons why we are known as a “Shop Local” city, full of unique products, services, and captivating experiences. Whether you are a foodie, passionate shopper, seeking self-care, or someone who loves to get lost in the architectural wonder and the extraordinary arts scene, you will quickly find the stories draw you in.

Before you know it, you have become a visitor and/or a new resident of the Corning area because this is a special community that makes people feel they have discovered their “happy place.” I thank Teresa and her MHM team, all of the businesses who have been a part of this treasured publication, and of course you, the reader. Downtowns like Corning are what they are because people believe in the entrepreneurial spirit and are compelled to support the businesses that help make downtowns thrive, not just survive.

It has been an honor and privilege to share these remarkable stories with you over the past 10 years. I step into retirement in June of 2025 with gratitude for your continued support of small businesses that keep area downtowns strong.

All my best,

Corning’s Gaffer District

SHOP LOCAL SPONSORED BY:

Gaffer District GuiDe

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Great Market Street Antiques Weekend

Collectors of vintage treasures flock to the annual Great Market Street Antiques, Collectibles and Vintage Sale on the last weekend of February each year. For many, it’s a shopping experience as well as a chance to use winter to its advantage. Undeniably, the cold season is a time to enjoy the city more like a local.

“Because it’s once a year, our vendors tend to run a good sale,” says Diane Terwilliger, owner of Market Street Antiques and Collectibles (98 East Market Street). Each of the more than a dozen who rent booth space in her establishment decides what they’d like to put on discount, Diane says. “There’s lots of vintage jewelry, a lot of our people do vintage Pyrex, there are two coin guys, and quirky bits of stuff.”

Shoppers take time checking out the individual booths here and at the Twin Tiers Antique Plaza (67 West Market Street). “It’s a great sale for February,” says Mary Norton, Twin Tiers Antiques owner. “We have forty different booths on two floors, with a lot of vintage things from the 1930s, ’40s, and ’50s.” You can find the classics here, including a lot of glass, Hummel figurines, even a little furniture. Everything in the store is discounted during the sale.

Joe Barlett at Stained Glass Works and Antiques (85 East Market Street) offers an impressive collection of vintage Pyrex, with standout examples of the most colorful versions.

Kitty Erlacher (above) of Erlacher Steuben Glass Collection (26 West Market Street) looks forward to the sale every year, including the fun of welcoming dedicated collectors who can’t wait to see what she’s added. Her encyclopedic knowledge of the pieces in her store grew organically from her family’s long friendships with Corning’s premier glass artisans. Max Erlacher, Kitty’s late husband, was one of the Steuben studio’s foremost copper wheel engravers, so Kitty knows exactly how many versions of each piece of art glass were made and how they were created.

“Everybody is so responsible and so thrilled,” Kitty says of the sale. “They take their time, stand back and look at some of the beautiful pieces—and they’re mostly one-of-a-kind pieces. The sale is [also] a social event.”

Shoppers flock from near and far, making this weekend a vacation, enjoying other Market Street shopping and stops at their favorite restaurants. The roster of participating vendors can change from year to year, but it’s always exciting.

~Karey Solomon

Dynamic Duo of Glassfest

GlassFest in Corning is a Memorial Weekend celebration of glass and the fire arts. Some of the best glassblowers on the planet are on the outdoor stages, using open flame to create dazzling shapes. Tots gaze in wonder at the street entertainers. All along the historic five-block Market Street, diners sip Finger Lakes wines and craft brews at streetside tables, and shoppers explore charming boutiques. GlassFest is one of the best hometown fairs in the entire country. And it’s all free!

Yes, it’s magical, but was created through determination and sheer hard work. Now in its sixteenth year, GlassFest will say a fond farewell to Christine Sharkey and Coleen Fabrizi (l to r), two women who helped envision and build this unique festival. Coleen, a former president of the Corning Area Chamber of Commerce, has led the Gaffer District since 2008, and will retire in June. Chris, formerly a Gaffer District Board chair and then president of Corning Enterprises, retired in 2024 after forty-three years of working in and for the Crystal City.

Coleen, a Finger Lakes native, is one of six children, through necessity developing her work ethic and organizational skills. As the daughter of home-based small business owners, she answered the home/work phone by the time she was in elementary school and pitched in with house and farm chores throughout childhood. Chris, in turn, moved all over the Northeast as her father was transferred from job to job. Her experiences as the new kid in places from Massachusetts to Kentucky helped her become adaptable, resilient, and openminded. With committed sponsors, volunteers and the tremendously talented team of GafferDistrict, Inc., they gave Corning this joyful annual celebration, and even shepherded it through covid to become better than ever in 2025.

The excitement begins at noon Friday in Centerway Square with the traditional Glass Ribbon Cutting ceremony. Old-timey Market Street will bloom with a vibrant mix of street vending, dining, and entertainment. For a fee, visitors can tour the Rockwell Museum, a Smithsonian affiliate, and the world-renowned Corning Museum of Glass (where kids seventeen and under are always free). Friday night, the legendary ’90s alternative rock band Vertical Horizon headlines the Rock the Park concert series in Riverfront Centennial Park. Country star Tony Jackson follows on Saturday night, with spectacular fireworks over the Chemung River. The celebration ends, appropriately, with a Memorial Day tribute at Riverfront Park at noon Sunday and the beloved Arts Festival on Market Street until 4 p.m. GlassFest is rain or shine. And by all means, bring the kids and the doggies.

~David Higgins

World’s First Glassinator

What’s a glassinator? It’s what you get when a milliner and a hot glass blower collaborate on something special for GlassFest! Specifically, Christine A. Moore (above), featured milliner of the Kentucky Derby and Breeders’ Cup, and Janusz Pozniak, a finalist on the hit show Blown Away. A fascinator is a type of formal headpiece designed purely for ornamentation. Often attached to a band or clip, it serves no protective purpose. But the linguistic mashup of glass and fascinator was too good to resist.

Last summer, Coleen Fabrizi, executive director of the Gaffer District, was talking with her friend Teresa Capuzzo, owner of Beagle Media, LLC, who shared that she has a friend in Wellsboro who is a celebrated milliner in the horse racing world. Being a wordsmith by trade, Teresa suggested that Christine could collaborate with a glass artist to create something really unique. “Teresa and I have a long history of ‘out of the box’ thinking,” says Coleen, “and so I immediately said, ‘I think I know the perfect glass artist.’” Coleen contacted Janusz, who’d moved to Corning with his family the previous year, and he agreed. The Glassinator will be unveiled on the CMOG hot glass stage in Centerway Square stage during GlassFest on Saturday, May 24.

But what is a glassinator? We won’t know exactly till Memorial Day weekend when both Christine’s fascinator and Janusz’s glass version of the same design will be unveiled. The collaboration process began with Christine studying Janusz’s work and style, getting inspiration for shapes and designs that would work well in cloth and glass.

“I had never heard of a fascinator before,” says Janusz, “and was immediately intrigued.”

Watching the hot glass demonstrations at the Corning Museum of Glass set Christine’s brain spinning with possibilities on how to design a fascinator that would showcase Janusz’s style and the glass medium. She made some sketches and sent them to Janusz. After talking with him, she got to work on a second set, and third.

Janusz says, “After a little back and forth, we came up with something that I think is a little different, and although it is still in prototype stages, I think it’s looking good.” They talk and share videos of their work, all in hopes of designing something that can actually be worn when created in glass. Weight is the main challenge.

“Any opportunity for two artists from different mediums to collaborate and step outside of their artistic lanes enriches the artists, the mediums, and the audience,” says Christine. ~Lilace Mellin Guignard

Photo: Joe Carroll

June Jam Karaoke Competition

Is belting “Pink Pony Club” with wanton abandon to a crowd on the top of your summer bucket list? Maybe seeing your plumber do a stirring rendition of Kenny Rogers’ “Lady” is more your speed. Either way, the June Jam Karaoke Competition, hosted by Corning’s Gaffer District and Seven Mountains Media, should be added to your summer plans.

Like last year’s popular event, for three Thursdays in June, a local business will host a preliminary round in the competition. Local amateur singers (like above) will show off their pipes and stage presence with one perfect song each on Thursday, June 5 at the Brick (1 West Pulteney Street), June 12 at the Hilton Garden Inn (23 Riverside Drive), and June 19 at Carey’s Brew House (58 Bridge Street). Each Thursday’s song battle will begin at 7 p.m. Twelve singers will compete at each event, with the top three moving on to the final competition, hosted right on Bridge Street on Saturday, June 28, from 4 to 8 p.m. The street will be closed for the evening’s festivities so everyone can boogie and sing along with the finalists. Food vendors and trucks will be on hand while people wait for each finalist to bring down Bridge Street! Personalities from Seven Mountains Media host each competition. Last year’s winner, Violet Serdula, was told to sign up by her chorus teacher, Amy Ginalski. Violet says, “It was super fun because I got to meet other people. I wasn’t uncomfortable. It didn’t feel like a competition.” The two songs she sang at the finals were “I Want to Be a Cowboy’s Sweetheart,” by LeAnn Rimes and “Ironic” by Alanis Morissette. Violet, who recently graduated from high school, sometimes sang with local jam band Planet Jr. “I’m still figuring out if singing is a part of what I want to do in the future,” she says.

Contestants can enter the competition on the Gaffer District website starting May 1 when the sign-up form goes live (gafferdistrict.com/event/june-jam/1882/). As if the glory of rocking the whole Crystal City with one’s take on “Mr. Brightside” isn’t a prize in and of itself, winners take home cash prizes. The big winner earns a spot to perform at the following year’s GlassFest, as well as dinner and a movie for two. Violet, accompanied by some members of Planet Jr, will be opening for Vertical Horizon on Friday night of GlassFest. She will sing covers, ranging from Carole King to Tracy Chapman to the Cranberries. It’ll be a night jam-packed with fun!

~Karin Knaus

A Window for All Seasons

Unlike nature, the seasonal changes in the Gaffer District window displays are not automatic, though those delighting in the results of Annie Koerner’s (above) creativity might not suspect what goes into keeping Market Street so well-dressed all year.

The Visual Merchandising Program was conceived in the late ’90s by Nancy De Lancey, a former director at Corning Enterprises, prior to the establishment of the Gaffer District. Annie says, “Its main purpose was to give the downtown a more cohesive and appealing look to drive business to merchants.” At first the program was offered to any business, but in 2022 it began to focus on retail, though a few restaurants and a bakery are grandfathered in.

Annie, who started as an assistant but, after running businesses and having kids, became sole visual designer in 2019, creates five seasonal changes each year: winter, spring, summer, fall, and holiday. As creative specialist for the Gaffer District, she explains, “My creative brain is constantly searching for new sources of inspiration. I create each window design specifically for each unique business. I get to know my merchants well, and understand their business, merchandise, and target market.” Props are stored in three rooms in the basement of the Gaffer District’s Market Street office and in three storage units. Some of her favorites are the realistic artificial flowers and some fabulous gold dress forms that are very stylized female figures. “It’s a fun day when I bring those ladies out on Market Street,” she laughs.

Gaffer District Executive Director Coleen Fabrizi admits it’s hard to pick a favorite display but that Connor’s Mercantile “is always magical.” She adds, “Then there is Vitrix. Annie incorporates the gorgeous glass pieces available with often whimsical and always complimentary props to frame the shopper’s possible treasures.”

Annie fondly recalls one of her first days on the job as assistant to Ernie Gibbs, the visual designer back then. “I was told to meet him at a business, and I was a little nervous. When I arrived, he was already mid-window design. He was dressed all in black—a black turtleneck paired with black jeans and black sneakers. He was on a ladder hanging gold garlands. I blurted out, ‘Ernie! You’re covered in glitter!’ He smiled the biggest smile, and chuckled, ‘Glitter, glitter, glitter. Lots of fun with glitter!’ I knew in that moment I would love this job!”

And, twenty-five years later, she still does.

~Lilace Mellin Guignard

Wineglass Marathon

FFollowing the Wineglass Marathon in 2010, local leaders Chris Sharkey and Sheila Sutton knew there was room for improvement. “The race was a gem—with much more potential,” recalls Sheila, now WGM race director. The race had a big impact on businesses. Chris notes, “If the race faded away, it would affect the community.”

There were things that had to change. Law enforcement, fire/EMT, and volunteers from several organizations were winging how they made assignments, and management across the groups wasn’t coordinated. In 2011, WGM was refreshed. It became a separate 501(c)(3) with Chris as board chair. She says their plan was to “up the ante as an economic driver and the very best running experience”—a vision that would benefit everyone.

The greatest benefit extended to the volunteers. Organizers were there for all the support people—briefing them beforehand and thanking them afterwards. A Safety Committee coordinated traffic and fire/EMT. “Captains” became the go-to people for the hundreds of volunteers interacting with the runners. The spirit of the race became infectious for runners and support people. The community organizations and schools made the water stops into carnivals with signs, music, and costumes. “We had to waitlist organizations who wanted to join in the fun,” says Sheila.

“We were going to give back to our volunteers,” Chris says. One fire company received funding for a four-wheeler to support runners on roadless sections. By using the online site runsignup.com, runners directly donated to four charities, including scholarships for local track athletes and other students who were key race volunteers.

These changes made WGM run full circle, reaching across the community. Chris quantifies the impact: Over $1 million in donations since 2011; more than $7 million in spending by 6,500 runners and their 1,500 friends/families during the marathon weekend in 2024.

Last autumn, six women from the 2024 USRowing Olympic roster ran the half-marathon, reuniting two months after the Olympics. “The Wineglass half-marathon for me was an opportunity to celebrate our team, the small moments, and the shared love,” says Jessica Thoennes, who finished fourth in Paris in the women’s pair. “It’s a gift in this lifetime to find friends who will get up at 3 a.m. to go compete for fun. The fact that the entire town of Corning celebrated with us is joy beyond words for me.”

Sheila invites everyone to join the city on October 4 and 5 for the WGM, fall scenery, and produce stands glowing with the harvest. It’s a 26.2-mile block party!

~Phil Hesser

This Old Crystal House Restoration

Corning’s historic Gaffer District is a Christmas season fairy tale, especially Centerway Square, which people everywhere can enjoy on the Earthcam Christmas Cam. While St. Nick typically occupies a makeshift gingerbread cottage, Crystal City’s Santa reigns in a glass pavilion imported from Europe. The airy gazebo—perhaps once used as a garden house—was donated to the community by the Corning Museum of Glass in the late ’90s. Its crystalline elegance called out for a role in the town’s biggest and brightest holiday season production, Crystal City Christmas.

The structure’s transformation from summerhouse to winter palace began with painting over the original white framework in bright seasonal colors. Once it was installed in Centerway Square by Dimon & Bacorn Inc. movers, Corning Enterprise’s visual design team made it welcoming and accessible for all visitors, adding lighting, live arborvitae trees around the base, a ramp, and finding the perfect ornate chair for Santa. Fondly remembered as “a magical setting” by Annie Koerner, Gaffer District’s visual design coordinator, the converted Crystal House became a cherished part of Crystal City Christmas for years to come.

Over the past year, when the little palace began to show signs of wear and tear—corroded hardware, faded and chipped paint, and other marks of deterioration—the community rallied to refurbish it in time for the fiftieth anniversary of Sparkle, a December day of street festivities. The project began in the Gaffer District office, jump-started by Ginny Coon, front office coordinator, and her husband Tom. Undaunted by funding limitations (insisting that “can’t” would not be part of the equation), they recruited volunteers willing to share their design and construction expertise.

The team developed a wish list with cost estimates for restoring the Crystal House to its original grandeur. When Executive Director Coleen Fabrizi set to work seeking sponsors, Barry Nicholson, owner of Connors Mercantile, Pure Design, and the UPS Store, offered support for the labor and painting costs. Stevens Paint Store on the northside and Corning Building Company provided the paint, building materials, and supplies at cost.

By the time the work was completed—the result of “can do” spirit and sweat equity—the Crystal House was once again a stunning centerpiece for Crystal City Christmas, its renewed beauty a testament to a giving community that banded together to keep a cherished tradition alive, showing that the Corning Spirit is the Christmas Spirit—year-round.

~Nancy Hesser

arts & culture FIND YOURSELF HERE

Eleven Lakes Market

The business started six years ago with an Etsy shop and kept growing, fueled by Marie Blouin’s (above) love for her hometown. “From very early, I was Finger Lakes-focused, especially on Keuka because that’s where I spent my summers,” she says.

Fast-forward to last September when she opened Eleven Lakes Market (elevenlakesmarket. com) at 38 West Market Street, a store celebrating the creativity of the Finger Lakes and an opportunity for residents and visitors to experience some of that fun for themselves. “I think we were missing a tourist spot,” Marie explains. “We didn’t have a souvenir and mementofocused store.”

A Corning native and accounting professor at Ithaca College, Marie jokes the store grew into a family business from “a hobby gone out of control.”

Because she loves the creative aspect, Marie designed quite a bit of what’s sold at Eleven Lakes, like earrings, custom coasters and ornaments, and stickers and patches highlighting favorite area objects and landmarks, lakeside architecture, the distinctive shapes of several lakes, the iconic Pyrex created at Corning Glass, and more. Some of these are created inhouse with two laser machines translating her designs to wood and acrylic resin. “I really like designing the different products and figuring out what’s the nostalgic thing for people that will remind someone of home or their vacation,” she says. These can be customized into jewelry. Customers can also choose charms, some designed by Marie, to be made by staff members into a unique charm bracelet or other jewelry.

Look for fun hats and tea towels featuring off-beat messages like, “That’s a terrible idea… when do we start?” Chocolate and popcorn flavors from the Finger Lakes are also popular, says staffer Tabby Oakes.

Eleven Lakes also offers several classes every month taught by locally grown guest artists including watercolor painting, cookie decorating, embroidery, block printing, stained glass cooking, and craft “camps” for kids. You’ll even find an occasional class taught by Marie. Class spaces are by pre-registration at (607) 654-4352, but if there’s room for one more, the late-decider or drop-in on the day of the class might be able to attend.

Personal interaction with customers is one of the things Marie loves most. The store’s name is itself a conversation-starter. “We’re all enthusiastic residents of the area and we like to talk about our favorite restaurants and the great places in town.”

~Karey Solomon

Bedcat Studios at the Glass Menagerie

The Glass Menagerie, with its ornate stained-glass sign at 37 East Market Street, has new owners and new life. Stephen (above) and Sloba Breinager bought the building in September 2020 and moved here from Detroit. They had discovered Corning when their daughter started work as a Guthrie ER physician in 2018. Stephen, a metalsmith and jeweler who’d traveled to arts shows for twenty-five years, had retired. When they saw the for-sale sign, his son-in-law suggested they could build an apartment upstairs and sell art downstairs. Stephen says, “It was a natural fit because I like selling art.”

He knew a lot of artists from his art show days, and while there are several glassblowers displayed at the Glass Menagerie, the Bedcat Studios is mixed media. Paintings, wood block prints, fountains, and leather bags from Morocco grace the walls and counters. Whimsical acrobats in bright colors made by Ancizar Marin, a Columbian artist from Florida, climb the walls and hang from the ceiling. Stephen beams, “People walk in and say ‘How beautiful!’ They like the colors and texture. They like that it’s not just glass.”

Sloba says, “we have things from $6 (soaps) up to $3,500.” The latter is a glass reed sculpture by Scott Hartley. Some people come every December to buy a new glass Christmas tree ornament made by Sage Studios. Available year-round, the selection includes a gumball machine (with moving gumballs) and the popular “abduction” that shows a cow being beamed up into a UFO. There are glass figurines, including dinosaurs in a diorama that kids are welcome to play with. The kaleidoscopes are kid-friendly, too.

They have about forty artists, some local. Stephen’s own fountains, with his signature blue hue, can be found here along with his metal handbags. Large abstract oil paintings by Annette Poitau (from Paris but who now lives in Ohio) splash the high walls with vibrant blues, yellows, and greens. Dan Sherlock, renowned local glass artist, has berry-colored bowls and vases with gold leaf etching. They carry the oil/acrylic work of Chris Bell, an art teacher at Horseheads High School who paints images of old trucks, motorcycles, and found things on wood. Sloba points to an empty wall. “Those all sold. We’re getting more soon.” You can see a sampling at glassmenagerieny.com or call (917) 208-0892 for hours.

“It’s an easy lifestyle,” Stephen says. “People are genuinely nice here. No traffic. No crime.” The only ones happier with the arrangement are their four cats, who wander in and out of the store area getting love from visitors.

~Lilace Mellin Guignard

The

Dog Wash Co.

Sarah stands patiently in a sink, waiting for her wash, blow-dry, and trim, while her sister, Libby, already washed, basks in the warm air flowing into her crate. The pair are shelties, extra-furry from winter undercoats they’re starting to shed. It’s a perfect time for attention and a little pampering. They will leave smelling sweeter too, says groomer (and artist) Michael Palmer, who talks to Sarah and pets her affectionately as he works. Like the others who work here at the Dog Wash Co. at 40 Bridge Street, Michael has extensive experience and really loves dogs. When Sarah decides she doesn’t enjoy the sound of a blowdryer, Michael stops while a “happy hoodie” is brought out to cover the doggy’s ears.

“Dogs are pretty much my whole life,” says owner Natalie Lambert. She’s also a professional dog trainer specializing in work with anxious, reactive, and aggressive dogs (find out more at balancedbeginningsk9.com). Sometimes training methods are applied to help an anxious pup learn it’s okay to accept pampering and a little help with grooming.

The Dog Wash Co. provides a spa experience for the family pooches, offering a variety of specialty shampoos, conditioners, and grooming options, including a special shampoo that brightens the coats of white dogs, a sweet-smelling blueberry facial scrub, and a “pawdicure.” Yes, even nail polish is an option. Appointments can be booked online at dogwashco.com or by calling (607) 382-6934.

Most appointments take fewer than three hours, with groomers giving each dog one-on-one attention. The owner is texted, and pets are picked up after only minimal crate time.

For many dogs, professional grooming is essential. “Dogs that shed a lot and don’t have regular grooming get hot spots,” Natalie says. “It’s not only grooming, but doing our best to have a way people can spoil pets in a beneficial way.”

As the Dog Wash Co. expands, she intends to offer a pet boutique including more dog treats. Another service she’ll be offering is a set of self-service stations at the back, where people will be able to come in to bathe and work on their own dogs.

Natalie has six dogs, including high-maintenance German and Australian shepherds, who need more frequent baths, and a French bulldog, Mushu, who’s the salon’s emotional support dog “because he’s so mellow and chill.” You can see Michael’s mural of Mushu on one reception area wall. Some of Michael’s other pet portraits are also on display.

~Karey Solomon

HAMILTON-GIBSON PRODUCTIONS

by Glen Berger

by Patricia Gray

by Michael L. Goodman

by Mark Friedman & Janet Yates Vogt

by Thomas Meehan

by Lilace Guignard

Giuseppe’s Comes to Corning

When you’re successful with something, you want to share with others, especially if it involves food, and that is exactly what Guy Ruggiero (above) and his wife, Beth, have done with Giuseppe’s Italian Eatery, located at 16 West Market Street. And while Giuseppe’s is one of the newest establishments in downtown Corning, the Ruggieros are seasoned veterans when it comes to restaurants.

“I was born in Calabria, Italy, and imported to the United States when I was six,” says Guy, with a laugh. The family settled in Elmira where he grew up learning how to cook from his mother. “As I got older, I worked in different pizzerias, acquiring the knowledge I needed to eventually open my own place.”

That knowledge served him well, and Guy’s first restaurant, Giuseppe’s, was born at 1020 South Center Street, Horseheads. Serving fresh, homemade food from scratch, Giuseppe’s offered classic Italian dishes, seafood, assorted salads, and specialty entrees—like the chicken riggies with Kalamata olives, onion, hot sliced cherry peppers, sweet green peppers, and mushrooms dressed in a spicy cream sauce. Giuseppe’s authentic New York pizza became a favorite among customers. However, at the heart of Guy’s dishes was his homemade spaghetti sauce. “Everyone loved it,” he said. “They told me I should market it so everyone could enjoy it. And that’s just what I did.” Giuseppe’s Famous Spaghetti Sauce can be found in major grocery stores in the area as well as his restaurants.

With the success of Giuseppe’s, Guy bought a second restaurant, Louie’s, at 102 South Main Street, also in Horseheads. “Louie’s is a little more upscale than Giuseppe’s,” he says. A third Horseheads venture soon followed. Light’s Bakery, at 211 West Second Street, was being sold so Guy bought that, too. “It’s been around eighty-four years, and we didn’t want to see it disappear. It’s an institution,” he explains. Then adds, “It’s been a great addition for us. The bread for our restaurants come from there, as well as many of our desserts.”

A newly open storefront in Corning was ideal for their next endeavor. “The opportunity presented itself, so we opened our second Giuseppe’s,” he says. “We’re more than a pizzeria. We want to provide a genuine Italian dining experience.” Giuseppe’s is also available for catering.

Giuseppe’s Italian Eatery is open Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. You can order for pick-up at (607) 973-2024 or online at giuseppesitalianeatery.com and the Slice app. ~Carolyn Straniere

Ella’s Acres

Homestead Kitchen

Ella’s Acres Homestead Kitchen, located at 36 Bridge Street, is a cozy spot aiming to add creative farm-to-table options for Corning diners. As does the menu, the story of Ella’s begins at the farm. Owners Markus and Samantha (third from left) Brown began bringing bread, eggs, and other goods from their own three-acre farm to sell at the Corning Farmer’s Market three years ago. From there, they began offering local sustainable food out of their food truck at the same market, and eventually, in 2022, opened a brick-and-mortar location in the food court of Arnot Mall in Horseheads. Menus for both locations can be found at ellasacreshomestead.com.

On New Year’s Day this year, they returned to Corning. Maggie Hall (second from right), hospitality manager at Ella’s, says, “Our mission is to provide a community space that serves locally sourced, seasonally inspired, delicious food.” Ella’s gets cheese from Backroad Creamery in Mansfield, Pennsylvania, flour from Farmer Ground Flour in Trumansburg, and produce from a bunch of New York and Pennsylvania growers listed on their menu.

The current coffee menu at Ella’s highlights milk from Mystic Meadows Dairy in Ulster, Pennsylvania, and gets their beans—the caffeinated kind—from Copper Horse Coffee Roasters in Ithaca. Current features include the Millionaire’s Latte (a mocha latte swirled with caramel, shortbread, and sea salt, which is made with local chocolate milk) and the Bee Sting Latte (a hot honey and cinnamon latte topped with bee pollen granules from HoneyBeeMade in Big Flats). Or enjoy the Moss & Maple Cold Brew (local maple cold brew, topped with matcha cold foam).

Ella’s popular breakfast fare is served all day. Favorites of locals include the Avocado Croast (avocado, arugula, a local egg, parmesan, and a beet glaze on a flaky croissant), and the decadent but delicious Banana Bread Brûlée (house made banana bread French toast with brûléed banana, house made blackberry jam, caramel, and house made cinnamon pecan granola). But lunch is not to be outdone. They also currently feature five varieties of fried chicken sandwich with hand cut fries, smashburgers, salads, and more sandwiches. You can call ahead at (607) 333-5531 or order online at ellas-acres.square.site.

According to Maggie, “We want Ella’s to be a place where you can grab a quick coffee, celebrate special occasions, host a work lunch, and catch up with your childhood friends.”

Coming to Corning was so successful, they are opening Homestead Baking Co. at 23 West Market Street this summer!

~Karin Knaus

Nickel’s Pit BBQ

Nickel’s Pit BBQ at 20 East Market Street has become the place to go for Sunday brunch. “Our most popular dish is our breakfast tacos—two flour tortillas stuffed to the absolute max with tots, scrambled eggs, pulled pork, cheese, pico de gallo, sour cream infused with our house dry rub, and crumbled bacon,” says chef and co-owner (with wife Jenna) Nick Thayer (above). “We feature egg and cheese sandwiches with brisket or pulled pork every week. We always have our famous smoked chicken wings on the menu. And then there are scones, cinnamon rolls, muffins, hash, grits—oh, and waffles. We make so many waffles. We love making French toast out of stuff not normally French-toasted: coffee cakes, muffins, other quick breads. If I can bake it, I’ll French toast it.”

“I’d tell you to get here early,” says server Ryan Sprague. “This is one-of-a-kind. Many menu items don’t repeat.” Another tip—check their Facebook page for the week’s brunch specials or call (607) 654-7306. But don’t call for reservations; they don’t take any. It’s always first come, first served.

“It’s fun, authentic, and consistent,” Nick boasts. “Although we are constantly featuring new items, our guests know that they will get an excellent meal and quick, friendly service. It’s just the Nickel’s vibe. Eating should be a joyous experience without judgement or pretense. Use too many napkins, be messy, have fun.”

Nickel’s built its award-winning reputation on “smoke and magic,” the transformation of meats by slow-cooking them in a cherrywood-fired smoker. (They also have a location in Watkins Glen.) Brunch has been a core feature here since they opened in Corning in 2019 because “it was always a concept that made sense to me,” Nick explains. “Barbecued meats seem to really agree with hashes, breakfast sandwiches, and other classic brunch dishes.”

Executive Chef Trevor Margeson comes out from the kitchen during brunch to say hello to regulars. “We’re part of their weekend tradition,” he says, pleased.

Breakfast is Nick’s favorite meal, though he doesn’t always have a chance to sit down for it. But when he can, “I’d start with a coffee, a water, and a Bloody Mary. Then, I’d definitely order a baked good, then hash or an omelet. If neither of those are on the menu, I default to tacos. That covers the essential brunch food groups—alcohol, caffeine, sugar, carbs, eggs, and meat.”

~Karey Solomon

Market Street Restoration Agency

After the 1972 flood wrought havoc throughout the Southern Tier, the Market Street Restoration Agency was formed to help transform Corning’s Market Street to a better-than-ever historic district. In the fiscal year beginning July 2024, the 50th anniversary of the MSRA was celebrated when Corning Incorporated offered $150,000 in grants to continue enhancing the Gaffer District. With more than three times that amount additionally invested by building owners, a flurry of upgrades and renovations happened within the past year to make properties more user-friendly, inviting, and energy efficient.

“It really has been a transformative grant that positively impacted multiple properties and helped revitalize historic buildings in the Gaffer District,” says Coleen Fabrizi, executive director of the Gaffer District.

“We applied, and we were able to do four projects, for which we’re very grateful,” says Jesse Gardner of West End Gallery at 12 West Market Street. “It enabled us to get a new fireproof door in the back, three new façade signs, and we replaced four broken windows on the second story.”

Additionally, they were able to archivally restore a fiberglass sculpture called “Time Melts Away,” a Salvador Dali-esque sculpture of a melting clock made by Jesse’s father, Tom Gardner, founder of the West End Gallery. You must look up to admire it because it’s well above street level. “We were able to do a lot with the grant. It would have taken us years otherwise,” she says. The gallery, a linchpin of Market Street, represents more than fifty mostly local artists.

At 114 Pine Street, a few steps off Market Street, a formerly industrial-looking Corningware/ Revere outlet center built in 1945 has been partially renovated and renamed The Suite Experience. The building is owned by MacKenzie Myers who, with her team at the K. Rae Salon and Spa, offers a variety of hair, nail, and spa services in a section of the first floor. Other parts of the building are gradually being refurbished. One upstairs suite of 3,500 square feet, formerly an office space, was converted into offices for a nurse practitioner.

“The grant really helped,” MacKenzie says. It allowed her to spruce up the building’s exterior without having to apply for a construction loan. She was able to have new windows installed, freeing her renovation budget so more building improvements could be done sooner. The

Continues to Revitalize Corning

overarching plan is to provide space for eight to ten more suites geared toward small business owners. “It’s a nice alternative to a storefront and taking on all those costs,” she says, hoping the services provided to eventual renters will allow a collaborative experience.

Architect Elise Johnson-Schmidt (above) of Johnson Schmidt Preservation Architects came on to manage the grant program. Elise directed the MSRA from 1990 to 2001 and continues in an advisory role. “When a merchant wants to do work to the front of the building [including signage], the Gaffer District works with us and the merchant to maintain its historic integrity,” she says.

When Marie Blouin purchased the building at 38 West Market Street to launch Eleven Lakes Market as a storefront, the building’s exterior had a concrete façade from the 1950s and an unattractive metal door. After working with Elise to redesign the front of the building, she had a more traditional wooden façade with a wooden front door. She was also able to replace the shallow front window with a deeper one allowing people on the sidewalk to gain a better view into her store. Elise helped her choose colors for the front to harmonize with her sign, the historical authenticity of the street, and the stores around her.

“It was a really great project to improve the look of the building as well as the look of the street,” Marie says. “It’s tough to be starting up and putting that kind of money into the outside of the building.”

Barry Nicholson, owner of 47 East Market Street (formerly a Tommy Hilfiger store) was another grant recipient. “That was an opportunity to repaint the exterior, replace windows on the second and third floors.” He explains these renovations are more complicated because the building is a corner building in a high-traffic area whose front façade is three times wider than the typical Market Street property, and the deep side is exposed to view (and weather) as well. “Partnering with them is what made it possible,” he says. “These buildings from the 1800s take a lot of love, and, unfortunately, that love costs money!”

“The grant funding for projects like these makes a great deal of improvement possible,” says Coleen. And she adds, the MSRA continues “to offer the commitment to revitalizing the historic buildings in the Gaffer District, with oversight and advice,” in keeping with Market Street’s designation as a historic district.

~Karey Solomon

2025 Endless Mountain

Friday, July 18

Opening Night – “The Wheel Spins, a PA Premiere”

In memory of Keith Cooper 7:00 p.m. – Steadman Theatre, Commonwealth University at Mansfield, Mansfield, PA