Best of the West
From Ellicottville to Chautauqua, there’s always something something new to do in the Enchanted Mountains.
Best Golf
Want a chance to see 156 of the world’s best golfers in action? Head to Peek’n Peak Resort for the LECOM Health Challenge (July 4-10), an officially sanctioned event of the PGA Tour’s Web.com Tour. The event will be played on The Upper Course at Peek’n Peak and includes a Pro-Am on July 6, followed by four official rounds of tournament competition. Clymer, 716- 355-4141, lecomhealthchallenge.com
Best Summer Party Food
Looking for the perfect no-cook, no-stress summer soiree? Wegmans can set you up with a colorful spread complete with its signature wheat wraps, summer bean and corn salad, penne tomato mozzarella salad, sushi tray, Mediterranean party dip, antipasto, southwestern dip and tortilla chips, baguettes, fruit and veggies. Serves 25 guests. $350. wegmans.com/parties
Best Business Plan
When Paul and Suzanne Mager lost half their 401(k) in the stock market, they turned to a more stable investment — alpaca farming. Mager Mountain Alpacas opened in May 2002. These days, there’s always at least two dozen alpacas on their 65 acres where they also operate the So Soft gift shop. Little Valley, 716-938-9077, magermountainalpacas.com
Best Cheese
Reverie Creamery opened in Mayville just last year as an artisan cheese market, but soon began making its own goat and cow’s milk cheeses to add to the mix of more than 100 cheeses from around the world. Try the most popular selection — Flory’s Truckle, a clothbound cheddar made from raw milk and aged 12 months. 716-789-5757, reveriecreamery.com
Best Boat Rentals
A day of fun on the lake begins at Chautauqua Marina, where you can rent power, pontoon and fishing boats, as well as kayaks, canoes, water skis and tubes. The marina also offers dockage, boat sales, safe boating courses and a ship’s store. Mayville, 716-753-3913 chautauquamarnia.com
Best Bed & Breakfast — The Great Tree Inn
Named for the ancient black locust tree towering over it, The Great Tree Inn is an 1850’s farmhouse and barn on 10 acres in Mayville. It offers seven themed guest rooms with private baths, a hearty breakfast and the option to dine by candlelight on Saturday evenings. 716-753-7989, greattreeinn.com
Best New Restaurant
Southern specialties like buttermilk fried chicken, traditional Creole jambalaya and muffaletta make Toutant the darling of the Buffalo food scene. Room for dessert? Try the oooey goooey cake (think praline pecans and bourbon caramel). 716-342-2901, toutantbuffalo.com
Best French Dining
La Fleur’s executive chef Jonathan Haloua was born, raised and attended culinary school in Paris — a pedigree reflected in the fact that the restaurant is the first and only restaurant in Western New York with a Four Diamond Award from the American Automobile Association. Mayville, 716- 753-3512, restaurantlafleur.net
Best Music Festival
The Ellicottville Sumer Music Festival (July 1-3) bills itself as a festival for families — and for good reason. Held at Holiday Valley Resort, the stage is at the base of the mountain, so festival-goers sit slopeside — either on the lawn or in reserved seats — and are free to bring in their own picnic baskets and coolers. Ellicottville, 800- 349-9099, ellicottvilleny.com
Best Brewery
Southern Tier Brewing Co. founders Phineas DeMink and Allen “Skip” Yahn launched Southern Tier Brewing Co. in 2002 with the goal of reviving the practice of small-batch brewing. These days, they produce more than 100,000 barrels of beer annually and their hand-crafted ales are available in more than 30 states. See the magic being made at the Schalander, Southern Tier’s upstairs tasting room that overlooks the brewhouse. Lakewood, 716-763-5479, stbcbeer.com
Best Waterfront Dining
With two outdoor seating areas right on Chautauqua Lake, The Watermark Restaurant is the place to enjoy incredible sunsets, as well as fresh seafood, steak and pasta. Mayville, 716-753-2900, watermarkrestaurant.net
Best Sea Encounter
At the Aquarium of Niagara, you can book a 20-minute session to touch, feed and play with one of the seals ($55 a person) or penguins ($65 a person). Regular admission ($13, adults; $9, kids) allows you to see the daily penguin feedings, sea lion show, shark feedings and seal presentation. Niagara Falls (U.S. side), 716-285-3575, aqariumofniagara.org
Best Movie Theater
The Chautauqua Cinema was built in 1895 on the grounds of the Chautauqua Institution and was used for performances and education purposes until 1916, when the magic of the movies swept through town. It’s been a movie theater ever since — although a very unusual one. With its magnificent pressed brick walls and terra cotta trim, the building looks more like a church than a cinema. And its films are of a similar quality. The cinema only selects movies that have been critically acclaimed or have won awards. Open seasonally. chautauquacinema.com
Best Horseback Riding
Double DAB Riding Stable has more than 60 trail horses ready to take visitors through fields and woods full of freshwater creeks and wild flowers. Deer, wild turkey and hawks are often seen. Linger afterward for a picnic under the willow tree and a stop at the petting farm. Ripley, 716-736-4418, doubledab.com
Best Selfie
Stop by 21 Brix Winery for a shot with Ella, the pink elephant statue that welcomes guests to the grounds. Ella has several wines named after her, including Ellatawba, a pink catawba wine. Or, if your tastes run on the dry side, try 21 Brix’s cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir or chardonnay. Portland, 716-792-2749, 21brix.com
Best Gifts
Whether you’re looking for something old or something new, the Farm Bell Basket Barn has you covered. Browse their selection of wicker furniture, Lee Middleton dolls, Chautauqua tees and sweatshirts, Minnetonka moccasins, antiques and more. Dewittville, 716-386-4033
Best Classic Hotel
The sprawling, historic Athenaeum Hotel was built in 1881 on the grounds of the Chautauqua Institution. Have dinner at the hotel’s Heirloom Restaurant, where you’ll find pan-seared scallops with strawberry pepper jam, classic veal shepherd’s pie, shrimp risotto and more. 800-821-1881, athenaeum-hotel.com
Best Bet
Seneca Allegany Resort & Casino offers first-class hotel rooms, fine and casual dining options, table games, more than 1,800 reel and video slots — and national acts like the Steve Miller Band (May 7) and Kenny Rogers (May 28). Salamanca, 877-873-6322, senecaalleganycasino.com
Best Extended Stay
Every room is a suite with a separate living area and one and a half baths at Chautauqua Suites Hotel and Expo Center. And every room is what they call “pure and clean,” which means that, in addition to the standard routine, there are 33 specific locations that are sanitized, including the TV remote, knobs, switches and handles. Mayville, 716-269-7829, chautauquasuites.com
Best Ice Wine Experience
The flight of three ice wines at Johnson Estate Winery is served with cinnamon walnuts and Austrian hazelnuts and includes Johnson’s sparkling rosé ice wine, the first and only ice wine made in the United States using the traditional champagne method. Like it? Take home a bottle for $49.49 and keep it simple by serving with strawberries, maybe dipped in white chocolate. Westfield, 800-374-6569, johnsonwinery.com
Best Italian
Founded by Guy and Antoinette Andriaccio in Mayville in 1982, their namesake restaurant has been a favorite ever since. You’ll find the classics — picatta, marsala, parmigiana — as well as seafood, calzones, pizza and Nick’s homemade super sausage, served with provolone, grilled sweet peppers and onion. 716-753-5200, andriaccios.com
Best Cupcake
Behold the blackbird: It’s a dark chocolate-chunk cupcake with a salted caramel center and cream cheese frosting drizzled with caramel and topped with a tiny fondant blackbird. Master baker Andrea Amodeo makes these, as well as dozens of other rotating flavors, at her Buffalo bakery, also named Blackbird. 716-253-1115, blackbirdsweets.com
Best Maple Experience
Sprague’s Maple Farms offers all the seasonal fun you would expect in early spring when the tap is flowing, but it also offers wagon rides, cider and maple donuts in the fall and a visit with Santa and his reindeer in December. The restaurant is open year-round and offers all things maple, including maple pork ribs, maple sausage stuffing and even maple milk shakes. Portville, 716-933-6637, spraguesmaplefarms.com
Best Chocolates
Webb’s Candies is most famous for its fudge made from goat’s milk, which makes it richer, creamier and smoother, but the chocolate-covered potato chips, peppermint patties, peanut butter cups and pecan frogs are just as delicious. All of Webb’s candies are made using copper kettles, wooden paddles and marble slabs and are dipped and packed by hand. Mayville, 716-753-2161, webbscandies.com
Want a chance to see 156 of the world’s best golfers in action? Head to Peek’n Peak Resort for the LECOM Health Challenge (July 4-10), an officially sanctioned event of the PGA Tour’s Web.com Tour. The event will be played on The Upper Course at Peek’n Peak and includes a Pro-Am on July 6, followed by four official rounds of tournament competition. Clymer, 716- 355-4141, lecomhealthchallenge.com
Best Summer Party Food
Looking for the perfect no-cook, no-stress summer soiree? Wegmans can set you up with a colorful spread complete with its signature wheat wraps, summer bean and corn salad, penne tomato mozzarella salad, sushi tray, Mediterranean party dip, antipasto, southwestern dip and tortilla chips, baguettes, fruit and veggies. Serves 25 guests. $350. wegmans.com/parties
Best Business Plan
When Paul and Suzanne Mager lost half their 401(k) in the stock market, they turned to a more stable investment — alpaca farming. Mager Mountain Alpacas opened in May 2002. These days, there’s always at least two dozen alpacas on their 65 acres where they also operate the So Soft gift shop. Little Valley, 716-938-9077, magermountainalpacas.com
Best Cheese
Reverie Creamery opened in Mayville just last year as an artisan cheese market, but soon began making its own goat and cow’s milk cheeses to add to the mix of more than 100 cheeses from around the world. Try the most popular selection — Flory’s Truckle, a clothbound cheddar made from raw milk and aged 12 months. 716-789-5757, reveriecreamery.com
Best Boat Rentals
A day of fun on the lake begins at Chautauqua Marina, where you can rent power, pontoon and fishing boats, as well as kayaks, canoes, water skis and tubes. The marina also offers dockage, boat sales, safe boating courses and a ship’s store. Mayville, 716-753-3913 chautauquamarnia.com
Best Bed & Breakfast — The Great Tree Inn
Named for the ancient black locust tree towering over it, The Great Tree Inn is an 1850’s farmhouse and barn on 10 acres in Mayville. It offers seven themed guest rooms with private baths, a hearty breakfast and the option to dine by candlelight on Saturday evenings. 716-753-7989, greattreeinn.com
Best New Restaurant
Southern specialties like buttermilk fried chicken, traditional Creole jambalaya and muffaletta make Toutant the darling of the Buffalo food scene. Room for dessert? Try the oooey goooey cake (think praline pecans and bourbon caramel). 716-342-2901, toutantbuffalo.com
Best French Dining
La Fleur’s executive chef Jonathan Haloua was born, raised and attended culinary school in Paris — a pedigree reflected in the fact that the restaurant is the first and only restaurant in Western New York with a Four Diamond Award from the American Automobile Association. Mayville, 716- 753-3512, restaurantlafleur.net
Best Music Festival
The Ellicottville Sumer Music Festival (July 1-3) bills itself as a festival for families — and for good reason. Held at Holiday Valley Resort, the stage is at the base of the mountain, so festival-goers sit slopeside — either on the lawn or in reserved seats — and are free to bring in their own picnic baskets and coolers. Ellicottville, 800- 349-9099, ellicottvilleny.com
Best Brewery
Southern Tier Brewing Co. founders Phineas DeMink and Allen “Skip” Yahn launched Southern Tier Brewing Co. in 2002 with the goal of reviving the practice of small-batch brewing. These days, they produce more than 100,000 barrels of beer annually and their hand-crafted ales are available in more than 30 states. See the magic being made at the Schalander, Southern Tier’s upstairs tasting room that overlooks the brewhouse. Lakewood, 716-763-5479, stbcbeer.com
Best Waterfront Dining
With two outdoor seating areas right on Chautauqua Lake, The Watermark Restaurant is the place to enjoy incredible sunsets, as well as fresh seafood, steak and pasta. Mayville, 716-753-2900, watermarkrestaurant.net
Best Sea Encounter
At the Aquarium of Niagara, you can book a 20-minute session to touch, feed and play with one of the seals ($55 a person) or penguins ($65 a person). Regular admission ($13, adults; $9, kids) allows you to see the daily penguin feedings, sea lion show, shark feedings and seal presentation. Niagara Falls (U.S. side), 716-285-3575, aqariumofniagara.org
Best Movie Theater
The Chautauqua Cinema was built in 1895 on the grounds of the Chautauqua Institution and was used for performances and education purposes until 1916, when the magic of the movies swept through town. It’s been a movie theater ever since — although a very unusual one. With its magnificent pressed brick walls and terra cotta trim, the building looks more like a church than a cinema. And its films are of a similar quality. The cinema only selects movies that have been critically acclaimed or have won awards. Open seasonally. chautauquacinema.com
Best Horseback Riding
Double DAB Riding Stable has more than 60 trail horses ready to take visitors through fields and woods full of freshwater creeks and wild flowers. Deer, wild turkey and hawks are often seen. Linger afterward for a picnic under the willow tree and a stop at the petting farm. Ripley, 716-736-4418, doubledab.com
Best Selfie
Stop by 21 Brix Winery for a shot with Ella, the pink elephant statue that welcomes guests to the grounds. Ella has several wines named after her, including Ellatawba, a pink catawba wine. Or, if your tastes run on the dry side, try 21 Brix’s cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir or chardonnay. Portland, 716-792-2749, 21brix.com
Best Gifts
Whether you’re looking for something old or something new, the Farm Bell Basket Barn has you covered. Browse their selection of wicker furniture, Lee Middleton dolls, Chautauqua tees and sweatshirts, Minnetonka moccasins, antiques and more. Dewittville, 716-386-4033
Best Classic Hotel
The sprawling, historic Athenaeum Hotel was built in 1881 on the grounds of the Chautauqua Institution. Have dinner at the hotel’s Heirloom Restaurant, where you’ll find pan-seared scallops with strawberry pepper jam, classic veal shepherd’s pie, shrimp risotto and more. 800-821-1881, athenaeum-hotel.com
Best Bet
Seneca Allegany Resort & Casino offers first-class hotel rooms, fine and casual dining options, table games, more than 1,800 reel and video slots — and national acts like the Steve Miller Band (May 7) and Kenny Rogers (May 28). Salamanca, 877-873-6322, senecaalleganycasino.com
Best Extended Stay
Every room is a suite with a separate living area and one and a half baths at Chautauqua Suites Hotel and Expo Center. And every room is what they call “pure and clean,” which means that, in addition to the standard routine, there are 33 specific locations that are sanitized, including the TV remote, knobs, switches and handles. Mayville, 716-269-7829, chautauquasuites.com
Best Ice Wine Experience
The flight of three ice wines at Johnson Estate Winery is served with cinnamon walnuts and Austrian hazelnuts and includes Johnson’s sparkling rosé ice wine, the first and only ice wine made in the United States using the traditional champagne method. Like it? Take home a bottle for $49.49 and keep it simple by serving with strawberries, maybe dipped in white chocolate. Westfield, 800-374-6569, johnsonwinery.com
Best Italian
Founded by Guy and Antoinette Andriaccio in Mayville in 1982, their namesake restaurant has been a favorite ever since. You’ll find the classics — picatta, marsala, parmigiana — as well as seafood, calzones, pizza and Nick’s homemade super sausage, served with provolone, grilled sweet peppers and onion. 716-753-5200, andriaccios.com
Best Cupcake
Behold the blackbird: It’s a dark chocolate-chunk cupcake with a salted caramel center and cream cheese frosting drizzled with caramel and topped with a tiny fondant blackbird. Master baker Andrea Amodeo makes these, as well as dozens of other rotating flavors, at her Buffalo bakery, also named Blackbird. 716-253-1115, blackbirdsweets.com
Best Maple Experience
Sprague’s Maple Farms offers all the seasonal fun you would expect in early spring when the tap is flowing, but it also offers wagon rides, cider and maple donuts in the fall and a visit with Santa and his reindeer in December. The restaurant is open year-round and offers all things maple, including maple pork ribs, maple sausage stuffing and even maple milk shakes. Portville, 716-933-6637, spraguesmaplefarms.com
Best Chocolates
Webb’s Candies is most famous for its fudge made from goat’s milk, which makes it richer, creamier and smoother, but the chocolate-covered potato chips, peppermint patties, peanut butter cups and pecan frogs are just as delicious. All of Webb’s candies are made using copper kettles, wooden paddles and marble slabs and are dipped and packed by hand. Mayville, 716-753-2161, webbscandies.com