Fine Dining

Gilda's

60 Main Street
Cortland, NY 13045

Phone: (607) 753-7753

Hours: Tuesday - Thursday 11:30 am - 10 pm; Friday and Saturday 11:30 am - 11 pm

Description:

Gilda's is the newest restaurant in Downtown Cortland, having opened in the last week of June 2007. Owner Chuck Masterpaul is no stranger to the business, however: he operated a restaurant called Noggin's in Ohio for 27 years. Chuck was raised in Cortland, where his grandmother operated an eatery called The Lido on Port Watson Street - the location is now home to Amelia's.

Gilda's is named for Chuck's mother, who died in 2000. As a self-taught chef and sommelier, Chuck's vision for the restaurant is eclectic: the menu features pork, oysters, and salads, while the bar offers beer, liquor, and wine by the glass or bottle. He's installed a backbar that was originally featured in an 1870s-era Toledo restaurant and redone the entire place to accent the antiquity of the building, which was built in the 1880s. The decor showcases Chuck's interest in wine: wall plaques composed of wine corks and cases stand out from the brick walls.

The varied menu at Gilda's provides dining options on a scale from casual to very good, while the dishes themselves are uncomplicated and satisfying. Gilda's promises to be an exciting addition to the Downtown restaurant scene.

Interview with Chuck Masterpaul, June 22, 2007