A ‘one-of-a-kind’ Finger Lakes restaurant to close; winery to take over with tasting room

Lodi, N.Y. — Dano’s Heuriger, which introduced Austrian “wine tavern” cuisine to America via its location in the Finger Lakes, will close at the beginning of next month.
Its spot overlooking the east side of Seneca Lake in Lodi will be taken over as a tasting room by the nearby Silver Thread Winery. That is expected to open by February 2025.
Some of Dano’s signature dishes, such as its Austrian spreads, cold salads, and charcuterie, will be available when Silver Thread opens the new tasting room at 9564 Route 414 on the lake’s eastern shore.
Dano’s last day of service will be Dec. 1. It is hosting a sold-out final celebration event on Nov. 23 that will serve as a fundraiser for the nonprofit World Central Kitchen.
Dano‘s started out as a mostly traditional Austrian restaurant in downtown Ithaca in 1990. It was founded by the late Austrian chef Dano Hutnik and his wife Karen Gilman, who served as pastry chef.
In 1999 and 2000 it offered food at the Standing Stone Winery on Seneca Lake, then moved to the location at Route 414 in Lodi in 2005.
That’s where it began to emphasize the Vienna-style “heuriger” concept, sometimes described as an Austrian version of a tapas bar. It has been cited as the first heuriger (pronounced hoy-rig-er) in the United States.
The menu featured Viennese spreads and artisanal breads, salads, roasted and smoked meats, vegetable, homemade sausages, seafood, homemade pickles and preserves. It combined family-style dining and an a la carte menu with featured wine pairings.
“It really was the perfect concept for the wine region,“ said Michael Turback, a former Ithaca restaurant operator who has also written several books on Finger Lakes food and drinks. ”Dano was a larger than life personality, and, along with the food, that made it a perfect fit for the area.“
Hutnik died in 2018 and Gilman carried on the operation since then. Now, she plans to retire.
“After 34 years, it is time to pursue my other lifelong passion, painting,” Gilman wrote in a recent Facebook post. “… It has been an incredible run. The entire staff is grateful for the support you have given us over the years. I look forward to announcing exciting plans for our wonderful property and building in the near future.”
Gilman is leasing the Dano’s restaurant space to Silver Thread owners Shannon and Paul Brock, and will continue to live nearby. She will also assist in the transition.
“Karen graciously offered to share some recipes and help us on the food side,” Shannon Brock said today. “We’re going to focus on what can be prepared ahead of time,” she said adding that food will likely be offered as appetizers during tastings “for a real wine bar experience.”
The Dano’s space will also used for wine classes and private events, she said.
Gilman said today she initially tried to find a restaurant operator to take over the space, but she believes having Silver Thread move in will be a good fit.
“I think they can preserve some of what made Dano‘s what it was,” Gilman said. “I’m excited for them.”
Silver Thread, meanwhile, will convert its current tasting room, down the hill from Dano’s on Caywood Road off Route 414, into a venue for private tastings. The move to the Dano’s spot provides a much more visible tasting room location, Brock said.
Silver Thread opened in 1991 and its original operators also once owned the property where Dano’s is located. The Brocks bought Silver Thread in 2011.
During his time running Dano’s, Hutnik was twice a James Beard Foundation semifinalist for best chef in the Northeast.
“It was really a unique gem in the Finger Lakes,” said Karl Neubauer, co-owner of the Hollerhorn Distillery in Naples near Canandaigua Lake. Neubauer‘s family is from Austria, and they were fans of Dano’s and its Austrian cuisine.
“We went there many time for family meals and celebrations,” Neubauer said. “It was truly authentic, and a one-of-kind special place.”
Don Cazentre writes for NYup.com, syracuse.com and The Post-Standard. Reach him at [email protected], or follow him at NYup.com, on Twitter or Facebook.