I have not been to a "restaurant" in - well - what feels like an eternity. And, so when we were driving through upstate NY on the way back from our second vaccine in Elmira, I jumped at the idea that we phone and pick up at a place I had heard of but never visited - nor tried. The place: San's Dumplings. Wow, am I glad we did!
First - the place is lovely - a small area at Kemmeter Winery - which smelled amazing. As you walk in, you can watch the dumplings being made and, as importantly, SMELL (yes, I am repeating myself) amazingly enticing smells. The parking is nearby - and the ambience welcoming. It is right off the road - and easily accessible.
Second, the menu, while limited, is very pleasing. There were dumplings - chicken, pork or tofu - available spice/not spicy in various sizes. We got some chicken and some tofu, the former spicy and the latter not spicy. Both were amazing, though the not spicy a bit duller. The dips were amazing too. And, we did get (a bit too much) dessert - from the person who I wish I knew here name - who seemed to own Sans Dumplings. It was a chocolate concoction with bananas - and truly startlingly amazing.
Third, the people were amazingly welcoming. I spoke with the chef (who is San - the chef's chinese name - also goes by Imelda and her husband and she own the Kemmeter winery) for some time, and was amazed at how open she was to talking about her own tweaking of the desserts - and the ways sweet/salty go together.
Of course, this led me to other dumpling adventures - including googling around to discover something of the history of dumplings. They seem to be a "thing" in various cultures (perhaps obvious now that I think of it), to be shaped in many ways, and often (but not always?) to include a filling inside a dough of some sort. I encourage you to read this piece from pre-COVID history (originally 2014 and then revised in 2018) on the dumpling and its histories.
So: in sum, I can't wait to go back and have dumplings again. You should try them too. And yes, the place name is rooted in San's Chinese name - but the word play forces me to say: don't go sans dumplings!
(I am not alone in thinking this. Here is an announcement of the dumpling restaurant's opening. And, if you are interested in the winery, click here.)
Address: 1030 Larzelere Road
Penn Yan, NY 14527
Phone/Email: (315) 530-2604 / [email protected]
