You wanna go where everybody knows your name...

The Christmas rush is over, most of the wrapping paper is picked up and it's that easy time before the New Year sets in and chills us all with a sense of unwanted responsibility. A perfect time for filling the hours by sharing a cup with friends, and in Marcellus, NY, there are fewer friendlier confines for doing just that than the old Alvord House, or the new Daniel's Grill. The Alvord House is run by the Dillon family, whose ancestors have kept a public house on that very site for nearly 200 years. Many a weary traveler has refreshed himself at their doors, and the Halls are no exception. Fridays are Mr. H's favorite night to grace the dining room; early enough to indulge in the shrimp boat special and still move on before the crowds assemble for the Blue Grass concert at the American Legion Post next door. When Mrs. Hall is at the helm, the Cadillac is generally to be found in the parking lot of Daniel's Grill. More urban and upscale, yet intimate enough to enchant, Daniel's boasts a kitchen run by the former chef of the Sherwood Inn in Skaneateles. Daniel's carries Mrs. H's particular brand of Scotch, by the owner's request, and the Halls are often seen quaffing a bracer or two, in tuxedo and gown, before retiring to home. Happily, both these fine establishments are just staggering distance from Penguin Hall.