Ithaca restaurateur Lex Chutintaranond embarked upon his third restaurant
venture with the opening of Madeline’s in 1997.
After successfully owning and operating such Ithaca icons as “Thai
Cuisine” and “Just A Taste”, his new project resulted
in a fusion of flavors and ingredients from the Pacific and Western
worlds, creating a unique Euro-Asian cuisine.
The menu at Madeline’s changes frequently and evolves constantly
with the seasons using the freshest ingredients throughout the year.
Desserts are a highlight at Madeline’s, filling all 16 feet of
our fully stocked display case. Pastry chef, Teresa Hutchins, uses
the best chocolate, fruits and liquors available when making the desserts.
The visually stunning bar highlights over 80 single malt scotches
and brandies, a wine list of l00 bottles, representing wines from
across the globe, and offering spirits rarely seen elsewhere.
A view of Madeline's main dining room.
Bio
of Sunit (Lex) Chutintaranond, Owner.
A native of Bangkok, Thailand, Lex grew up in a household of European
educated parents. His love of food was born at home with the family
preparations of Thai, European, Chinese and Indian cuisines.
Lex arrived in America to study at the University of Nebraska. He
went on to Iowa State where he earned a Master of Science degree with
a major in computer engineering. His professional career began with
IBM, as a computer engineer.
In 1988, Lex and family opened the renowned Thai Cuisine in Ithaca,
which is now owned by younger brother Noi and family. Lex’s older
brother Max and family own Lemongrass in Syracuse. This family of
restaurateurs has been successfully feeding Upstate New Yorkers, tourists
and students for over a decade now.
In 1990, Lex went on to open another Ithaca favorite, Just A Taste
Wine & Tapas Bar, which he sold to his chef in 1994, and went
on to found Madeline's in 1997. What’s next?
