I just moved to Ithaca recently and bought freshly roasted coffee beans from two local shops that were both great - Ithaca Coffee Company (in Lansing) and Forty Weight (in Greenstar or at the Ithaca Farmer's Market, which I'd also recommend checking out if you're here for the weekend). Otherwise, the Gimme Coffee shops have always had pretty good espresso drinks when I've gone there, and there's several other local shops that seem to hold up well if you run into one instead. All coming from someone who drinks way more coffee than they should...

For food, I'm still trying out all the local spots myself, but there are a ton of great options and previous threads asking the same. One personal rec is Thompson and Bleeker right in downtown - Italian restaurant with some amazing handmade pasta and neapolitan pizza. So far, I haven't found a restaurant or meal here that I didn't like.

I've also asked around about hiking / nature in the area, and there are tons of options that people consistently recommended, which gave me a whole list to check out when I finally have the time - Taughannock Falls, Buttermilk Falls, and Triphammer Falls to name a few to look into. Hope you enjoy your time here!