On November 11, 2008, author, restaurateur, and entrepreneur, Michael Turback SHA ’66, led a discussion about his experiences opening “Turback’s of Ithaca” at age 22, pioneering the use of local and New York State foods and wines. His restaurant became an Ithaca icon, and popularized the concept of “dining local”.
He went on to develop “The Original Made-In-New York Stores” which sold only New York State products, co-founded The NEW YORK FIRST Company, one of the earliest online department stores and the History Company, an online source for historic pieces, and has written eight books on various topics from the Ice Cream Sundae to the Ithaca Farmers Market Cookbook.