There's a bustling barn perched on a hill about 15 minutes outside of Syracuse. The hidden gem is called Palladino Farms, the home of Heritage Hill Brewhouse.

“He came here at 16-years old, didn’t speak the language, hurdles all the way. Had no money and then built all this and bought a farm that’s capable of continuously adapting," Palladino Farms partner Dan Palladino said of his grandfather, Nunzio.

Nunzio Palladino bought this farm in 1951. What started out as dairy expanded into crop and beef. Nunzio even started an equipment dealership.

“You can see the equipment dealership. This is where the brewery is now. This is where we’re standing and you can see the field. Anywhere between 50 and 75,000 people came. You can see the governor's helicopter. That’s Mario Cuomo with my grandfather," Palladino said.

Pictures like the one Dan is describing are scattered on the walls of the café. The one was from 1986, when thousands of people came for Empire Farm Days. The following year, Nunzio passed away.

“My father and my two uncles took over the farm and continued it as a crop and beef farm," Palladino said. 

After 22 years of running things, Dan’s father, Nick Sr., passed away unexpectedly. Instead of selling, Dan chose to leave his job in finance to return to his roots.

"The final straw that broke the camels back is I was at a leadership meeting with the company I was working with and a senior VP goes to tell a story," Dan said. "He said 'I grew up on a small dairy farm in Vermont' and he says 'my father came to me in high school wanted to talk to me about my interest in the farm,' and I said 'hell no I want a real job.' I was like 'I have nothing in common with you guys.' That’s when I decided to leave."

After his return, Dan and his brother, Nick Jr., converted the farm to organic crop production.

“You see our beef cattle," Palladino said. "Look at them out in the pasture. They’re just happy. I like to keep it all here. That was kind of the idea of opening the restaurant. People can taste that difference. They appreciate it."

A restaurant and brewery that opened in 2018 that is literally farm-to-table, with breathtaking views.

“We’re so high you get the most amazing sunsets every night. It lights it up with reds and purples and pinks," Palladino said.

It’s not just the views that grab your attention. This is a farm, so you get the sights and sounds of animals like goats and roosters.

“The purpose of this is to allow kids to be out there. Experience the farm. To see it to touch it to smell it and I love that," Palladino said. 

“It’s really nice to be able to connect people that don’t live on farm or get to experience what it’s like to be on a farm to see their faces light up when they see the turkeys running around," said Tayla Palladino, Dan's daughter. 

Just like Dan, Tayla also grew up living the farm life, and now she works alongside him.

"I have a great sense of pride here. Everyone knows the name Palladino. It’s nice to hold that name on our shoulders," Tayla said.

In just 70 years, Palladino Farms has grown into a local hidden gem. Whether it’s a for a meal, a brewery tour, an animal visit or just to see a sunset, there’s a laundry list of reasons to stop here on your next “Trip on a Tankful.”