My husband and I arrived in Corniglia on November 3, 2013. We chose this town after reading Rick Steve's Italy 2013. Corniglia sounded perfect, small, quiet, and a true taste of Cinque Terre without the hustle and bustle of Monterossa. However, we quickly learned that "tourist" season is over on November 1st in Corniglia. The locals were very rude and dismissive. My husband and I could find nothing open November 4th - the grocery was closed and one restaurant/bar was opened. The unfriendly attendant servicing the bar simply said, "I only have gnocchi with pesto and spaghetti with ragu. Not much left. We will be closing for good tomorrow. Sit down if you like". We felt she wanted us to leave.
Today, we ventured out from Corniglia to Vernazza on the Cinque Terre National Park Trail. Then, we went to Monterossa from Vernazza. Finally, we took the train from Monterossa to Riomaggiore. Our best experiences with the locals was in Vernazza. This was a charming, hustling village with many food options. I would recommend that if you are traveling in the "off" season, make Vernazza your home base.
Bridget