Binghamton Restaurant Week

I ate altogether too much this past week.

As a poor 20something, allow me to elaborate how that's possible.

There are a few things I absolutely adore about Binghamton. One of these things is Restaurant Week. Yes, we stole the concept from NYC, but it translates in all of the best ways. 

Binghamton has a few really "fancy" restaurants [read: well made food, expensive, and in classier establishments than I frequent on the regular] and a few locally owned and run [borderline hipster] cafes of sorts that get together twice a year (which only started last year), once in the spring and once in the fall, to put together specialty menus at affordable prices. 

Lunch is 3 courses for $10 and dinner is 3-4 courses for $20, plus drinks, tax & tips. 

Not only are you getting to sample some of the best menu items at a discount, you're also helping charity - some or all of the proceeds, depending on the restaurant, go towards a local charity. Last fall they went towards our local CHOW bank, helping them stock up before the holidays, and this week was dedicated to the Boys & Girls Club (where my bestie has worked for many years). They recently established a new building, moving the Club out of downtown and to a more open area. They've since needed to replenish their funds, and it'll be announced how much was raised next week.

So I told Mom how interested I was in going to a bunch of the lunches because I worked most nights, and there's a few new places that sprung up lately that I was dying to try out. She was equally intrigued to join me & we had a few dates (ok we had more than a few).

----Disclaimer: all photos were taken on my cellphone, and some places are dimmer than others, making my pictures.. less than pleasant. I apologize for some not so tasty looking stuff  (and I have no shame for the amazing looking ones, because they tasted as good as they look)----

First up was Crepe Heaven, located on Main Street. I'd never eaten there but we've heard only good things about the fruit crepes (specifically the banana and nutella crepe). My specific goal was to eat things I'd never had before, so rather than try a traditional crepe, I got a MeatLovers, which was basically a dry stew inside a crepe. 

I also had the best chai I've more or less ever had. Foamy creamy and smooth.

Rating: tasty, but I wasn't bowled over. I regretted not getting a fruit one, but in that same vein, I have every reason to go back and try one for real some other time.

Next up was Remlik's. Remlik's has a story, but rather than type it all out, I'll just link you here, to Joshua B's blog (that you should follow religiously if you're local... or just really interested in where I'm from & want the highlights) because he already did the leg work for me. 

Any place that serves a fountain Coke this big, and has free refills, is a solid A in my book. Mom and Carin split a bottle of wine but some of us had to go to work right after and had to pass. 

I had never had spaetzle before, but the woman who sat us and our waiter (David, who was so attentive and funny, ask to be seated in his area) both recommended it so I thought why the hell not. I'd also never had a poached egg, which is the white thing leaning drastically on the side, but I was in heaven. So so tasty. 

My entree was the Cuban Sandwich, also having never had one before. The chips were fresh and home made, and the bread wasn't/didn't get soggy (that's my biggest sandwich pet peeve). 

Dessert rounded the meal with a coconut jasmine rice pudding. I've never had rice pudding, and the texture frightened me at first, but once I got over the texture, the flavor took over. It was rich and the coconut shavings on top were perfect.

Rating: delicious. My favorite eatery by far the whole week. I look forward to going back - don't let the decor fool you: yes it's a beautiful building with a long history of being very classy, but the food was very reasonably priced for the portion and quality, and I didn't feel under-dressed going to lunch in jeans.

Then we found our way to the Number 5 for dinner a few days later. Number 5 is the local place you take your girlfriend when you're going to propose sort of classy place; a special occasion place for most. Very dimly lit, the food is high caliber, and the decor feels regal. All that being said, I don't particularly love Number 5. I know I'm in the minority there, but I need to state that I keep giving it chances even though I haven't fallen in love with anything on the menu (except the French Onion Soup because that's perfection every time).

I started with the Coquilles St Jacques, basically cheesy scallops. The scallops were a wonderful texture, I would have liked the cheese to be creamier though. Mom has the soup, which was great as always, but I was branching out...

The entree I chose was the Greek tenderloin tips with feta cheese. I wasn't overjoyed only because they were cooked much more well done than I like, but I don't think with tips I got a whole lot of options. 

Even though I'd ordered a Coke float for dessert originally, our waiter decided to let us know that the cheesecake was sold out (note: neither of us had ordered cheesecake.) and to replace it for the night there was a coconut custard cake. I leaped at the opportunity. It started out amazing, but I found it to be too sweet for the size slice I got. But really, who complains about a big dessert? I told them it should have been on the menu in the first place. 

Rating: overrated. But that could just be me; others I heard who ate there loved their experience. Can't knock its reputation, it just isn't my cup of tea.

The next day, Mom and I went big: we hit up lunch and dinner. 

For lunch, I joined Mom & Carin at Little Venice, a place I always forget I like. I'm not crazy about their meat sauce, but their pastas are always a win. 

I started with Italian Wedding soup, always a favorite. 

For our entree, Carin and I split cheese raviolis and eggplant parm. The eggplant parm was so filling and so light, and the cheese in the raviolis was fluffy & overstuffed. Mom got the butterflied shrimp, which were perfectly crispy & I know I'll order in the future. 

Desert options sounded wonderful all in and of themselves, but I'd never had a cannoli (I know, for shame.) so I got the chocolate chip one and fell in love. 

Rating: I'll remember how much I like it there next time I'm craving Italian. It harbored some rough feelings/memories for me, but I think those can easily be overcome by butterflied shrimp and eggplant.

For dinner the next night, Dad finally got in on the fun, and we went to Tranquil Bar & Bistro. I'd been there for a beer before, but never for the food.

First course was pan-seared tuna, a fish I was aware I only liked raw, rolled in sushi. It was served cold which I didn't expect, and was laid over an avocado drizzle, which didn't taste a thing like guac, which I was also not expecting. It was still a very complimenting flavor, and the tuna was tender.

A spinach soup followed, an alternative to the otherwise sold out cream of mushroom. It has an unsettling color, but it tasted... well, like warm liquid spinach.

My entree was a Greek meal of lambchop and risotto. The risotto was too olive-y for my taste, but the lamb, especially towards the bone, was rare and (I'm gonna say it even though it sounds tacky) succulent.

Dad had three huge scallops that were superb as well (one seen on the side of my plate). 

Dessert was a chocolate mousse that I was too full to really enjoy. I'm also not a sweet & chocolate kind of dessert person, but as it's off-season, no one offered my preference of fresh fruit & icecream. I couldn't get a good picture of the mousse because it was simply too dark and the glass too reflective from my flash.

Finally, Mom and I rounded out our week having lunch at the Riverwalk Bistro in the Riverwalk Hotel. We met up with Lisa and her grandson Logan. The Riverwalk Bistro was recently renovated and I believe this week was one of the first full weeks it was open to the public. 

I strayed from the $10 BRW menu for the first and only time, opting instead for a half panini and tomato basil soup. The soup was creamy and warm on such a dreary rainy day, and the panini was caprese+, including red peppers and prosciutto to the average mozzarella and tomatoes. 

As delicious as it was, I was jealous of Logan's mac & cheese, so I ordered the 'adult' version to eat half then, half at dinner at work. It was definitely home made, made with white cheddar and topped with panko. An excellent addition to my meal indeed, I enjoyed it while everyone else had dessert. 

I'd like to note that Lisa got the seafood fritters as an appetizer, and if they'd been on the regular menu I would have ordered my own, but alas they were not. So so so tasty, and the cheese dipping sauce was just thick enough.

Rating: the food was enjoyable, but the lunch setting was very old-business man, and we felt ignored by our waitress. I can only assume it was because we had a small child who was making a mess the whole time:

But at the same time, it's not good manners to play favorites with mid-day customers, especially the ones that realize they're being a bit interruptive and intend to tip generously. Never underestimate customers with children. 

That leads me to my last point:

I'm not going to get into particulars because I understand how hard customer service is and how a bad mood can effect how you handle yourself at work & it all could have been flukes, but places with bad (read: questionable, unattentive, and gruff) service seriously downplayed how good the food could have been. It's tough to enjoy your meal when you were left without anyone taking your order for twenty minutes, you haven't had a water refresh since you sat down, or the waiter asks how your meal is without stopping for half a second to hear your response (all of which took place at various restaurants during the week at once time or another). 

I understand how hard it is to be a waiter, I get that it's fast paced, I've been there done that and been horrible at it myself. But some places that would have otherwise had a stellar meal rating left us with a bad taste in our mouths, so to speak.

There were multiple places I would have liked to eat at, but for the most part I frequent them already, and the Week's deal was too good to pass up to try new things.

And now it's back to being broke and hopefully losing all the BRW weight. 

In other news, I have big big summer plans. Expect a lot of them to be centered around the things about this town that make my heart go pitterpatter. Plans are only set to start in the summer, but they're a significant life decision I think. I can't wait to see how it pans out. More details when I can commit to them fully. 

Just know: I don't foresee this summer being boring. 

(edit: aw shit. I forgot my promised 'in my bag' post... it's coming. Soon. I promise a second time.)