Spring 2023 Restaurant Week

205 Dry

A “secret” upscale restaurant that harkens back to the era of speakeasies is an idea that is hard to come by. That’s what makes 205 Dry so great, along with its high-quality, delicious food. With their $35 dinner package, the first course showed off different types of wines, buffalo cauliflower bites and shrimp and grits. The second course includes OG chicken sandwich, herb-crusted seabass and pad Thai. Last but not least, you can enjoy the delights of fried vanilla cheesecake and mango mousse. The pad thai was the most notable dish with its black chili sauce and its nutty crunch, along with the french fries with their perfect potato-to-crisp ratio.

OG chicken sandwich.

The Grove

As a major hot spot in Binghamton, The Grove offered a three-course lunch for $12 and dinner for $25. The first-course lunch options included a Caesar salad, chicken strips or garlic bread. The second course had a crispy onion burger, buffalo chicken sandwich, greek salad and primavera. Finally, the third course offered cheesecake and carrot cake. The garlic bread ended up being a highlight with its soft and buttery texture. The desserts were great too with their moist and zesty cheesecake frosting. The Grove exceeded expectations for this spring’s Restaurant Week.

Carrot cake.

Happy Pappi Arepas Bar

Happy Pappi, a brand new restaurant on Chenango Street, is a refreshing new dining experience because of its menu showcasing Venezuelan cuisine. Offering an $18 lunch menu and $25 dinner menu, their first-course highlights included Yuca fries, plantains and tequeños — a locally made Venezuelan cheese wrapped with pastry and then deep fried. Then they offered a choice of any arepa on their menu as the second item. Their dessert course gives the option of a chocolate chip cookie, a choice of beverage or a quesillo — a cheesy version of a flan. The best arepas on the menu were the happy pelua and reina pepiada. The former contained juicy shredded beef and the latter a chicken salad and avocado combo that will be guaranteed to delight.

Sweet plantains.

Little Venice

Sometimes it’s hard to find quality Italian food in Binghamton, but the solution to that problem can be found at 111 Chenango St., with its $15 lunch menu and $25 dinner menu. The appetizer courses were fan favorites with chicken parm bites and bruschetta. The ravioli with meat logs and eggplant parmesan made a big impression, especially with the amazing tasting housemade tomato sauce and the sweet and savory flavor profiles. The cannoli and brownie were the chosen desserts, and they did not disappoint. The brownie had a chocolate mousse texture that made it irresistible and cannolis filled with cream inside to die for.

Eggplant parmigiana.

Lost Dog Cafe & Lounge

One of the best dining establishments in Binghamton delivered an amazing array of unique Restaurant Week menu items that mixed Lost Dog classics with new ideas that pleased the taste buds. Offering a $15 lunch and $25 dinner with cool items like asparagus cakes, sunny dip, spring chicken cassoulet and guinness chocolate cake. The chargrilled sirloin was well-cooked and flavorful while the spring chicken cassoulet was rich, creamy and hearty. The mint chocolate chip ice cream delicately balanced the flavors well, but the best dessert ended up beating the tres leches cake.

Chargrilled sirloin.

The Shop

The Shop is a hidden gem in Binghamton that is known for its juicy, delicious burgers and creatively-made crepes. For their $25 dinner menu, they offered a variety of firstcourse options such as garlic hummus and a Shirley temple. Their second-course offerings were the double smash burger, veggie burger, feta fig walnut salad and red pepper gournay crepe. For the third course, New York-style cheesecake and iced Irish coffee were available. The crepes were a game changer, along with its red pepper eggplant whip paired with havarti and gumay cheeses, which resulted in a smokey and sweet combination.

Double smash burger.

Social on State

Social On State serves the Binghamton community as a place that emphasizes sharing meals and social interaction, and participated in Restaurant Week with their $35 dinner. Their appetizer options were nothing short of exciting and tasty. Their chicken taquitos carried a fresh lime flavor with perfectly cooked chicken. The two best entree items were the orecchiette pasta and spring risotto. The risotto’s parmesan cheese, along with the green beans mixed into it, gave it a good balance while the orecchiette had a beautiful al dente bite with a punch of acidity from the tomatoes. The desserts, which included banana bread pudding and Nutella chocolate panna cotta resulted in a delectable dessert experience.

Banana bread pudding.

Read our full restaurant week coverage at bupipedream.com bella daidone design manager

Campus housing rates see largest increase yet

Housing rates have seen a constant rise, with the recent jump being $440.

Brandon Ng news intern

Binghamton University is planning to raise on-campus housing rates for the 2023-2024 academic year.

The proposed prices represent a 3.8 percent aggregate increase, or about $440 over the academic year. Residential Life, which aims to support learning and growth by “[providing] a small school residential experience within a premier public University,” has — in conjunction with BU administration — raised