Pipe Dream Restaurant Week Special 2013

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225 Water St (607) 722-7575

Henry S

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Water Street Brewing Co. 168 Water Street (607) 217-4546

Burger Mondays 23 Henry Street (607) 722-7777

Lost Dog

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41 Court Street (607) 217-4815

Washin gton Str ee

96 Front Street (607) 724-84244

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Galaxy

Court Street

Thai Time

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Front St re

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222 Water Street (607) 771-6063

Chenango River

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111 Chenango Street (607) 724-2513

The River Bistro

Your Key to Unlocking Restaurant week

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Little Venice

Binghamton Hots

SakĂŠ-tumi 71 Court St (607) 238-1771

Zona & Co. Grille 15 Hawley Street (607) 772-9662

128 Washington Street (607) 296-4687

Still hungry? here's more pla ces to eat: Cafe West 46

46 Seminary Avenue

(607) 723-3189

Cortese 117 Robinson Street (607) 723-6440

Crepe Heaven 217 Main Street (607) 217-7188 Cyber Cafe West 176 Main Street (607) 723-2456

House of Reardon 25 Grand St (607) 722-9674 Remlicks 31 Lewis Street (607) 217-4513

Gallagers Irish Pub South Side Yanni's 92 Robinson Street 1200 Vestal Ave (607) 773-3333 (607) 723-1403 Loft at 99 Tranquil Bar/Bistro 99 Court Street 36 Pine St (607) 217-5911 (607) 723-04 95

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Kathryn Shafsky | Release Whether you’re living on campus and facing the repetitive Sodexo menu or a student who only knows how to boil pasta and pour cereal, there comes a time when your palate needs something a little bit different. What could possibly satisfy that craving for something that’s both comforting and outside your comfort zone? Here in Binghamton, it’s Thai Time.

Located at 96 Front St., Thai Time offers reasonably priced, delicious Thai cuisine that will leave you questioning why drunken noodles aren’t a staple at every frat party.

While Thai Time may appear small upon first glance, stepping inside reveals a fairly large space great for both big groups or intimate meals.

Having designed an interior that makes you momentarily forget about the

Downtown scene, the owners have done a great job creating a truly great restaurant experience. With a full bar downstairs and a new patio, Thai Time may even become a new, more refined hotspot for those looking to have some fun Downtown.

Thai Time is known by a number of students for having some of the best food in Binghamton. More importantly, the restaurant is consistent in the quality and taste of its food.

“I really enjoy Thai Time,” said Sierra Taccetta, an undeclared sophomore. “Of the multiple times I’ve went there, there hasn’t been one time that I disliked any of the food.”

With many entrees ranging from $9 to $15, it is easy to enjoy a meal at Thai Time without breaking the bank.

Best of all, Thai Time gives customers the most for their money. Portions are large enough to take home and eat for

breakfast the next morning or after a drunken night, when nobody wants to wait painstakingly on line for food at Night Owl. “My favorite dish is the drunken noodle,” Taccetta said.

Deciding where to go during Restaurant Week can be difficult, and the great things about Thai Time are the value of its lunch and dinner deals and the wide range of dishes it offers. While other restaurants offer about four or five different entree options, Thai Time offers almost the entire menu. This includes various types of curry, noodles, stir-fry and fried rice, not to mention the eight different appetizers to choose from for dinner. Most of the dishes are served with vegetables or tofu as the base, making it easy for vegetarians to find a dish they’ll enjoy.

Both the fixed lunch and dinner prices offer a considerable discount on a three-

course meal from the restaurant, but to grab the best deal, go for the lunch menu. While there are fewer options, the choices are still vast compared to some of the other participating restaurants, and a lunch entree alone during a normal week would cost more than the entire three courses together.

“The food at Thai Time is great, and with such a great deal, I really don’t see any reason not to check it out,” said Ricki Zimmerman, a sophomore majoring in English. “Restaurant Week is a great time to explore what Downtown has to offer without feeling like you’re overspending.”

Thai Time is open on weekdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for lunch and 4:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. for dinner. It’s open from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturdays and 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Sundays.

er g Photograph in/Contributin Roshana Sirk

Kieran Mcmanus | Release This Restaurant Week, make sure to stop by Galaxy Brewing Company.

Whether you want a delicious, cheap meal or want to try a few of its freshly brewed taps, Galaxy has you covered.

The Brewing Company opened its doors less than a month ago, and it’s here to stay. A very modern and sleek atmosphere makes for a terrific dining (or drinking) experience.

Thought Lost Dog Café was the only place to get a great vegetarian meal?

Think again.

E g g p l a n t ,

quinoa, kale and fried green beans are just a taste of what’s on the menu for Restaurant Week, so feel free to bring your herbivore friends.

And of course there are juicy, meaty burgers to compliment your brews.

All fried items are made with their delicious tempura beer batter, so be sure to check those out.

Walk in and see the actual tanks where they brew the unique craft beers you’ll soon be drinking.

Try Galaxy’s Belgian ales, India pale ales, stouts or porters.

And if you’re feeling adventurous, try a

Time Fry from Thai Noodle Stir-

creative brew like the mint chocolate stout. If you don’t want to miss out on any brews, pay $5 to sample four at once.

Stay awhile and sample as many as you can, since this is the only place you’ll get a chance to.

So if you’re looking for a filling and affordable meal, a terrific dining experience and a place to drink with friends, check out Galaxy this Restaurant Week. You’ll leave full, happy and a little buzzed.

The craft brews truly are … out of this world.

A beer flight fro m Galaxy Brew ing Company

Jules Forrest/Sta ff Photographe r

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Emily Mancini | Release For the best wings in Binghamton, you have to head south. South Side Yanni’s at 1200 Vestal Ave. is the place to go for good, old-fashioned comfort food with a Greek twist: from mac and cheese to gyros, burgers to buffalo wings. The corner-side pub has a casual, come-asyou-are atmosphere with prices that will satisfy your wallet as well as your appetite.

The menu features standard bar fare: fried appetizers, wings, burgers and sandwiches. It has Greek options as well, including gyros, souvlakis, salads and

the infamous Yanni burger, which comes smothered in tzatziki sauce and feta.

“Their regular buffalo wings are really delicious,” said Endicott local Mike Marulli. “They also have Greek-style wings that are made with oregano, garlic and lemon, which are good too.”

In addition to the menu, Yanni’s has a variety of specials that change daily, from spaghetti and meatballs on Thursdays to homemade meatloaf and mashed potatoes on Tuesdays.

“The mac and cheese special on Friday is my favorite,” said Endicott local Kris Johnson. “The specials are all affordable and really, really tasty.”

Due to its location, Yanni’s is somewhat of a hidden gem, unbeknownst to the general student body.

“I don’t often see big packs of students in here,” said Binghamton local Edward Cranston. “It’s a big hotspot for townies because the food and the prices are so good. It’s like a local secret. It might also be that way because they’re kinda strict with their ID policy.”

To sweeten this delicious deal, South Side Yanni’s is participating in Binghamton’s fall Restaurant Week, which runs from Sept. 17-26. As per the deal, Yanni’s will be offering a three-

course lunch for $10 and a three-course dinner for $20. They will be releasing some menu favorites on the Restaurant Week selection, including spiedies, a Binghamton specialty. Proceeds from Restaurant Week go to CHOW, the Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse, which supplies numerous local soup kitchens and community meal programs with food.

If you’re looking for a relaxing pubtype atmosphere complete with bigscreen TVs, rib-sticking comfort food, decent prices and no-nonsense tap beer, Yanni’s is the place to go and grab a bite.

Rich Kersting | Release

Paige Nazinitsky/Managing Editor

Enchilada from Zona & Co. Grille

Gabriella Ginsberg | Release At this point in your Restaurant Week journey, you’ve probably scoped out plenty of lunch places — it’s hard to beat three courses for $10.

However, you are an adult now, and that means it’s time to join the big leagues and have at least one nice dinner, too. The Loft at 99, which was recently remodeled, is the perfect opportunity for you to step out of your comfort zone and

If you’re one of the many campus bar crawlers, it’s very possible that you’ve walked right past Zona & Co. Grille’s on the corner of “Gorgeous Washington” Street. It’s that little place with the really cool patio outside. Yeah, you know the one. Emulating that very familiar, very comfortable American bar ambiance, Zona’s offers a very diverse and unique menu, spanning countries, cultures and cuisines. The menu offers a contemporary take on classic southwestern, Asian and American cuisine in an atmosphere that doesn’t feel like a gimmick.

Ever pass up a chance for good Mexican food because you didn’t really feel like putting up with sombreros and mariachi? Not at Zona’s!

The interior is warm and neat: red walls, dark tile floors, five TVs hanging all around the room. A few of the tables are made from slices of a log, very rustic. The menu may seem limited, but whether you like tacos, burgers or udon noodles, Zona’s has a little something for everyone. It shows in the clientele too. Whether you’re a crew of moms out for a glass of wine or a college bro pack out to watch the game, Zona’s is the place.

The food, of course, is incredible. The portions are big, which is good, because you’re going to want to take some home, and the appetizers are fair to share. The nachos are made with their house-fried corn chips (taste more like puff pastries), layered with black beans, jalapeños, pico de gallo, sour cream, your choice of chicken or shrimp and melted queso. The beauty behind the dish lies in the

try some new twists on classic dining favorites. That being said, with so many amazing options, it’s hard to choose just one item for each course!

Kyle Bunker, one of the Loft’s owners, is here to help foodies with the incredibly difficult choice of dishes.

“We design all our dishes to satisfy the palate of our diners.

Their choice is driven by their own taste buds. When diners don’t know what to choose, we

often recommend they order a couple different items and share the dishes family-style,” Bunker said.

The Loft’s atmosphere is that of a fine dining establishment, but has a casual feel. The service is friendly and very professional, and the Restaurant Week menu is diverse but comfortable, featuring autumn-inspired choices such as butternut squash soup and pumpkin desserts.

“We’re taking the opportunity

cheese sauce; it’s more creamy than cheesy and avoids that fake cheese taste that you’d get in a high school cafeteria. They’re also seemingly never-ending, which is nice at a base price of $11 (with chicken). However, there is plenty to go around, and sharing among the table is highly recommended.

Gavin Morrow, a sophomore majoring in chemistry, claims they’re “the best nacho’s I’ve ever had.”

For the entree, Zona’s makes sure nobody is left in need. With seven different quesadillas for around $11 (they’re gigantic too), they have everything from plain queso to buffalo chicken to chicken bacon ranch. The tacos come soft, ready to be devoured. The burritos come at a price that rivals even the best that Chipotle has to offer. The sandwiches (burgers, Philly cheesesteaks, typical bar food, all around $12) come the way they should, and the homemade french fries are something to be applauded.

Not too greasy, and topped with a salivating seasoning. Oh, and if you’re feeling a little Pacific, they have udon noodles (about $12) that will make you want to say, “Hee, sore wa yokatta ne!” (Roughly, “Wow, that’s great!” according to japanese.about.com.)

Zona’s offers a unique contemporary take on everybody’s favorite foods and offers them in generous portions and beautiful presentations.

You wouldn’t expect it at first glance, but this isn’t your typical American bar and grill. So this Restaurant Week, consider Zona’s your stop for the food you love, in the atmosphere you enjoy, for fair prices with which you can’t help but agree.

to include some ‘taste of fall’ options,” Bunker said. “Our kitchen and dining room are extensions of our home. We hope that when customers leave they will have enjoyed the total experience — our food, our hospitality and our venue.”

So put on a nice shirt, beg your parents for some extra cash and give the Loft a shot — it’s time to be a grown-up.

10 Healthy Options Binghamton’s most famous time of year, Restaurant Week, is back and in full swing.

With more than 20 participating restaurants offering great deals on (mostly) great food, mobs of students and locals alike have their forks and knives ready. Yet, with three courses being the standard of Restaurant Week, it’s easy to get carried away quickly and forget about everyone’s favorite word: calories. After all, Binghamton isn’t America’s second most obese city for no reason. The Downtown restaurants offer a huge selection of delicious foods, many of which are loaded with fat, sugar and yes, calories.

Yet it’s not hard to see the healthier alternatives if you’re willing to look for them.

Of course, there are a few exceptions. There are some restaurants, including Burger Mondays, Café West 46 and Czech Pleeze to name a few, which do not offer the healthiest meals on their Restaurant Week menu. If you wish, you could always order something that’s not on the Restaurant Week menu. But, who wants to do that?

In an effort to keep Binghamton from becoming No. 1 on American’s fattest cities list, here is a list of 10 healthy dinners from 10 different Restaurant Week locations, in no particular order. Now all you have to worry about is the willpower.

1. Whole in the Wall Course 1: Organic Mixed Green Salad (with seasoned oil and vinegar) Course 2: Stir-Fried Vegetables (with organic tofu over brown rice) Course 3: Fat-free Blood Orange Sorbet 2. Cortese Restaurant Course 1: Breaded Mushrooms Course 2: Fresh Salmon (with honey mustard glaze) Course 3: Espresso 3. Lost Dog Café Course 1: Sugarcane Shrimp Cocktail Course 2: Dog House Salad Course 3: Kale Pesto Salmon 4. saké-tumi Course 1: Edamame Course 2: Miso Salmon Course 3: Green Tea Ice Cream 5. Galaxy Brewing Company Course 1: Rocket Salad Course 2: Soup du Jour Course 3: Quinoa Barley Chili

6. Water Street Brewing Co. Course 1: Blackberry Salad Course 2: Corn Chips (with butternut squash salsa) Course 3: Apple Cider Chicken 7. Number 5 Restaurant Course 1: Apple Pecan Salad Course 2: Stuffed Peppers Course 3: Homemade Ice Cream Sandwich 8. Zona & Co. Grille Course 1: Black Bean Soup Course 2: Ancho Citrus Grilled Fish Tacos Course 3: Rice Pudding 9. The Loft at 99 Course 1: Kale Caesar Course 2: Grilled Salmon and Beefsteak Tomatoes Course 3: Gorgonzola and Walnut Stuffed Apples 10. The River Bistro Course 1: Spinach Salad Course 2: Pan-Seared Salmon Course 3: Warm Apple Turnover à la Mode

Rebecca Porath | Release

Alexandra Wolff | Release It’s everyone’s favorite week (or 10 days, rather) here in good old Binghamton …

Restaurant Week! That’s right, it’s time to ditch the ramen noodles, the Night Owl burgers and the failed homemade concoctions for a greatvalue lunch or dinner at one of the local restaurants. Personally, this is one of my favorite things about living in Binghamton, and I think every student should head out and explore the local cuisine.

Don’t know where to start?

Everyone loves Italian, so head over to Little Venice Restaurant. Little Venice is one of the best restaurants Binghamton has to offer, and it all comes down to one thing: home cooking. The pasta is juicy and made on-site. The tomato sauce is hearty,

and you’ll find yourself licking the plate just to savor every morsel of it.

The gelato is creamy and comes in so many varieties, you won’t know what to do.

Opening the door to Little Venice, you’ll nearly fall over from the smell of the food being cooked in the kitchen. The welcoming atmosphere and the friendly staff will usher you to a table as you admire the paintings on the wall. If you weren’t starving already, you’ll feel your stomach start to growl as you glance at the plate of everyone you pass, trying to scope out what dish looks the best.

From my experience, you can’t go wrong.

Zachery Szkolnik, a senior majoring in philosophy, politics and law, is also a big fan of Little Venice.

“I really liked both my meal and the atmosphere of Little Venice

because it really seemed to be truly authentic … Everything was clearly handmade and had taken time to prepare, and I really enjoyed it because of that,” Szkolnik said.

For my appetizer, I got the bruschetta, which was prepared traditionally with olive oil, garlic and tomato. The portion was very generous, and I had to make sure to save room for the main course. For my entree, I chose eggplant parmigiana.

I’m not a huge fan of eggplant, but I wanted to try it because it was a dish I don’t usually have. And from all the reviews I had heard by wordof-mouth, if I was ever going to enjoy eggplant, it would be here.

Let’s just say I’m very glad I took the risk. The ratio of sauce-to-cheeseto-eggplant was well-balanced, and I loved that it came with a side of pasta because I really wanted to try

the famous homemade pasta I had heard so much about. I really got the best of both worlds.

Elizabeth Eng, a senior majoring in psychology, loved the food as well.

“My favorite part was definitely the homemade pasta. It was so fresh and delicious!” Eng said.

For dessert (not that I had room for much of it), I chose the gelato, which was rich, creamy and fresh.

With nearly 10 flavors — including vanilla caramel brownie fudge, cappuccino and mint chip — you have choices.

Freshmen, head down to Chenango Street and bring your friends for great, first-semester memories. Seniors, if you haven’t been, put this one on your bucket list! When you get tired of your own food and miss a quality meal, this is the place to be.