Eliot Fiks has been buying local since before it was cool, or as he likes to say, since “before ‘shop local’ was spelled with a capital L.” He opened Whole in the Wall in 1980 at the age of 22 soon after graduating from Binghamton University in 1978.

Dropping into The Shop on Washington Street feels like stepping into a work of art. Its interior was designed and built by their team to resemble an urban setting, as seen in the exposed red brick wall, which was restored by the owners to give off a metropolitan loft vibe, and the wooden dining tables, which were constructed by hand.

South City Publick House has striking style, and appropriately so, as a large part of being a gastropub (a pub that specializes in serving high-quality food) is the style. From the outside, it looks like it was plucked straight from a British street corner and placed in the middle of Binghamton’s South Side. The three-story building stands out, with red bricks over a shingled awning, columns built into the walls and a freely swinging double door.

When asked what inspired his dishes, Jay Pisculli, the head chef at Social on State, answered “my childhood.” Social on State is anything but a restaurant for children, but its chic interior, creative dishes and buzzing atmosphere might just renew you with a childlike enthusiasm for food.

Little Venice is quite literally your classic Italian restaurant. After multiple moves throughout its history in the city of Binghamton, the family-owned restaurant, now at 111 Chenango St., provides a warm atmosphere for its customers.

Binghamton Hots offers a rustic, comforting ambiance during its lunch and dinner hours. From the first step into the restaurant, you are welcomed with a full scope of the venue. The creative chalkboard wall above the register is a focal point, displaying the array of options they have to offer.