Social on State has become a staple of Downtown Binghamton’s restaurant scene, known for its abundant selection of tapas and its moody ambiance. This Restaurant Week, Social on State offers a $25 three-course dinner menu with both dine-in and takeout options.

Upon entering, I was escorted to the outdoor dining area, which was nestled behind the restaurant. Ornamented with hanging lights and remixes of radio hits from the early 2010s playing through its speakers, Social on State has the perfect atmosphere for a date or eating with a couple of friends. The restaurant abided by social distancing guidelines and its friendly and welcoming staff ensured safety was paramount.

For my appetizer, I started with the fried burrata. The plate featured a crispy ball of creamy mozzarella in a hearty vodka sauce, coupled with two pieces of garlic bread and some prosciutto. I grew up in an Italian household where foods like this formed my childhood, so the burrata was a no-brainer to order. The bread was crisp and tasty along with the vodka sauce and cheese, opening my tastebuds to the rest of my meal. The prosciutto was tender and delicious, adding a nice salty kick to the vodka sauce. Though the mozzarella was not as creamy as I had hoped, it was enjoyable nonetheless. The fried burrata was the perfect appetizer for the rest of my meal.

I also had the luxury of tasting my dining partner Ariel’s appetizer, which was the spicy tuna tower. With a combination of yellowfin tuna, avocado, sriracha, seaweed salad and crispy wonton, this dish was an eye-opener for me. As someone who is very picky when it comes to seafood — especially raw seafood — I thought this dish was perfect as a starter to the three-course dinner.

For my main plate, I ordered the Social Sliders. These small burgers featured grass-fed beef, a heavy dose of brie cheese, balsamic onions and arugula. The sweet onions complemented the salty beef perfectly with the arugula acting as a palette-cleanser, giving me a fresh and tasty bite every time. I did, however, feel that the brie cheese may have been too much. At points, it felt like I was biting into just cheese, losing the texture and flavor of the beef. Regardless, I felt the two sliders fit perfectly as an appetizer, but not so much as a meal.

Ariel got the macaroni and cheese, which featured corkscrew cavatappi pasta drowned in a smoked gouda cheese sauce. The dish resembled a fondue fountain of cheese and was delicious with every bite, tasting as good as it looked.

Macaroni and cheese.

At this point, the staff at Social on State surprised us with a pan-seared sea scallop dish on the house. I am eternally grateful that the staff brought out this plate because it truly was something else. The seared scallops, coupled with grilled corn, tomato, basil and crispy prosciutto in a light puree, were cooked to perfection and reminded me of home cooking. It’s safe to say that although we were feeling quite full from our other dishes, Ariel and I licked the plate clean.

To top it all off, for dessert I ordered a Dutch apple pie, which featured a streusel topping and cinnamon whipped cream. Though I am more of a fan of apple pie with big apple chunks poking out of it, the soft and mushy nature of this apple pie filled my taste buds with joy. The cinnamon whipped cream and streusel added another element of fall flavor with this dish, which was a beautiful thing to look at. I was a bit disappointed when the pie came out cold, but that may have been due to the heavy dose of cream on top. Ariel ordered a chocolate pudding that was creamy, chocolatey and fresh, making me feel guilty for taking so many spoonfuls.

This was my first time eating at Social on State and I was more than happy that I came here. With its comfortable atmosphere and delicious dishes, it’s safe to say that I will be coming here again to enjoy some good food with some good company.