On 111 Chenango St. lies a Binghamton culinary landmark, a pillar of the institutions of this town and the best Italian eatery in Downtown Binghamton — Little Venice. The location dates back to 1969, when the restaurant’s owners had searched for a new building after the previous site fell victim to a fire. This past Wednesday, my photographer, Jocelyn, and I took a trip to the restaurant to revisit this institution and its $25 three-course dinner options for the spring 2023 Restaurant Week.
Upon stepping into this establishment, I was overwhelmed by the beautiful paintings that hung on the walls and the strong smells of delicious food. What I was looking forward to most was the housemade tomato sauce and the fresh pasta, a rarity on menus in Binghamton. For the appetizer, we ordered the chicken parm bites and the bruschetta. The chicken parm bites were crispy and coated in a delicious covering of housemade tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese. The bruschetta on the other hand, brought a bright, fresh-tasting, garlic-infused diced tomato and bread dish. Each bite of the Bruschetta was illuminated by the umami present in the tomatoes — bringing out a unique and inviting flavor, beckoning you to eat more of the decadent concoction.
For the entree course, we ordered the ravioli with meat logs and eggplant parmigiana. Initial inspections of the menu were very promising, with us forgoing options such as the rigatoni tossed in vodka sauce and the broiled salmon in exchange for these two dishes. The ravioli with meat logs was a creamy, whipped ricotta ravioli served with their housemade tomato sauce and two of Little Venice’s signature meat logs, made of a mixture of beef and pork. The ravioli was rich and tasty, with its filling being plump and savory, making me want to come back just to indulge in this dish again. The meat logs were salty, sweet and overall a perfectly-cooked concoction that would put any sausage to shame, in that it was mind-numbingly good. Each component worked perfectly by itself and was somehow even better together.
The eggplant parmigiana was amazing, with the serving size being massive. As it was covered in Little Venice’s tomato sauce, and a coating of melted mozzarella cheese finished the deal, it was hard to imagine it not being amazing. With that being said, the fresh pasta that came with the eggplant parmigiana blew everything out of the water. The noodles were tacky, cooked perfectly al dente and had a gorgeous yellow glow to them. Again dressed with Little Venice’s tomato sauce, it was the perfect accompaniment to the eggplant.
For the last course of the meal, dessert, we decided to order the cannoli and the brownie — initially we wanted the lemon square but they had run out. The cannoli serving was generous, with three little rolls perfectly filled with cream and decorated with chocolate chips. This dish was so appetizing that my photographer and I reached for it to eat, before ultimately realizing that we should take photos first. This dish was semisweet, allowing it to balance the flavors of the flaky cookie surrounding the cream and chocolate chips. The brownie was fudgy, tasting like a chocolate mouse but with more substance to it. In contrast to the cannoli, it was very sweet, but that really brought out the chocolate flavors within the brownie.
This restaurant was the perfect place to get an Italian-American bite to eat in Downtown Binghamton, with the structure of the establishment and the decor inside being homely and inviting. The staff was highly friendly, and the food was remarkable and consistent, with the prices being very low for the quality and quantity of food being served. If you are looking for a lovely meal during restaurant week, Little Venice may be the place for you.