With its red and purple exterior featuring a huge oval window and its cozy, wooden interior complete with a rustic piano, succulents and string lights, Whole in the Wall’s vibe is unlike that of any other restaurant in Binghamton.

Binghamton University alumnus Eliot Fiks, ‘78, founded Whole in the Wall in 1980, just two years after his graduation. During Restaurant Week, the restaurant’s fixed-price menu includes a three-course lunch for $15, a three-course dinner for $25 or a four-course dinner for $30.

The menu is a marriage between traditional comfort food and trendy, local vegan and gluten-free fare. Whole in the Wall is committed to using natural ingredients and accommodating a range of dietary needs, and the staff saves food scraps from the kitchen to incorporate them into soups for Salvation Army food lines. The dishes there are both nourishing and millennial-friendly — they could just as easily come from a quirky San Francisco food truck as from your grandmother’s kitchen.

My dining partner and I had the four-course dinner, starting with an appetizer sampler. The baba ganoush and hummus starters were herby and flavorful, and the crunchy half-moon falafel bites were nicely presented on a bed of sprouts. As someone who usually doesn’t eat broccoli, I was pleasantly surprised by the dense, satisfying tempura broccoli florets. The garlic ball was the only appetizer that fell flat for me — it was a bit too oily.

For our second course, I tried the house salad with yogurt-sesame dressing, while my dining partner opted for the mushroom soup. Having tasted both, I would recommend the latter. The salad was basic, while the soup was hearty and delicious.

The pierogi lasagna piqued my interest, and I ordered it for my main course. Much like the garlic ball, it was great aside from it being too oily. My dining partner opted for the enchilada, which was layered with fresh greens, sprouts, sour cream and the restaurant’s ranchero sauce, which gave it a nice kick.

Dessert was the highlight of the meal. I usually don’t like raspberry and chocolate desserts, but the Raspberry Chocolate Chip Brownie Sundae Teaser was fantastic. Instead of the artificial raspberry taste I’ve found in similar desserts, the sauce was fresh and natural, complete with seeds and tiny chunks of berry. My dining partner’s mango sorbet was less impressive, but still refreshing.

Diners who are feeling fickle about what they want for dinner might want to try Whole in the Wall. With a variety of regional dishes and a welcoming energy, there’s something for everyone.