On 15 Hawley St. lies The Stone Fox, an artisanal pizza restaurant in Downtown Binghamton. Opened last fall, this restaurant’s double-decker patio, fire pits and overhang lights have made it a new favorite. With a variety of pizzas and appetizers, The Stone Fox promises good food as well as great vibes. It has become a hot spot for patrons at night but also on the weekends for brunch. For Restaurant Week, The Stone Fox is offering three courses for $12 lunch and $20 dinner. Lunches last from 11:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and dinners are from 4:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
My photographer Thiyasha and I visited The Stone Fox during lunch hours and sat on the upper-level patio, which overlooked Hawley Street and the Binghamton University Downtown Center. One of the coolest things about The Stone Fox is the seating. The patio seats provide a lot of outdoor seating and the indoor seating area was cozy with a bar and televisions. Wherever you end up sitting shows off a cool part of the design of the restaurant.
Right off the bat, the service was very attentive and jovial. They made sure we had enough time with each course and moved us down to the lower level patio when it began to drizzle. All of the staff were COVID-19-safe as well, following the correct guidelines. We used QR codes to access the menu. Drinks were served to us unless it was water, for which we had to use the water station. The first course offered a Caesar salad containing romaine lettuce, olives, parmesan and Caesar dressing or a house salad containing romaine, roasted red peppers, roasted tomatoes, crumbly bleu cheese and white balsamic vinaigrette. Both of us picked the Caesar salad. The Caesar dressing was perfectly rich and tangy with just the right amount of parmesan. It lacked a little on the olive portion, so the salad sometimes came off as plain, but the dressing made up for it.
The second course offered a variety of their pizzas, including the Margherita, Cheese Please, Savor This and Veggie options. I was pleased to see they offered gluten-free crust and vegan cheese options for their pizzas so more people can try them. Thiyasha ordered the Savor This, which had crushed tomato, pepperoni, spicy sausage, herbed honey and mozzarella. She enjoyed the pizza and pointed out the sausage stood out for delivering on the spice factor.
I selected the Veggie pizza as a veggie lover and it did not disappoint. White broccolini, mushrooms, roasted red peppers and mozzarella were laid out on the crust for my enjoyment. Unlike some veggie pizzas, this did not have too many veggies and didn’t turn into a mess. The veggies selected worked like a charm together. The pizzas had some burnt crust, which definitely boosted the flavor. The sauce was not too heavy, which was a bonus. Overall, the second course was very satisfying.
The third course unfortunately just offered one dessert, a cannoli, but it was solid. The presentation was pretty with the cannoli sitting on the cream filling on the plate, which propped it up. The dough shell was extremely tasty and the filling was something different from what I expected, but for the better. Thiyasha and I respected the untraditional approach.
The Stone Fox is the new kid on the block with something to prove. With varied pizzas, a pretty ambiance and a very nice staff, The Stone Fox is a great option for brunch or dinner out with friends.