While the days of Prohibition, speakeasies, bootleggers and bathtub gin have long been over, 205 Dry keeps the spirit of the Roaring ‘20s alive behind closed doors. Located on State Street, a little ways from student-frequented bars and clubs, 205 Dry offers a high-end alternative to a Binghamton student’s classic night out. As you enter the Jazz Age-inspired establishment by pulling on a door disguised as a bookshelf, visitors step back in time into a cozy, classy and quirky candlelit world with books and vintage trinkets in every corner. For this semester’s restaurant week, 205 Dry is offering a dinner for $25.
My photographer Sid and I took refuge from the overcast April day at a marble table in the center of the room. I immediately felt immersed in a warm, welcoming and classic old-fashioned ambiance. For starters, I ordered a vegetable flatbread while Sid ordered the Ramble, a gin cocktail with raspberries and lemon. Our server came out with the drink, beautifully presented, pink with a sprig of mint sticking out of the top. The raspberry and lemon were a winning combination, balancing both sweetness and zest without being too overpowering of either flavor. The Ramble made the perfect refreshing cocktail to start off the meal.
Meanwhile, my vegetable flatbread consisted of an assortment of roasted vegetables on a sweet potato flatbread. The vegetables were perfectly cooked and charred and the sweet potato flavor in the crust added a wonderful earthy complexity to the dish. The flatbread was toasted to perfection and the vegetables were well-seasoned, creating for an amazing savory snack.
For our main course, Sid ordered the BBQ burger while I ordered the strawberry avocado salad. While I initially thought the combination of strawberries, avocado and red onion was unexpected, the strawberry’s sweetness offset the sharp flavor of the red onion and blended in well with the avocado and spring mix. The poppy seed vinaigrette tied everything together, enhanced the sweetness of the strawberries and added a subtle crunch to the dish. While I didn’t try Sid’s burger, he stated that he loved how it had both a crunch and tenderness all at once thanks to the well-cooked beef and the bun, which was toasted on both sides. The cheese was creamy and had a soft flavor that enhanced the barbecue taste. The fried onions added the perfect crunch to the burger. The burger came with a side of carrot and gingersnap soup which tasted delicious, warm and hearty.
Finally for dessert, we split the vegan lemon bar and the Guinness and Baileys ice cream. A bite in the lemon bar was the perfect combination of chewy and crispy. The powdered sugar balanced the zesty, lemon flavor. The ice cream was an unexpected combination of flavors and the hoppy bitterness of the Guinness plus the chocolatey flavor from Baileys made the ice cream taste very similar to coffee ice cream.
Overall, 205 Dry is a great place if you are looking for a classy joint to spend an evening with food and drinks that don’t disappoint, a 1920’s old-fashioned ambiance and excellent service. It’s a wonderful hidden gem in Downtown Binghamton and could make the perfect spot to spend a night out with friends or a romantic date.