Sandwiched between the heart of Downtown and the Greater Binghamton Transportation Center is one of the city’s best — Alexander’s Cafe. The blinking “open” sign adorning the window draws you in from the opposite end of Chenango Street and the large menus plastered throughout its entrance instantly greet you upon arrival.

The now iconic breakfast and lunch eatery, which opened back in August of 2014, is run by founder Alexander Nichols. Nichols, an Endicott native, opened the restaurant just four years after graduating from Union-Endicott High School. He credits his prior years of experience in the restaurant industry and his father, a fellow chef, whom he drew inspiration from. He highlighted his commitment to providing a budget-friendly option for students, with an even greater emphasis on providing consistent and exceptionally fresh food.

My photographer, Blake, and I arrived just after 3 p.m. and were instantly greeted from behind the counter. After a few minutes of deep thinking, we placed our orders and grabbed a seat.

Considering their non-restaurant week sandwiches are more than adequate for a meal, Alexander Cafe’s $18 three-course lunch menu provides a great option for hungry students looking to grab a quick and cost-effective meal, while the quasi-internet cafe interior offers a great space for those who are looking to get work done.

Less than five minutes after we placed our orders, the first courses were brought to our table. I elected to dine on the pumpkin bisque and Blake opted for the creamy bacon & pea pasta salad. We quickly brought our dishes to a brighter window-side table as Blake snapped a few picturesque shots. As we returned to our table, our waitress had already returned with the next two courses and we eagerly dug in.

The earthy and rich pumpkin scent steaming up from the bisque was reminiscent of a fall-scented candle, perfectly complementing the chilly Binghamton temperature. However, my first scoop elicited a mild shock, as the whipped cream and nutmeg within created a uniquely sweet experience, without cutting into the heartiness and fall flavors you would expect. Similarly, Blake felt that both components of his first course — the pasta salad and the bacon — were incredible.

For the main course, we were presented with two sandwiches, a burrito and a salad to choose from. Blake and I decided on the chicken pickle panini and the Buckingham panini, respectively. My panini consisted of an in-house bacon onion jam, coated with oozing smoked gouda and topped with a healthy stack of thinly sliced pork au jus.

The first bite instantly induced a sensation of warmth as the rich gouda, fresh pork and complex, yet distinct bacon onion jam melded together. The paninis themselves, expectedly, were toasted to perfection, maintaining their structure and providing textural depth to the meal. Blake enjoyed his panini, which he believed had just the right ratio between each component of the sandwich and just enough juiciness from the chicken and pickles.

For the final course, flashes of that general fall sensation introduced by the pumpkin bisque returned through Blake’s pumpkin roll and my Budda brownies. Blake’s roll was incredible and induced a fall mood that compelled him to purchase an extra roll to bring back for a friend. Although not pumpkin-based, the Buddha brownies elicited a similar response through its non-brownie core, consisting of a fluffy sweet cream, roasted apples and a drizzle of caramel, creating a delectable autumn treat. The desserts provided a needed sweetness for the end of our meal, bringing it to a satisfying conclusion.