Whether you’re on campus eating cold Night Owl french fries or Downtown eating tuna directly out of the can because your parents don’t give you enough money for food, eating as a college student is far from a fine dining experience. We can complain about Sodexo until our voices go hoarse, but the truth is, we have available to us a great variety of grub just down the Parkway. Normally, you might plan to go to one of these restaurants, but never really will: You can’t coordinate with friends, you have too much work, you need the money for beer and shots and other essentials.
But during Restaurant Week, the validity of those excuses expires. Scheduled before you can panic over the midterm or paper due tomorrow that you haven’t yet looked at, priced so that you get a five-meal course for $25 or less, you and your friends face the perfect opportunity to break out of your boring routine and sample local food. And even though everyone can appreciate a break from the status quo for just one week out of the semester, Restaurant Week should be more than that. View it as a gateway to the scene that can be enjoyed year-round. It’s about more than the food; it’s a celebration of everything the city of Binghamton has to offer.
Many of the restaurants on this year’s menu have rich historical and cultural legacies, serving as windows to the past. Little Venice, a favorite among Italian food lovers, opened its doors in 1946 and, despite several changes in location, its chefs still prepare meals using the homemade recipes written decades ago. In a similar fashion, the Lupo family, which owns Lupo’s, has been selling spiedies for over 50 years. Though the dish originated in Italy, Broome County has adopted the spiedie as its own, and Lupo’s has spearheaded the spiedie surge (they own the domain spiedies.com – you can’t get more official than that).
We tell you this not to give a history lesson on Binghamton cuisine, but to demonstrate how this week is about more than food. It’s about becoming a part of the history and community to which we belong.
Though Restaurant Week menus offer special deals not available during the rest of the year, Binghamton eateries are generally affordable year-round anyway. Don’t regard Restaurant Week as the only time of the year you can go out and eat food from local restaurants – think of it as a time to sample the food and brews that local restaurants have to offer so you know your favorites for the rest of the year. A meal at most of these restaurants prices comparably to a burrito and drink from Chipotle, but comes with the satisfaction of supporting local businesses and the reward of expanding your palate.
And unlike Chipotle, the dishes and beverages at these local restaurants are prepared with a personal, artful taste. At Laveggio Roasteria, artisan coffee is made using an old-school drum roaster from ethically sourced beans. And Tranquil, a bar and bistro managed by Sean Massey, an associate professor of women, gender & sexuality studies, adjusts its menu to reflect seasonal produce.
Just because you’re a broke college student doesn’t mean you have to eat like one. This Restaurant Week, consider making the experience last longer than ten days. Explore everything this city has to offer, and enjoy some great meals on the way.