Phil's Chicken House

Name: Phil's Chicken House
Location: 1208 Maine Rd., Endicott, NY 13760
Phone: (607) 748-6855
Cuisine: American BBQ
Price: $10-$15 per adult, $5-$10 per child

Review:
Phil's Chicken House has been a Southern Tier institution for close to fifty years, offering take-out, buffet-style BBQ chicken dinners, and a Sunday brunch buffet to longtime local patrons and curious outsiders. Having never been, we decided to go for dinner last night for the buffet, which they offer seven days a week with some variations depending on which night you go.

The restaurant is one of very few in the West Corners area just north and west of Endicott. Upon arriving at Phil's for the buffet, you'll want to enter through the back, which means parking behind the restaurant and finding the entrance for the lower level. You can also enter via the upper floor but will be directed to take the stairs off the right to find the dining room. We found the dining room to be typical of what you'd expect of a "family restaurant," with a few booths along the left and some larger tables to accommodate bigger parties on the right side. A waitress came by and took our drink order and provided us a large bucket in which to place the chicken bones.

The buffet ($9.99 per adult) is not gigantic in size, but has a lot of really good options. For soups, they have both chicken noodle and cream of broccoli available regularly. A few different kinds of bread (white, garlic, banana, and pumpkin varieties) were available. There's a full salad bar complete with side salads--potato, macaroni, cole slaw. And then there was the main courses, BBQ chicken, spare ribs, beef tips, real homemade mashed potatoes and gravy, macaroni and cheese, a seafood casserole, rice pilaf, buttered green beans, and perhaps a few other things I didn't get to. I did my best to try everything, but as soon as I tried the chicken, I knew I'd be eating more of that than anything else.

The soup was good if unremarkable, and I enjoyed the salad bar too. The potato salad was pretty delicious and I'm not sure if the Thousand Island dressing was homemade or not, but whatever it was, I liked it. The pumpkin bread (not something I usually enjoy) was a definite highlight also--very moist and well-spiced and just overall very tasty.

The real draw of Phil's Chicken House, is, obviously, the BBQ chicken. A little research has turned up that the style of chicken that Phil's serves is unique to this area (the Southern Tier region south of the Finger Lakes) and is called Cornell Chicken, thus named due to its being invented by a professor at Cornell back in the 1940's. This style involves marinading the chicken in a mixture of egg, vegetable oil, cider vinegar, salt, poultry seasoning, and black pepper before grilling. I'm not sure if Phil's uses this recipe or some variant thereof, but this was some of the most tender, delicious chicken I've ever had. I admired that it wasn't at all greasy, but rather juicy with tons of flavor.

The chicken was, in my mind, the only real standout on the buffet. The barbecued spare ribs were passable, but left me pining for the recently-departed Theo's. The beef tips were tasty if perhaps a little on the tough side, while the mashed potatoes and mac & cheese were good but not transcendent.

When it came time for dessert, I opted to try the dessert of the month, Cherry Cobbler. It should be noted that while desserts are not available on the buffet, you get a free dessert with the purchase of the buffet. So definitely save a little room. The cherry cobbler was really tasty with fresh real whipped cream on top. It was pretty much like eating really good cherry pie out of a cup. I would certainly order it again, given the opportunity.

Overall, if you're looking for a solid home-style, family restaurant in the Triple Cities, Phil's Chicken House is exactly what you're looking for. This would be an excellent place to bring families with small children and the grandparents alike; there's certainly something for everyone to enjoy. From my "foodie" perspective, the Cornell Chicken is reason enough for me to make a return visit. Next time you're thinking of heading over to the Cracker Barrel, I encourage you to consider giving Phil's your business instead.

Grade: B

Fu Star Chinese

Name: Fu Star Chinese
Location: 1185 Vestal Ave., Ste. 3, Binghamton, NY 13903
Phone: (607) 722-5767
Cuisine: Chinese
Price: Less than $10 per person

Review:
Sometimes I get these cravings for Chinese take-out for lunch, and the Triple Cities have many options in that regard that are always very quick and inexpensive, but variable in quality. Moon Star in Endwell and Foliage on Riverside Dr. in Johnson City are a couple good ones that I've found, but I'd heard some good things about Fu Star on Binghamton's South Side, and so off I went to try it out.

Fu Star is located in a small plaza on the South Side, behind Thirsty's and across the street from Whole in the Wall and South Side Yanni's. The restaurant is small but has a few tables available if you choose to eat there. My guess is that 90% of their business is take-out. The small store is clean, but does not offer anything by way of ambiance. Which is fine. I do not expect much from these sorts of places.

With it being around 1:00 PM, I opted to order a Lunch Special, which features one of about 25 different entree options (the usual ones) served with your choice of white or fried rice. To me, this is kind of "meh" for a special. Many of the other places offer soup or an eggroll, or at least a beverage as part of their special; Fu Star did not. Cripes. But I was hopeful that the General Tso's Chicken with pork fried rice I ordered would be up to snuff.

Within 5 minutes my order was ready. Be sure to bring cash if you're going to Fu Star, as they do not accept credit cards. It's 2011 and they don't take credit. Come on! Anyway, $5.35 later, I was out the door. A pretty good deal.


Unfortunately, I did not care for this meal at all. As soon as I opened the packaging, I knew this was going to be subpar Chinese due to the glossy, syrupy appearance of the chicken. I am usually a pretty big fan of General Tso's. I like it best when the spicy quotient is amped up and the sweet component is secondary. This was the exact opposite of my preference. Sugar-sweet chicken that wasn't spicy at all. The rice was pretty much par for the course, a little dried out. And no fortune cookie in the bag? What's that all about?

Here's how the missing fortune should've read: You will never return to Fu Star Chinese Restaurant.

Grade: D

City Light Cafe

Name: City Light Cafe
Location: 254 Washington St., Binghamton, NY 13901
Phone: (607) 723-7430
Cuisine: Sandwiches/Soup
Price: Less than $10 per person

Review:
Always in search of a good lunch place, we headed downtown today to check out City Light Cafe on Washington St., just up the road a bit from The Forum, owned and operated by the First Assembly of God church across the street. I'd heard next to nothing about the place and did not really know what to expect.

Located at the corner of Clinton and Washington, parking for City Light Cafe can be found right across the street. The restaurant itself is a huge, beautiful, well-decorated space with seating to both the left and the right. We were quickly presented with menus and I decided to try out the soup of the day (chicken and rice) as well as something called the Montana Turkey Melt consisting of sliced turkey, bacon, cheese, tomato, and ranch dressing on grilled sourdough. Megan got a regular turkey sandwich on rye. She is forever in search of the perfect turkey sandwich and hoped that City Light Cafe could be a contender.


The soup was excellent, very flavorful and rich and much thicker than the standard chicken broth-based soup. I was also impressed with my sandwich; actually, for what it was, it was just about perfect. The ingredients were all really fresh and tasty. It was certainly nothing to get too excited about, and I think another ingredient like avocado would have taken it to the next level. But I cannot complain--I enjoyed the sandwich and it definitely hit the spot.


Megan really liked hers as well, proclaiming it to be better than the turkey sandwich at the Full Belly Deli in Vestal. This is high praise coming from Megan, as the Full Belly is one of her favorite lunch spots in the area. Again, no frills, but just a very well-made sandwich on fresh bread.


City Light Cafe is certainly not perfect. In our opinion, they could do a LOT more with the space, most of which probably does not get utilized on a daily basis. Whether they have the desire and the resources to do so, of course, is another matter. The menu is really very limited as well. In addition to the two turkey sandwiches we ordered, they offer a Reuben, Rachel, BLT, Tuna Salad, and Grilled Cheese, and that's about it (they do have a couple wrap options including a Philly Cheese Steak as well). So if you're looking for an expansive menu with lots of variety like that at, say, the nearby Old World Delicatessen, you're going to be out of luck here. Also, they're only open from 11-2 Monday through Friday for lunch.

If you like a good, no-frills sandwich place, City Light Cafe will definitely be up your alley. It's a great space for a restaurant and I hope they will expand their menu and hours at some point. As it stands now, City Light Cafe represents yet another low-key gem of a sandwich shop that most people would probably really like if they gave it an opportunity. If you are a regular at Escape State Street or the Old World Deli and haven't tried City Light Cafe, I highly encourage you to check it out!

Grade: B+

Lampy's Mediterranean Grill

Name: Lampy's Mediterranean Grill
Location: 105 W Main St., Endicott, NY 13760
Phone: (607) 748-5200
Cuisine: Pasta/Steaks/Seafood, leaning toward Italian
Price: $75+ for two

Review:
Lampy's is the so-called "sister" restaurant to Binghamton's best known fine dining establishment, Number 5 Restaurant. We've been to both restaurants several times over the years and while Megan has a slight preference for Number 5's attention to detail and consistency, I have historically tended to prefer Lampy's more relaxed atmosphere despite some occasional inconsistencies with the food. These are restaurants we are apt to save for special occasions like Valentine's Day, birthdays, and New Year's Eve. So when it came time to make New Year's plans for 2011, Lampy's was one of the first places that sprung to mind. We made a reservation, brought along a couple of good friends, and hoped for a great meal.

Lampy's is at the corner of Main and Nanticoke in west Endicott, with parking behind the restaurant (I suggest turning into the HSBC bank parking lot just past the restaurant to get to the parking area). If you're going to Lampy's, I highly suggest making a reservation for two reasons. First, it's nearly always busy, and more importantly, there's hardly any waiting area to be found at all. There's a bar, but finding a seat there is unlikely. The point is, this is a place you'll need to make a reservation.

The restaurant is divided into four distinct regions. As you enter, there's the bar area off to the left, and a small dining area straight ahead. To the right lies the main dining room, and back and to the right lies a smaller dining room that looks like it could be used to host private parties and the like. The decor is modern and appealing and low lighting offers an air of sophistication to the classy establishment. On looks alone, I prefer Moxie Grill in Conklin to Lampy's, but they are in the same vein.

We were seated in the back room, and the first thing we noticed was that it was ROASTING back there. We were pretty much dripping sweat by the time the meal was over. And the tables were a little bit closer together than I prefer. There was enough room to move awkwardly between the tables but no more than that. I was bummed that we weren't seated in the main dining room, which was much less stuffy and offered a bit more room to maneuver.

Lampy's menu offers a diverse array of appetizers, soups, salads, steak, chicken, veal, and seafood options. My friend Tom and I decided to split the Honey Horseradish Shrimp appetizer, and I ordered the Linguine Frutta del Mare as my entree. Frutta del Mare (literally "Fruits of the Sea") features a variety of seafood--in this case, shrimp, scallops, calamari, and clams--served over linguine and topped with marinara sauce. As a complimentary starter, I ordered the soup of the day, a Rhode Island-style Clam and Corn Chowder. Megan ordered Lampy's signature namesake dish, Lampy's Scampi. Lampy's Scampi offers a unique take on classic Shrimp Scampi. In this case, the shrimp are breaded and deep-fried, smothered in a somewhat creamy marsala sauce, and topped with button mushrooms. Sounds different, I know, but it is probably Lampy's most popular dish and one I've ordered and enjoyed on several occasions.

Another hallmark of any Lampy's visit is their spice tray. At the beginning of the meal, each table is given some Italian bread and a metal tray with fresh garlic cloves smothered in balsamic vinegar, parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes, and butter. Pretty tasty stuff and a good start to the meal, for sure.

Next came the Honey Horseradish Shrimp appetizer. This, I did not care for at all. It featured four small shrimp covered in honey and wrapped in burnt bacon. Combined with our uncomfortable seating arrangement, this meal was on the fast-track to disappointment in a big hurry. Perhaps the soup would save the day?


It would not. The Rhode Island-style Clam Chowder was pretty mediocre. It featured a cream-based broth but was much thinner than the classic New England style. That was not the problem I had with it. My issue was that the portion I was given had hardly anything in it. One measly clam, a few kernels of corn, and some stray bits of carrot, celery, potato, and bacon. I will admit that the broth had nice flavor, but I ordered clam chowder, not broth. Next.


The Frutta del Mare entree offered some improvement from the mediocre starters, but was not a dish I really loved. It was a little cumbersome to eat without splashing myself; the dish it was served in was somewhat shallow and the marinara was watery. Aside from the logistics of eating it, this dish was alright. The shrimp were tasty, and the scallops were some of the hugest that I've ever seen. The marinara sauce had a nice, fresh taste and was well-seasoned. I did not care much for the clams or calamari; both were overly rubbery and the clams were not cleaned properly--I found some sand inside a couple of them. Yuck. I am not in a rush to order this dish again.


Megan's scampi dish was just OK on this night. She did not care for it, commenting that the soggy texture of the breading on the shrimp was a particular concern. She would have preferred it crispier. Overall, as far as Lampy's Scampi is concerned, I will say that on other visits, it's been nothing less than outstanding in my opinion. Clearly, Lampy's was not on top of their game on this night in many ways.


For dessert, Megan and I split the Coconut Cake, which looked similar to the coconut cake we got at Frank's in Maine back in the summer. Both of us thought it was just OK. Normally, I am a sucker for any dessert, but this one was dried out, tasted like it had just come out of the freezer, and just simply not very good.

Overall, this visit to Lampy's was not very good and I am in no hurry to go back anytime soon. We were uncomfortable due to the stifling heat for the entire meal, and the food was lacking in some very fundamental ways. I realize that it was New Year's Eve and that many restaurants are not at their best on special occasions, but I know they are capable of better. We went there for Valentine's Day last year, for example, and had a great meal from start to finish. I know this review has been harsh, so let me make it very clear: I think this visit was more the exception than the rule. But I'm of the belief that if you're going to plunk down $100 for dinner, quality should never be a concern. Had this been my first visit to Lampy's, it almost certainly would have been my last. I realize this is cheating, but...

Grade (this visit): D
Grade (overall): B

The Galley Tavern

Name: The Galley Tavern
Location: 409 Hooper Rd., Ste. 5, Endwell, NY 13760
Phone: (607) 748-6544
Cuisine: American pub food
Price: Around $10-$15 per person

Review:
One kind of restaurant that has not received a whole lot of fanfare on this blog has been the "bar and grill" variety. I'm not sure if that's because the styles of food normally found at such establishments does not appeal to us as much as others, or if we view these places more as "bars" than as "grills," but whatever the reason, we have yet to visit and offer our opinion on many of these sorts of places. And there are literally dozens to choose from throughout the Triple Cities.

Of the pub food scene, the only ones we've reviewed so far are Kelly's Sports Bar in Endicott (home to popular Wednesday night Team Trivia that we have been known to frequent), Vestal's Ale House (a review which admittedly was more of an excuse for me to talk about snooty beer than about food), and JC's Treaty of Versailles-predating hot-pie haven The Oasis. Oh, and Hurricane Rylie's in Endicott, which I think fancies itself more of a restaurant than a bar anyway. Some places I'd like to try out include Binghamton's South Side Yanni's, Harry Tuft's in Endicott, Tom & Marty's in downtown Binghamton, among others. After all, if we're going to Taste Binghamton, it's not always going to be about fine dining. Sometimes, you just want a half-dozen wings and a good burger, and so we headed to The Galley in Endwell to see if they could fulfill that desire.

The Galley is located on Hooper Road in a small plaza between Watson Blvd. and Country Club Rd. It's really kind of two restaurants in one, a bar to the right and a dining room (cleverly named "Galley Too") to the left. I'd advise opting for a table in the dining room rather than the high-top tables with uncomfortable wooden stools in the bar area where we sat.

The menu has all the usual pub food--burgers, sandwiches, pizza, wings, fried appetizers--which was exactly the kind of thing we were looking for this evening. I opted to go with a half-dozen medium wings and the Black and Bleu burger (peppercorns and crumbly bleu cheese) and Megan ordered the BBQ Burger (BBQ sauce, cheddar cheese, and bacon) with curly fries. We were given complimentary popcorn (somewhat reminiscent of Tully's on the Vestal Parkway) to start the meal which tied us over until our entrees arrived.

The wings were decent, certainly nothing to get too excited about. They had good flavor but as far as wings go, they were on the small side and overall inferior to those at Kelly's in Endicott. The burger, on the other hand, was much better. With a little A-1 sauce to complement the peppercorns and a healthy portion of crumbled bleu cheese, this was a tasty burger and certainly one I'd order again. Megan was also happy with her burger and fries; I tried the BBQ burger and I think I liked it even more than the one I got.

Since The Galley is a bar also, I should also mention the beer tap selection for those who care about that kind of thing. Mediocre at best. I saw a tap with Smithwick's and one with Sam Adams Winter Lager, but for those seeking a quality microbrew, this isn't the place to find one.

Service at The Galley was friendly, but somewhat spotty. It took us forever to get straws for our drinks, and service toward the end of the meal was a little slow. But overall, I'd have to say that The Galley was pretty much exactly what I expected it to be: a good place to come and have a couple drinks, grab a burger, watch some sports, and hang out with friends. It's not hard to believe that they've been in business since 1972. Don't expect anything transcendent from a culinary perspective, but for pub fare, The Galley generally gets the job done.

Grade: B

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to our loyal readers and new followers alike!

I know the output has slowed to a crawl of late, but fear not: we have plans for more reviews of our dining adventures in the Triple Cities to come in the very near future. In the next few days, expect to see a review of our New Year's Eve outing to Lampy's Mediterranean Grill in Endicott and probably a couple others.

It's amazing to me the response this blog has received in its short, eight-month lifespan. Over 8000 hits, over 100 fans on our Facebook page, an average of more than 50 unique visitors per day...it's pretty overwhelming and far more than I could have ever imagined when I conceived of the idea back in March. I thought it would be something fun that my wife Megan and I could do together, and it definitely has been (even if I write most of the reviews, Megan has been my dining partner and fellow taster on most outings).

The site is not perfect. I'm by no means an expert photographer, for starters. And I'm more of a food fan than a true gourmet. But I am learning a lot, about food and about the history of the Binghamton area and its restaurants, and I hope to continue to do so in the coming year.

Thanks for reading and please feel free to continue to provide your comments, opinions, and feedback. Enjoy 2011, and happy dining!

-Dan

Tranquil Bar & Bistro

Name: Tranquil Bar/Bistro
Location: 36 Pine St., Binghamton, NY 13901
Phone: (607) 723-0495
Cuisine: French/American
Price: $75+ for two

Review:
Tranquil Bar/Bistro represents the closest thing to a French fine dining experience in the Binghamton area. If you are a "foodie" like me and have never been to Tranquil, stop whatever you're doing right now and make a reservation. I guarantee you will find something to your liking.

Tranquil is located at the intersection of Pine and Fayette Streets in Downtown Binghamton, one block away from NYSEG Stadium, home of the Binghamton Mets. The restaurant occupies the former Player's Club Bar, an establishment I'd never been to, but it's an excellent spot for a restaurant, an older brick building that has a distinctly European-cafe feel inside. The space is divided fairly evenly into a bar and a dining room. We were seated quickly upon our arrival and we each order a glass of wine to begin the experience, along with the Spicy Cream Mussels appetizer. I elected to order Chicken and Andouille Sausage Jambalaya while Megan opted for the Shrimp and Wild Mushroom Risotto, hoping for a better risotto dish than that she had a couple weeks ago at Grotta in Vestal. We were presented with a small loaf of French bread ("authentic" according to Megan, who lived in Paris for five months last year) with a delicious sweet-cream butter. This was a fine start to what would become an excellent meal.


The mussels appetizer arrived after a short wait and were completely delicious. I was stunned at how tender the mussels were and how easy they were to pluck from the shells. The spicy cream sauce did indeed have a nice kick to it. I sat there trying to figure out the ingredients in the sauce....besides the obvious cream and butter, I am guessing either crushed red pepper or cayenne was what provided the heat, but there were lots of subtle flavors. Megan normally does not care for bivalves, but she was quickly converted by these mussels and ate half the generous portion with ease and enthusiasm. Next visit, I'll try the Mussels Vermouth to see how they compare.


Our entrees were next to arrive, and both were quite good. Megan's risotto was delicious and had a perfect consistency. As I've said before, risotto is a somewhat challenging dish. If undercooked, it's practically inedible, because who wants to eat crunchy rice? If overcooked, it's a gummy, starchy mess. This was spot on, perfectly seasoned and topped with fresh grated parmesan cheese. Megan was happy with the dish and is pretty jazzed about having the leftovers for lunch today.


My jambalaya was very tasty also, though it was perhaps a little too spicy for my liking. Don't get me wrong, I love spicy food of all varieties, but when I took a bite of this jambalaya, I initially found the heat to overwhelm the other flavors in the dish. With bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, chicken, andouille sausage served over Creole rice and topped with fresh scallions, this was a fine dish with lots of nice flavors once I got beyond the heat up front. I would order it again for sure, but on my next visit, I am excited about trying something different.


Time for dessert, and there was no way I was going to pass up the opportunity to have the British Style Toffee Pudding, which I had on my first visit to Tranquil a while ago, and have said on a few occasions is my absolute favorite thing I've eaten in the area. Well, it was no disappointment on this occasion either. This English pudding is very much unlike what most Americans would think of as "pudding," and has more of a cake-like consistency. Whatever it is, it's completely delicious, and I highly recommend trying it out if you go to Tranquil. Megan got the chocolate pudding (also British Style) which was delicious, too. But I highly recommend the toffee.

I would be remiss in my duties if I did not mention the service at Tranquil, which I feel many people would perceive as "slow." In my opinion, there is a distinct difference between slow service and "paced" service, and I think that Tranquil tries to offer a complete dining experience rather than just trying to get people in and out the door. If you need to eat in a hurry, this place is not for you. I found that our waiter provided a nice pace to the meal and provided good recommendations.

Tranquil is the best restaurant in the City of Binghamton, if not the entire area. The atmosphere is nice and appropriate for the food that's served. The food was excellent from start to finish, with my only criticism being the slightly overly spicy jambalaya, but that is an extremely minor quibble. The Toffee Pudding dessert deserves special mention as a totally awesome dish and an excellent way to end the meal. As I said, service is not quick, but with an experience like the one offered at Tranquil, who really wants it to end, anyway?

Grade: A

Crepe Heaven

Name: Crepe Heaven
Location: 217 Main St., Binghamton, NY 13905
Phone: (607) 217-7188
Cuisine: Crepes/Coffee
Price: Less than $10 per person

Review:
For years, I have been interested in trying Crepe Heaven, but getting the wife to go always proved a challenge. You see, she'd been there once a few years back, around the time the place opened, and liked it, but found it to be more of a dessert place rather than a place to head for a substantial breakfast or lunch. Thus, we often passed right by Crepe Heaven en route to other dining locales downtown. The other day, I finally got Megan to agree to go there for a late-breakfast/early-lunch. We arrived at the restaurant, located near the Price Chopper Plaza on Binghamton's West Side, around 11:00 AM, and I hoped that Crepe Heaven would live up to its name.

I was surprised by the ambiance, decor, and size of the restaurant, which carries a European-cafe vibe (with far more room between the tables than you'd find in Europe, for sure). It's a charming and classy space that stands out by comparison to most area restaurants. We ordered drinks (a french press for me, a cafe au lait for Megan) and took a look at the menu, which featured a wide selection of sweet crepes, savory crepes, and some other specialty items like chevapi (Bosnian grilled beef served with onions and sour cream on a roll).


For those unfamiliar with crepes, a crepe is basically a very thin pancake, rolled up with various fillings inside. Sweet crepes have fillings like jelly, jam, Nutella spread, honey, and fruit fillings, while savory crepes feature meats, cheeses, and vegetables and are similar to omelets. Crepes are considered a French national dish, and I had the pleasure of enjoying a crepe when I visited Paris last year while Megan was living there. In Paris, it's most common to see crepes offered as street food, akin to an American hot dog stand. Thus, I was expecting Crepe Heaven to offer more of a fast food experience; I was pleasantly surprised that this was not the case. At any rate, I ordered a ham, egg, and cheese crepe, while Megan went the sweet route and got the Nutella crepe with strawberries.


Ten minutes later, we had our crepes. I admired the presentation of the dishes and was ready to dig in. Sure enough, my crepe was pretty excellent. Served with sour cream on the side, it was a great combination of flavors. I think it's best described as a more delicate version of an omelet, but definitely tastier than any omelet I could get at an area diner. I tried Megan's Nutella crepe, drizzled with chocolate sauce, which was also delicious. Our coffee drinks were an excellent complement for the crepes, and the $16 check did not exactly break the bank either.

My trip to Crepe Heaven was thankfully a far cry from purgatory. The restaurant offers a refined dining experience in a classy environment with delicious, well-presented food at an inexpensive price. Service was friendly and efficient. I regret not going to Crepe Heaven much sooner. This is easily one of Binghamton's best restaurants, and I look forward to going back to try more crepes in the near future.

Grade: A

Grotta Restaurant

Name: Grotta Restaurant
Location: 126 Front St., Vestal, NY 13850
Phone: (607) 785-0222
Cuisine: Italian
Price: $10-$15 per person

Review:
Grotta is located at the southwestern tip of the Four Corners in Vestal, near Vestal High School. It's a pretty good location for a restaurant given that there's not much competition in the immediate vicinity. We have slowly but surely been winding our way through the area's Italian restaurants and I believe this one is one of the last we'd yet to visit. We noticed their menu in the latest phone book and were impressed with its variety, particularly a number of different risotto dishes and some more uncommon entrees like Fettucine alla Matriciana. Hence, when it came time for dinner tonight, Grotta is where we headed.

The restaurant is a medium-sized space with ample decor and natural lighting. As we entered we were greeted by a grandmotherly Italian woman who looked to be the restaurant's only employee throughout our visit. We were instructed to sit anywhere, and soon after we placed our orders.

I decided to try a slice of cheese pizza as an appetizer, as I always like to try the pizza in any new Italian restaurants I go to. For my entree I was told that the aforementioned Fettucine alla Matriciana was not an option today, as they didn't have all the ingredients for it. So I went with Fettucine Carbonara, another favorite of mine when done well (it is known for being a dish that is difficult to execute perfectly). When done improperly, it's basically pasta covered in scrambled eggs which can be a little gross. I was hopeful that Grotta could successfully pull it off. Megan ordered the Risotto alla Grotta, a risotto dish with chicken and fresh parmesan. Each dinner came with complimentary garlic knots and a house salad.


The pizza arrived first and was clearly not fresh. It was reheated and who knows how many hours old. I can't really assess its flavor because it just tasted kind of like cardboard with a hint of tomato sauce on it.


The garlic knots and house salad were the next arrivals. The salad was pretty standard, with a house Italian vinaigrette dressing and the usual vegetable contents. The garlic knots were quite large, but in my estimation were a bit too doughy and lacking in the garlicky and buttery flavor that I love in a good garlic knot.


Next would come the entrees, and each had a major problem. Megan's risotto was terrible. It had all the flavors you'd expect of a great risotto dish, and thus had so much potential, but the risotto was undercooked to the point of being literally crunchy as you took a bite. We know how complex risotto can be, and how time-consuming it can be to make: Megan makes risotto at home often. It requires constant stirring and lots of time to develop the desirable creamy consistency. This risotto did not have that consistency at all, rendering the dish practically inedible. I think the waitress thought we were in some kind of hurry or something (though we did absolutely nothing to give that impression and even encouraged her to take her time with our entrees since we knew they were both challenging dishes). But that is absolutely no excuse: when we go out, the #1 thing we care about is our food being cooked well. This risotto was an absolute failure. A shame, since we both agreed that given ten more minutes of stirring would have resulted in a very good entree. You win some, you lose some.


The Fettucine Carbonara was closer to a win, but still had its share of problems. For those unfamiliar with the dish, it consists of egg, pancetta or bacon, and pecorino or parmesan cheese tossed with pasta. If the chef is not careful when adding the pasta, the eggs will scramble and the consistency of the dish will be pretty disgusting. Unfortunately, I got scrambled eggs this time around. The meat was most certainly prosciutto ham instead of the usual pancetta (not a problem in my eyes but I think others would see this as a bit of a faux pas). The dish had some nice flavors with its fresh parmesan and al dente pasta and I was able to eat it (unlike Megan with her risotto), but I have certainly seen better attempts at carbonara than what I got this time.

Overall, I feel bad to give such a bad review. Service at Grotta was pleasant and friendly and the restaurant itself offers a comfortable environment. The menu is diverse, and the dishes certainly had potential. But from our perspective, the execution of our entrees was awful, to the point where we certainly will never go back. Maybe it was just a bad day, but based on this experience, I'd advise others to steer clear of this restaurant as well.

Grade: D

Moxie Grill

Name: Moxie Grill
Location: 998 Conklin Rd., Conklin, NY 13903
Phone: (607) 237-0779
Cuisine: American eclectic
Price: Likely $30+ per person

Review:
After long last, the Tasting Binghamton crew amassed an army of our loyal followers and made the trek out to Conklin to check out the fabled Moxie Grill, a restaurant we'd heard a lot about in the last few years, but had never made a priority to check out. I've read a lot about the restaurant and realize that many consider it one of the finest restaurants in the Binghamton area. Naturally, I was extremely excited to give it a shot, and so we made reservations for a party of eight, left the city lights of the South Side behind, and headed an extra few miles out to Conklin.

Upon our arrival we were seated promptly on the lower floor of the two-tier restaurant. It immediately struck me as one of the nicest-looking restaurants in the area, with its attractive color scheme of golds, beiges, and browns and hardwood tables giving the restaurant an arresting look. Unlike some of the area's other fine dining establishments like Number 5 and P.S., which are somewhat stuffy and mannered, Moxie is hipper and more likely to appeal to a younger crowd. But I came to chew the food, not the scenery, so on to more important matters...


We ordered drinks, and I was happy to find an impressive beer list which included various choices from Cooperstown's Ommegang Brewery and Chimay Blue Trappist Ale. For wine drinkers, there's an equally impressive list to make a choice from. We put in some orders for appetizers while waiting for one of our late-arriving friends. Megan and I decided to try out the Blue Cheese Fries, with crumbly Danish blue cheese, applewood smoked bacon, and scallions. The fries were pretty tasty and hit the spot, with the marriage of the creamy cheese, smoky bacon, and well-seasoned fries providing a good first impression. Our friend Jaime opted for the Fried Calamari, served with a slightly spicy marinara sauce and a neat presentation. I got to try some and was impressed with what I had. Neither of these appetizers was mind-blowing, but both were impressive enough for me to want to order them again.

When it came time to order the main course, I was torn, since so many of the entrees on the menu looked to be up my alley. Tender Kobe beef would call my name one minute, and tasty-sounding variations on wood-fired pizza the next. In the end, I decided to go neither route and instead ordered the Paella, in part because it was listed as a "signature dish" and in no small part due to the fact that I am unlikely to find it on another area menu. Served with a salad, I got the house salad with a Thai peanut dressing. Megan opted for the Delmonico steak, cooked medium well (grrr...) with a side of polenta and the Chicago iceberg wedge salad.


The house salad was interesting, with field greens, kalamata olives, and peppers doused in the peanut dressing I had chosen. Normally I am not such a fan of my salad being drenched in dressing, but I can make an exception this time because it was quite delicious. Did it pair well with the olives and peppers? Not especially, but here I go again, going on and on about salad...let's move on to the main course.


The paella was a good choice, well-prepared with quality ingredients. This dish included shelled clams and mussels, shrimp, scallops, chicken, and chorizo sausage served over risotto. There are aspects to the dish I liked more than others. The scallops, for example, were perfectly cooked, and if I had it to do over again, I might just order scallops as a entree. Some of the other parts of the dish, like the chorizo sausage (usually a dominant, bold flavor), were buried a little too much in the mix. Overall, this was a good dish that I liked, but did not love. On a future trip to Moxie, I am likely to try something different.


Megan's Delmonico was overcooked. Granted, she did order it medium well (to my chagrin...I am a medium rare guy, myself), but there was no trace of pink to the meat at all. It was charred and tough, which detracted from her enjoyment of the experience. There's no doubt in my mind that it was a quality piece of meat, but at a steep $26, it should probably be cooked how you want it. On the plus side, her side of polenta was pretty tasty, rich and slightly cheesy and a nice addition to what I believe to be a good, diverse menu.


The Almond Joy Cheesecake was our dessert of choice, and was probably the best part of the whole meal. It tasted exactly like the name suggests: an Almond Joy candy bar (almonds, chocolate, and coconut) in a rich, New York-style cheesecake. Very nice.

The service at Moxie was friendly and well-paced. Our waiter, Drew, was attentive without being overbearing, and was patient with us even when one member of our party was more than a half hour late. I also appreciated the fact that they allowed us to split the check six ways, which was probably a major pain in the butt from the waiter's perspective, but made our lives much easier.

I was not blown away by Moxie, but there were many positives about the experience. For starters, the atmosphere is one of the best in the area. The beverage list is unquestionably top-notch, and the food was generally solid, with the major faux pas occurring with the overcooked steak. Is Moxie one of the area's best restaurants? I'd have to say the jury's still out on that one. Would I go back in a heartbeat if I had $100 burning a hole through my wallet? Without a doubt.

Grade: B