Burger Mondays

Name: Burger Mondays
Location: 23 Henry St., Binghamton, NY 13901
Phone: (607) 722-7777
Cuisine: American
Price: $30+ for two

Review:
Burger Mondays is one of the latest restaurant additions to Downtown Binghamton, joining pizza-pub Amici, the River Bistro located inside the Riverwalk Hotel, and Remlik’s as new places I have been excited to try out. Burger Mondays, taking over the former location of Zazou and D.C. Dunster’s on the corner of Henry and State, specializes in gourmet burgers and milkshakes, both of which come in various interesting-sounding forms.

The restaurant is fairly pleasing aesthetically, with a spacious dining room with about 25-30 tables and booths toward the front, and a large, separate bar in back. Tables are adorned with black linens and fancy centerpieces. On looks alone, Burger Mondays is a little on the stark side, but generally makes a good first impression.

This review’s been a long time in the making. I’ve actually had the pleasure to try Burger Mondays three times, with three different dining companions. The first time, I decided to try it out the weekend right after they opened in March with my friend Tom. What I hadn’t remembered before I got there was that it was Binghamton’s Parade Day. The restaurant was packed and they had limited the menu to only two of their burger options, the Original and the Classic. Hoping to try something a little more exotic, I was disappointed, but given how busy they were in both the restaurant and the bar area, their decision was probably for the best. On the first visit, I tried out the Classic Burger, featuring white cheddar cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato, onion, and a house-made aioli. The first thing that struck me upon ordering was that I was not asked how I wanted the burger. I’m a medium-rare guy myself, so I was worried that it would come out overcooked. As it turned out, it was more unevenly cooked than overcooked. Part of the burger was pink, the other half was well-done. On top of that, I didn’t think it was anything to get too excited about. It was a fine burger—nothing more, nothing less. Tom echoed the same sentiment. In lieu of writing a review at that time, I decided to pay Burger Mondays another visit during a less-busy time, where I would be able to order from the full menu.


On the second visit, Megan and I came for a late-lunch on a Friday afternoon. This time around, Megan ordered the aforementioned Classic Burger, while I went with Chef Matt Jones’ namesake item, a double-stacked burger called The Jonesy, which features pork and beef patties with a chili pepper salad, pancetta, asiago cheese, and a Worcestershire reduction. I decided to be adventurous and went with the Mondays Original milkshake to complement the burger. This milkshake is made with chocolate, caramel, peanut butter, banana, and pretzel: the waitress assured me it was a good choice and I was excited to give it a try. I also ordered a bowl of the Guinness Chili as a starter.


The Chili and milkshake were the first items to arrive. The chili was pretty excellent, a thick, meaty chili (chunks of beef rather than ground beef) with robust flavor. The milkshake was a little less successful, but not bad. It was perhaps a little too thick, but the flavors came together pretty nicely. The combination of peanut butter and banana was particularly winning.


Next came the burgers. To my surprise, I did not care too much for The Jonesy. I really expected to like this one. All the advertised ingredients were there, but in my opinion, I didn’t think they went together very well; a definite case of too much going on. In particular, I felt the chili pepper flavor dominated the rest of the burger and made it difficult to discern the other flavors. Again, we were not asked how we wanted the burgers, and mine was definitely overcooked. The patties themselves were a little bland and tiny. The toasted bun had a somewhat tough, chewy consistency that I didn’t care for. For a $14 burger, I was expecting much more than this.


Megan thought her burger was pretty good, but HATED the French fries. These fries are the small, thin variety that might be sliced a little too thin for their own good. To quote Megan: “There is no chance I will ever like those fries.” As for me, I don’t find the fries to be quite as offensive as she does (they are well-fried and well-seasoned), but I’ve had better. In the end, my second trip to Burger Mondays was just OK. I believe the phrase "It's better than Tully's" crossed my lips at that juncture, but that isn't exactly high praise.

Onward to visit #3: a long-awaited meeting of blogging minds. I teamed up with local food blogger Big Hungry Shelby, who covers restaurants all around the Southern Tier, the Finger Lakes, “real” upstate (North Country), and wherever her travels lead her. She releases a new blog entry every Wednesday, and it’s always a fun read. It’s clear Shelby has a real passion for great food, and when she suggested we get together to visit Burger Mondays, I was excited to have the chance to meet her. Megan was supposed to come along, but was sidelined with a migraine headache, so it was just Shelby and me on this occasion.

This time burger-wise, I went for a safe pick: the Southern BBQ burger. This burger consists of ground pork, caramelized onions, and cole slaw, all covered in their homemade BBQ sauce. It sounded like something totally up my alley, so I was stoked to give it a try. Shelby went for the Classic on her initial visit. As a starter, I ordered a bowl of the Thai Beef soup, on special that night, while Shelby elected to try another special, mini bacon steak tacos. A root beer float for myself and a chocolate milkshake for my companion, and we were ready to feast.

The soup came first, and was pretty good. Basically, it reminded me of a combination of standard vegetable (sliced potatoes and carrots) soup combined with the crushed chili and herbal flavors of Tom Yum soup like you’d find in a Thai restaurant. It was good, and I would order it again for sure.

Shelby encouraged me to try one of the pork tacos she ordered, and who am I to turn down food? I’m glad I tried one since it was really tasty. The pork was covered with a citrusy, spicy salsa (we thought we detected grilled pineapple, but would later confirm that mango was the key ingredient). Good stuff no doubt, and a great start to the meal.

The Southern BBQ burger turned out to be a solid choice, becoming the first burger at Burger Mondays that I really liked. I was a little skeptical about the combination of grilled onion and slaw, but this time the flavors came together nicely. It was a juicy, well-cooked burger. It didn’t blow my mind, it wasn’t the best burger I’ve ever had or anything like that, but I enjoyed it and had no complaints this time around. Additionally, the fries were better this time than they were on my previous visits, but still not great.

It was great to get together with Shelby. We had a nice time conversing about all sorts of things but mainly the local restaurants in the area and I’m hopeful that she and Megan and I can get together for another meeting sometime soon. Here’s a short recap that Shelby has provided detailing her view of our experience:

“An appetizer special was ‘bacon steak tacos,’and since I'm Big Hungry Shelby, you know I was getting those. These were mini corn tortillas with braised/roasted pork belly and a potent fruit salsa on top. The salsa was the star of this dish – a punch of grilled pineapple, mango and chilies that kind of blew out my taste buds for the rest of the ingredients. There was white cheese on the bottom, but I couldn’t identify it through the explosion of citrusy heat. I loved these, though, with their savory pulled-pork-like flavor complimented by the shock of heat and tartness. For the sake of a baseline, I chose the classic burger; a bacon cheeseburger offered with an aioli, a side of house-made fries and house-made pickle spears. I was all jazzed up about the homemade pickle, but the spear I received didn’t live up to my expectations – it was a barely pickled cucumber, no more. I am not a mayonnaise fan to begin with, and then it always really bothers me when restaurants flavor up jarred mayo and call it aioli – which is actually a homemade, garlicky, mayonnaise-adjacent concoction that is delicious and unlike gloppy jarred mayo entirely – so I opted for that on the side and didn’t end up even trying it. The burger was tasty – definitely juicy, crowned with lots of sharp, white cheddar cheese on a substantial, toasted roll. It was very hearty, with the medium-thickness burger patty, bacon, generous cheese and bun, but that’s not to say it was particularly beefy, nor did the bacon pack its own punch. The whole shebang was pretty balanced, with none of the players taking the lead. This is not a bad thing; however I do personally like an aggressively beef-centric burger. My hunch is that, with food costs soaring as they are now, the leadership at Burger Mondays is having a tough time sourcing high-end product and still keeping the margins decent and the prices in check. I suspect higher quality meat would elevate this burger to something truly excellent, as all the technique was there, it was just the flavors that were a bit lacking.

Basically, I think what you’re tasting at Burger Mondays is potential. It’s new, just having opened about a month ago, and the feeling I’m getting is that Matt is back there training his people with fervor that just isn’t quite permeating the entire staff as yet. This guy was the head chef at Number 5, for pity’s sake – he knows his way around a kitchen, and clearly has a passion for food if he’s trotting a bacon steak recipe around in his back pocket to every kitchen he graces. But there are some issues at Burger Mondays that are undeniable, and I’m going to wait a bit before going back. Dan and I agreed to award a 6.5 on the BHS scale, with room for improvement that I know is achievable.”

Please be sure to check out Big Hungry Shelby’s full review here, and make sure to check out her weekly column every Wednesday!

I reckon this has been a lengthy read, but I have a lot to say about Burger Mondays. Overall, I think it’s a restaurant that has great potential, but it’s not quite there yet. It’s my belief that if the restaurant has “Burger” in the name and they are going to charge the prices they do, the burgers and fries should be out of this world. At this point, they simply aren’t. I don’t know if the issue is just general inconsistency due to being a new restaurant, ingredient quality, or something else, but my three visits have proven that the restaurant is not yet where they need to be to be considered a true dining destination. Don’t get me wrong, Burger Mondays is worth checking out. It’s a comfortable space, a fine addition to Downtown Binghamton, and the food is generally good (particularly the non-burger items, as fate would have it). My hope is that they will continue to improve, and if my most recent visit is any indication, they are well on their way to doing so.

Grade: B




But wait...that's not all!

A friend and reader of the blog, Michael, also wrote a review of Burger Mondays that he'd like for us to share here. I am impressed with his review and I'm hopeful that he'll contribute to our effort more in the future. He seems to share some of the same concerns that Shelby and I had, and would rate the restaurant 2 stars on a 4-star scale. Here is Michael's review:

The moment I walked into Burger Mondays I heaved a sigh of relief. When I learned that someone had added an upscale burger-concept restaurant to downtown Binghamton’s notoriously bleak dining landscape, I resolved to give it a try, but expected the sort of schizophrenic décor one associates with an Applebee’s or Friday’s. Instead, the dining room is sparsely, even severely, decorated, leading one to believe that the brain trust responsible was reluctant to have anything distract the diner from what should always be the star of any restaurant’s show—the food.

Now, I’m not exactly a huge fan of stark black walls—the color is neither warm, nor inviting—and the overall impression is less of a dining room than of a large retail space into which a restaurant has been shoe-horned, but I was encouraged nonetheless. Binghamton is sorely lacking in restaurants that fill the gap between corporate family eateries (like the aforementioned Applebee's) and our few high-end establishments (most notably P.S. and Moxie Grill), and it seemed like someone had resolved to challenge the Lost Dog’s seventeen year run as the undisputed champion of this category. The dining room (and the tastefully-appointed bar) give the clear impression that here, at last, was a serious attempt to provide another option for those of us looking for a nice place to take a date without first undergoing a credit check.

One glance at the menu confirmed that impression. With an array of eclectic, arguably ambitious, appetizers, and a burger menu that ranges in price from seven (the “Mondays Original) to fourteen dollars (an Ahi tuna burger, and “The Jonesy”), Burger Mondays seems determined to distance itself from more traditional purveyors of ground beef on a bun. A closer look, though, raised some concerns; of the ten burgers on the menu, only two (the Original and the “Classic”) are priced at less than eleven dollars, and of the remaining eight, many boast so many ingredients that one is left wondering what they might be hiding under drifts of seasonings and showers of sauces. The presence of other options than ground beef (the Ahi, an Italian Beef sandwich that tempted this former Chicago resident, a mushroom “burger” for vegetarians, and a pulled pork offering) demonstrate a willingness to cater to more than burger lovers, a diversity essential for a restaurant’s survival in this day and age.

Our server was attentive and personable, though, after she delivered our drinks and started taking our order, we received our second warning that all was not quite right at Burger Mondays. When I inquired as to how I should order my burger if I wanted it to arrive according to my notion of “medium rare” (a cool to warm red center) I was cautioned that I should order it “rare,” and that even then it might come out more on the “well” side. While I was grateful for this admission, I was also a little frustrated; I am fed-up with chain restaurants (and others) who refuse to cook a burger to order (unless that order is medium-well or well), hiding behind the false statement that it is “illegal” to do so. Such claims are patently untrue, and just reflect an unwillingness by restaurants to stand behind the quality of their ground beef, and a lack of faith in the ability of their kitchens to handle and store said beef properly. I want to be perfectly clear that I am making no such accusation against Burger Mondays, but one of the reasons I was so eager to dine there at all was so I could avoid such wrangling and disappointments.

We began with a calamari salad, something I was eager to sample since few local places offer much more than fried, previously-frozen calamari and marinara. I was a little put off by the numerous zesty and savory ingredients (aged balsamic, cherry peppers, roasted red peppers, feta cheese) as properly prepared calamari has a delicate flavor that can be easily overwhelmed by more robust accompaniments. As it turned out, the bold flavors of the salad were a god-send, since the calamari itself was overcooked to the point of rubbery tastelessness (imagine batter-dipped pencil erasers). It is hard to guess how the salad might have been had the calamari been rescued from the deep-fryer in time, but the balsamic was applied so liberally, and the other ingredients so bold on the palate, I suspect that, even with properly-prepared calamari, the dish would have come up short.

For our entrees my companion ordered the risotto appetizer as an entrée (from which the kitchen was gracious enough to remove the dried cranberries at her request), and I ordered the “Mediterranean,” a feta, spinach, and oregano stuffed burger, topped with olive salad and sundried tomato aioli (see what I mean about an excess of ingredients?). Of the two, the risotto proved the better, a nice creamy dish, the starch of the rice balanced nicely against pine nuts, bleu cheese, and a port reduction. Sadly, my burger lived up to my fears rather than my desires, and the caveats about temperature were well-deserved. One bite in I knew that this was nowhere close to medium rare, and that even medium was a memory dwindling in its rear-view mirror. Once I had resolved myself to that disappointment, I then had to contend with the welter of flavors competing with the beef for my attention. Much like with the calamari salad, there was just too much going on—in addition to the previously described ingredients, the meat itself was so over-seasoned as to utterly mask any taste of beef. The best thing about the entire meal turned out to be the fresh cut fries, which were hot, nicely seasoned, and delicious.

And this, ultimately, is the biggest problem with Burger Mondays. So what if the décor isn’t exactly what I might want it to be, or if they fell short on a calamari salad? After all, this is a BURGER joint, and if they get the burger right, they’ve done their job. But they didn’t do that, and, in fact, fell far short of the mark. To have the audacity to charge twelve dollars for a burger, and then fail to deliver something extraordinary, something cooked to the customer’s specifications, is a clear sign that they’ve allowed the concept to get in the way of the burger. Better they should offer the best beef, with the fewest frills, and allow the quality of the meat to speak for itself. Binghamton already has a place that does just that, a little spot on Leroy called, simply, “The Beef.”

Dinner for two (with one appetizer as an entrée, please note), with an appetizer, one drink apiece, and tip, topped fifty dollars, and for that price I should have left happy, but instead I just left full. Burger Mondays definitely deserves a second chance; they’re the new kids on the block, and should have a chance to iron out any problems, but in the process they should remind themselves that the star of any burger joint, high concept or road-side stand, is the meat.

Many thanks to Shelby and Michael for their contributions to this post, and happy dining to all you readers out there!

South Side Yanni's

Name: South Side Yanni's
Location: 1200 Vestal Ave., Binghamton, NY 13903
Phone: (607) 723-1403
Cuisine: Pub food/American/Greek
Price: Inexpensive. Less than $20 for two.

Review:
South Side Yanni's is an institution on Binghamton's (you guessed it) South Side, serving its role as a neighborhood bar & grill for many years. I'm always skeptical about places like these since I'm always worried the emphasis will be more on the "bar" than the "grill," and I'm notoriously picky when it comes to bars. Plus, it's the South Side, not an area of town I get to very often. Additionally, the place looks a little sketchy from the exterior. All of these factors contributed to my being a little less than enthusiastic about giving Yanni's a shot.

A friend of ours who lives on the South Side has been championing the Yanni's cause for a couple of years now and when we were trying to coordinate an outing this past weekend, he suggested Yanni's. I hoped that the place would help to brighten our mood on a dismal, rainy Saturday, but had doubts as to whether they could deliver the goods.

I was astonished by what we found upon entering the place. First, I was surprised at how spacious it was. The bar takes up the right side of the place when you enter, but there's a relatively large dining room off to the left. Wooden tables and chairs and wood-paneled walls give the restaurant an old-fashioned, homey vibe. On looks alone, I immediately liked Yanni's and found it to be a comfortable place to hang out.

The menu features standard bar fare (fried appetizers, wings, burgers, sandwiches) with some Greek options as well (gyro, souvlaki, Greek salad, and a Greek Burger covered with tzatziki sauce and feta cheese). Our friend encouraged us to try the wings, which he claimed were the area's best, and so I started with a dozen hot garlic wings, and ordered the aforementioned Greek Burger for my entree with a side of fries. Megan went with the old pub food standby, a cheeseburger with fries.


The wings were first to arrive, and sure enough, they were the best I've had in the area, narrowly surpassing those of Kelly's in Endicott. They were a little smaller than those you find at Kelly's, but were less fatty and had much more flavor.


My Greek Burger was perfectly cooked to order (medium-rare) and had a great charbroiled taste. I'd never really considered tzatziki sauce as a possible burger condiment, but I thought it worked very well. With diced tomato and onion on top, this was an excellent burger and I'd order it again in a heartbeat. Megan was equally pleased with her burger, and both of us enjoyed the fries. Overall, this was a winner of a meal.

A couple minor drawbacks to Yanni's: they are sticklers when it comes to splitting checks (they don't do it), so be cognizant of that if you're going with a large party. Also, the beer selection features the usual standard macro (Bud/Miller/Coors/Yuengling) options, so if you like something snootier, this is not the place to find it.

I'm told that Yanni's offers specials each night of the week (ranging from meatloaf to chicken & biscuits to prime rib) that are quite good, so I'll be sure to check them out and will report back if I find anything particularly tasty.

Where I grew up in the Harrisburg, PA area, there's a bar & grill a little off the beaten path called the Eagle Hotel. It was a little rundown shack of a restaurant, positively nothing to look at from the exterior, but there was a line out the door to get a seat just about every night of the week because the food was excellent (especially the wings--to date, the best I've ever had by a mile). South Side Yanni's reminds me of the Eagle Hotel in a number of ways. It's a comfortable place that serves good food at completely reasonable prices. It's no surprise to me that Yanni's has become an area institution: of the local bar & grill places I've tried, Yanni's is the best of the lot.

Grade: A-

Frank's Diner

Name: Frank's Diner
Location: 428 Court St., Binghamton, NY 13904
Phone: (607) 238-1900
Cuisine: American Diner
Price: Around $20 for two

Review:
When putting together a Google Map of all of the area restaurants we've reviewed, I noted that one area of town that our blogging exploits have mostly ignored up to this point has been Binghamton's East Side. For whatever reason, we rarely find ourselves over there. Perhaps our distaste for East Side's Cortese Restaurant has led to some subconscious bias. Seeking to remedy the situation, we plan to visit each of the diners on Court St. in the near future. We started with a trip out to Frank's Diner, one of East Side's newer establishments.

Even though Frank's is somewhat new, it takes over the location vacated by the Robin's Nest, one of Binghamton's most popular diners. It's my understanding that Frank, the owner, is a longtime restauranteur in the area, and he appeared to be patrolling the grounds during our visit.

I would classify Frank's as a "family restaurant" variety of diner. It's a reasonably sized place with probably 15-20 tables scattered throughout its dining room. It was evident that the chairs, tables, and floors were newer and cleaner than at most area diners. We went around 12:30 PM on a Saturday, and decided to try both breakfast and lunch. I was in the mood for breakfast food, while Megan ordered from the lunch menu. The breakfast menu was fairly typical, with several egg combos, pancakes, and omelets, but what caught my eye was the offering of several versions of frittata, a quiche-like dish. My mother used to make an egg, bacon, and cheese frittata for special occasions and I always enjoyed it, so I was excited to try out Frank's. I decided to try out the Italian Sausage frittata. Megan was in the mood for a burger and fries, so she went with a Bacon Cheeseburger.


Where to start on the frittata....hmmm... Let's just say, I don't think whoever made the dish I was served had any idea whatsoever what a frittata is. Frittata is a self-contained food like an omelet or quiche. What I was served was a scramble, not a frittata. There were scrambled eggs, sausage, onions, peppers, and home fries, all of which were quite tasty elements. I enjoyed my breakfast quite a lot, but to call it a "frittata" would be completely inaccurate. Not a huge deal since the food was good, but be forewarned.


Megan seemed to enjoy her burger well enough. In her words, it was "passable," yet nothing to get too excited about. On a better note, I tried some of her fries and they were pretty delicious, the crispy, golden-brown variety. Solid.

In the end, my opinion of Frank's is that it's pretty much middle of the road as diners go. Certainly it's one of the cleanest ones in the area, service was fast, and it's the kind of diner where you never have to ask for a coffee refill. The food was satisfying, but I reckon that I was mildly peeved that I didn't really get what I ordered. If we lived in the area, I could see us making Frank's a somewhat regular stop in our dining rotation, but it's not a place we're likely to go out of our way to visit again.

Grade: B-

Chris' Diner

Name: Chris' Diner
Location: 192 State St., Binghamton, NY 13901
Phone: (607) 723-6854
Cuisine: American Diner
Price: Around $10 per person

Review:
The diner tour rolled along again today with a trip to Chris' Diner, located on State St. in downtown Binghamton. The first notable thing about Chris' is the name, which almost certainly is grammatically incorrect and should instead be "Chris's," but I reckon this is Binghamton, not Oxford.

Chris' is the classic "greasy spoon" variety of diner, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They seem to have a pretty loyal following among working class folk and college students alike. Its proximity to the Binghamton Bus Terminal probably leads to a fair bit of traffic as well. Appearance-wise, it's a little shabby looking on the interior with the seats in the booths having gaping holes in the cushions; one gets the sense that this is a place that has seen better days. There are a couple booths and a few tables toward the front of the restaurant and a coffee counter taking up most of the right side along the back. In the old-fashioned diner style, behind the counter lies the grill, where you can watch the cook prepare your meal. From an ambiance perspective, I was not impressed with Chris'.

I ordered a Greek omelet (green pepper, onion, tomato, feta cheese) while Megan went with eggs and bacon. Both meals came with home fries and toast, and we had coffee to drink. Service was quick; within ten minutes, our food was on the table.


As it turns out, I didn't care too much for my breakfast at all. The omelet was on the watery side and the eggs were overcooked (an odd combination, I know). I did not get the sense that the vegetable contents were the freshest, either. The home fries and toast were decent. Coffee was on the weak side.


Megan had about the opposite reaction to mine. She enjoyed her breakfast thoroughly and said that everything was good, even the bacon, an item she is normally picky about. She did agree with me that the ambiance of the diner left a lot to be desired relative to some others in the area, like the Park Diner and the Broadway Diner. On the plus side, our breakfasts were pretty huge and fairly inexpensive.

Chris' Diner did not leave me with the greatest of impressions. I found it average at best, even by diner standards. If you're looking for old-school diner ambiance, there are several places that offer a better experience. And if a good breakfast is what you're seeking, I can't say that Chris' is the place to find one.

Grade: C

Red Robin Diner

Name: Red Robin Diner
Location: 268 Main St., Johnson City, NY 13790
Phone: (607) 729-2346
Cuisine: American Diner
Price: Less than $10 per person

Review:
Today, we decided to resume our tour of the area's diners. We've covered a lot of ground and have found some good ones, but still have a few to go. This morning's stop was the Red Robin Diner in Johnson City. We've lived in Johnson City for a long time and passed by the Red Robin countless times over the years, but never bothered to stop. Until the last couple of years, the place looked rather rundown and somewhat sketchy, from the exterior at least. Since acquiring new ownership a couple years ago, I heard that the Red Robin had made somewhat of a rebound to its glory days of years past. I was pretty stoked about giving it a shot.

Ambiance at the Red Robin, located on Main St. in the heart of Johnson City, is old-fashioned even by diner standards. The signage around the restaurant looks like it hasn't changed much, if at all, in the last fifty years; some empty glass Coke bottles in a case near the entrance serve as a reminder of yesteryear. One unique thing about the layout of the Red Robin is that the coffee counter faces the street. A little research shows that the Red Robin is indeed a rarity which has existed in the area since 1950, making it one of the Triple Cities' longest-running establishments.

As you enter, you'll see the coffee counter and some booths off to the right, and a larger dining area (which I assume may have been expanded later) straight ahead toward the back. We chose a booth toward the front and were quickly presented with coffee while we perused the paper menus already on the table. Since we were there at 9:00 AM, breakfast was the only option available to us at that time. The menu featured all the usual diner stuff, eggs, home fries, bacon, sausage, French toast, pancakes, corned beef hash, omelets, and many combinations thereof. I did not find the menu to be as expansive as some others in the area, which is fine. It's all about quality over quantity in my book.

Megan and I both ordered the same thing, the Breakfast Special which featured two eggs any style with bacon, home fries, toast, and coffee for $4.00 including tax. A steal of a deal if I may say so. I went over-easy on my eggs with white toast, while Megan went scrambled with wheat toast. In about ten minutes, our meals were ready.


Overall, this was average diner fare. Bacon was crispy (just how we like it--though Megan much prefers the bacon at Danny's Diner), eggs were done properly to order, home fries were slightly crispy and not too mushy. Megan's toast was a little burnt. If you like a cheap diner breakfast, the Red Robin will certainly hit the spot. It won't amaze you, but then again, it's not meant to. Service was friendly and quick. Make sure to bring cash, as the Red Robin does not take credit/debit at this time.

One of the things I like about diners is that the best ones offer a glimpse into the history of the town to which they belong and an overall feeling of nostalgia. As I sat in the Red Robin, looking out onto Johnson City's Main St., I wondered what the town must have looked like 40 or 50 years ago during the Red Robin's heyday. These days, it's mostly rundown and/or abandoned buildings surrounding the place. I am hopeful that the Red Robin will soldier on, as a comfortable, inexpensive diner and as an artifact of the village's past, until better times someday return to the region.

Grade: B

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

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

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

Jane's Diner

Name: Jane's Diner
Location: 591 Conklin Ave., Binghamton, NY 13903
Phone: (607) 722-3350
Cuisine: American Diner
Price: Very inexpensive. Less than $5 per person for breakfast!

Review:
Jane's Diner is located on Binghamton's South Side, on Conklin Ave. on the way out toward Conklin. It's a quarter-mile past the entrance to Sandy Beach Park if you're heading eastbound, located inconspicuously on the left side of a tiny plaza adjacent to the Susquehanna River. It can be a little hard to see from the road, so once you cross over the railroad bridge, keep your eyes peeled.

We arrived around 10:00 AM on a Wednesday and found the restaurant to be a standard family-style diner. The register is straight ahead as you enter the restaurant, with the traditional dessert case adjacent. There are tables off to both the left and the right, and another small room of tables further to the right. It's a fairly large space, which is good because my understanding is that Jane's is pretty popular among the locals due to a combination of good food and low prices.

We were seated immediately and ordered coffee; moments later, we had the coffee and placed our order. Both of us decided to go with a special. Mine consisted of two pancakes, two eggs, a side of bacon, and coffee for $4.99. Megan elected the Three Egg special, which came with home fries, bacon, toast, and coffee for only $3.99. $8.98 for two enormous breakfasts? To answer Shaft's most famous question, yes, I can dig it.

The pancakes were huge. Bigger than my head, and quite tasty. The syrup was nothing special but got the job done. The eggs were cooked perfectly to order (over-easy), while the bacon was not so good, the flabby, shriveled variety. So the food was a little hit-or-miss, but for $4.99, I'd have to say I was quite satisfied. Megan enjoyed her breakfast as well, for the most part. She shared my sentiment regarding the bacon, but seemed to like everything else well enough.

I felt that cleanliness was a minor concern at Jane's. There were a number of flies buzzing around me, which was a little bothersome, and Megan's silverware was on the sticky side. I can proudly say that the men's room was immaculate as public restrooms go, so I guess you take the good with the bad. Service was very quick and delivered in the no-nonsense fashion that I've come to appreciate at diners such as these.

I'm glad to have had the opportunity to try Jane's Diner. The food was pretty good with enormous portion sizes, service was solid, and the price was certainly right. On the negative side, I got the sense that the place was a little grungy, and the sticky silverware was a definite faux pas. Also, its location makes it rather unlikely that I'll be clamoring to go back anytime soon. Overall, I found Jane's to be an average addition to the Binghamton diner scene, with slight bonus points for the tremendously low prices.

Grade: B-

Red Oak Diner

Name: Red Oak Diner
Location: 305 Front St., Binghamton, NY 13905
Phone: (607) 722-0440
Cuisine: American Diner
Price: Around $10 per person

Review:
Another day, another diner for the Tasting Binghamton crew. This time we headed out to the Red Oak Diner on Front St. in Binghamton's First Ward for our inaugural visit. With its location right off the highway en route to Downtown Binghamton, it's a place we've passed by a number of times over the years but never bothered to stop in. I had often wondered if it were anything like The Spot Diner, located further up on Front St., given that the restaurants look similarly from the outside.

Sure enough, on the inside, I found it to be somewhat comparable to The Spot. It's a 1970's-style Greek diner with lots of seating. Upon entrance you'll see some booths to the left, the standard coffee counter straight ahead, and a large dining room to the right. We were instructed to seat ourselves in the dining room and chose a reasonable-looking table toward the back, adjacent to a window.

Service is by far the best thing the Red Oak has going. Throughout our visit, the service was very quick, from the delivery of menus, to ordering, to receiving our meals and the check. The waitress was friendly and it seemed as if she was a longtime employee of the establishment. The question is: would the food match the service?

In my opinion, it would not. Venturing a little outside my normal diner order, I elected to go with the Chicken and Biscuits special they were offering. This came with a complimentary cup of soup and a side, so I went with the Vegetable Beef and a side of mashed potatoes. Megan was a little more conservative in her ordering and went with a Turkey Club sandwich, which she proceeded to enjoy far more than I enjoyed my meal.

This is diner food, so I really try not to get my hopes up too much. It's inexpensive and intended to be quick, comfort food, after all. It isn't fine dining. Even so, I was not happy with my meal at all. The Vegetable Beef soup was an OK beginning to the meal. It certainly wasn't skimpy on the vegetables nor the beef. All told, it was a minor improvement over Campbell's. The rest of the meal was pretty much a disaster. The mashed potatoes weren't the instant variety but they were about as close as you can get. The chicken didn't have much flavor, and the biscuits had absolutely none. The entire plate was topped with a yellowish gravy that was equally tasteless and had begun to congeal. This may have been the blandest plate of food I've ever been served. It was edible, and arrived from the kitchen at a breakneck pace (literally, there were fewer than five minutes between the time we ordered and the time we had our plates in front of us), but I felt as if I could probably get a better, or at least similar, plate of food from the Binghamton High School cafeteria. Hell, I'm no Wolfgang Puck, but I could muster a better effort myself. Harsh, perhaps, but that's the honest truth.

Like I said, the Red Oak has some pluses. The service is friendly and as quick as anywhere else I've been in the area. The dining area is a pleasant, large space and has some old-school charm. Megan liked her club sandwich perfectly well. In fact, I think she rather liked the place on the whole. The truth of the matter is that I wanted her to write the review for the Red Oak so that I didn't have to write all this, but the more I thought about it, the more I really disliked my meal there, and as you've probably discerned by now, the food was simply not anything I'd want to pay money for again. With dozens of diners in the Triple Cities, it's my feeling that there are many, many better options to choose than the Red Oak.

Grade: C-

Park Diner

Name: Park Diner

Location: 119 Conklin Ave., Binghamton, NY 13903
Phone: (607) 722-9840
Cuisine: Diner

Price: $20 for two

Since we did not get to sample another area diner on Thursday, Dan and I decided to venture today to the Park Diner - one that I was excited about given its location. Although Binghamton has riverfront areas, it seems that few businesses make use of it. The Park Diner, located on the South Side, uses the Susquehanna to its distinct advantage allowing for really beautiful views of both the river and downtown Bingo. Thus, I was looking forward to the ambiance of the diner at the very least.

We made our way to the Park Diner around 11am this morning and were lucky to find a parking spot in the small lot adjacent to the diner. We were greeted immediately by the hostess and were able to choose between table or booth seating. We went with booth as we normally do. Although we were not sitting right by the floor to ceiling windows and although it was raining, I was still very pleased with the views that the diner offered. There is a dam located right near the diner, so you get to see a little waterfall effect along with scenic views of downtown.

The menu is not very big for a diner and only had one page of breakfast options. The usual egg and pancake fare was accounted for along with a steak and eggs special. I was disappointed that there were not more options or specials and also that the prices seemed a bit higher than most of the area diners - two eggs with home fries and toast for $5.95. I think the inflation of price has to do with the slightly higher class atmosphere that the Park Diner is trying to offer. For instance, the wait staff is dressed in button down white shirts, slacks, and pink ties. All the plates and cups were very nice looking (no chips) and matched. So in that respect, it is a more upscale diner experience.

Dan and I both went with cheese omelets - his was feta, mine was american - with wheat toast and home fries and of course our requisite coffees. All of our food came out fast - like five minutes from the time we ordered.

The presentation was very nice - the omelet was neat and well cooked. My toast was done the way I like it and the home fries were fine, but rather basic - I liked the ones at Danny's better. Nothing outstanding - nothing I could not have done myself at home. The coffee was good - I did like that it was more neatly presented than at some of the other diners where it had spilled into the saucer. All told, breakfast was good - but at a cost of $20 dollars with tax and tip, I felt that it was a bit pricey for the simple meals we got. Especially given that at Danny's, we got the same things and bacon and sausage for $10.

In sum, the Park Diner had the ambiance and the atmosphere that I hoped for. It was a pleasant dining experience, the service was swift and the food was good. However, I would have liked to see a more extensive breakfast menu, especially for a diner, and I do think it is a bit pricey for breakfast. I would probably go again for lunch - they had a larger selection and I am willing to pay a bit more for a nice lunch plate.

Grade: B-

Danny's Diner

Another Thursday, another diner to sample. Today, we chose to hit up one of the oldies (but allegedly goodies) Danny's Diner, located on Main Street (17C) just up the way from Cyber Cafe, but on the other side of the road. According to Dan, this diner has been in existence since the 1930s, but has only been at this location since 1970. I was interested to see what a longstanding legacy would bring.

From the outside, the diner is not much to look at and kind of blends in with the scenery. In fact, I have driven past it many times and only noted its existence on occasion. The building is long and narrow with parking on the right side. As we decided to go at 10:45 this morning, we did not have to contend with any crowds. Upon entering, we chose our wooden booth and waited for the menu. We were only one of about three tables occupied in the place, but that was to be expected given the time of day - post-breakfast rush and pre-lunch crowd. We were each given a menu fairly quickly by a sassy waitress who was one of two employees that I saw in the place. She was friendly and let us know that we could do either breakfast or lunch if we chose. We chose to go for the breakfast.

Dan and I both got the same special, with slight variation and coffee. I got three eggs scrambled with bacon, home fries and wheat toast. He went with three eggs over easy with sausage, home fries and white toast. There was a little miscommunication that resulted in Dan getting more toast and me waiting for my wheat, but it was no problem as we got to witness some playful banter between our waitress and the cook. Our orders came out quickly and filled the plate.






My breakfast was fantastic. The eggs were pretty good and the home fries were tasty and not too hard or soft. My wheat toast was done to my liking - slightly toasted with very little brown.

The real star of the breakfast in my opinion was the bacon. I am very picky about my bacon and have had a hard time finding good bacon done the way that I want. I like it crispy, not chewy and not crunchy. The Apple Dumpling Cafe had fantastic bacon and I thought that any diner would be hard pressed to top it. Danny's bacon is a contender. It was crispy and hot and tasted so awesome that I almost licked my fingers. Seriously, great bacon. The coffee was coffee - I usually only like flavored coffee and have a hard time getting excited about the regular stuff - so it was okay.

Dan enjoyed his food as well - I tried a bite of his sausage and found it to be really good - though not nearly as great as my bacon, which I was generous enough to allow him to have a bite of. He was able to polish off all of his food, but I had to throw in the napkin with some food left over. They give you generous portions. You will not leave hungry or with an empty wallet as our feast came to a mere 10 dollars.

As far as comparison to area diners, Danny's rates well. It may not have the ambiance of the Broadway or the Apple Dumpling Cafe (if you want to count that as a diner type place), but it makes up for it in charm and quality of food. The bacon alone is worth a return trip for me.

Grade: A-

Skylark Diner

Name: Skylark Diner
Location: 248 Vestal Pkwy E, Vestal, NY 13850
Phone: (607) 785-9795
Cuisine: Diner
Price: Less than $20 for two

Review:
Megan and I hit up the Skylark Diner for lunch today as we continue our diner tour of the Triple Cities. We'd been to the Skylark a few times in the past for breakfast with friends a number of years ago. It's an old-fashioned O'Mahony diner that dates to the 1950's and is in very good shape. I'd imagine this place has not changed a tremendous amount since it opened nearly 60 years ago. It's a nice environment for a good, inexpensive, and quick meal, which is what we were seeking.

Upon selecting a table we received quick service. Going for both sides of the diner spectrum, I decided to go with an order of eggs and a stack of pancakes, while Megan went with a burger and fries. Pancakes were tasty while the eggs were a little on the runny side compared with how I normally prefer them. Megan commented a couple times on the drive home about how she liked her burger, which is usually a good sign. The fries were the golden crispy variety and tasted like McDonald's hash browns. Good stuff.

The service was excellent all around with one drawback to the Skylark being the fact that they don't accept credit cards nor personal checks. So be sure to take cash if you plan on eating there.

I recommend the Skylark. It's a Vestal institution and a glimpse into a bygone era. The service is quick, the food is solid, though unspectacular, and the prices are dirt cheap. Its location just off I-86 makes the Skylark a viable dining option for people passing through the area and locals alike. They're open 24/7 (with the exception of late Sunday nights). If you are a "diner fan" the Skylark will definitely be up your alley.

Grade: B

Pete's Diner

Name: Pete's Legacy Diner
Location: 2305 Vestal Road, Vestal, NY 13850
Phone: (607) 239-6021
Cuisine: Diner
Attire: Casual
Price: Less than $20 for two

Review:
Our diner tour officially got underway with our Saturday morning visit to Pete's Diner in Vestal. To date, we've also reviewed the Plaza Diner and the Spot Diner (and the Apple Dumpling Cafe, which food-wise belongs in the diner category), but we are now making a more conscious effort to visit all the area diners in order to find The Best of the Bunch.

So I guess I should talk a little bit about what my expectations are. Diners are not typically known for great food, though there are exceptions. They are known more for a comfortable atmosphere with equally comfortable, homestyle victuals, snappy waitresses who provide quick and efficient service, and low prices that are perhaps about as low as it would take you to make similar food at home.

What am I looking for? First and foremost, I want good food. It doesn't have to be amazing, but it's gotta be good enough to want to come back. I really like diners that have signature or special items in particular. For some places that may consist of Greek dishes, with others it might be certain breakfast items like corned beef hash, or even desserts. Plus they have to have a reasonable cup of coffee. Again, I do not expect gourmet coffee. As long as it's not undrinkable and watery and has some flavor, I'm OK with it.

Almost as important as the food is the atmosphere. As far as I'm concerned, the more old-timey, the better. I like the diners that make you feel like you're stepping back in time into a bygone era. I do not like diners that try to achieve that vibe in a kitschy way.

Good, quick, friendly service is also important. And the more dirt-cheap the price, the more apt I'll be to return if the food is good, so price will definitely some role in my overall assessment. But these are more secondary concerns. As always, good food is of paramount importance, and since I don't demand great food, atmosphere will take on an added significance in my diner reviews.

Anyway, enough about me and more about Pete's.

Pete's Legacy Diner, to my understanding, pays homage to a certain gentleman named Pete who at one time owned and operated several different diners in the Triple Cities. They serve breakfast and lunch and are not open past 3:00 PM, so if you're going to go, you need to go early. The fare is standard diner food: eggs/bacon/sausage/toast/home fries/pancakes/waffles/omelets for breakfast and sandwiches/burgers/soups for lunch. I looked over the menu fairly extensively and didn't really notice anything too out of the ordinary.

The place is reasonably sized with a dining room partitioned into (I think) 3 sections of about 6-8 tables apiece. The place was quite busy when we went but we got a table right away. I believe that each of the 3 sections was assigned its own waitress. A very smart setup, if I may say so, with an emphasis on efficiency. Our waitress was indeed very snappy and took good care of us. I ordered the 3 egg breakfast which came with home fries and toast. I also ordered a side of bacon and a cup of coffee.


This was a decent plate of food but nothing special. Good wheat toast and the eggs were done appropriately. I did not care for the home fries. They were lacking seasoning or something. The bacon was not good. The pieces were shriveled, greasy, and flabby. I would not order it again.

Megan got the Belgian Waffle per usual. I had a bite. Pretty good. Not the caliber of the waffles she had at Apple Dumpling Cafe last weekend, but still good.

The coffee was pretty good and met my basic expectations. Not too watered down and had some flavor.

The atmosphere was nice and quaint. It's the kind of neighborly place where a lot of the people seem to know each other. Megan said it reminded her somewhat of the Port Jervis Diner in the town where she grew up. It reminded me of some places I had eaten in my younger days as well. In my mind though, it doesn't stand up to the overall atmosphere of the Spot Diner. But it's not bad in that department.

At $13, I thought Pete's was about on par with most diner prices, but I'm looking for something cheaper and better than what they had to offer.

Overall, my experience at Pete's was a nice little Saturday morning outing. Nothing more, nothing less. It met my most basic expectations but did not exceed them in any way. I would definitely go back, but there are similar places I prefer. When the smoke clears, Pete's legacy will be but a footnote in my diner adventures.

Grade: B-

Christie's Steakhouse and Grill

Name: Christie's Steakhouse and Grill
Location: 560 Harry L Drive #2, Johnson City, NY 13790
Phone: (607) 729-3100
Cuisine: American
Attire: Casual
Price: $40+ for two for dinner

Review:
Christie's is a Johnson City establishment located right in the center of all the action. Its location diagonally opposite the Oakdale Mall makes it a pretty popular spot for lunch and dinner, particularly during the holiday season when the mall gets busy. Megan and I have stopped in for dinner quite a bit over the years, given that we pretty much have to pass right by the place to go anywhere. Overall, I am not thrilled with the food at Christie's, nor the value it provides, but there are certain aspects of the place that I really like.

If you're going to go to Christie's, I recommend going for lunch. They make a really nice sandwich and they offer a variety of soups that come with unlimited refills. Of particular note is the Cheddar Beer soup, which has become the stuff of legend among my friends and me. We have been known to call the restaurant just to find out if it's a Cheddar Beer day before making a decision to head over. It's a delicious creamy cheese soup served with oyster crackers. Doesn't sound like anything special but it is truly good. I've had the New England Clam Chowder many times over the years and have enjoyed it, ditto the Chicken and Rice; in fact, I can't recall a soup I've had there and didn't like. Actually, that's a lie: I did not care for the Cream of Asparagus that was brought to me in error (mistakes such as this have occurred on multiple visits). For sandwiches, I think their turkey sandwiches are the way to go. I recommend the turkey club, or the Rachel. Nothing to get too excited about, but good.

Dinner, on the other hand, I cannot recommend, for a variety of reasons. For starters, I find their menu to be a little limited if you are not in the mood for steak. They offer a rotisserie chicken entree that's pretty decent if you get it on a day that it's not all dried out. I've also gone with a seafood pasta dish (clams, mussels, scallops, shrimp over pasta) that sounded good in theory, but I didn't care for it at all. The best dinner I've had there was probably the rib dinner, which comes with a spicy barbecue sauce I enjoyed. As for the steaks, I have not been impressed. The times I've ordered steak it's always been too grisly or fatty and lacking in flavor. Maybe I've just been unlucky, as I have heard good thing from other folks about the steaks, but this hasn't just been a one-time thing. Additionally, I find dinner at Christie's to be way overpriced. The steak entrees jump well into the $20 range and there are only a handful of entrees on the menu that are less than $15. If I'm going to spend that kind of cash, I'd rather go someplace where I know I'm going to enjoy the food more.

One last thing I don't care for about Christie's is the ambiance. It feels too much like a chain restaurant to me. They've got the waiters who come to the table and write their name upside-down in crayon on the paper tablecloth and stuff. For whatever reason, I hate kitschy stuff like that. I don't know. I like local places that feel local, you know? This just isn't one of those places. And their outside seating is kind of a joke too. Who really wants to overlook a McDonald's parking lot while eating?

Christie's is one of those places that's tough to assign a grade to. It's a good lunch spot and I highly recommend checking out their soups (Cheddar Beer FTW!). For dinner, I am not a fan. It's overpriced and a little too chain-like for my tastes. To each his own, I suppose...

Grade: C+

Plaza Diner

Name: Plaza Diner
Location: 3605 Vestal Parkway East, Vestal, NY 13850
Phone: (607) 770-0012
Cuisine: American Diner
Attire: Casual
Price: $20 for two

Review:
We are on a quest to find the Binghamton area's best diner. We have liked The Spot on Upper Front St. for years because the food is consistently good, cheap, and its location makes it among the easiest for us to get to. Lately we've decided to branch out and try some other options. I'd heard good things about the Plaza Diner on the Vestal Parkway. I have to admit, I was skeptical. I remember when the place was Hooters, after all. But we decided to give it a shot today for lunch. I certainly didn't leave hungry, but was not amazed. Ah well, the quest lives on another day...

Yup, the Plaza Diner takes over the location vacated by Hooters on the Vestal Parkway. It's a good, convenient location not far from the Binghamton University campus. The restaurant is fairly big and has two dining areas, one to the right as you walk in the entrance, and one in another room straight ahead. When we went (12:30 PM on a Sunday) the place was packed to the gills and a bit on the hectic/noisy side. A far cry from the relaxed atmosphere of the Spot Diner, I thought to myself, which manages to be busy but somehow not seem busy. So the ambiance really didn't do anything for me.

The first thing I noticed on the menu was that I couldn't order breakfast!!! 12:30 on a Sunday and I can't get breakfast? Surely you jest. Part of the reason I like diners is that I can often order breakfast whenever I want it. I've gone to The Spot for dinner before and ordered pancakes. Sometimes you have a fever, and the only prescription is more pancakes, you know? Plus, breakfast tends to be cheaper, and if you haven't noticed, I've been eating out a lot lately. Gotta start saving those pennies where I can. Oh well. I ordered the reuben sandwich which came with fries and a bowl of soup. I opted for the French Onion.


This was some pretty good French Onion soup. Cheese was appropriately gooey and the broth was tasty. I have to think it would be pretty tough to screw up French Onion and the Plaza Diner certainly didn't.

The reuben came out shortly thereafter. This thing was massive!


Had to eat this with a fork and knife, it was that difficult to maneuver. Fries were good but the reuben was kind of mediocre. Too much sauerkraut resulted in the sandwich being so soggy I couldn't even pick it up. The pastrami was a little on the tough side. The sauerkraut was pretty good though, had a nice apple-ish sweetness to it. But at the end of the meal my exact reaction was "eh." Average diner fare, nothing more, nothing less.

I don't really know if I can recommend the Plaza Diner or not. If you're in the area and in the mood for diner food, I guess I'd recommend it instead of Friendly's or IHOP. Otherwise, I wasn't overly impressed. I'd go again, but am not in a rush to do so. Perhaps next time I'll go for breakfast. I guess that means I'm going to have to go early. *sigh*

Grade: C