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

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

The Silo Restaurant

Name: The Silo Restaurant
Location: 203 Moran Rd., Greene, NY 13778
Phone: (607) 656-4377
Cuisine: American
Price: $25+ per person

Review:
Last night, Megan and I made the trek out to Greene for The Silo's Friday night seafood buffet extravaganza. It's something we've wanted to do many times over the years, but just couldn't muster the energy to make the roughly 45-minute drive out to literally the middle of nowhere, eight miles east of Greene. We noticed a coupon in Clipper Magazine for $10 off the purchase of two buffets, which provided just enough motivation.

We arrived around 5:00 and were seated quickly. The buffet is divided into roughly four sections. There is a gigantic salad bar with just about anything you'd ever want to put on a salad, in addition to standard fare like cole slaw, applesauce, potato salad, and macaroni salad. They also had some more odd choices like dried cranberries and what quickly became a favorite of mine, pickled watermelon rind. Each of us started with a salad and were pretty happy with what we found. If you go, I highly recommend trying the pickled watermelon rind. It's something you certainly won't find many places, and it has a surprising candy-like sweet and sour taste. I quite liked it. The applesauce was the homemade variety and quite tasty, while the potato salad was the red-skin variety and also good.

The second table on the buffet was a smaller station with chilled shrimp and soup. I elected to have a cup of the New England Clam Chowder and was very pleased with it. Definitely liberal with the clams, while bacon added some smoky flavor.

The third table had snow crab legs and a carving station featuring ham, turkey, and roast beef. These options looked very good, but I was more stoked about sampling the offerings on the fourth table, so I didn't want to fill up on other stuff.

The fourth table is what I would call the "main buffet" and had just about any seafood option you might want, in addition to some meat choices. Some choices on the main buffet that I recall are:

Seafood Newburg

Crab Cakes

Teriyaki Tuna

Mahi Mahi

Fried Shrimp, Clams, and Oysters

Escargot

Clams Casino

Mussels

Meatballs

Chicken Marsala

"Athens" beef

Sides like rice, steamed vegetables, and onion rings

I tried to sample just about everything here. The Seafood Newburg was a definite highlight. Featuring crab, shrimp, and fish in a thick sherry cream sauce, I could've eaten a plateful of just that and been happy. My favorite item on this buffet was the Teriyaki Tuna; it was perfectly grilled and totally delicious. I hadn't had fried oysters in a very long time so I made sure to load up on a healthy portion of those. Quite excellent as well. Other items I enjoyed were the "Athens beef" which was essentially beef tenderloin marinaded in lemon juice and topped with a little feta cheese. This was a personal favorite of Megan's. I was excited to have the chance to try Escargot for the first time. Nothing to get too excited about, as it turns out: it really just tasted like butter and garlic.

Items I didn't care for included the meatballs, which had little taste and reminded me of the frozen meatballs you can buy in the grocery store. The Chicken Marsala didn't really do anything for me, as the chicken was a little dried out and tougher than I would've preferred. Crab cakes are normally a favorite food of mine, but I didn't care for The Silo's version of them. They weren't bad, but were overshadowed by most of the other items on my plate. But that is certainly one of the benefits of a buffet: while you might not like one item; there certainly will be many others you do. And the hit-to-miss ratio at The Silo was quite favorable.

Ambiance at The Silo is nice, but not extraordinary. During our visit they had a singer who delivered acoustic versions of 1970's soft-rock tunes from artists like John Denver and James Taylor. It was pleasant enough, but perhaps a little intrusive and certainly more appealing to the crowd of geriatrics we dined with than to the two of us. In fact, I'd say that most of the patrons were twice my age, and at 30 years old I'm not exactly a spring chicken. So while there is a nice, quaint atmosphere, it's certainly not the hippest, and I would have a hard time recommending The Silo to folks younger than myself. I might need a trip to the ultra-swanky Lemongrass soon to wash the moth balls out of my system...

In the end, our trip to The Silo was a mixed bag in my opinion. I really liked the food overall, and there are certainly some options here you can't get anywhere else in the area, like Seafood Newburg, Fried Oysters, Escargot, and pickled watermelon rind. The food was fresh and well-prepared, and the service was friendly and generally quick. At $21.95 per person, the buffet represents pretty good value given the high quality and rarity of the food. On the other hand, it's a 45-minute drive and the stodgy atmosphere honestly didn't do much for me. I could go to Ithaca and eat at some awesome places there after making a drive of similar length, and eat with people my age. I'm glad I tried The Silo once, but I won't be too disappointed if I never make it back there again.

Grade: B