Binghamton

[docsconz]

Any recommendations for good regional or ethnic food in Binghamton? I will be there this weekend for my son's baseball tournament. How about ballpark food for the Binghamton Mets?

[robert40]

doc,

Binghamton is known for being the birthplace of Speedies, which would likely be great ballpark food.

I can't point you toward a good place for them, but it may be worth looking into.

[JennyUptown]

Yum, speedies. Like a gyro, but Binghamton style.

Growing up, we always had Lupo's when we visited my cousins in the area.

[KatieLoeb]

I believe that's Spiedies, and yes they're awesome. A friend of mine from Binghamton introduced me to them at a beach barbeque and I've been craving them ever since.

Definitely worthy of seeking out.

See HERE

[dscott]

Taught in Binghamton for a year and never did find a good spiedie/speedie. Bummed me out because they sounded good.

You're on the edge of Cornell chicken country up there. Go to this posting

Cornell chicken) for three places that the Sterns talked about last year. I've never been to any but that chicken sounds great. Endicott would be the closest to Binghamton (just west on rte 17), then Owego (further west on 17), then Candor (1/2 way to Ithaca).

[phaelon56]

Gee.... has anyone mentioned Spiedies?

Apart from that and Cornell Chicken there isn't much of anythignt hat wold be considered as local or regional specialties. There is a half decent pit that you'll be near on your way down - about halfway between Syracuse and Binghamton. If you take the Preble exit off Rte 81 South (it's about 25 minutes south of Syracuse), head west a mile or less and then left on Rte 281 South (it runs parallel to Rte 81).... you'll find Bob's BBQ several miles down on the left. It's a classic outdoor pit - pretty good chicken and sides but the ribs were only so-so when I tried them years ago.

[robert40]

I'm only guessing but I would assume doc would be driving down Rte 88 and not Rte 81, but then if he's like me getting alittle sidetracked for food is commom.

[docsconz]

Thanks for the suggestions. I thought spiedies were from around Syracuse. I'm actually familiar with the Lupo's products, having received the marinades as a gift in the past. They are not bad. Spiedies or the Cornell chicken sound like good candidates for sampling. Any others? What about special kinds of hot dogs I've heard about before?

[docsconz]

I'm only guessing but I would assume doc would be driving down Rte 88 and not Rte 81, but then if he's like me getting alittle sidetracked for food is commom.

I actually have no idea how I'll be going since someone else would be driving after I get off night call on Saturday morning.

[robert40]

Remind's me of my younger day's when I would be on night call at Sandy's Clam Bar to Saturday morning.

[wannabechef]

docsconz - if you're goin to a Mets game you're in luck. You must check this place out. Now its been about 4 or 5 years so I can't guarantee its still there - but its a famous (or should i say infamouse) burger place across the st from the stadium called ZOPS. Go and get a Zop Burger. Go with an empty stomach. You wont' be sorry. Make sure you let me know if you go.

Besides that, I hate to say but the pickin's are slim. Try to find the spiedie and rib pit. They have the best spiedies in town (thats not saying much). Every spiedie I had in Binghamton was just some pieces of dried out white meat with a vinegary sauce. I never cared for them - but Spiedie and Rib Pit was passable.

As far as ethnic foods....I can almost give a resounding no - unless things have changed greatly since I was there. I went to school in Bingo and its practically a culinary wasteland.

I'll try to think of more places tonight.

~WBC

aka Wayne

[bloviatrix]

You're on the edge of Cornell chicken country up there. Go to this posting

Cornell chicken) for three places that the Sterns talked about last year. I've never been to any but that chicken sounds great. Endicott would be the closest to Binghamton (just west on rte 17), then Owego (further west on 17), then Candor (1/2 way to Ithaca).

I know I'm getting a bit off-topic here, but I thought the only things in Candor were the gun shop and the cemetary. Who knew you could actually find food there.

[Jmoryl]

A Binghamton native here; I've been there frequently in the last few years and will be there this weekend. The place is basically a culinary wasteland. Far to many chain restaurants and really bad Chinese buffets have replaced most of the local stuff. Binghamton, and most of upstate NY, have been economically devastated for in the last few decades, and this has had an impact on what people can afford. I've never been wild about speidies, but Lupo's is considered a good source. You might try Sharkie's on Glenwood Ave., more for the dive bar atmosphere (but for a really interesting dive bar try the Belmar on Main St. - an odd mix of hipsters and old alcoholics - haven't tried their speidies, but the jukebox is good). The last speidie I had was at the Ale House on the Vestal Parkway, just west of SUNY. It was ok but I go mainly to drown my sorrows in the excellent selection of microbrews.

Other than speidies: my current fave is Curry n' Grill on North St. in Endicott (right in the vicinity of the now mostly empty IBM plants, which until recently employed thousands). They have only been around for less than a year but are capable of producing some very well seasoned Indian. Better than 90% of what is available in Iselin/Edison, NJ. Afterwords, head up to the north side, over to Oak Hill Ave., across from the carousel, for an espresso from a little coffee shop (the name of which escapes me): very good coffee here, maybe some old Italians singing out in front if the weather is good. For more upscale dining the choices are very slim; try P.S., Thai/French, on the Vestal Parkway.

Cheers,

Joe

[phaelon56]

Yes.... I forgot - Rte 88 is much faster from Albany than taking 90 to 81.

[JPW]

I never thought that this topic would come up on eG. I spent seven years in Binghamton in school.

The B-Mets ballpark is a great minor league field. Train tracks behind the outfield fence. Typical minor league entertainment between innings. My personal favorite was the kids musical chairs contest sponsored by a local plumbing supply company which meant they used toilets instead of chairs. At the far end of each foul line they have grills set up and serve decent sausages. Also, you can actually buy decent beer from Cooperstown Brewery (Nine Men Out and I can't remember the other one they carry).

Spiedies = Questionable chunks of meat marinaded in a vinaigrette grilled and served on white bread. Not worth it.

There used to be a good Lebanese place downtown, but I believe it has closed up. That's about it for decent ethnic food. Places your son might like.

1)Uncle Tony's downtown - best wings in the city

2) The Sports bar (downtown) - mediocre pizza, but lots of video games.

3) Theo's (down main street at the Binghamton-Johnson City line) - BBQ/Southern food. Be warned, the service can be less than gracious.

For adults -

1) Name escaping me - (downtown) modern American kind of new agey place that anyone will be able to point you to even without the name about 3 blocks from ball park towards the Chenango River

2) Copper Cricket - (about a mile outside of downtown on Main St.) - more modern American

3) The Ale House (Rte 434 just west of the university) as someon has already mentioned. Mediocre eats, but a beer selection you'll be surprised to see in that cultural wasteland.

HTH

[docsconz]

Thanks for the suggestions. So far, my most likely dining spots will be ZOPS or the sausages at the stadium. I would have thought spiedies would have been it, but I must say they haven't been made to sound too appealing.

How about breakfast? Anything special?

[wannabechef]

Thanks for the suggestions. So far, my most likely dining spots will be ZOPS or the sausages at the stadium. I would have thought spiedies would have been it, but I must say they haven't been made to sound too appealing.

How about breakfast? Anything special?

For breakfast - I remember Lost Dog cafe being the best non-diner breakfast in town. For standard diner fare - we used to go to Chris's diner off either Court St. or Main St. There is also a diner which is right on the river - the food wasn't anything special - but the view was pretty good (for Binghamton).

At the diners be prepared to shell out $2.50 for the 2 eggs, home fries, toast, coffee and juice special!

[phaelon56]

I would have thought spiedies would have been it, but I must say they haven't been made to sound too appealing.

Oddly enough.... despite growing up in Syracuse, only an hour away from spiedie country, I've never tried one. They're always available at the NY State fair but there are so many better options such as Italian sausage sandwiches with onions, peppers and sauce. Always looked to me like gyro meat on a stick. The sauce is sold locally for marinade use and some swear by it, especially to use for grilled chicken breasts. I tried the sauce once and it did nothing for me - if I'm going to marinate with that kind of product I'l use Ken's Salad Dressing for half the price.

[docsconz]

Owen, that was about my feeling as well. It was ok, but nothing truly special. We still have some of the marinade left after a year and a half.

[docsconz]

Remind's me of my younger day's when I would be on night call at Sandy's Clam Bar to Saturday morning.

I finally got around to commenting just in case you thought I didn't notice

[JPW]

How about breakfast? Anything special?

There are lots of diners around Binghamton. They are all owned by one of two Greek families. GOod diner grub dirt cheap. Closest to downtown is the Park Diner just on the other side of the Susquehanna River from downtown. (this is the one wannabechef couldn't remember the name of) In grad school, this was our favorite 2 AM drunken munchies stop. This is where all the cops hang out. The front desk at your hotel should be able to direct you.

The Lost Dog is the restaurant whose name I couldn't remember. As already noted , slightly more upscale breakfast, but with the advantage of being right downtown.

[Jmoryl]

Oh, I may be wrong, but I seem to recall driving by Zopp's recently and noticing they were gone. Maybe they've moved?

Cheers,

Joe

[Rich Pawlak]

I will concur with the recommendation of Lupo's and Sharkey's for spiedies, and if I were visiting my relatives in Endicott, NY, we would head to Sharkey's. There had also been a place in Endicott called Geno's, which was as good as any spiedies done in my family, but I have NO idea where in Endicott it is. Do NOT fall into the trap of trying chicken spiedies; the original spiedies were LAMB, then pork, then beef, and sadly, eventually chicken, which does not help the spiedie cause, much, much too dry a cut of meat for spiedies. If you want to be an absolute Endicott traditionalist, you will first secure a large, round, sliced loaf of bread from Battaglini's Bakery in Endicott, and you will place your spiedies in a folded slice of that amazingly flavorful, sturdy bread, and you will know true spiedie bliss.

Buy some of that bread and take it home, it is remarkable bread, and worth the effort to find the small bakery.

And then you will do spiedies at home, and amaze your friends. You'll get your butcher to cube the meat from a Spring leg of lamb; it will net variable poundage, but make sure the cubes are trimmed of all fat and gristle. Then make an oil and white wine vinegar marinade, adding generous amounts of salt, pepper, oregano and marjoram, finishing with a 1/4 to 1/2 cup of chopped fresh mint. Marinate the meat for at least a day.

Prepare a CHARCOAL grill, and after bunching the meat tightly on the longest metal skewers you can find, light the coals until they are white with ash. Reserve the marinade for basting. Place the skewers on the grill, allowing for a little space between each skewer, and turn frequently, basting frequently as well. Make sure meat is well browned which should actually take about 20 min per batch of skewers.

Assemble bread slices, and (you know whats coming next) as spiedies are done, remove from grill, grab meat with bread slice and pull off. Die and go to heaven.

[docsconz]

Now that sounds a bit more attractive

[docsconz]

Just returned from Binghamton and yes, it is a culinary wasteland for the most part.

The best meal I had all weekend was grilled half-a chicken at the youth league ball-field yesterday afternoon. That was actually extraordinary.

There was no sign of ZOPS near the ballpark, but I did have a Lupo's pork Spiedie at the B-Mets game last night. It was ok, but nothing special. On the other hand, I can see how these can be comfort food items for Binghamton natives. This afternoon I had another pork spiedie at The Spiedie and Rib Pit in Vestal. This one had mushrooms and american cheese. It too was ok, but not truly special. My wife had a Greek style chicken spiedie. I couldn't find any lamb spiedies anywhere.

My overall impression of Binghamton wa chain-restaurant city. Some of our group were quite happy to find an Outback Steakhouse.