For Restaurant Week this year, I had the opportunity to visit Alexander's Cafe. As someone new to the off-campus Binghamton area, I was excited to explore more places familiar to the city.
Nestled at 34 Chenango St., Alexander's Cafe is centrally located right by the Greater Binghamton Transportation Center, which makes it the perfect place to stop for a bite after a long ride from home or an adventure with friends. Its proximity to student housing also allows for a quick stop between school and work. A spot for studying, working, a romantic afternoon or even just a bite in the middle of a busy day, Alexander's Cafe creates a welcoming environment with great food for those with a variety of tastes.
Walking in, fragrant smells from the kitchen greet you. In true cafe fashion, I ordered at the counter and sat down to eat at a table. With a large window facing Downtown Binghamton, it was sunny and warm inside on a cool morning. While the dining room was spacious, it was still small enough to be welcoming.
The Restaurant Week menu, which includes three courses for $18, is heavily fall-inspired, offering a variety of autumn flavors to complement its deli-style sandwiches. Service was quick and friendly, providing information about the menu and promoting the community space.
There were a variety of items to choose from in all three courses, but perhaps the most diverse was the first. There was a choice of a more traditional broccoli salad, cream of roasted cauliflower and garlic soup or a pasta with bacon and pea salad.
For the first course, I ordered the creamy pasta with bacon and pea salad, which was my favorite part of the meal. It had a good balance of pasta to cream, and the bacon added a nice savory bite to the plate. Despite the cream base, it was pleasantly light, and I was ready to try the next course.
As a lover of sandwiches, I decided to order the smokey orchard panini as my main dish. Each Restaurant Week menu item was an autumnal spin on a common cafe-style dish. Rather than a typical panini with mayo, Alexander's replaced the American staple with a homemade cranberry apple chutney. Served warm like a classic panini, the salty pork and smoked Gouda paired well with the sweetened cranberry apple chutney. The pork was sliced thin, but generously served to add a strong flavor.
On an unexpected note, the natural smokiness of the cheese tied in with the smoky edge in the chutney. The bread was a toasted focaccia, grilled tastefully with butter. Warm and flaky, the light bread complemented the more standout, unique flavors in the panini with a familiar undertone.
For dessert, I chose to try the s'mores cookie. It was served warm and really created the nostalgia associated with a freshly made s'more. The chocolate brownie base had the perfect texture as it was soft on the edges, but didn't fall apart when picking it up. It had an equal balance between the marshmallow, graham cracker bits and milk chocolate chunks. The dessert truly tasted like autumn nights around a warm campfire.
Alexander's also offered a gluten-free dessert option, the mini New York-style cheesecake, making it an inclusive experience.
As a Binghamton staple, Alexander's Cafe offers an affordable, unique taste, with a little something for everyone. With both gluten-free and vegan options and a friendly, understanding staff, the cafe goes above and beyond to create a comfort spot in the city.