The Lost Dog Cafe

I long refrained from writing this review because I work at the lost dog and I may be slightly biased. But in all honesty, I deemed it my favorite restaurant in Binghamton over 3 years ago long before I started working there. Since beginning my employment at the dog love and appreciation for the restaurant has only grown. I have made some wonderful friends who have become like family to me and have eaten some amazing meals at the dog. The restaurant has definitely helped inspire my career path, which I am truly thankful for. I am sure most of you don’t care much about that mushy stuff though…. So let’s try and look at the dog from an objective lens…

The atmosphere at the lost dog is second to none in greater Binghamton. It has a charm that mixes funky colors with local art and beautiful architecture. The building itself is a historic building that was once a cigar manufacturing facility. The windows are huge and the exposed brick and raw beams that run through the space are reminiscent of a converted loft. One reason the lost dog is such a great restaurant is its comfortable atmosphere. It’s a place where students and professionals can mix and be comfortable together. People of all ages and demographics come to the lost dog making it one of the most diverse places in Binghamton. Which I think is quite beautiful and inspiring.

Both lunch and dinner offer a variety of very attractive food selections as well as attractive employees… **wink**wink** But in all honest they the food and service is fantastic. My personal favorite lunch item is the voodoo tuna sandwich. It is blackened with some cajun spices and seared on a cast iron skillet. It is served on a kaiser roll with a great honey hot sauce: delicious! Not to boast, but it is important to note that the Lost Dog was voted the number one restaurant to eat lunch at in the southern tier by the press and sun bulletin (2009).

My personal favorite appetizer is the asparagus cakes which are fried and made with two wonderful sauces that paint the plate artistically. The first sauce is a roasted red pepper coulis while the other is a garlic and herb sauce, both marry together nicely with the asparagus cake. The rigatoni ala vodka and Greek chicken are by far our most popular dishes and are outstanding. Personally, I like the Amore which is a penne pasta dish made in an asiago cream sauce, it is rich and savory... To be frank, I like almost everything on the menu. In addition to the quality food, the prices are extremely reasonable. All lunch items are below $10 and all of the sandwiches come with a side of your choice. Most dinner entrees hover around $15 which is comparable to the terrible chain restaurants like TGI McFunsters on vestal parkway. The dog also has some of the best coffee and desserts in the area. The house brew is a nice strong French roast but they also have flavored coffees and lattes if you’re into that sort of thing. My favorite dessert is probably the Geisha, which is a cheesecake that is deep-fried and served with 3 different dipping sauces: caramel, chocolate and raspberry… It is phenomenal, you must try it! If you haven’t been to the lost dog you should definitely check it out. It is by far the best restaurant in Binghamton.

Atmosphere: 5 out of 5 stars
Service: 5 out of 5 stars
Food: 5 out of 5 stars
Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
Price Range: $10-$20

Website: The Lost Dog Café

Binghamton, New York
The Lost Dog Café
222 Water Street
Binghamton, New York 13901
Tel (607) 771-6063

Monday - Saturday
11:30am - 10:00pm

Closed Sundays

Sake-Tumi Baby!

I was really excited when Sake-Tumi first opened about a year ago. I have always loved sushi, maki, and sashimi… Anthony Bourdain once said that his last meal would either be a piece of roasted bone marrow with a warm baguette or a raw piece of really high quality yellow-fin tuna…. Yummm!With that being said, lets take a look at Sake-Tumi.

The interior of Sake-Tumi is really nice. They are part of the new restaurant movement in Binghamton that seems to embrace chic decor and modern style. Most things in the restaurant are white, black or red… kind of like The White Stripes. The restaurant is split between the first floor and the basement. Ground level contains a dining area and sushi bar, while the basement has a liquor bar, kitchen and secondary dining area. The bar on the first floor is very awkward. It’s really high and uncomfortable; whoever designed/constructed this monstrosity didn’t have a clue about functionality. But, overall the feel to the restaurant is positive… Plus they have a wonderful bathroom =)

I have eaten there 4 times since opening. The service has been awkward and slow except for one time. I am pretty sure they have a high turnover of wait staff because they always seem to have different people working there. The first time I ate there I had their small sashimi platter ($22), the tuna and salmon were very fresh but the red snapper seemed a little dated but nothing to be worried about (I ate it and was fine). I have also eaten some fusion maki rolls and some Americanized rolls like the Philadelphia ($5.5), California ($5.0) and Rainbow ($14.5). They were all decent but I definitely felt like I was paying too much for what I received.
My most recent experience was just a few days ago. I split the following fusion maki rolls with a friend of mine…

Sake-Tumi maki: Hamachi, tuna, cucumber, chili daikon wrapped in salmon crab and avocado on top w/ wasabi red sauce, spicy mayo $14.50

Seaworld: Spicy crab salad, asparagus, shitake mushroom roll wrapped in shrimp, scallop, crab w/ eel sauce and wasabi red sauce: $13.00... (I forgot to take a photo of Seaworld)

Cuper crunchy: Tuna, asparagus, chili daikon, tempura flakes roll w/ masago and potato crunch topping in spicy mayo, red sauce $12.50

Spicy tuna remix: Chopped tuna in a special spicy sauce, shiso leaves, radish sprout roll w/ spicy mayo, red sauce. $11.50

The rolls were all very beautiful and presented elegantly. My major complaint was that every piece of sushi had a dot of sriracha (Thai chili sauce) on it, which made the rolls all taste the same after a while… Honestly, I couldn’t believe that all four rolls that we ordered had this garnish. I guess it was partially my fault for not realizing that the “red sauce” and “wasabi red sauce” meant sriracha... next time I will tell them to paint it on the plate rather than putting it right on top of my food. But overall the meal was enjoyable… Although, I really felt like I was paying a very high price for sushi… Fuji San definitely gives better value for your money. My last complaint about Sake-Tumi is that they don’t have a web site. I know this may sound silly but its 2009! They should rent a computer science student from the university. In my opinion, they need to do four things to improve…
1. Shorten their menu
2. Hire and TRAIN a solid wait staff
3. Slightly lower their prices
4. Build a web site


Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Price Range: $10-$30
Website: Sake-Tumi Facebook Page
Address: 71 Court St
Binghamton, NY 13901-3311
(607) 238-1771


Update 2/2/10
Sake-Tumi has recently created a website which, like the restaurant, is pretty stylish. You can visit them at saketumibing.com. A source tells me that the owners of Sake-Tumi have been informed about this blog post. I think they are strongly considering some of the above comments and are making efforts to revamp some aspects of their restaurant. It is always encouraging to hear that a restaurant is attempting to improve itself. Being content and stagnant in any industry will almost insure long term failure. So I applaud Sake-Tumi's efforts and wish them all the best. I will let you know how my next dinning experience at their establishment goes.

The Director’s Cut: Average at Best

I reviewed this deli at request of one of my readers. It is located behind the Hollywood video on the Southside of Binghamton. The location of The Director's Cut is far less than ideal… it is flanked by a cheapo Chinese restaurant and a Dominos pizza. The food includes basic deli sandwiches, burgers, panini’s and salads. Nothing really popped out to me on the menu so I ordered the “Godfather” which is basically a standard Italian sub with mozzarella cheese. The meat was sliced relatively thick and the lettuce was very fresh. Their coffee is medium bodied and decent… nothing to write home about…

The atmosphere is a little cheeky with a chalkboard menu on one side of the deli while the other side is filled with posters and references to classic American films. The two girls working behind the counter were very nice and prompt with their service. Everything about this place is decent… nothing really stands out as being extraordinarily good or bad. I guess some places are just average.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Price Range: $0-$10
Website: The Director's Cut
Address: 1185 Vestal Avenue, Suite 11
Binghamton, NY 13903-1647

Tranquil: Improving Steadily

Tranquil Bar and Bistro is another restaurant that is relatively young. I believe they opened about 2 years ago. I have eaten their about 5 or 6 times for dinner and I had lunch there at least 4 times within the last 6 months. In my opinion everything about dinner at tranquil is superior to their lunch. But the décor and space is slightly bohemian and industrial yet feels very cozy. Local art is displayed in front of an exposed brick wall, while naked steel beams hold the interior intact. The lighting is elegant and the bar looks like it could assimilate to a NYC space with ease. It is modern, clean and sharp all elements that I am fond of. Needless to say, I enjoy Tranquil's interior.

Lunch is okay. The menu is decent, although elements of it seem to have been lifted off of menus that I have seen elsewhere. Service during lunch is almost always slow and inconstant (they usually only have one server on the floor). The curried coconut soup is pretty good, it’s mildly spiced (for a curry soup) and the dumplings are textually gooey in a fantastic way. My biggest complaint about the soup is that I wish it had more dumplings! I have had the spinach salad with goat cheese, walnuts and cranberries. It was light and fresh with a real classic flavor combination. The Blackened Tuna sandwich is okay, it was cooked perfectly but kind of bland and I didn’t think the olive tapenade married with the tuna. I would definitely recommend the Lost Dog’s tuna sandwich over this one. The crab cake sandwich is not worth getting, it’s bland and the crab cakes have too much filler… The steak sandwich is decent, I ordered it rare in a wrap and I came out just as I asked. It comes with an ancho chili sauce that gives the steak a nice smoked flavor. I would stick with the salads during lunch and expect to take your time.

Dinner has definitely improved since their opening. They used to carry a tuna steak dish as well as a lamb chop dish, fortunately both have since disappeared. The lamb chops were tiny. Normally, I don’t complain about portion size (unless it is in excess) but I felt like I finished my lamb in 5 bites. Again, the tuna steak was cooked nicely but was simply bland and basic. Tuna steaks can really handle BIG flavors, its sturdy fish and should be treated as such... They need to get a little more aggressive with Tuna as an ingredient. The current menu offers a number of dishes, I have had the gorgonzola cranberry stuffed chicken breast, the flat iron steak au poivre (pepper crust) and the Chilean Salmon with a sweet cider reduction. All three dishes are excellent… the chicken was rich and moist… the steak was cooked perfectly and served with fresh sautéed vegetables and roasted potatoes… the Salmon was not fishy at all and the sweetness of the sauce played nicely with the fish and root vegetables. Lately, I have been really impressed with the quality of their dinner entrees. The service could still use some improvement but for the most part I have enjoyed my recent dinner experiences at Tranquil.

Atmosphere and Service: 4 out of 5 stars
Lunch: 3 out of 5 stars
Dinner: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Overall:4.2 out of 5 stars
Price Range: $10+ for lunch $20+ for dinner
Website: Tranquil Bar & Bistro
Address: 36 Pine St # 1
Binghamton, NY 13901-3052
(607) 723-0495

The Flan Club: Authentic Puerto Rican food in Binghamton

WOW! This place is a real treat. If you haven’t heard of the Flan Club don’t be surprised, it just opened November 1st 2009. The restaurant is located in downtown Binghamton in the same location where Amera’s Cup O Soup used to be. The Flan Club is a small restaurant that is totally family owned and operated. The family is originally from San Juan but has cultural and ethnic ties to Spain, the Canary Islands and Western Africa.

The food is excellent. I had Pernil con Arroz Gandules (seasoned pork with yellow rice and pigeon peas) and my dinning partner had Pollo Guisado (stewed chicken). We both had Puerto Rican coffee which was rich and aromatic. It was nice and strong which is surprisingly hard to find (the only other restaurant whose coffee I like is the Lost Dogs). I really appreciate good coffee and I think most restaurants tend to skimp out on their beans. As for the pork… Absolutely fantastic! Well seasoned, tender and perfectly cooked. The stewed chicken was also excellent, it fell right off the bone and was extremely moist and tasty. I have to say, everything was extremely authentic and tasted like it came right out of my grandmothers kitchen (she was also Puerto Rican). After having such an amazing meal we had to try the flan… Usually I don’t have dessert but we were at the ‘Flan’ club so how could I not try the flan! I had a cheese flan which was sooo good. It was very light, slightly sweet and a texturally smooth. Possibly the best flan that I have ever had. In short, the Flan Club serves the best Latino Food in Binghamton. Stop going to Moe’s and Los Tapatios and take trip to downtown Binghamton and visit the Flan Club.

In addition to the wonderful food the staff is really fantastic. Dona Mimi waited on me and partially cooked my food. She is the mother of Nuria who is the owner. It was like eating at my aunt or grandmother’s house, very homey and comfortable. One thing that Dona Mimi stressed to me is that she wants the restaurant to be a hub for culture, food and art. Expect to pay anywhere from $7 to $10. I give the Flan Club 5 out of 5 stars for homemade food and warm culture.

The Flan Club is open from:
Monday-Friday 11am to 3pm
Saturday-Sunday 11am to 7pm
They are located Downtown at
58 Henry Street(Intersection of Henry & Chenango Streets)
Binghamton, NY 13901

The Flan Club

Mad Moose Saloon: Not just a bar!

Most people think about the Moose as being predominantly a bar but they are definitely trying to enter the downtown restaurant scene. The interior is well kept; it has a modern western feel to the décor. There is tons of taxidermy of various dead animals on the wall which slightly resembles that hunting room from jumanji. The establishment segregates its various parts nicely. There is a game room in the back, a large ‘W’ shaped bar and dining area that has some very roomy booths. The entire space is really well lit, with track lighting underneath the bar and individual lights above every booth. Clearly a lot of thought and money went into the design of the Moose.

The menu is quite long and includes brick oven pizza’s as well as many BBQ options. The first time I ate at the moose was for a catered event. I had some of their wings and their version of a fondue. The wings were tossed with a dark smoky molasses BBQ sauce and were quite good. The fondue on the other hand looked and tasted like a giant bowl of fake Tostitos cheese wiz sauce.

Since then I have had their pulled pork sandwich and their version of a Cuban sandwich. The pulled pork was very good and definitely had a Smokey taste. The BBQ sauce was slightly vinegary but definitely not overwhelming. The Cuban sandwich was also pretty good except it was not served on French bread and was not pressed like a traditional Cuban sandwich. But the bread and pickles were nice and crunchy while the pork shoulder, ham and Swiss cheese all combined well to give it a nice savory flavor. The French Fries are really terrific at the moose. They are made from REAL hand cut potatoes (with skins on) which make them kind of ugly but they are absolutely delicious. They are a real treat from the mashed up gluey French fries that so many of us are used to. They are also served with a side of garlic mayo (which is very French) which complements the fries nicely. The only thing that I didn’t like was that they didn’t give out any utensils. It’s worth checking out for lunch, although I don’t know how dinner service is yet.


Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Price Range: $10-$20
Website: Mad Moose Saloon
Address: 53 Chenango St Binghamton, NY 13901-2820 - (607) 723-6667

Moghul, Not Your Typical Indian Restaurant

A Traditional Tandoor oven used to make bread and roast meat.


I may get a lot of heat from my Indian friends for this review but I can’t lie, I think Moghul is fantastic. The location is not ideal. Given the fact that it is located in University Plaza it has a kind of strip mall feel to the exterior. But once inside you are greeted with a very chic modern Indian décor. Moghul is definitely not your traditional cramped Indian restaurant. It is very airy and comfortable with a feeling of casual sophistication.

I have eaten at Moghul about 6 times since its opening and the food has just gotten better with time. The only complaint that I have with the restaurant is the service is slightly inconsistent. All of the Indian servers that have waited on me have been wonderful, knowledgeable and very pleasant. Unfortunately the American wait staff is not quite as good as their Indian counterparts. I will give you some examples... The worst waiter I had at Moghul was way too casual. He stood about 7 feet away from our table while taking our orders. It was if he was afraid we had some kind of contagious disease or something. We ordered chicken Tikka Masala (there most popular dish) and Palak Paneer with some homemade naan. Both were outstanding, especially the Tikka Masala which is basically a tomato and yogurt based Masala (curry) that is a British adaptation of a traditional Mughlai dish. It has a slightly sweet creamy texture that is balanced nicely with a little heat from the spices. But the oddest part of that meal was the fact that our waiter boxed our food tableside, right in front of us. It kind of broke up our conversation as he slowly transferred our rice and curries into plastic containers, literally between our line of vision.

Since then I have had a number of other dishes which have all been excellent. For a nice starter try the Keema Samosas. They are homemade and are textually wonderful. They come with a red and green chutney that are equally tasty. Their curried mussel appetizer is also surprisingly good. I have also had their Lamb Vindalo (spicy tomato curry usually made with potatoes), Lamb Korma (tree nut based curry) and chicken saag (spinach curry). I have no complaints about any of these dishes but if you are a first timer I would stick with the Tikka Masala. Don’t forget to order some garlic Naan. All Naan and bread at Moghul is made fresh to order in a traditional clay pot called a tandoor. It is awesome and well worth the extra $3. I highly recommend Moghul and give it 4.5 stars. Casual dress is fine and expects to pay between $15-$20 per person.

I will also try and compare Curries of India to Moghul soon within the next week.

Here is a link to Moghul’s web site: Moghul