We are so lucky to have wonderful locally owned family restaurants in the Southern Tier.  Binghamton Restaurant Week gives you a pick of 24 of the best in Binghamton and a chance to taste as many as you can on a special menu before September 24th.

One of my favorite stops is the classic Number 5 on the South side of Binghamton.  The former firehouse has always been a family favorite when my friends stop in from Nashville and the perfect "date night" choice.  The ambiance is a taste of Manhattan sheik and the food is always fresh and exciting.

Many mistake Number 5 as a formal restaurant.  While the waiting staff have been trained to proudly present their cuisine in an elegant way, Number 5 can be as formal or informal as you make it.  But one thing you can not mistake is great food every time you visit.

Robert was our waiter and could not have been more fun and attentive.  Robert treated us royally and it's safe to say, one of the finest waiters I have encountered in Binghamton. Although I'm not surprised as Number 5 and their sister restaurant in Endicott, Lampy's, has always had the most amazing greeters, table servers and bar tenders.

My guest and I decided to mix it up a bit from our usual choices and ordered outside the box a bit with our 3 course choices.

My first course was salad greens with raspberry vinaigrette dressing, pan-seared peppered tuna for my main course and a creamsicle float for dessert.  You can tell the salad dressing are homemade at Number 5; a great balance of flavors and just the right amount.  The tuna was definitely a good grade of fish and was seared to perfection.  Having not had ice cream all Summer, I was so looking forward to the creamsicle float and was it ever good.  It took me back to my childhood.

My guest loved his Greek stuffed mushroom which I was lucky enough to taste.  Next time I am ordering the mushrooms for sure.  The linguine with clams and shrimp were loaded with tender clams and giant shrimp.  The white wine and lemon butter on this dish gave it a fresh-as-Summer flavor.  The homemade bread pudding was as good as grandma could make.

Number 5 is the perfect choice for great food, service, presentation, an excellent selection of drafts, craft beer and an endless wine list.  I do recommend a glass of their  Cabernet Sauvignon house wine or a bottle of their reasonably priced Malbec to compliment your entree.

If this is your first visit to the legendary Number 5 or your 98th time, you will love your experience.  If not, they want to hear about it.  Jim McCoy, the owner reads the comment cards.

 

More From 98.1 The Hawk