Binghamton's Restuarant Week

Binghamton's Restaurant Week to raise money for CHOW

By Jennifer Micale •jmicale@gannett.com •

September 18, 2010, 6:40 pm

The City of Binghamton is inviting you out to eat.

Local restaurant owners will hold the fall edition of Restaurant Week from Tuesday to Sept. 30 at more than a dozen city eateries. While it's dubbed Restaurant Week, the promotion -- which offers both lunch and dinner specials while raising money for charity -- spans more than seven days. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse.

"We were able to double the number of restaurants," said Piero Lisio, owner of Little Venice Restaurant on Chenango Street.

The first Restaurant Week was held in March, and business owners plan to hold the event semiannually in the spring and fall. The March event raised nearly $2,000 for the Boys & Girls Club.

The first event drew new customers to Tranquil Bar & Bistro on Pine Street, said owner Sean Massey, also a city councilman.

"There are so many great restaurants and businesses in Binghamton. We need to highlight that," he said.

Participating restaurants are offering a three-course lunch special for $8 and a three-course dinner special for $20.

Restaurants participating in the lunch special are Crepe Heaven, Downtown Cabana, Little Venice, Nezuntoz, Sake-Tumi, Whole in the Wall, The Flan Club and the Lost Dog Café. Dinner special participants are Crepe Heaven, Little Venice, Sake-Tumi, Whole in the Wall, The Flan Club, Lost Dog Café, Tranquil Bar & Bistro, Mad Moose House of BBQ, Holiday Inn, Number 5, Downtown Cabana and Grande's Bella Cucina.

CHOW officials said they appreciate the help.

Need has risen over the past several years as the nation's troubled economy drives more people below the poverty line, said CHOW Director Ed Blaine. To couple a fundraiser with Restaurant Week "seems like a natural connection with me," he said.

For more information, visit http://www.binghamtonrestaurantweek.com/.