DIVING IN DEEP AT THE NIGHT KITCHEN

Food. Good food. Southern inspired cooking. Fried pickles (I love fried pickles). Binghamton’s Night Kitchen resides on Court Street, deep on Court Street, past the gentlemen’s clubs. It’s very possible to drive by if you’re not paying attention, and if you’re like me, then you might even drive by twice.

On a beautiful Saturday afternoon, I went to check out the stylings of the Night Kitchen, on the recommendation of some friends. Sure, I thought it was a little hipster that a joint named ‘The Night Kitchen’ wasn’t open past 9pm any day of the week (they do hope to be after they get their liquor license), but after eating their food I’m willing to look past it (the name comes from the controversial children’s book In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak: ‘I am in the milk, and the milk is in me!’).

The outside of the restaurant is inconspicuous; it looks more like a small office or car shop. Upon entering, co-owner Kallie Root came up to us almost immediately and walked us into the main dining room, which instantly changed my opinion of the place. Instead of small and unassuming, the dining room is large, quirky, and playing the kind of music you’d expect at a ‘50s drive-thru. Old .45s line the walls, and handmade wooden houses and barns are a centerpiece of the decorations. Overall, the vibe of the place is that of a little nook you’d look up on a road trip; the type of place you’d pull into because you were starving and wanted food, with a hominess that would set your wanderlust at ease. After eying the oddities on the wall, we took a seat at a table in the middle of the room.

And then the food started coming. First, a basket of delicious cornbread with honey butter, as well as bacon biscuits (which are exactly as heavenly as you’d expect them to be). The cornbread is moist and fluffy, and tastes like my friend’s grandma’s when I was ten. Actually that could be a misremembered memory. I’m not sure if I ever had a friend’s grandma who made cornbread. I do remember being ten, and loving cornbread, and thinking how great it would be if my grandma made cornbread. Yeah, that sounds more like it. In any case, it’s really good cornbread. The wait staff was quick to bring out our water and coffee, and made sure they stayed filled throughout the meal.

While devouring the cornbread/bacon biscuit situation, we started struggling through the process of deciding which appetizers and entrees to order. Tempted by speakeasy fries (with gravy, cheddar, and bacon) we decided instead on fried pickles and spicy shrimp hush puppies. The fried pickles come in a thick and crispy batter, which offsets the spears nicely, with a ranch like dipping sauce I neglected to try (I like my fried pickles like I like my days off: no dressing). The hush puppies had a great texture, and the special red sauce was flavorful, but I didn’t find them quite as spicy as advertised (after a bout with some insanely hot Thai peppers last fall, that’s probably just my own tastes).

My companions and I decided on a Luther Burger, Jambalaya, and Chicken & Biscuits, although we were sorely tempted by the catfish (which I was later told was one of the best things on the menu) and the chicken and waffles. One of my tablemates (who also happens to be Carousel Managing Editor Heather Merlis) was particularly excited about the Luther Burger:

‘Something really important for you to note... is the Luther Burger. I need to talk about this. Please? I’m going to get it. Ok. So Luther Vandross is a famed singer. He sang ‘Never too much, never too much, never too much, I just don’t want to stop...’ and he was known for eating burgers on donuts. And for the first time in my life and maybe in your lives, we’re seeing a menu that offers the Luther Burger, which is cheddar and mozzarella on a burger with bacon, on a glazed donut. 100% angus beef. A freaking glazed donut.’

So that happened. It was delicious as all get out, and we could feel Luther Vandross’ sultry voice singing inside of our stomachs for the rest of the day. The Jambalaya was also phenomenal. The Cajun seasoning was well-balanced, and the protein (chicken, shrimp, and sausage) came together quite nicely. The Chicken & Biscuits were delectable, and didn’t suffer from being too wet or too dry.

The menu is fairly large, and includes po’ boy sandwiches, hot dogs, burgers, and all manners of catfish and chicken dishes (especially fried). It’s worth noting that there are not a whole lot of vegetarian options at the Night Kitchen (although you can order any burger as a veggie burger), but with the description of ‘Southern Soul Food’, you wouldn’t really expect there to be. Classic sides like mac’n’cheese and fried okra are scrumptious and well worth checking out. The prices are super reasonable for the quality food you receive. That’s why we’ll be back soon!

The Night Kitchen is located at 721 Upper Court Street in Binghamton. It’s a little out there, but not too far. Take your mom, take your significant other, hell- take me! We’ll have a great time. Dessert’s on me.