Getting ossified Downtown: A juice joint by the name of 205 Dry
Groucho Marx once said, “I don’t want to belong to any club that will have me as a member.” Personally, I don’t want to belong to any club, but I do like to get into places that present the illusion of exclusivity.
205 Dry, State Street’s new speakeasy-themed bar, makes patrons feel like they are not members of the club, until they are finally let inside. If it’s not busy, you won’t have to wait at all, but if the staff feels like they’ve reached capacity, you’ll be stuck in what feels like the first chamber of an immersive period piece theme-park ride until the crowd thins. This becomes more uncomfortable if you happen to be enclosed in the vestibule with inebriated, cold, or hungry strangers who don’t feel like waiting. Some people just leave; some become prickly.
While drunk and hungry people can be unpleasant in any setting, these are particularly close–albeit thoughtfully decorated– quarters. But if you are patient, the bookshelf will swing open and you will be ushered into a bygone era, or at least something like it.
Once inside, 205 Dry is surprisingly sprawling, and better lit than expected for a speakeasy. The coziest room is in back (we’ll call it “The Study”), with plush armchairs and a huge garage door window. The end tables would benefit from being cleared of some tchotchkes– they make the place feel more like the set of a play than a bar – but it’s still the most intimate setting in the house.
Sitting back there, it’s easy to forget that State Street (not that side of State Street) is right outside. The music helps to set the mood: the playlist consists of tunes from all the way back to the 20s, as well as electro swing and Postmodern Jukebox covers of contemporary hits, apropos for a throwback-themed bar. The setting reads like the opulent home of an eccentric historian, or an approximation of one. I’ve never been to a real speakeasy, but I’d always pictured them to be cramped and dark. This space is huge, and would be a great spot for a party, with the décor highlighting the building’s original character.
The cocktail menu reflects the ambiance, with a focus on gin and an old-timey bent. Over the course of my first couple visits, I ordered the Rosey Posey (a gin cocktail with rosewater, lime, and St. Germain), the Ramble (another gin number that features fresh raspberries), and the Corpse Reviver (gin again, with absinthe and a couple other ingredients that I won’t name because I don’t want to give away the recipe). When I came back a third time, the owner–Alise Willerton, who had been my bartender–remembered what I’d ordered on my previous visits, a testament to her attention to detail and to my love of gin. She suggested I try the gin fizz, a classic cocktail that is fun to drink but not easy on the stomach, as it involves lemon and raw egg whites.
In addition to the cocktails, there are eight beers on tap – all of which are served in tulip glasses – as well as a good selection of wine. The food menu seems to be a work in progress, with a focus on bar food that’s a couple of steps up from your average pub grub. There are some interesting items like duck confit nachos, but I opted for the short rib poutine on my first visit. I love poutine, which is normally served with cheese curds and gravy, and I liked this one alright. They serve house fries, along with delicious cheese curds (with some spots burnt to perfection) and a heap of pulled short ribs. The fries, despite not being house-cut, were tasty but the meat was over-salted. Next time, I’d go for the cheesy fries and skip the ribs.
On my last visit, my dining partner and I ordered a few things, and our server was happy to accommodate our requests to alter our dishes. We had the chips and dip platter, which was quite good–the salsa was a standout. It was housemade–all their dips are–in the style of a finely-chopped, subtly seasoned pico de gallo. I ordered the Cat’s Meow salad, substituting the hard-boiled egg with a fried one and adding bacon. I highly recommend this combo–it looked beautiful and was enough to fill me up. The dressing was a little overpowering, but it was a satisfying dish. We also ordered the Prohibition Burger, adding bacon and leaving off the cheese (not my idea). The patty was tasty, amounting to an overall good meal. They’re planning on adding dessert to the menu, which is perfect, because I think this is more the kind of place where I’d get dessert and a drink than a sit-down dinner. They also mentioned adding a weekend brunch menu.
Gin fizz and Prohibition Burger
Frankly, the drinks feel more inspired than the dinner menu: they are carefully crafted and era-specific, while the food selection brings my awareness back to the reality that I am in Binghamton, in 2018. I don’t think anyone’s expecting a full-on throwback menu, but I look forward to seeing the dishes develop as the chef gets more comfortable.
Regardless of any drawbacks, 205 Dry draws a more than steady crowd of local professionals. The staff stays dressed to the nines, most of them upping the ante with a pair of suspenders. Some of the bartenders are so finely frocked I get the impression that they are the ones out on the town, another reminder that this bar is very much about keeping up appearances. The effort is appreciated, even if the food hasn’t yet caught up to the concept.
205 Dry is located at 205 State Street in Downtown Binghamton, (607) 760-8448. Find them on Facebook or at 205dry.com.
