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Let’s be honest:  Moving into the former Brasserie space inside the Kilmer Building at 31 Lewis Street has got to be any restaurantaur’s wet dream.

It’s got history; it’s got class. It’s big and bold and you feel instantly more impressive just for having stood inside. In fact, the whole Kilmer building feels that way.  Frank Whitney, the building’s current owner, once treated me to a tour of all six stories, and I have to say that the only thing cooler than standing inside the restaurant is standing inside Dr. Sylvester Andral Kilmer’s former lab—ya know, he’s the guy that made gazillions of dollars off Kilmer’s Swamp Root Herbal Tonic before the federal government decided it was a good idea to actually put labels on stuff and explain whether or not it really does anything.

Well Kilmer had a nephew, Willis Sharpe Kilmer, who, as it turned out, was both a marketing whiz (he spun Kilmer’s Swamp Root into a household name) and obsessed with naming things after himself—only backwards.  He owned Remlik Hall, Remlik Post Office, Remlick Railway Car, and even Remlick Yacht—which was purchased by the US Navy for antisubmarine duty during World War 1.

It’s in that tradition that the owner’s of the new Kilmer-housed restaurant decided to name their eatery: “Remlik’s”. Ed Wesoloski—or “Whisky”, as you should call him… Actually, you have to call him Whisky; I showed up at the restaurant, asked for Ed, and nobody knew who I was talking about…  Anyway, Whisky and Kelly Holbert, two of the owners, were “geeking out” on Whisky’s front porch when they did a little research and discovered the yacht’s name.

They seem to have put that much thought into just about everything in the restaurant—and it’s a good thing:  Remlik’s historic space can be both a blessing and a curse—in that it seems to be unshakably linked to a somewhat undesirable “upscale” label.  Is Remlik’s a spot to kick back and have a beer on a Tuesday night, or the place to impress a dinner date before a Saturday night at the Forum Theater? The owners hope it can be both. And with a name like Whisky, you have to imagine there won’t be too much stuffy formality when he’s behind the bar. Plus, how stuffy can a restaurant that’s got a lunchtime take-out salad bar actually be?

So what’s changed about the restaurant’s look since its Brasserie days? Not a ton; I mean, why mess with wet-dream-quality decor? But there are a few distinct changes. Carpeting at the front host stand now creates a more smooth transition into the Kilmer Building’s lobby; hip, modern light fixtures tone down the “this building’s too good for your sorry ass” formality; black and white photography will adorn the walls (it was leaning up against the walls when I visited); and the bar… The bar’s is the big change—perhaps triple the size of the old one, a triangle with seating on two sides, it’s much more accessible for busy nights and big parties. And the giant windows behind the bar are uncovered, a welcome change that allows you a beautiful view of the trains as they pass by and the Ari Mesiel-owned Depot Street lofts across the way.

I’ve found that there’s a fun, chaotic energy that fills a restaurant just before it opens—I was at the River Bistro the night before it opened for Valentine’s Day and they were still laying carpet—a task I was told that listed till 4 AM. OK, maybe the chaos is just fun for me. But it’s definitely present tonight at Remlik’s as they prepare for a press-invited ribbon cutting tomorrow and a 400-person friends and family hors d’oeuvres night on Saturday. Although they seem pretty well ready to open, there are still the finishing touches; curtains were being carried in and hung as I sat down with a fairly well-exhausted Whisky for an interview in their underground bunker of an office beneath the restaurant…

First thing’s first; a lot of people already know what the room looked like under the name "Kilmer Brasserie." How are the aesthetics different now?

We tripled or better the size of the bar which is gonna be the focal point of the restaurant now.  Put a beautiful concrete top on it. We resurfaced all the existing structures.  We’re trying to make it a little more lounge-friendly than it was and make it a little more… I don’t know with a room that size you can say intimate, but the way it was before, it was a little cavernous. Now people will see each other and have an easier time talking.  And of course we added the salad bar.

How will the salad bar work at lunch?

One of three things; they can go and order a salad and take it over to a table. They can order a salad with their server from the table.  Or they can come and get it and we’ll put it in a nice eco-friendly container and they can pay by the pound and take it to go.  If they need to get in and out, they’ll be able to get in and out. There are people with real time constraints.

And the menu. If you have just a few words to sum it up, what would you say?

Classic American comfort food with a twist.

What’s the twist?

Chef Lutz. [Steven Lutz is his name—but they just call him “Chef”.] He comes from all over the country. So when I say classic American, there may be a south-western twist to things. There may be some north-western twist. There may be Southern things. And there may be some East Coast stuff.  American is from all over the country; it’s not just hot dogs and hamburgers.

Can you go into a little more detail?

Mondays we’ll do Meatless Monday. They’ll be vegetarian specials. And then we’re also doing Thanksgiving Thursdays with turkey, mashed potatos and stuffing. Saturday nights are going to be a very affordable surf and turf.  We’re also gonna have prime rib all the time; rotisserie chicken; pot pie; beef tips.

The historic building and grand room kind of scream "upscale". Is this a label you reject or embrace?

I suppose that when people walk in, they’re gonna THINK they’re not able to afford us; because the room is beautiful; the building is beautiful; I think we did stuff to make the venue even nicer than it is. But we’re trying as hard as we can not to be a “fine dining restaurant” and not having “fine dining prices”. We’re trying to make it so everyone feels that they get a value for what they spent and have enough variety on our menu that they can control what they wanna spend.  We wanna make it so that it’s not an “occasion restaurant”.

I know that you’d like to serve local food. Tell us about your efforts…

We have a couple that just bought a farm in Marathon that is eventually going to grow all our produce. We’re sourcing all of our beef locally.  And Chef went to the farmers market in Vestal and met with a lot of local farmers and we’re going to source a lot of our produce from that.

You’ve worked in restaurants and bars for years, of all types. What are you taking from all that experience and bringing to Remlik’s?

I think that I’m very good at making people feel comfortable and I want them to try different things. I’m comfortable sampling different wines or different beers or featuring a cocktail. I’ll make a small one and let them give it a shot.

Will you be working behind the bar?

Every night. That’s what I’m looking forward to! That’s why I’m a partner here; I love it and that’s why I think I’ve been successful through the years.

So who else owns the joint and what are their backgrounds?

Sylvia Vestey is from San Francisco and she has probably 15 years catering experience and party planning. Mike Tulsey has been in the business for 20 years; he owned 3 different places in North Carolina and he and I have worked together for the last 10 at Number 5 and Lampy’s. And Kelly Holbert has worked in the restaurant business for 4 or 5 years. After she finished college, she both taught at CFJ Elementary and worked at Lampy’s.

Putting aside the food and drink for a moment… any special events you already have in mind? Parties?

We certainly have 2 great rooms—one holds about 40 and the other holds about 60.  We’re happy to take rehearsal dinners; any kind of birthday parties. The rooms can be booked. We’re planning on hosting some wine dinners.

Anything else?

We’re on Open Table and will accept reservations online.

I had hoped to start this blog entry off with some charmingly folksy tale about the humble beginnings of the American hamburger and explain how Burger Mondays (23 Henry Street), downtown Binghamton’s newest burger joint, fit into that long, beefy tradition.  I had hoped to begin this blog entry that way, but alas, I can not do that.

You see, there’s a stupid amount of drama over who invented the American hamburger.  Drama that is neither charming nor folksy.

What DOES seem clear is that the hamburger draws it’s routes from Hamburg, Germany. Duh. According to Wikipedia (the compendium of all human knowledge that may or may not turn out to be true), the chopped beef creation that eventually became known as the hamburger was brought from Russia to Germany as steak tartare. At some point, somebody must have decided cooking the beef was a neat idea (also that e coli was a fairly terrible idea), and the Hamburg steak was born. Then, in the late 18th century, American street vendors, trying to attract German sailors to their New York harbor stands, started serving the stuff that had been so popular in their homeland.

Here’s where the story gets all mucked up. One version claims that the first American hamburger was sold at a cafe in Athens, Texas. Another says it was found in 1904 at the St Louis World’s Fair. Residents of Hamburg, NY insist it was first grilled up by the Menches brothers at THEIR county fair–but the NY Times disputes this and say the Menches brothers invented it in Akron, Ohio. The Seymour Community Historical Society says their “Hamburger Charlie” cooked it up in Seymour, Wisconson, and the Library of Congress says it happened in New Haven, CT.

See how much server space I’ve already wasted tracing the history of the hamburger? That’s not charming. And the Interweb is going to get angry at me very soon.

So all that’s beside the point. What’s more to the point is that at some point the hamburger went a bit astray. These days, a lot more people end up with greasy, processed patties somewhat laughingly referred to as beef as they’re passed out drive-thru windows–not “Hamburger Charlie’s” delicious recipe. (I’m just going to assume Hamburger Charlie’s recipe was fabulous or else they wouldn’t have caught on.)

Well fear not, Binghamton. The beef pattie had been righted.  And you’re about to get a taste of some seriously yum gourmet American hamburgers.

I was lucky enough to be invited to (well, really, weasled my way into through continual harassment) the friends and family weekend at Burger Mondays this past Saturday afternoon.  The first thing I noticed was obvious: the renovations owner Rob Hutchings and his partners had done since the space housed DC Dunster’s/ZaZu. While I loved nearly everything about ZaZu, the restaurant did feel a bit cavernous inside. And the new dividing wall separates a nicely sized bar area from the seating part of the restaurant. The host stand lives in its own little room as well–THANKFULLY preventing at least a bit of the cold winter breeze from contributing to diner death by hypothermia–an all too common problem in greater Binghamton eateries.

As for the menu: they weren’t screwing around when they named the place Burger Mondays. 10 different designer burgers–with an option to build your own. And if you REALLY believe in your own creation, you can talk to your server about having it added to the menu–clearly, it should be named after you as well, because you’re awesome.  And an egomaniac.

Of course, the term “burger” is somewhat liberally applied here. A “Buffalo Chicken” burger with smoked bleu cheese and celery relish offers an alternative to the beef-fest and an “Ahi Tuna” burger with wasabi aioli is a seafood option. There’s even a choice for you kooky veggie-only-eaters. And no, they didn’t go the Boca Burger route. Seriously, if that’s what you’re after, you’ve got a microwave at home to help torture your taste buds.  (I can say that with authority because I was a vegetarian for 4 years–before I realized how much more delicious chicken nuggets were than morals.) For you veggie folks, Mondays serves up a pesto-marinated portabella mushroom with a balsamic reduction and house aioli called the “Animal Lover”.

Now we have to talk about the most important part of Burger Mondays: the milkshakes. It is highly probable that I’m the only one that feels they’re the most important part, but I’m writing this blog, so you’ll just have to cope.  Seriously though, if you’re going to indulge in gourmet comfort food, you might as well go all the way. Rich, creamy, delicious–I could feel both my waistline and my sense of contentment with life expanding generously. But there are certain milkshakes which overwhelm the sense of guilt you experience for having had them, and this was just such a shake. The day I visited, they were serving free (and rather large) samples of the chocolate, but they promise there’ll be plenty more flavors from which to choose. I’m going to give you some important advice that you can ignore at your own peril: DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT GETTING YOUR FIRST BURGER WITHOUT  A MILKSHAKE. Your inner child will weep buckets of tears of deprivation and I, having shared the preceeding advice, will have no sympathy. None at all.

The Milkshake Sample

(PS, I should mention that all the burgers come with fresh-cut fries. And also house jarred pickles–which are reportedly phenomenal, but which I did not eat. Because I hate pickles. And kind of wish they didn’t exist. Sorry.)

Oh right, so the burgers! My lunchmate Mary Kaminsky and I split the Mondays Original and the Southern BBQ. Both delicious, though flavored quite differently… we spent the rest of the meal arguing which was better: I liked the original and Mary preferred the BBQ, but you won’t go wrong with either. There are also a number of soups and appetizers on the menu (I’m interested to try the farro risotto or orasted garlic cheesecake), but we were pretty stuffed by what came on the burger plate.

I could definitely see a nice bar scene developing at Mondays. Three sizable flat-screen TVs are mounted on the wall–one behind the center of the bar, the other two at each corner–and the bar area is roomy enough to get quite a party going without seriously disturbing the dining area. Mary and I stuck around for a glass of pinot grigio after lunch and the “friends and family” crew were already camped out for a relaxing afternoon.

Of course, one mystery remained: why the name ‘Burger Mondays’–(besides the obvious parity with other days-of-the-week restaurants like ‘Fridays’ and ‘Tuesday’)?  Bonnie Jones, mother to exec chef Matthew G Jones, cleared it all up for us. Apparently, Matt had been working at another restaurant in town where friends gathered to watch football and have dinner on Mondays. The weekly gathering turned into sort of an impromptu burger-making competition, with various cooks working to come up with more and more creative burgers. That night was a partial inspiration for Burger Mondays, which, incidentally, opens today in downtown Bing.

(Rob Hutchings, one of Burger Mondays owners, was insanely busy at post time, but you can expect an interview from him shortly…)

Look, I’m just not entirely comfortable with square pizza. And if that makes me a Greater Binghamton pariah, I’m just going to have to live with it. I want my pizza to have a radius, a circumference and all the other mathematical properties that round things have.  If I your pizza’s got straight lines and right angles, I want no part in it.

Luckily, Amici (126 1/2 Henry Street, Binghamton) makes pizza the way God intended. Round, cheesy, saucy and delicious.

Add to that liquor and an upscale atmosphere and I could probably just stick a cot in the back and move in for good.

When I met Dan DiRienzo, he was behaving just as you’d expect somebody who, despite having a wife and three kids, just quit his job to open a dream business—with a mix of infectious, giddy enthusiasm and just a touch of nerves.  He occasionally looked over my shoulder to make sure the tables were turning and that everyone at the bar was receiving good service.

Though from my first impression, it looks as though Dan and the rest of Amici’s ownership have nothing to worry about; the place was packed. Happy, loud, and drinking—the Friday night crowd looked delighted to be there and plenty willing to spend money.

Lots about Amici is still in flux and under experimentation—including the hours. Dan explains that they’ll probably close about an hour before the other night spots in twon; they’re not looking to be the place you stumble into for last call. But they might just be the place you can lounge late on a Saturday night for a nice chat with a friend while most other bars are blasting a pounding dance beat.

And there’ll be plenty to satiate you if you get the munchies.  When I first heard about Amici, I was told it’d be a “pizza pub”. But it’s actually much more than just pizza: appetizers, salads, Italian heroes, pasta and deserts—stop in for a drink, and you’ll probably find yourself tempted into an entire meal.

After my first drop-in for a glass of wine last Friday, I decided to bring my friend Michael back for dinner on Saturday.  My taste in pizza is pretty pedestrian, so I ordered the Quattro Foraggi (Four-cheese pizza. And no, I didn’t have to look that up. OK, maybe I did.) Michael only ordered the Caprese. (Tomato, mozzarella, fresh basil—I don’t think Michael believes in real food.) My pizza was DEFINITELY large enough to share; it fed me for most of Sunday as well. And Michael’s caprese looked delicious—though I wasn’t offered a taste. (Which I’m totally fine with. Whatever.) I’ve included a picture below for your reference, not being able to describe the taste, having not been offered any.  By Michael. Thanks Michael.

Of course, if you’d like something a bit more interesting than the 4-cheese, Amici’s got 16 different pizzas on the menu and an option to build your own. My choice for next visit? “Il Diavolo”, or, as it’s described in the fine print, “Hottest pizza known to man. Notify next of kin. (waiver required).” Oh, and I almost forgot… we started off splitting some homemade fried ravioli that I’d be perfectly happy to substitute for every meal for the rest of my life.

If you spend any time in that neck of the woods, taking in a B-Mets game, visiting the library, or grabbing a drink at Tranquil, you’ve probably already peered into the front window of Amici wondering when you’d be able to give it a try.  Dan and company have had the restaurant in the works for a while; in fact, the concept is based in part on a pizza pub that his family already operates in Atlanta.  So with a pre-existing blueprint for success, they’ve been eager to open too—and they did so last Tuesday almost on a whim.  “We just texted all our friends and told them to come down,” he explained. Whipping up pizzas in the back, they served them free for one night only.  But word has clearly spread.

And despite being extraordinarily busy, Dan took a quick break from managing his new baby in order to answer a few questions…

How did you end up choosing the location–the spot just kitty corner from NYSEG Stadium–for Amici?
After being on the street since 1904 and leaving the family business in 2006, I felt it was meant to be when I had heard Frank’s was for sale.  It had been in our family before and now I am back on the street where I was born. 

Newcomers (like me) might know NOTHING about the history of DiRienzo’s Bakery.  But it’s kind of a Binghamton institution. Can you talk a bit about the bakery?
In 1904, a young immigrant from Avellino, Italy, came to chase the American dream armed with passion for baking and the will to succeed. His cousin soon followed to help establish the bakery in New York. With their hard work, the bakery has survived for more than a century.  Up until 1995 the bakery was run by my father, Luigi who was the oldest, Felice, Carmen and Anthony.  Unfortunately we lost my father in 1995 and my Uncle Felice in 2010.  Carmen and Anthony still run the business today with hopes for many more successful years.

How do you describe the menu to somebody who’s never seen it?
Great gourmet pizzas, not your ordinary appetizers, salads and homeade pasta dishes.  Some of the best tasting sandwiches around on our famous DiRienzo french bread.  You won’t leave hungry.

How about the drinks?
We have 16 beers on tap from domestic to micro brews.  We have an extensive wine selection, some exclusive to us.  We have over 25 different types of bottles chilled.  The word "well alcohol" has no meaning here.  We start with premium liquors and only go up from there. 

You had kind of a leg-up in planning Amici because of your brother’s other location. How did that one come about?
Two nephews of the bakery founders have migrated south to bring their bread and pizza making expertise to Atlanta’s cozy Oakhurst neighborhood.  One being my younger brother, Luigi and cousin Nicholas. They spent many years perfecting their menu and have brought it back to Binghamton for a taste that no one else around here has.

The district where you built Amici is probably known more for neighborhood bars, but you went in a trendier, more upscale direction–obviously investing some money in the space.  Why the change?
I believe in the revitalization of Binghamton.  Everyone thinks Binghamton night life consists only of State Street bars.  My establishment is geared more for those not looking for the under 21 crowd! We pride ourselves on the work that we put in to obtaining the upper scale, trendier, eclectic look. 

You’ve been open for something like 4 days now–kind of a soft launch. Have you discovered any changes you’d already like to make?
Absolutely.  There will always be changes to accommodate our customers and our employees to make everything run as smooth as possible.