Bingham’s following built on comfort food

BY PATRICE WILDING, Times-Shamrock Writer

The delicious comfort food at Bingham’s Restaurant in Lenox, Susquehanna County, is enough to draw customers from New York and southern Pennsylvania. But it’s the huge variety of homemade pies, pastries and breads that steals the show.

With more than 14 different pies available daily by the slice or whole, owner Dave Scarpetta estimates Bingham’s sells more than 100 pies on a busy day.

Mr. Scarpetta, who formerly worked as a salesman for a food distributor and counted Bingham’s as a client, took over in 1998 when the business opportunity arose.

“I tried not to change anything and just marketed the stronger points, which are primarily the baked goods, and the way we cook a lot ourselves,” Mr. Scarpetta said. “It’s not like the cookie cutter chains.

“We try to use the best ingredients we can even though our price points are very reasonable,” he added.

Building destroyed

In April 2010, a devastating arson razed the restaurant. Despite the total loss, Mr. Scarpetta was determined to rebuild for the sake of his staff – many had worked there for years and “take great pride and ownership in what they do,” he said – plus the community that rallied around them. Bingham’s opened the doors of a brand new structure (with more and bigger bakery and dessert cases) just over a year later.

“The customer response has been overwhelming,” Mr. Scarpetta said, adding that he has actually seen a spike in business since the fire. “This is a really special place because people can’t get the kind of food we serve from anywhere else.”

The pies, made mostly from recipes by head baker Kay Gow, feature hand-crimped crust and hand-whipped meringues. The pies range from cobblers to cheesecakes to whipped, including flavors like coconut cream, caramel apple, peach and cherry crumb, strawberry shortcakes, and the Fruits of the Forest, which incorporates strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, rhubarb and apple together.

“People wait all year for us to make the fresh raspberry again,” manager Jen Wakalowski said of the seasonal summer pie. In the meantime, though, they can fill up on the rice pudding or famous cream puffs (puff pastry shells with homemade filling, topped with rich chocolate frosting).

Bingham’s sells 192 cream puffs on an average weekday, and even more on the weekends. It’s enough to keep the full-time bakers, including Bar Komar, Smoky Collins, Hazel Howell and Ms. Gow busy the seven days a week the restaurant is open.

In fact, Mr. Scarpetta said he recommends customers call ahead for whole pie orders, since the kitchen has a hard time keeping up with the demand.

“We have people who travel from Syracuse to Philadelphia and aren’t allowed to stay with their relatives without a pie,” he laughed.

Baked goods

The hand-rolled cinnamon bread is another Bingham’s staple: served with eggs, as French toast, or by the loaf, it’s a popular item from breakfast to dinner.

The food menu at Bingham’s is not to be overlooked either. Wednesdays feature a Homemade Cabbage Rolls special, and Thursdays are Homemade Chicken Pot Pie night. On a daily basis, the roast turkey and from-scratch stuffing and gravies, pot roast, homemade meatloaf and chicken and biscuits entrees are favorite choices of diners.

The menu also features some vegan selections, trendy entree salads and a “Smaller Appetites” list for senior citizens. The restaurant can seat about 180 between the two main dining areas and the bar area.

“There’s very few really independent restaurants left. Only the ones that have a niche and do it properly have survived the test of time,” Mr. Scarpetta said. “We’ve had a lot of longevity with the wait staff, so even if a customer is only in here three or four times a year during their travels, they’re still familiar with the staff and customers.

“You can just get a good, solid meal without breaking the bank,” he added. “And good dessert, too.”