Binghamton’s spring Restaurant Week has begun and we’re excited about the scope of this semester’s offerings. The latest edition of this biannual event is bringing the largest variety of participating restaurants, with more locations featured for lunch and dinner than ever before.

The discounted meals are a call for customers to get out in the city, simply by enjoying a good meal with friends. And while you devour your first non-Sodexo and non-microwavable meal in recent memory, you’ll be serving a good cause — a portion of all Restaurant Week profits are donated to a local cause or charity each year.

Restaurant Week provides every excuse to get out and explore what Binghamton has to offer. The University encourages such a strong culture of giving back and helping the local community — an admirable sentiment — but it is easy to get altruistic tunnel vision. Students are citizens of the city, and Restaurant Week is the perfect opportunity to take advantage of discounted patronage. Binghamton has more to it than Lost Dog and Number 5 dinners that help make parent visits more palatable. Grab some friends and head Downtown — find your new favorite spot to grab a hearty meal at the end of a long study session or to fuel up for a night out.

Money also matters and Restaurant Week is a relative bargain. We understand that $25 for a dinner might seem expensive, but trust us, this week it is worth it. The set fee gets you a three-course meal at most locations, and a good amount of them let you substitute a drink in for a dessert or appetizer. Lunches are even cheaper, ranging from $10 to $12 for a two to three-course meal. Students rarely think twice about dropping $10 in the Marketplace or the Chenango Room. Hold on to your bills this week and grab a bus, spend an afternoon on an affordable lunch that will fill you up for the rest of the day. And let’s face it, you’ll feel a lot better than if you had choked down a Labretti.

More than anything, it’s important to get out there and give it a shot. Students are trapped in a bubble alongside Vestal Parkway, that frequently only extends to State Street and maybe a hangover-fueled diner trip. Restaurant Week will open up students to the more authentic side of Binghamton. Sophomores are getting ready to move off-campus, and can get to know their future neighborhoods early on. Seniors can find a great new spot for their post-graduation family dinner. There’s nothing to lose, and a whole city to gain.

Find a spot that looks up your alley or take a risk: no matter what you pick this Restaurant Week, we’re sure you’ll come away pleasantly surprised.