Comfortably on the helm of Artisan Row, Chroma Café and Bakery houses a vibrant yet nostalgic interior that welcomes guests with permanently open doors, until you force them closed, literally. Teal walls and clementine couches resting against a backdrop of vintage mahogany bricks nearly draw your attention away from the bleachers of mouth-watering sweets and homemade breads on display. Positioned behind the counter is a window that peers into Chroma’s heart and soul: its newly expanded kitchen and oven system, where all the magic happens. Okay, this is starting to sound like the beginning of a Disney movie, but I’m not exaggerating- I promise.
Photos by Han Shi
Chroma’s special of the day was its roasted turkey sandwich, which might make you reconsider some things in your life. For me, I can now differentiate between a turkey sandwich and those things that I thought were turkey sandwiches. The crowd favorite dish consists of fresh deli turkey and greens nested between two slices of homemade ciabatta bread and a rich roasted garlic avocado aioli sauce. But that’s not all; Chroma changes their specials daily. What they call the “Three Little Pigs Panini” is a seductively savory ensemble of bacon, bacon marmalade and roast pork loin; oh, and lettuce and tomatoes for those with a shred of leftover integrity.
Photo by Han Shi
Topped off by a beef stroganoff empanada, Chroma’s menu isn’t just for meat lovers. The humble Chenango Street native also offers a myriad of vegan and vegetarian options, as well as an assortment of desserts. This includes a delicious key lime pie made with delicate butter cookies surrounding a delicately sweet key lime buttercream. Most importantly, Chroma is known for their handcrafted baked goods, which encompasses their scones, danishes and croissants in particular. The secret? They laminate their dough for three days; for you non-bakers, laminating is a technique whereby dough and butter is layered, adding a flaky and puffy texture to the resulting bread.
Photo by Han Shi
Chroma offers a variety of great food and a wonderfully personable staff at a moderate price. Their brunch hours are on Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., when they serve fresh waffle breakfast sandwiches and burrito specials. An additional fun fact: Chroma also donates all their leftovers to charity! So whether you’re looking to stuff yourself with food and tears after midterms or just to grab a quick bite to eat, I would definitely recommend dropping by this small, but eclectic, bakery; just don’t forget to ask a friend to chroma-long!
Location: 97 Court St., Binghamton, New York 13901
Hours of Operation: Mon. – Fri. 7:30 AM – 4:00 PM; Sat. 8:30 AM – 1:00 PM
A special thanks to Chroma Café and Bakery for providing us with a tasting for this review.