Sciortino's

I like going places when they are new.  We pulled this move with Capital City Gastropub most recently.  Sciortino's opened in the Miss Albany Diner space this past Wednesday. 

Off the bat, I'll mention that I'm a fan of most things Baumgartner.  Yes, he's easy on the eyes, but the food at his restaurants is actually good.  Some of my favorite meals in Albany involve the fish and chips at Olde English (and the beer), the fish tacos at Bombers (made better by being post-Boilermaker 15k), and although I'm not a huge fan of the food at Wolff's, I love love love the space it's in (and the beer).  I like when his blog has pictures of dogs, which is most of the time.

Anyway, tonight was the perfect night to head to Sciortino's.  Because I'm approximately 75 years old (see, hobbies: knitting, baking, being obsessed with my pet), we went for the early bird.

You can read all about it here. And here, here, here.

We had a Peroni and a Brooklyn Brown Ale, then ordered entirely too much food.  It was on purpose, but it was still alarming.  One thing to note is that when on display, the square pieces of pizza are on an angle, and it makes them look shorter than they are.  Don't be fooled.  One slice is enough. 

BBQ Chicken pizza (one slice, cut up)

Sausage, peppers, and mushrooms (it's UNDERNEATH) 

White pizza with vegetables.

Chicken riggies

At one point this was a brownie sundae.  Totally unnecessary.  Really gooey and delicious.  

I really liked the pizza and I'd have all of them again.  The BBQ chicken might be my favorite. Service was really friendly, and Matt was hanging out at and behind the counter. It wasn't crowded, but if it had been, we'd just have a drink at Wolff's while waiting.  I had never tried chicken riggies but heard good things, and while it was good, it's not for me.  I'm a spice wimp and it was a little hot (which I expected).  I also thought it might be more baked like a ziti, but it wasn't.  Cash only, as per yuzh.

Sciortino's (pronounced like shore-tinos)
893 Broadway
Albany, NY

What's Making Me Happy

If you listen to the NPR podcast Pop Culture Happy Hour then you might enjoy the last segment, called "What's Making Me Happy This Week."  Well, here's what's making me happy this weekend.

On Friday we were low on dining ideas, so we ordered two pizzas from Bellini's.  We've never been to a Bellini's or ordered before, but I've heard about the deals they do for takeout from some parents in my office.  With pizza we figure we'll try almost anything once--very open-minded.   We ordered the meatball and ricotta pizza and the Da Nico (spinach, prosciutto, & goat cheese), and yes, I was also wondering why some had names and some were merely the name of the key ingredients.  The smaller size of each (12 inches) brought us to $31.  This becomes important later. 

We had plenty left over, which brings me to my favorite part about the pizza:  eating a slice of Da Nico from the toaster oven with over easy eggs on top for brunch after a long run, with a side of sliced pear and Nutella of course.  YUM.  

Saturday night we wanted to go out, and once we got soup dumplings in our mind there was no doubt we were off to Latham and Ala Shanghai.  When we were there last on Christmas Eve with family, some of our XLB were deflated and desoupified--the place was jamming, and we ate them anyway.  Last night each one was soupy and super hot.   But the star of the show was the eggplant in our eggplant and chicken dish.  I'm not sure why the eggplant tasted like magic, but it did.  I'm surprised we had any left over--when we were both admittedly full we continued to nab pieces of eggplant until it was getting ridiculous and we HAD to stop eating.  Soup dumplings and two large entrees brought us to $25, AND we had leftovers and complimentary tea.  Quality, value, and a truly delightful atmosphere are what keep me schlepping to Latham from south of the border.

Lastly, what's making me happy this weekend is a new-to-me hamantaschen dough recipe from Not Derby Pie that yielded 21 cookies, none of which flapped open.  NONE.  J says they are the best-looking hammies I've ever made.  I liked that they were really fast to make--no refrigerating for hours or overnight, a quick 30 minutes did the trick (I recommend cleaning in between....or making another batch of hammies).   I'm still making a batch of these from smitten kitchen (with the cream cheese) because I do really like the taste of that cookie, but I've had varying success with the shaping.

Lastly, but certainly not least, we watched most of Cool Runnings this weekend.  It had been way too long since we saw that movie, and we couldn't tear ourselves away.  Really brought us back to '93.

News Good and Bad

Bad news: Miss Albany Diner closed.  Even the New York Times got in on the coverage, but it burns me up that they didn't mention where the building came from (my favorite place).  That's right, the building was made in Silk City, also home to a certain someone's salsa.  I'm looking forward to seeing what comes of it now that it's joined the Matt Baumgartner club.  As an Olde English and Bomber's fan (Wolff's I'm not so sure about) I hope it's interesting and different. 

Good news: We had the burger at Merry Monk and it was AWESOME.  Cooked perfectly (at "medium" it was still plenty pink inside, but not scary pink), flavorful, and totally opposite of the dry or tasteless gray matter I've encountered at most establishments (not just in Albany--everywhere).  It happened to be the special Add some Three Philosophers and you are golden.   Man I love beer.

Next burger on my list to try is at City Beer Hall. Anyone have it and care to weigh in?

Considering plenty of people wait in the cold or uncomfortably near the bathroom for a seat at Hattie's, I'm curious about why they chose to run a LivingSocial.   Maybe because I recently listened to an old radio segment about the economics of Groupon, and also because I am one of those people who has waited in the cold or uncomfortably near the bathroom, and the place doesn't seem to need more fans.  Or maybe it does?  Out of season, particularly? 

Hope you're all having a great weekend.

New Year's Eve @ New World Bistro Bar

I should probably tell you officially how much I enjoyed spending NYE @ NWBB.

NWBB is always a blast and it's always interesting.  When I heard they were doing a special NYE menu I knew it was way more up our alley than an open bar situation anywhere else.  Two drinks is enough for me; the food should be the star.  Luckily Steph and A shared our interest so we enjoyed good food and good company.  Look how cute our rolly menus are.

I began with the BLT salad with Bibb lettuce, rabbit bacon, and sundried tomato confit.  I really liked the gorgonzola ranch dressing and the polenta croutons, too.  If I assembled it myself,  of course I'd add more of the bunnybacon.  Everyone enjoyed theirs, but I think A's dish wins for prettiest.

Snapper cruda with a crunchy three-seed crust, Meyer lemon, Greek olive oil, and honey

Fried black-eyed peas and rice made for delightful Hoppin' John fritters for course two.

But I had the grape risotto and loooved it.  It, er, doesn't photograph well.

\ Oh hey, tamale and surf & turf.

Red and white tuna duo


For my entree I chose the Thai-style red snapper with spicy tamarind glaze. YUM!  I thought about the seitan because green tea soba noodles sounded fun, and it would be served in a kombucha squash. 

As ingredients dwindled throughout the night, the crispy rice paper lemon cloud napoleon went from lemony to Nutella-y.  Yes, yes, yes.   Also pictured above: ice cream sundaeeeeee.



Chevre cheesecake from Nettle Meadows Farm.  The little baby jar is adorable, and the "cake" was not really sweet at all--it was creamy and deliciousm no need for crazy sugar. 

The Italian Greyhound cocktail was a little too tart for me, even though I love grapefruit.  3/4 of us started with a special New Year's Eve cocktail that had cava and cognac.  We had more dishes, some of which just didn't photograph well.  Obviously we all had favorites, but no one was disappointed in any of the dishes.  The menu is full of whimsy and creativity, which is so important when dinner is the show.

Little Anthony's

We were going to a not-too-late movie on a weeknight and needed a quick bite.  Suggestions from the Twitterati included Ralph's and Chipotle.  I couldn't stop myself from a little Yelping, and ended up curious about Little Anthony's. People had some nice things to say about their pizza and hot sandwiches, and I was intrigued about the vegan options.  I didn't want to have anything vegan, necessarily, but I liked that the option was there.  If one of my vegan or quasi-kosher friends comes to visit, they may enjoy a vegan option from LA.  But it'll probably be takeout.

We walked in and saw one guy waiting for his takeout order.  We stood at the counter for about 5 whole minutes until someone came to take our order. There were a couple guys back there, and two guys rushed hurriedly one way and then the other, passing us, DEFINITELY seeing us, but not acknowledging anything at all.  It was awkward.  I don't want to be like "hi, can we order?" because it is so clear that they see us and they know that we haven't ordered. They just don't seem to care.  Maybe I'm in too much of a hurry.

It was a toasty day, and that translated inside Little Anthony's.  I don't think they have A/C.  It was dark, and it smelled a little bit like a locker room.  Not strongly, but faintly. 

My food was delicious. It took a while, but when I got it, I really liked it.  I had eggplant parm, and it wasn't too soggy (which happens sometimes), the bread stood up to it.  VERY filling.  I recommend takeout not only because of the lack of ambiance at LA's, but then you can quickly put the remainder in the fridge (probably 1/4) for a post work out OMGIneedfoodnow snack.

J was a champ.  He ate all of this gigantic calzone.  I really liked the texture of the dough.  This thing wasn't stuffed--it's not the ripieno basilico.  But it was tasty and gigantic.  I kind of want it right now.

Other funny note: we were undercharged, unbeknownst to us.  During what seemed like our epic wait for food, the guy who took our order came by and told us he didn't charge us the right amount. Again, awkwardness.  The difference was about $7, and it wasn't like we gave them the wrong amount--they asked us for the wrong amount to start with.  A little weird, but it's not like it was an expensive meal.  I didn't mind paying what it actually cost, it was just a funny situation.  If I were him I probably wouldn't have said anything--after all, it would be my mistake.

I could see us getting takeout from here if it's on the way home.  Reasonable prices for solid eats and great portion sizes.

PS This is probably my last post in August. How cray cray is that?  That means I've lived in Albany for 9 whole months.  An entire human being grew in someone's womb and could be born in the amount of time I've lived in Albany.  Actually, one did!  Mazel tov to my cousin and her brand new bundle of squish. ::retreats to finish knitting blanket::

Little Anthony's
1095 Central Ave
Albany, NY

El Mariachi

Mmmm margaritas.  El Mariachi has come up several times when I've asked about fun drinks and patios, so when my parents were in town on a stunning 80ish degree day that turned into a high 60s/low 70s evening, we knew we had to sit outside.  I don't know about you, but I always find that with good service, adult beverages, and outdoor seating it's hard for me not to like something.

El Mariachi had pretty good guacamole, and the salsa that comes with the complimentary chips had a nice kick.  I enjoyed the chicken mole (good, but needed to be hotter temperature wise), mom had fajitas, J had steak with onions and garlic, and dad got something with chicken that I don't remember.  But he liked it, and that was all that mattered, because we were celebrating his BIRTHDAY!!! Yay! He really didn't want a big to do for his 60th, so he and mom decided to come up to our house for Friday-Sunday, then leave after breakfast to see my sister in Boston until Tuesday.  Child touring, they call it.

When we walked in there was a line 3 parties deep to even check in with the hostess.   She was running back and forth to seat people, and with existing reservations going on I figured we'd have a huge wait.  Nope, we were seated on the patio right away (after waiting 10 minutes while she sat other people and ran around).

Service was great--our saintly waitress was patient with my chatty dad who doesn't like peppers or onions, unless they are well done, in which case onions are okay but not peppers.  He doesn't really like picking off a menu, he'd prefer someone tell him what to get.  And she did.  Thanks!  Also, she brought him a very heavy authentic-looking festive sombrero and flan with a candle in it.

You can get margaritas by the pitcher AND by the half pitcher, so if that second pitcher is just a little beyond reach? No worries, you're covered.

El Mariachi
289 Hamilton Street
Albany, NY

Birthday Weekday Evening @ NWBB

I hope you had a lovely Memorial Day weekend!  Even more so, I hope you extended it (like we did). 

Speaking of celebrating, we at Cap2Cap celebrated BOTH of our birthdays this spring (early and late) at New World.  We love N. Dubz.--it's not that there are never any misses, but I'd argue that the clear majority of dishes hit the mark and some are simply divine.  Plus all the local, seasonal, organic, etc stuff that I like AND servers who are knowledgeable and seemingly excited about aforementioned zazz.  I learned a bit about how they source their salmon!  [Also: we can walk there.  Let's be honest for a second about how big of a factor this is.]

We started with an okay, probably-not-worth-$10 appetizer: the duck prosciutto bruschette.  I easily peeled the fat off mine, since I didn't really understand why it was there.  I'd prefer just the crispy duck part!  The duck prosciutto itself was dark and salty and had a good bite, and the fig jam was fun, but I felt like it all could have been put together differently.  The bruschette situation wasn't best.  Let's be honest, I just want to crunch that duck all over a giant salad and dollop the fig jam on it.  J wished we had gotten the blackened green beans instead; they are famed.

Now on to DELICIOUS, totally on the mark: Thai Italian Love - Panang curry bolognese.  Look at that papardelle!  A little spicy, but the heat kept me on my toes.  It wasn't overwhelming, and it didn't last very long on my tongue.  I could move on and enjoy myself.  I want this again today right now.

J had a special, the South Indian Fish Fry, which was light (I know, for fried fish!) and tasty, with some friendly veggies and a bright sauce of mild yellow curry.  
 
New World Bistro Bar
300 Delaware Avenue
Albany, NY

We skipped dessert because I hustled my booty over to Cheesecake Machismo after work before carpooling home with the birthday gentleman.  I proceeded to take the menu I nabbed out of my pocket right in front of him once we got home...I'm smooth.

Cookies and Cream and Smoked 'Smore.I reallllly liked the 'smore situation, but J felt like one bite was enough.  He didn't dig the char flavor, he said "I don't want to feel like I'm eating a fire."  To me it was like eating a super toasted marshmallow, one that has been charred.  AND I LIKED IT.  Different strokes, etc.

They have no web site. I usually am against this, but meh Facebook, they are a dessert place, I'll let it slide this time.  Also, their name is basically amazing. 

Cheesecake Machismo
 293 Hamilton St
 Albany, NY

Van's Vietnamese

I'll break it down for ya:  Enormous portions.  Very friendly service.  Jam-packed by 7pm on a Friday night.  Room for a few more tables but does not put them there (not sure if it's for fire code/zoning reasons or for my comfort, but I'll pretend it's for my comfort and for that I say THANK YOU).  Tasty food.  That, in a nutshell, is Van's Vietnamese.

Granted, we have not tried their pho yet.  We recently lived near one of the most hyped up pho places of my knowledge, Pho 75 in Arlington.

Crispy vegetarian spring rolls,  crispy duck, and lemongrass chicken.  I'm pretty sure they gave me an entire chicken, or more.  This meal was dinner, dinner again (+ new rice made at home), and then part of my lunch.  The quantity here is out of control. 

I'm looking forward to trying the pho and other dishes recommended by happy diners.  You just have to hope that you like what you get; you know, since it'll be enough for three to five meals.

Van's Vietnamese
307 Central Ave

Albany, NY

Food Happenings Around Town

 

 [It looks like it's warm enough to eat lunch outside, but really it wasn't.  Yet.  Bonus: the top of the river defrosted.]

GOOD MORNING EVERYONE!  Take a sip of iced coffee and say hello to Monday morning.  Whew....we're rolling into busy season, and I don't just mean for work.  We've got travels, challenges, epic journeys, and food events coming. 

Here's what's on my local events calendar for the next month-ish--I can't make them all, but you should try.*

4/2: Glens Falls Brewfest
4/3: Jewish Food Festival. See also, FLB, HVGS, TU**
4/9: Tour de Soft Serve
4/30-5/1: Tap NY Craft Beer & Fine Food Festival 
5/7: Tulip Festival (OK, you can't eat them, but hopefully it'll be warm and toasty for tulips + brunch).

What else should be on the calendar?  Whatcha got?  Also, Montreal is quickly approaching--any last minute tips?




*No one gave me anything (free tickets, hugs, ice cream cones, dollar billz) to mention these events.  One person did ask me nicely, though.
**I was told there would be challah.  Hence the bold and asterisk.

Creo

Brrrrrrrrunch!  Yay!  We recently had a shmancy brunch at Creo and it was divine.  What makes Creo shmancy in my opinion is its cool copper-y tables, open kitchen, modern decor, large space, careful service/plating (including cleaning shmears off of the outside of the plate), aaaand the fact that we didn't wait in a crowded vestibule for 40 minutes.  In fact, we made a reservation on this new-fangled city slicker contraption called OpenTable. 

Look at the size of that coffee cup. And that cute little mini muffin - there were 3 in a basket that was meant to hold 10.  I appreciate free food, regardless of its presentation.

I faced the pretty open kitchen and the hottt pizza oven while J faced the rest of the cavernous restaurant.

Look at that monster.  It's freshly cut roast beef (think more like sliced prime rib than the deli stuff), tomatoes, over easy eggs, crispy prosciutto, and Swiss.  It's insane.  That bread is toasted ciabatta, by the by.  It's innocuous name is "egg sandwich," but really it is so much more.  It may be one of the most ridonculous brunch item I've ever enjoyed, along with the likes of the ropa bennie at New World or the brisket hash in Austin.  But, it's a close call, and NWBB is way closer to our digs.  Walking distance in a town where walking is practically verboten. 

Another angle, half eaten.  Seriously, with the sauce and the egg yolk making friends with the crispy bread...

J had a slice of charred bread with his duck confit hash and poached eggs.  His hash a little more shine than Ii'd like, and I wasn't really getting much duck.  There was a vaguely Asian flavor to it that I enjoyed in my few bites, but it seemed too potato-y to me.  I'm such a hater these days (of potatoes). J agreed that I had clearly won in the Battle of the Order, even though his sounded superb on paper. 

We'll be back to Creo.  Even if it's for drinks and apps--the bar is nice, and it's away from the main dining room (which probably makes weekday dinners less noisy).   I'd also like the breakfast pizza or the bananas Foster pancakes--the latter would be ideal for after a nice run.  Delmar Dash perhaps?  Or maybe we'll go somewhere closer to the neighborhood. 

Creo Restaurant
1475 Western Avenue (Stuyvesant Plaza)
Albany, NY

Pearl Street Diner

 

Pearl Street Diner, or PSD, is my favorite greasy spoon lunch place near the office.  There's really not much competition in the area--Greenhouse is a Chop't-type place with hard, cold seats and fake cubed turkey; Franklin's Tower is ok, but the menu is small, it's sometimes freezing in there, and I've never *loved* my order; Victory Cafe is good, but lunch will set you BACK!  [Obviously because I want the gigantic salad with a protein on it, $14.  The specials are good and more reasonable.]  Granted, I have some more exploration to do.  Particularly when it's above freezing, maybe sunny, and I can cross streets at intersections without hurdling over a pile of snow or more recently, an enormous slushy puddle.

So PSD it is.  Close, cheap, and usually pretty tasty.  For about $7 I can get a decent portion of chicken souvlaki in a pita with a Greek salad.  One out of four times the salad might be over-oily, but the service is friendly, it's a lot of food for a little price, and we've never waited long for a table.  Sub souvlaki for gyro and there are my orders.

Souvlaki!

The chicken salad club is double-decker and enormous.

Visitor S had chili and fries when he came with us to PSD.

Now, the name Diner is a misnomer.  It's not open 24-hours.  It does not serve breakfast all day.  If it did, I'd be there more often.  But it's inexpensive, the service is friendly, the wait is short (if it exists), the portions are great, and thus it has my weekday loyalty so far.


Pearl Street Diner (does not really have a web site...)
40 N. Pearl Street
Albany, NY

Miss Albany Diner

This little diner is TFC.  The food is good, the service is friendly, and there are interesting things on the walls.

Exhibit A:

Downstaters/DCers, please take the above as a lesson in NY geography.  I live nowhere near Buffalo.  It's 5 hours away according to this very official signage.  Hawaii seems too close...

And the food.  So here at the MAD they toast your cinnamon bun.  Even though I usually wouldn't order one of these delectable definitely-not-breakfast (DESSERT) items, I was intrigued by the toasting.

Let's get close.

That's the stuff.  This is basically criminal.  For real. I'm pretty sure slathering it with butter will get you LWOP.  A little crunch goes a long way, particular because it's caused by a crispy bread outer layer AND the crackling of the thin, sugary film. 

Corned beef hash, over easy eggs.  Classic us.  Delicious.

Cool huevos with chutney, some mint and mango.  I liked it more than J did, so we ended up switching about halfway.  His plate was definitely cooler.

I need to remember to ask for my toast dry.  I really don't need the butter--the rest of my choices do enough damage, and I prefer jam or preserves to butter anyway.  SO FORGETFUL.

PS, this joint closes at like 2:15pm or some crazy time like that.  You can get there for late breakfast, but not J&A-style 4pm winter weekend breakfast...we lazy.

Here's to continuing our tour of the Capital Region's best diner breakfasts.  Happy Monday everyone!


Miss Albany Diner
893 Broadway
Albany, NY 12207