Whether You Live Here Or Not

Whether you live here or not, you know that Subway isn't the best sandwich we have to offer.  You know this especially well if you've had Andy's Subs while visiting me (that's at least 4 of you).  Subway smells icky, and Andy's Subs smell like fresh happy yummy omg they put that all together on a sandwich?  I cut those suckers into four pieces, and 3 people can happily share 2 sandwiches, with a little left over.

Whether you live here or not, you know deep down in the pit of your stomach (and if you are like me then it is a deep, deep pit waiting for delicious duck confit hash and eggs) that our best burger is not from Five Guys.  We may not have a Ray's Hell-Burger (or anything close) but we certainly can do better than FG, and we have.

So go here and check out Daniel's list of picks on his FUSSYlittleBLOG, because, as you might have read, he's on a mission to make things change.  Because he, like you, knows that Cold Stone Creamery is certainly not our best ice cream store.  #1 it's not "ours" at all, and #2 it's not the best.  And I have a lot of experience in this area so I can say it definitively.

Keep in mind that Daniel may be Fussy, but he's not bossy.  We built this ballot together over time and comments.  (Sing it.)  I'm not all that helpful having lived in the Capital Region for all of 16 months, and part of that was in a hotel in Latham.  And sometimes I disagree with the Ballot; but the idea is to agree that we're going to agree (not disagree) for a higher case: to change the results. 

For anyone who's confused, it's like the movie Stick It: we're picking the winners, on OUR terms. And it'll only work if we all buy in.  So get Fussy and get votin'. 

All Good Bakers - New Location

In case you missed the news, All Good Bakers moved from Quail Street (also known as, why would I ever be over there in the first place/inconvenient for my life) to 540 Delaware Ave, right next to the Yoga Loft (much closer to my life). 

So you can do some yoga and then eat some feel-good vegetarian farm-fresh happy food.  Or, like me, you can skip the yoga and go straight to the food.  Seriously, I am the WORST at yoga.   I'm more likely to have brunch there and stop at Jim's Tastee Freeze on the way home.

There are a few more seats in this location than the last, but that same charming feeling that--and I mean this in a good way--you might be in an episode of Portlandia. 

The place was jamming when I dropped by only 90 minutes before closing time on Saturday.  I got the last sourdough loaf (YUM) and a Philmore (pastry dough stuffed with apple happiness).  Then I ran my errands at Target, BJ's, and Marshall's, and when I got back into my car it smelled like my Ford Fusion used to be a bread factory--maybe even that morning.  Amazing smells.  Eventually I'll sit down again for a grilled cheese, seitan sandwich, seasonal soup, or scone. 

Because the Northway Mall needs like 8 more stop signs than it has, I got hungry before I even got to the light that let's you leave.  Thank goodness for that Philmore and the end of the loaf.  Sorry J - I had bought the Philmore for you. But you still have chocolate chip mandel bread, Samoas, leftover chocolate chocolate chip cookies that my coworker made for me...you'll live.


Go visit, and try to knock The Profussor from Dukedom.  A little competition would be great for the shop.

All Good Bakers
540 Delaware Ave
Albany, NY
Wed-Fri 8am - 3pm
Sat/Sun 9am - 3pm with brunch

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.

Eating at Bars

In the past it was unlikely you'd find J and I at bars on Friday and Saturday nights, but I think we finally found our time/place/manner for watering hole attendance.  The ideal situation is as follows:

- 8pm
- Bar that has real food, not just mozzarella sticks, loaded potato skins, and chicken fingers.  (Delicious chicken wings are real food, FWIW.)  Also: non-fratty beers.
- 2-4 additional friends

Recently we had some good times at three establishments that meet the criteria.

City Beer Hall has a really nice environment, particularly in the winter.  It's lodgy and roomy, there's a fireplace.  One of their gimmicks is that with every drink ordered you get a ticket for a free little pizza.  The pizzas are, as I said, little (teeny) and thin, but they are food and they are free.  The beers on tap are actually interesting and include a bunch from NY (as they should).  Next time we go I want the Juicy Lucy, a New York grass-fed burger stuffed with gouda.  YUM.  J would probably choose the chicken & waffles.  I'll let you know how it goes.

On a weekday it was easy for 8 or so of us to comfortably hang out and talk.  Note: There is a mechanical bull, but I gathered that it's upstairs, which was closed off because of a private party.  Next time.

The Merry Monk was also comfortably quiet on a recent weekday--3/4 of us were on winter break, and it was nice to catch up without loud craziness going on.  A lot of good Belgian and Belgian-style beers were available, including all the Ommegangs.  Mussels and other yums await.  We liked the frites, but apparently they were frozen.  Shows how refined our taste is--give us hot fries and some tasty dipping sauce and we're psyched.  The only issues we had were that a few beers were out (which we weren't told until we ordered, after spending probably too much time figuring that part out) and our server didn't seem particularly knowledgeable about the beers.  Which is a problem if you're working at a place that prides itself on having all Belgian or Belgian-style beers.

The Olde English delighted us with fried wonders.  Battered sausage, fries, and fried cod were all delicious.  Don't go for the battered sausage alone, though; it's a salty situation, so a few bites are all you need.  The lamb sliders were pretty good, but there was too much bread for the meat, which was disappearing in the fluff.  I stuck to oatmeal stouts and was pleased in the beverage department.  Fun surprise: games, from Jenga to Scrabble and beyond.  A little sad: so damned loud. So very, very loud.  Obviously this varies from night to night (unless it's always loud, in which case, sorry I gave you hope of respite).

Where else should I go for these kinds of excursions?

Long Goodbye to Route 17 Trader Joe's

Trader Joe's is opening in Albany.  If it opens in April, I'll only have lived without one locally for 17 months, which isn't so bad.

My first TJ was in Bailey's Crossroads.  Since then they've built one in Clarendon.  Then we enjoyed having Bethesda nearby.  Since we've moved to Albany we stop on Route 17 in NJ on our way home and shop in Paramus.  We pack our frozen and fridge items together to keep cool for the next 2 hours home.   

The news outlets were all atwitter, some folks are all about not caring, and a lot of people are promising not to go there because of the traffic.  Some people (I'm included, but it's just a twinge of eh) wish it was in a different location.  I'd like if it were built in an empty lot in my neighborhood, personally. 

About the traffic: popular places are crowded.  For proof, go to any Cheesecake Factory (mind = boggled, every time).  I can't imagine parking and shopping at the Wolf Road Trader Joe's will be any less pleasant than the Pentagon City Costco.  I can't imagine the line will be anything like the Union Square TJ before UWS opened (you'd walk in and start standing in line, picking up things from aisles as you waited and moved forward).  But perspective is key in complain-y situations of all sorts, right?  A long commute to work is better than not having a job?  Ouch, how the diamond encrusted floors are ripping up my feet.

One thing I like about TJ is that it's small and it doesn't take me a long time to go from one side to the other when I've forgotten something--maybe I'm not the most organized shopper.  I like that I know the products and know where to find them quickly; I can find my favorites and move on.

Nobody makes me go to Burger King or weird mall fake Chinese food places (or insert other stuff I wouldn't touch), so if you don't want to go to Trader Joe's, chances are you'll be safe from a kidnapping that locks you in there unwillingly.  In fact, I hereby swear on my lemon pepper pappardelle (with olive oil, parmesan, and peas) that I will not personally force you to go to a store that "doesn't impress" you and that you think is "overhyped."  I will definitely not pick you up on my way there.

Most of the items that I buy at Trader Joe's either only exist (to my knowledge) there or  are less expensive there than other places.  I'm also not much of a couponer.  I don't like playing games, just give me the lowest price you can, consistently.   I don't need Hannaford or Price Chopper almond butter for $10 when I can get it at TJ for $5.  I don't need Amazon's glucosamine chondroitin (dog vitamin for joints) for $25 (or PetSmart's for $28) when it's $9.99 at TJ for 20 fewer tablets.  Ten cents per tablet v. twenty cents per tablet.  You don't have to be a hippie or obsessed with organic or have a food sensitivity to appreciate not being overcharged. 

Today's haul included the following items:

Challah rolls, 4: $2.49
Reduced sugar organic strawberry preserves: $2.99
Brown rice pasta (they also had corn pasta, 3 shelves of gluten free in all):$1.99
Whole wheat organic pasta: $1.39
Israeli couscous: $1.99
Chocolate chips (pareve
Lemon pepper pappardelle: $1.99
Spinach and chive linguine: $1.99
Whole wheat Middle Eastern flatbread: $2.49
Dark chocolate covered cherries: $4.49
Garbanzo beans: $0.89
Tomato basil past sauce: $1.79
Glucosamine for pets (hips, joints--100 count, FYI on Amazon it's $25 for 120): $9.99
Steamed lentils (refrig section - love these in salads): $2.99
Beef cabernet pot roast: $12.58
Mild fresh salsa: $2.99
Roasted vegetable frozen pizza with no cheese: $4.29
Frozen brown rice packets (4 per box I think, 1 packet for dinner for 2 with leftovers): $2.99
Chicken drumettes: $3.79
Annie Chun's Udon Noodle Bowls (emergency lunch for work): $1.99
Clif Zbar: $0.69

Lastly, the people who work there are typically very friendly and helpful.  They'll ring that bell and have someone get you a new marinating roast when the plastic was punctured on the one you chose.  The bagging is exceptional--we used to bet in Virginia whether or not they'd be able to fit all our stuff in the bags we brought; otherwise we'd be going home with some future wrapping paper.

Obviously, I welcome Trader Joe's with open arms.  I'd love to see Wegman's (a much different and much larger store) follow soon.