Prompted by the Metroland Restaurant Review, we went to Tops American Grill in Rotterdam the other day. The Metroland review is far more thorough (he's a professional and I'm a rank amateur, after all), and I generally agree that it's a good place to eat.
Our experience was not quite as good as Mr. Nilsson's. There was some unspecified problem in the kitchen that delayed our food - not a good thing when you have small children with you. Our waitress seemed a bit distracted but was pleasant.
My French Onion soup was good. Maybe a little too much cheese, but that's hard to complain about and is really my cholesterol fears talking. Also it was made with salad croutons instead of a more robust bread, but it was still delicious. Speaking of bread, the bread that came out first was also very nice.
I also ordered a Tuscan bean bruschetta. This was one of the delayed items, and it wasn't great. The bread was a bit overcooked (okay, burned), and the flavors just didn't quite work. I think it had a goat cheese on it and somehow that didn't fit. Could have been a kitchen problem though.
My entree was half great and half mediocre. I had a 5-ounce tenderloin with shrimp scampi and grilled asparagus. The steak was really fantastic. It was so tender I literally was cutting it with my fork. Great flavor with an appropriately small amount of sauce (marsala wine based?). The asparagus was fair, but I expect better from a restaurant. I do better on my own grill. And the shrimp was mediocre. I did eat it, so I'm not saying it was foul or anything like that, but I expected something more. I suspect again this was a kitchen problem. It came out on a skewer which would suggest grilling, but it did not taste or feel like it had been grilled, or perhaps not long enough. I also had a side of sauteed greens that was just okay.
My wife had a roast turkey platter, a hold-over from the restaurant's diner history. She did not seem to like it and did not eat much of it, but that may have been the kids distracting her. I tried it and wasn't impressed - seemed a bit better than something from a school lunch cafeteria - but I'm not a roast turkey guy.
We split a cheesecake and it was good, not great, but I would say better than average and better than a lot of places in the area. As Metroland noted, there is a very broad selection of desserts.
As I write it this review seems more negative than I remember the experience. We will likely go back, as we both liked it. There are some intangible positives -- a pleasant atmosphere, family feeling, sense that many of the customers know and like each other, well designed interior ... something like that.
Sunday, June 03, 2007
Pancho's Mexican Restaurant in Colonie NY
I've been to Pancho's Mexican Restaurant a few times now and finally now am getting around to writing about it. Obviously since I've been back, I don't hate it.
Pancho's is not the best Mexican food in the world, but I'm not fond of most of the Mexican restaurants in Albany. I have a bad bias on this having lived in Houston for four years. My bias is so bad that I don't even like most of the Mexican food I've had in California. I used to half-joke that Taco Bell was the best in Albany.
Pancho's has some good and some mediocre. The first time I went the guacamole stood out to me. I'm a big guacamole fan. I like how it tastes, I like the texture (I'm into the texture of foods), and it's actually pretty darn good for you. Last time I went the guacamole was still good, but no longer stood out in my eyes.
The other thing that stands out in my mind, in not a good way, was the steak in the steak fajitas (one of my favorite dishes). I can't put my finger on it exactly, but it doesn't taste quite right. It's either the quality of the meat or the way they cook it. It does not seem like it's grilled and that's the way I like my fajitas. I'd almost say it's fried in lard. But before anyone takes this the wrong way, I had it again last time I was there and liked it. I still noticed the flavor, but it wasn't as strong and maybe it's growing on me.
In general Pancho's is a nice place. Good atmosphere, friendly staff, and the food is generally good. I'm not giving it five stars or anything, but I will be going back.
I'm still waiting for a really good Mexican restaurant to hit the area. We go to Garcia's pretty regularly as well, and I put it on a par with Pancho's. Garcia's is particularly good for kids, while I think I like Pancho's better as a lunch place. Garcia's lunch is too focused on its buffet, which doesn't do it for me.
I used to like Chili's, but for some reason we haven't been going there lately. I think something about the chain nature of the restaurant has taken something away from it, but I can't say what. I should also mention The Cheesecake Factory. They do have some decent Mexican-style dishes, but the place is usually very crowded and a bit pricey. Lunch at 11:30 is the safest bet.
Pancho's is not the best Mexican food in the world, but I'm not fond of most of the Mexican restaurants in Albany. I have a bad bias on this having lived in Houston for four years. My bias is so bad that I don't even like most of the Mexican food I've had in California. I used to half-joke that Taco Bell was the best in Albany.
Pancho's has some good and some mediocre. The first time I went the guacamole stood out to me. I'm a big guacamole fan. I like how it tastes, I like the texture (I'm into the texture of foods), and it's actually pretty darn good for you. Last time I went the guacamole was still good, but no longer stood out in my eyes.
The other thing that stands out in my mind, in not a good way, was the steak in the steak fajitas (one of my favorite dishes). I can't put my finger on it exactly, but it doesn't taste quite right. It's either the quality of the meat or the way they cook it. It does not seem like it's grilled and that's the way I like my fajitas. I'd almost say it's fried in lard. But before anyone takes this the wrong way, I had it again last time I was there and liked it. I still noticed the flavor, but it wasn't as strong and maybe it's growing on me.
In general Pancho's is a nice place. Good atmosphere, friendly staff, and the food is generally good. I'm not giving it five stars or anything, but I will be going back.
I'm still waiting for a really good Mexican restaurant to hit the area. We go to Garcia's pretty regularly as well, and I put it on a par with Pancho's. Garcia's is particularly good for kids, while I think I like Pancho's better as a lunch place. Garcia's lunch is too focused on its buffet, which doesn't do it for me.
I used to like Chili's, but for some reason we haven't been going there lately. I think something about the chain nature of the restaurant has taken something away from it, but I can't say what. I should also mention The Cheesecake Factory. They do have some decent Mexican-style dishes, but the place is usually very crowded and a bit pricey. Lunch at 11:30 is the safest bet.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Chatham House (yes, in Chatham)
I only had a salad, so I can't write much. On my way to Austerlitz Town Court near Chatham, I was running early. So I drove around a little (slowly, gotta be careful in Chatham), and found Chatham House. Seems to be three different restaurants inside. I ate in the tavern, and there also seems to be a Lippera's, and then also Chatham House itself. But I could be wrong about such details. I thought I saw three distinct menus, with a good variety on each.
Anyway, I was in a small hurry, so I just went into the tavern and had a Caesar Salad with shrimp and bacon (leave it to me to find a high-cholesterol salad). It was pretty good. The four large shrimp were grilled. The bacon was not as tender as I like, but I didn't ask, and it was still good. Actually, I have to say that the bacon seemed to be a very high quality cut of meat -- thick, with excellent flavor. The dressing was also good. With a coke, the total was a bit over $20 with tip. This was enough for a meal. It was 4 hours ago and I'm not hungry yet (but I'll still snack before bed - naughty boy).
Now I gotta find an excuse to go back when I have more time. I did just get hired on a ticket in Chatham, so we'll see.
Anyway, I was in a small hurry, so I just went into the tavern and had a Caesar Salad with shrimp and bacon (leave it to me to find a high-cholesterol salad). It was pretty good. The four large shrimp were grilled. The bacon was not as tender as I like, but I didn't ask, and it was still good. Actually, I have to say that the bacon seemed to be a very high quality cut of meat -- thick, with excellent flavor. The dressing was also good. With a coke, the total was a bit over $20 with tip. This was enough for a meal. It was 4 hours ago and I'm not hungry yet (but I'll still snack before bed - naughty boy).
Now I gotta find an excuse to go back when I have more time. I did just get hired on a ticket in Chatham, so we'll see.
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Mezza Notte in Guilderland
Update: We went back in mid-July. See our more recent post on Mezza Notte.
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There's a new restaurant in town. Mezza Notte is a upscale restaurant with at least a hint of Italian, on Route 20 just east of Route 155. The building formerly housed Phoebe's Florist. Now where am I supposed to get flowers for my wife (as if I ever do that - sorry honey)?
We had dinner there last night with another couple. The first thing I noticed was the valet parking. Valet parking? In Guilderland? Wow! We did not avail ourselves of the valet, as I find myself perfectly capable of parking my own car. The parking lot is fairly small but I don't see why you couldn't park on the street (Cornell Ave, not Western). I asked the valet and he said that people start using it when the lot fills up. And indeed when we left a few people were waiting for their cars.
Anyway, we went inside and I have to say the place is gorgeous. They really did a nice job in the interior. Our friends weren't there yet so we ordered drinks. Then our friends arrived and I bought them a round. Four drinks, including my wife's Coke, added up to just over $30. Ouch! Yes, this is foreshadowing, though not as subtle as usual.
While the interior was nice, I didn't like our table. We had a booth, and it was like a flat U. Two people sit with their backs against the wall (maybe it was a window), and the other two sit at the ends of a fairly long table. There's really room for three along that wall. This left me uncomfortably far from my buddy on the far end. Also, they brought out bread and a plate with olive oil, vinegar, and tapenade. They put the plate in the middle. I asked for an extra plate since I couldn't reach. With that said, the bread and tapenade were pretty good. I thought of asking for a different table, but let it go. During dinner, a guy sitting in a regular table got bumped in the head as one of the staff was moving a table, so I guess it was a good decision. :-)
My favorite dish of the night was the appetizer. I forget the name, but I'd call it a carpaccio - very rare or perhaps raw beef in very thin slices. They did a really nice job with this. The meat had great texture and flavor, and they had nice touches on the plate as well, with a small (appropriately) amount of sauce and some kind of citrus wedge. My wife had a salad of mixed greens. I didn't ask but the salad disappeared fast. She did leave me her tiny tomatoes, which were good. Our friends had melanzane frite (fried eggplant). They said it was good, but not what they expected. I think they had a salad too but don't remember what kind.
I had a chicken entree. It was stuffed, I think with prosciutto, some kind of cheese, and some kind of green. The dish came with mashed potatoes. It was okay, but a bit on the bland side. My wife had the rack of lamb, and devoured it, so I think she liked it. Friend 1 had a scallop special, over pasta. He said it was good, but didn't eat that much of it. I don't remember what Friend 2 had, but whatever it was disappeared.
We also had dessert. Wife and I had the panna cotta. It's something like a custard, but the flavor didn't do it for us. Interesting, but not what I wanted. Friend 1 had bread pudding, which apparently was okay. Friend 2 had a cheesecake. I got a taste of it and it was not my kind of cheesecake. Not bad, but just not the style of cheesecake and not really all that special.
Then we got the bill. Including tip and the drinks from the bar (we had no other alcohol), the total was over $250. And therein lies the problem with Mezza Notte. This is Guilderland, not Manhattan. I'm probably going to give the place another try sometime (but not soon), because I like to try different things. But there are so many good options that cost much, much less. Aromi d'Italia is about a quarter-mile away, I like the food better (the menu variety has a similar gourmet touch to it), and it's a lot less expensive.
On the bright side for the restaurant, there was a good crowd. Hopefully most had a better experience than I did because I'd like to see the place stick around so I can give it another try in 6 months or so.
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There's a new restaurant in town. Mezza Notte is a upscale restaurant with at least a hint of Italian, on Route 20 just east of Route 155. The building formerly housed Phoebe's Florist. Now where am I supposed to get flowers for my wife (as if I ever do that - sorry honey)?
We had dinner there last night with another couple. The first thing I noticed was the valet parking. Valet parking? In Guilderland? Wow! We did not avail ourselves of the valet, as I find myself perfectly capable of parking my own car. The parking lot is fairly small but I don't see why you couldn't park on the street (Cornell Ave, not Western). I asked the valet and he said that people start using it when the lot fills up. And indeed when we left a few people were waiting for their cars.
Anyway, we went inside and I have to say the place is gorgeous. They really did a nice job in the interior. Our friends weren't there yet so we ordered drinks. Then our friends arrived and I bought them a round. Four drinks, including my wife's Coke, added up to just over $30. Ouch! Yes, this is foreshadowing, though not as subtle as usual.
While the interior was nice, I didn't like our table. We had a booth, and it was like a flat U. Two people sit with their backs against the wall (maybe it was a window), and the other two sit at the ends of a fairly long table. There's really room for three along that wall. This left me uncomfortably far from my buddy on the far end. Also, they brought out bread and a plate with olive oil, vinegar, and tapenade. They put the plate in the middle. I asked for an extra plate since I couldn't reach. With that said, the bread and tapenade were pretty good. I thought of asking for a different table, but let it go. During dinner, a guy sitting in a regular table got bumped in the head as one of the staff was moving a table, so I guess it was a good decision. :-)
My favorite dish of the night was the appetizer. I forget the name, but I'd call it a carpaccio - very rare or perhaps raw beef in very thin slices. They did a really nice job with this. The meat had great texture and flavor, and they had nice touches on the plate as well, with a small (appropriately) amount of sauce and some kind of citrus wedge. My wife had a salad of mixed greens. I didn't ask but the salad disappeared fast. She did leave me her tiny tomatoes, which were good. Our friends had melanzane frite (fried eggplant). They said it was good, but not what they expected. I think they had a salad too but don't remember what kind.
I had a chicken entree. It was stuffed, I think with prosciutto, some kind of cheese, and some kind of green. The dish came with mashed potatoes. It was okay, but a bit on the bland side. My wife had the rack of lamb, and devoured it, so I think she liked it. Friend 1 had a scallop special, over pasta. He said it was good, but didn't eat that much of it. I don't remember what Friend 2 had, but whatever it was disappeared.
We also had dessert. Wife and I had the panna cotta. It's something like a custard, but the flavor didn't do it for us. Interesting, but not what I wanted. Friend 1 had bread pudding, which apparently was okay. Friend 2 had a cheesecake. I got a taste of it and it was not my kind of cheesecake. Not bad, but just not the style of cheesecake and not really all that special.
Then we got the bill. Including tip and the drinks from the bar (we had no other alcohol), the total was over $250. And therein lies the problem with Mezza Notte. This is Guilderland, not Manhattan. I'm probably going to give the place another try sometime (but not soon), because I like to try different things. But there are so many good options that cost much, much less. Aromi d'Italia is about a quarter-mile away, I like the food better (the menu variety has a similar gourmet touch to it), and it's a lot less expensive.
On the bright side for the restaurant, there was a good crowd. Hopefully most had a better experience than I did because I'd like to see the place stick around so I can give it another try in 6 months or so.
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Restaurants on a recent trip
We just got back from a week in Florida with a stop in the Bahamas. I should be blogging about restaurants in Albany, but I just haven't been motivated to say much.
We had some interesting moments in our trip. First, we went to the Palm Beach area of Florida to visit family. The most notable restaurant experience was on the beach in Lake Worth (the beach is on the ocean, not on the lake - I don't even know if there is a lake in Lake Worth). We ate lunch at Benny's On The Beach. Benny's is actually on the pier. And the particular cuisine of note was ... hot dogs. Yes, I'm reviewing a place for its hot dogs. I'll move to the other end of the spectrum later in this post.
So anyway, Benny's has really good hot dogs. Great flavor, a touch of spicy without being too spicy. The whole family liked them. This includes certain family members who never seem to like anything. So if you're ever in the Lake Worth area and you're hankering for a hot dog, Benny's is the place.
I had nice chat with a guy there who I'm guessing is Benny. He's from Quebec, and is familiar with the Albany area. In the 1970s he would come down here to play hockey against some locals, I think as a part of a team from up there.
Next up, I just have to mention a new reason for liking Panera. We have a Panera practically next door to our office, and we go there maybe once a week, but I don't think I've ever blogged about it. I like the soups. The sandwiches are okay, but not great. They also have a cheese pastry that's damn good - my current sin of choice. But that's not why I'm writing about Panera. We were staying with relatives down there, and these relatives do not have internet access. While I could check my e-mail via my cell phone, I felt a need to get some real access with my laptop during the week. So I went to Panera there for breakfast three times, because Panera has free wifi (that is, free wireless internet access). While there I enjoyed the spinach and bacon quiche, which was, well, yummy.
But the more interesting part of the trip was a side trip I took with my wife. We went to the Bahamas, staying at Hotel Riu on Paradise Island. Riu is next door to Atlantis, a huge resort that has a reputation for being absurdly expensive. Riu cost about half as much, so it was only very expensive. Our stay was "all-inclusive" meaning you get to eat and drink without paying any extra. It seemed that most of the guests spent quite a bit of time in the various hotel bars, or sitting by the pool getting drinks from the poolside bar. I now understand the concept of all-inclusive from the hotel's perspective. If you keep up the flow of alcohol to the guests, they won't notice that the food isn't very good.
We arrived and had our first meal there, lunch. It was a buffet. There was absolutely nothing special about it. A salad bar without many choices. Some cold cuts and not much choice there either. A few hot items that were not exciting. Hot dogs too, but not nearly as good as at Benny's. And there was fresh melon, which was mostly bland. In addition to these buffets, they have three special restaurants. There's a steakhouse, a "gourmet", and a Japanese restaurant. If you know me, you know I had to try that, so we ate at the Japanese place - Tengoku (I believe it's the word for Heaven). Tengoku was weak. In the past I have been critical of Japanese restaurants run by Chinese people. I must now say that the Chinese do it much better than Bahamians. The food was not rancid or anything, but the flavors were all wrong, and I don't have much positive to say about that meal.
Breakfast the next day was a little better. A buffet again, but they seemed to do this better than lunch. Breakfast also included smoked salmon, which is one of my favorite foods. Oddly they had cream cheese next to it, but no bagels. We also had lunch at the buffet, which was no better. But this time I didn't eat much because I was saving up for dinner - and this is where the story gets good.
We had made reservations for a restaurant named Dune. Dune is considered one of the best restaurants in the Bahamas, and I have to agree. For starters it's in a fantastic location - in the "One and Only Ocean Club" resort. They really ought to drop the One and Only from the name, because it seems unclassy, even though it is rather accurate. The Ocean Club resort was the setting for part of the latest James Bond film. It looked pretty nice in the film, but that did not do justice to how stunning this place really is. While Atlantis and Riu have towers of rooms, Ocean Club has no more than two floors. It is quiet. Everything about it is tasteful, pleasant, relaxing, etc. I lack the words to convey the truly blissful feeling we had as we walked around after dinner.
Which brings me back to Dune. The food was excellent. I went a non-traditional route and had four different appetizers with no entree, while my wife had soup and a steak. My dishes included a raw tuna dish, a raw salmon dish, a chili shrimp with noodles dish and a salad. The tuna and salmon dishes were perfect. Among the best I've had, though not quite on par with Megu in NYC. The salad, with asparagus and avocado, was also quite nice, though it might be hard to screw that up. The chili shrimp dish was only very good, with the noodles in the dish being a bit too much like instant ramen noodles. My wife's soup and steak were also delicious. For dessert we had the sampler plate. The cheesecake on that plate was one of the best I've ever had - made with creme fraiche. All of the items were good, and a couple others were outstanding as well.
So as we're sitting there enjoying a quiet dinner, a table of ten sits down next to us. One guy at the table looks familiar but I can't quite place him at first. The group was mostly okay, but a little noisy. The one who looked familiar was the loudest, and I finally realized it was a moderately famous retired NFL quarterback. I don't want to name him, but let's just say his name (perhaps a nickname) would fit well with his volume. The volume might have bothered us, but it was pretty cool to be eating next to someone of his fame, so that offset the loss of quiet.
As we were leaving, my wife told me to look to my left, and I noticed yet another retired NFL quarterback sitting at another table in the same room. This one, arguably the greatest quarterback in the history of football (even though he never won a Superbowl), was eating quietly, and possibly looking over at the loud one in a bit of dismay - but I only caught a glimpse.
Those are the restaurant highlights from our trip. So if you ever win Lotto and can afford the $1000+/night for the Ocean Club, I strongly recommend it. If we ever go back to Paradise Island, that is where we'll stay, though we might have to go into debt to pull it off.
We had some interesting moments in our trip. First, we went to the Palm Beach area of Florida to visit family. The most notable restaurant experience was on the beach in Lake Worth (the beach is on the ocean, not on the lake - I don't even know if there is a lake in Lake Worth). We ate lunch at Benny's On The Beach. Benny's is actually on the pier. And the particular cuisine of note was ... hot dogs. Yes, I'm reviewing a place for its hot dogs. I'll move to the other end of the spectrum later in this post.
So anyway, Benny's has really good hot dogs. Great flavor, a touch of spicy without being too spicy. The whole family liked them. This includes certain family members who never seem to like anything. So if you're ever in the Lake Worth area and you're hankering for a hot dog, Benny's is the place.
I had nice chat with a guy there who I'm guessing is Benny. He's from Quebec, and is familiar with the Albany area. In the 1970s he would come down here to play hockey against some locals, I think as a part of a team from up there.
Next up, I just have to mention a new reason for liking Panera. We have a Panera practically next door to our office, and we go there maybe once a week, but I don't think I've ever blogged about it. I like the soups. The sandwiches are okay, but not great. They also have a cheese pastry that's damn good - my current sin of choice. But that's not why I'm writing about Panera. We were staying with relatives down there, and these relatives do not have internet access. While I could check my e-mail via my cell phone, I felt a need to get some real access with my laptop during the week. So I went to Panera there for breakfast three times, because Panera has free wifi (that is, free wireless internet access). While there I enjoyed the spinach and bacon quiche, which was, well, yummy.
But the more interesting part of the trip was a side trip I took with my wife. We went to the Bahamas, staying at Hotel Riu on Paradise Island. Riu is next door to Atlantis, a huge resort that has a reputation for being absurdly expensive. Riu cost about half as much, so it was only very expensive. Our stay was "all-inclusive" meaning you get to eat and drink without paying any extra. It seemed that most of the guests spent quite a bit of time in the various hotel bars, or sitting by the pool getting drinks from the poolside bar. I now understand the concept of all-inclusive from the hotel's perspective. If you keep up the flow of alcohol to the guests, they won't notice that the food isn't very good.
We arrived and had our first meal there, lunch. It was a buffet. There was absolutely nothing special about it. A salad bar without many choices. Some cold cuts and not much choice there either. A few hot items that were not exciting. Hot dogs too, but not nearly as good as at Benny's. And there was fresh melon, which was mostly bland. In addition to these buffets, they have three special restaurants. There's a steakhouse, a "gourmet", and a Japanese restaurant. If you know me, you know I had to try that, so we ate at the Japanese place - Tengoku (I believe it's the word for Heaven). Tengoku was weak. In the past I have been critical of Japanese restaurants run by Chinese people. I must now say that the Chinese do it much better than Bahamians. The food was not rancid or anything, but the flavors were all wrong, and I don't have much positive to say about that meal.
Breakfast the next day was a little better. A buffet again, but they seemed to do this better than lunch. Breakfast also included smoked salmon, which is one of my favorite foods. Oddly they had cream cheese next to it, but no bagels. We also had lunch at the buffet, which was no better. But this time I didn't eat much because I was saving up for dinner - and this is where the story gets good.
We had made reservations for a restaurant named Dune. Dune is considered one of the best restaurants in the Bahamas, and I have to agree. For starters it's in a fantastic location - in the "One and Only Ocean Club" resort. They really ought to drop the One and Only from the name, because it seems unclassy, even though it is rather accurate. The Ocean Club resort was the setting for part of the latest James Bond film. It looked pretty nice in the film, but that did not do justice to how stunning this place really is. While Atlantis and Riu have towers of rooms, Ocean Club has no more than two floors. It is quiet. Everything about it is tasteful, pleasant, relaxing, etc. I lack the words to convey the truly blissful feeling we had as we walked around after dinner.
Which brings me back to Dune. The food was excellent. I went a non-traditional route and had four different appetizers with no entree, while my wife had soup and a steak. My dishes included a raw tuna dish, a raw salmon dish, a chili shrimp with noodles dish and a salad. The tuna and salmon dishes were perfect. Among the best I've had, though not quite on par with Megu in NYC. The salad, with asparagus and avocado, was also quite nice, though it might be hard to screw that up. The chili shrimp dish was only very good, with the noodles in the dish being a bit too much like instant ramen noodles. My wife's soup and steak were also delicious. For dessert we had the sampler plate. The cheesecake on that plate was one of the best I've ever had - made with creme fraiche. All of the items were good, and a couple others were outstanding as well.
So as we're sitting there enjoying a quiet dinner, a table of ten sits down next to us. One guy at the table looks familiar but I can't quite place him at first. The group was mostly okay, but a little noisy. The one who looked familiar was the loudest, and I finally realized it was a moderately famous retired NFL quarterback. I don't want to name him, but let's just say his name (perhaps a nickname) would fit well with his volume. The volume might have bothered us, but it was pretty cool to be eating next to someone of his fame, so that offset the loss of quiet.
As we were leaving, my wife told me to look to my left, and I noticed yet another retired NFL quarterback sitting at another table in the same room. This one, arguably the greatest quarterback in the history of football (even though he never won a Superbowl), was eating quietly, and possibly looking over at the loud one in a bit of dismay - but I only caught a glimpse.
Those are the restaurant highlights from our trip. So if you ever win Lotto and can afford the $1000+/night for the Ocean Club, I strongly recommend it. If we ever go back to Paradise Island, that is where we'll stay, though we might have to go into debt to pull it off.
Sunday, October 15, 2006
Ocean Palace (and Amazing Wok and Pearl of the Orient)
Update: I'm pretty sure Ocean Palace is closed. Emperor's Palace on Wolf Road is not too far away and a great choice.
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We ate at Ocean Palace tonight. I loved it. My wife did not.
She had wonton soup and cashew chicken. She was not fond of the soup, but liked the cashew chicken better. I thought both were excellent. The chicken was just right and had a delicate flavor. The soup also had a delicate flavor. Neither dish was the way they are in most Chinese restaurants around here. I suspect OP is more "authentic". One hint that way is that there were two other families there while we were eating (a very early dinner on a Sunday) and both were Chinese and speaking Chinese. Also, they have menus on the walls or hanging that are written in Chinese only. That's a hint that their target market is not gringos like us.
I had a mix of tofu and minced pork. The version I had in Japan was spicier and had more pork. The one at Ocean Palace has a fairly small amount of pork, with a lot of tofu along with some Chinese mushrooms. This dish was good, but I remember liking it better in Japan. Maybe I was just looking for what I remembered. We also got noodles for our daughters, but they didn't eat much of them. It was ginger-scallion noodles. I thought it was also quite good.
This is one of those funny things about cultures. To Americans, tofu and pork together doesn't make sense. Americans think tofu is for vegetarians, so it doesn't make sense to have a dish with tofu and any kind of meat. Asians do not view tofu as a vegetarian thing. It's food. Similarly good hot-and-sour soup has both pork and tofu in it. Which reminds me -- I had hot-and-sour soup at Ocean Palace tonight. It was better than what you get at the buffet places, but I like it better at Amazing Wok.
Amazing Wok is a hole-in-the-wall (or mini-mall) place not too far from us. It's made for delivery and take-out mostly, though there are a few tables. We get delivery from them often. Their hot-and-sour soup my favorite, and their other dishes are good too. My wife likes Amazing Wok and usually does not like what she gets at any other Chinese place. I think Ocean Palace is better overall, but you have to want the authentic stuff.
I should also mention Pearl of the Orient, which we go to sometimes and like quite a bit. We used to go to a place called Dumpling House, but I think they closed.
My wife also had a comment about Chinese restaurants in general. They're not family-friendly, or at least not gringo-kid friendly. They don't have milk or apple juice. The interiors do not look fresh and clean - not dirty, but just not as nice. They don't have kids menus, crayons, or other items to distract the kids so parents can enjoy themselves.
There will be a new chain Chinese place coming into Colonie Center, called PF Chang. We hear good things, but we'll see.
-----
We ate at Ocean Palace tonight. I loved it. My wife did not.
She had wonton soup and cashew chicken. She was not fond of the soup, but liked the cashew chicken better. I thought both were excellent. The chicken was just right and had a delicate flavor. The soup also had a delicate flavor. Neither dish was the way they are in most Chinese restaurants around here. I suspect OP is more "authentic". One hint that way is that there were two other families there while we were eating (a very early dinner on a Sunday) and both were Chinese and speaking Chinese. Also, they have menus on the walls or hanging that are written in Chinese only. That's a hint that their target market is not gringos like us.
I had a mix of tofu and minced pork. The version I had in Japan was spicier and had more pork. The one at Ocean Palace has a fairly small amount of pork, with a lot of tofu along with some Chinese mushrooms. This dish was good, but I remember liking it better in Japan. Maybe I was just looking for what I remembered. We also got noodles for our daughters, but they didn't eat much of them. It was ginger-scallion noodles. I thought it was also quite good.
This is one of those funny things about cultures. To Americans, tofu and pork together doesn't make sense. Americans think tofu is for vegetarians, so it doesn't make sense to have a dish with tofu and any kind of meat. Asians do not view tofu as a vegetarian thing. It's food. Similarly good hot-and-sour soup has both pork and tofu in it. Which reminds me -- I had hot-and-sour soup at Ocean Palace tonight. It was better than what you get at the buffet places, but I like it better at Amazing Wok.
Amazing Wok is a hole-in-the-wall (or mini-mall) place not too far from us. It's made for delivery and take-out mostly, though there are a few tables. We get delivery from them often. Their hot-and-sour soup my favorite, and their other dishes are good too. My wife likes Amazing Wok and usually does not like what she gets at any other Chinese place. I think Ocean Palace is better overall, but you have to want the authentic stuff.
I should also mention Pearl of the Orient, which we go to sometimes and like quite a bit. We used to go to a place called Dumpling House, but I think they closed.
My wife also had a comment about Chinese restaurants in general. They're not family-friendly, or at least not gringo-kid friendly. They don't have milk or apple juice. The interiors do not look fresh and clean - not dirty, but just not as nice. They don't have kids menus, crayons, or other items to distract the kids so parents can enjoy themselves.
There will be a new chain Chinese place coming into Colonie Center, called PF Chang. We hear good things, but we'll see.
Thursday, September 21, 2006
A simple request
As you may know, I'm running for Congress in NY's 21st district. The media will not cover the campaign. There appears to be a deliberate policy of not covering challengers except in rare circumstances. What kind of a democracy do we have if the voters don't know who the choices are?
If you think newspapers and other media should cover challengers, please contact the appropriate people at the media outlet of your choice.
For the Albany Times Union: http://www.timesunion.com/forms/emaileditor.asp
For the Daily Gazette (Schenectady): opinion@dailygazette.com
or
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
c/o The Daily Gazette
P.O. Box 1090
Schenectady, N.Y. 12301-1090
For the Troy Record: newsroom@troyrecord.com
For the Leader Herald (Fulton County): http://208.15.24.251/vnr/add_submission.asp?categoryID=625&publicationID=47
For the Recorder (Amsterdam): news@recordernews.com
Thanks,
Warren
If you think newspapers and other media should cover challengers, please contact the appropriate people at the media outlet of your choice.
For the Albany Times Union: http://www.timesunion.com/forms/emaileditor.asp
For the Daily Gazette (Schenectady): opinion@dailygazette.com
or
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
c/o The Daily Gazette
P.O. Box 1090
Schenectady, N.Y. 12301-1090
For the Troy Record: newsroom@troyrecord.com
For the Leader Herald (Fulton County): http://208.15.24.251/vnr/add_submission.asp?categoryID=625&publicationID=47
For the Recorder (Amsterdam): news@recordernews.com
Thanks,
Warren
Monday, September 11, 2006
The Chariot in Guilderland
One of my old favorites is the Chariot Restaurant in Guilderland. It's been there since 1974. The Shinas family owns and runs it. Their son Andy was graduated with me and I think we even went to the same elementary school.
We had dinner there Sunday for my mom's birthday. The food was excellent. I haven't always liked everything at the Chariot, but I usually like most of what we get. Last night I got the Tuscany Toss (penne with white beans and spinach in olive oil). That was excellent. I also got a dolmadakia appetizer which was good. The main course also came with a salad which was fine - nothing to write home about (or blog about), but it was still a solid salad. Hmm. Solid Salad - might be a good name for a restaurant.
My wife got a beef dish (maybe tenderloin tips?) that came with sliced potatoes. Her dish was also quite good. My mother-in-law said something about the potatoes being like her mother used to make. I told her my friend Andy's mother still makes them like that. :-)
One particularly nice thing was the atmosphere. Our younger daughter (19 months) had not napped much and was cranky. I was able to take her outside repeatedly. They had a nice patio and we could actually see horses on the neighboring property - Hannah kept saying "neigh".
We brought home baklava and ate that at home. Not the best baklava ever, but they were good. Large pieces with a cream on the side that seemed heavier (and tastier) than whipped cream.
If you've never been to the Chariot, you should give it a try. If you've been, but it's been a while, you probably forgot that you miss it. Try it again.
We had dinner there Sunday for my mom's birthday. The food was excellent. I haven't always liked everything at the Chariot, but I usually like most of what we get. Last night I got the Tuscany Toss (penne with white beans and spinach in olive oil). That was excellent. I also got a dolmadakia appetizer which was good. The main course also came with a salad which was fine - nothing to write home about (or blog about), but it was still a solid salad. Hmm. Solid Salad - might be a good name for a restaurant.
My wife got a beef dish (maybe tenderloin tips?) that came with sliced potatoes. Her dish was also quite good. My mother-in-law said something about the potatoes being like her mother used to make. I told her my friend Andy's mother still makes them like that. :-)
One particularly nice thing was the atmosphere. Our younger daughter (19 months) had not napped much and was cranky. I was able to take her outside repeatedly. They had a nice patio and we could actually see horses on the neighboring property - Hannah kept saying "neigh".
We brought home baklava and ate that at home. Not the best baklava ever, but they were good. Large pieces with a cream on the side that seemed heavier (and tastier) than whipped cream.
If you've never been to the Chariot, you should give it a try. If you've been, but it's been a while, you probably forgot that you miss it. Try it again.
Thursday, September 07, 2006
Koto - Near Albany Airport
I'm a member of the Japanese Cultural Association of the Capital District. We meet at various restaurants. We used to go to Miyako in Guilderland, but the service was generally slow, and we had a really bad day when we had 30-40 people and it took over 3 hours, so the group stopped meeting there. I still go to Miyako a lot, probably more than twice a month.
Anyway, JCACD meets at Ichiban usually (it's cheap, but I'm not fond of it), but they've started going to other places. Tonight we went to Koto, which is on Old Wolf Road in Latham, not far from the airport.
The interior was very nice, though it seemed a little noisy. I'd like to give a full description of the food, but due to the circumstances of our dinner I didn't try as many things as I might usually. I decided to go for sushi. I had the "Sex on the Beach" roll along with the Chirashi.
As you might guess, the "Sex on the Beach" roll is not traditional Japanese cuisine. It had three different kinds of fish along with avocado and something else, maybe something with a little crunch to it (I'm guessing shrimp tempura, but that's a guess only). The roll was fine, but at $14 for that one roll, it didn't live up to my expectation.
Chirashi is a fairly common sushi dish in Japan. In my experience it's normally a bowl of rice with various pieces of fish on top. I ordered it because that gives you a chance to try a few different kinds of fish and you get to taste the fish itself, rather than the stuff loaded into a funky roll. It was not what I expected, but not terrible. It came out on a large plate with a larger than usual amount of rice. There was less fish than I would have thought (again, since it was a bit pricey), and it included crabsticks and tamago (like scrambled egg). I didn't think the fish was first-class. Don't get me wrong - it wasn't bad. But it didn't taste quite as fresh as what you'll get at Yoshi's or Miyako. Before I forget, Koto did a good job of presentation - the food was presented on nice plates in manner that's somewhat attractive, though not on the traditional types of dishes and bowls one might see in Japan.
I don't feel my experience was enough to give a thorough review. I will probably go again with my wife and/or others and order a few appetizers and a couple main courses so we can get a better sense of the place.
I should also mention that while dinner is a bit expensive, they appear to have a reasonable lunch menu that might make sense for those on a budget. It will probably never be a regular place for me due to location and my preference for other places, but I'll give it another shot.
Anyway, JCACD meets at Ichiban usually (it's cheap, but I'm not fond of it), but they've started going to other places. Tonight we went to Koto, which is on Old Wolf Road in Latham, not far from the airport.
The interior was very nice, though it seemed a little noisy. I'd like to give a full description of the food, but due to the circumstances of our dinner I didn't try as many things as I might usually. I decided to go for sushi. I had the "Sex on the Beach" roll along with the Chirashi.
As you might guess, the "Sex on the Beach" roll is not traditional Japanese cuisine. It had three different kinds of fish along with avocado and something else, maybe something with a little crunch to it (I'm guessing shrimp tempura, but that's a guess only). The roll was fine, but at $14 for that one roll, it didn't live up to my expectation.
Chirashi is a fairly common sushi dish in Japan. In my experience it's normally a bowl of rice with various pieces of fish on top. I ordered it because that gives you a chance to try a few different kinds of fish and you get to taste the fish itself, rather than the stuff loaded into a funky roll. It was not what I expected, but not terrible. It came out on a large plate with a larger than usual amount of rice. There was less fish than I would have thought (again, since it was a bit pricey), and it included crabsticks and tamago (like scrambled egg). I didn't think the fish was first-class. Don't get me wrong - it wasn't bad. But it didn't taste quite as fresh as what you'll get at Yoshi's or Miyako. Before I forget, Koto did a good job of presentation - the food was presented on nice plates in manner that's somewhat attractive, though not on the traditional types of dishes and bowls one might see in Japan.
I don't feel my experience was enough to give a thorough review. I will probably go again with my wife and/or others and order a few appetizers and a couple main courses so we can get a better sense of the place.
I should also mention that while dinner is a bit expensive, they appear to have a reasonable lunch menu that might make sense for those on a budget. It will probably never be a regular place for me due to location and my preference for other places, but I'll give it another shot.
Friday, September 01, 2006
Panera
I eat at Panera so often I forget to write about it. Our office is near Crossgates. Technically we're in the City of Albany, but we're really between Guilderland and Colonie. Anyway, there's a Panera in Crossgates Commons. Very easy for us to run over there and grab a quick bite, so we go there a lot.
For a chain, I have to say this is really quite good food. First of all, there are a lot of healthy choices, and they taste good. All their soups are healthy, but they always have two that are extra sanctified. My favorite is the vegetarian black bean soup, which they have available most of the time. Sometimes I get the asparagus-pea soup, and that's pretty good too.
There's a wide variety of sandwiches, including at least a couple vegetarian choices. Even though those are good, I usually get a sandwich that's not quite as healthy. You can also get fresh fruit as a side for 79 cents extra, and I always get that. It's usually melon, grapes and pineapple and it's always fresh and tasty.
They have a deal where you get soup and half a sandwich, called "You Pick Two". I don't actually know what it costs, but we usually seem to spend about $10 per person, including the extra for fruit and a coke or something like that.
They also have a pastry and bread section. There's a cheese danish that's so sweet it oughtta be illegal.
I'm not saying Panera is haute cuisine. But it's a darn good lunch. And while it's not cheap, I spend a lot less there than I do when I go to Miyako's for sushi.
For a chain, I have to say this is really quite good food. First of all, there are a lot of healthy choices, and they taste good. All their soups are healthy, but they always have two that are extra sanctified. My favorite is the vegetarian black bean soup, which they have available most of the time. Sometimes I get the asparagus-pea soup, and that's pretty good too.
There's a wide variety of sandwiches, including at least a couple vegetarian choices. Even though those are good, I usually get a sandwich that's not quite as healthy. You can also get fresh fruit as a side for 79 cents extra, and I always get that. It's usually melon, grapes and pineapple and it's always fresh and tasty.
They have a deal where you get soup and half a sandwich, called "You Pick Two". I don't actually know what it costs, but we usually seem to spend about $10 per person, including the extra for fruit and a coke or something like that.
They also have a pastry and bread section. There's a cheese danish that's so sweet it oughtta be illegal.
I'm not saying Panera is haute cuisine. But it's a darn good lunch. And while it's not cheap, I spend a lot less there than I do when I go to Miyako's for sushi.
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