Update:
We had lunch at PF Chang's in Colonie Center yesterday. This time we had the Peking Dumplings (pork), which was the best part of the meal. I also had hot and sour soup, which was about the same as last time - not very good. For the main course I had Wok Charred Beef. My wife had the Mu-Shu (pork I think), which was pretty good. She certainly liked it. My overall impression of the soup and my beef dish was that they were way too salty.
I went to the PF Chang website and they have nutrition information, but it doesn't include sodium. I'm not first to say PF Chang has too much sodium. On the bright side, the nutrition info on the site suggests ordering your meal with "light sauce", and that would reduce the sodium. They should be clearer about it on the menu itself.
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We went to PF Chang's the other day. Apparently it was Boss Day so my associates took me out for lunch. I wanted to try the new place.
It wasn't bad, but not great either. I will start with the good points. The interior was gorgeous, much nicer than any Chinese restaurant in the area (with the possible exception of Plum Blossom, which is also very pretty inside). It's not just the interior. The tables, dishes, and all the rest were very well done. Servers were friendly and well dressed too.
We had several dishes. The best was the Mongolian Beef (I went off my low-cholesterol diet for this meal). Very good flavor. Beef, cooked just right, with scallions.
We had a few other dishes. I had Hot and Sour soup. It was average for the area. It did look good, as did everything else, but the flavor was just not right. My favorite for Hot and Sour soup in the area is Amazing Wok, which is mostly a take-out/delivery place. They do it just right.
I should note here, and for all the dishes, that Chinese food can be a very personal thing. I prefer "authentic" flavors. Since I've never been to China, I'm not well qualified to judge such things for real. I go by what I hear from Chinese friends, and from experiences in Chinatown and other places with a heavy Chinese population (we had a great Chinese place in Houston when I was at Rice - the main menu was in Chinese). Some people are not into "authentic", and they may like PF Chang's better than I did.
The associates split a Wonton Soup. It had a lot of good ingredients, including shrimp, but again the flavor just wasn't nailed down.
We also had Crispy Honey Chicken. This was reasonably good, but there was an inch-long sharp object in a piece I ate. Fortunately I didn't bite into the sharp side. The manager gave us a coupon for a free appetizer on our next visit. I should sue just for the inappropriate response. :-)
Then we had a noodle dish - Vegetable Chow Fun. Nothing special about it. Not bad, but not a stand-out.
Last, we had a side dish of spinach with garlic. Again nothing special, but it was decent. It was basically what we expected.
This may be a tough market for PF Chang's. Emperor's is just across Wolf Road, and is a much better all-around Chinese restaurant. Ocean Palace is only a couple miles to the east. Our associate has been raving about Shanghai Grill in Loudonville, so we'll have to try that next.
On the bright side, the prices at PF Chang's were reasonable, less than I expected. But if I'm in the neighborhood, I'll either go to the Cheesecake Factory next door for non-Chinese food, or to Emperor's for Chinese food.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Sushi Tei follow up
I discussed Sushi Tei in my last post. I thought I might go back, and ended up going back quickly. My wife and I went yesterday for lunch.
It was not as good as the first time, but still decent. I had sashimi this time to give it more of a test. It's easier to tell the quality of the fish with sashimi. I had several pieces and most were fresh. A couple of pieces were a tiny bit off, but not horribly so.
We had a few other dishes. The tempura udon (deep fried shrimp in a bowl of noodle soup) was not great. I eat the same dish at Miyako regularly, and it is much better there. The flavor of the soup at Sushi Tei was not bad, but not right. Also, at Miyako you get a few vegetables in the soup along with the shrimp. Not here. And the noodles were also not as good as at Miyako. It wasn't horrible, but I would not order this again - partly because other items here are better.
My soup came with a California Roll. This was just fine. The avocado was particularly good. We also got an Alaska Roll. They used smoked salmon instead of fresh salmon. Not what we expected, and the salty taste of the smoked fish didn't really go. If you like it with fresh salmon, be sure to specify that when ordering. I also had inari (rice in a soy bag), which was okay, but it's better at Miyako and Yoshi. The tamago was acceptable but well below the better places.
My wife had a sukiyakidon (beef with vegetables over rice). The sauce was very good. It had less meat than my wife hoped for and a lot of tofu which she doesn't like. That is not a criticism - just not her thing.
Sushi Tei stood out again for one big reason - price. We had a lot of food and the bill, before tip, was under $30. While overall the quality is not up to the best in the area, Sushi Tei is the best bargain sushi place in the Albany area that I have been to. Also, their non-sushi Japanese dishes are better than other low-price places like Ichiban.
It was not as good as the first time, but still decent. I had sashimi this time to give it more of a test. It's easier to tell the quality of the fish with sashimi. I had several pieces and most were fresh. A couple of pieces were a tiny bit off, but not horribly so.
We had a few other dishes. The tempura udon (deep fried shrimp in a bowl of noodle soup) was not great. I eat the same dish at Miyako regularly, and it is much better there. The flavor of the soup at Sushi Tei was not bad, but not right. Also, at Miyako you get a few vegetables in the soup along with the shrimp. Not here. And the noodles were also not as good as at Miyako. It wasn't horrible, but I would not order this again - partly because other items here are better.
My soup came with a California Roll. This was just fine. The avocado was particularly good. We also got an Alaska Roll. They used smoked salmon instead of fresh salmon. Not what we expected, and the salty taste of the smoked fish didn't really go. If you like it with fresh salmon, be sure to specify that when ordering. I also had inari (rice in a soy bag), which was okay, but it's better at Miyako and Yoshi. The tamago was acceptable but well below the better places.
My wife had a sukiyakidon (beef with vegetables over rice). The sauce was very good. It had less meat than my wife hoped for and a lot of tofu which she doesn't like. That is not a criticism - just not her thing.
Sushi Tei stood out again for one big reason - price. We had a lot of food and the bill, before tip, was under $30. While overall the quality is not up to the best in the area, Sushi Tei is the best bargain sushi place in the Albany area that I have been to. Also, their non-sushi Japanese dishes are better than other low-price places like Ichiban.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Sushi Tei in Guilderland; other sushi news
Note: See my updated review of Sushi Tei.
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I went to Sushi Tei for lunch this past week in Guilderland. I'm pretty hesitant when it comes to new sushi places. I've got my favorites - Miyako in Guilderland and Yoshi in Latham, and it's hard to knock me off that.
It was Monday and I was craving sushi. Miyako is usually closed Mondays and I think Yoshi might be too. I don't like most other places, but Sushi Tei was new so I figured I'd give it a try. It's in the same spot as San & Bada Sushi was -- Cosimo's Plaza.
I don't remember all the details (I meant to write this sooner), but overall it was pretty good. I had an order each of shumai (steamed shrimp dumplings) and gyoza (fried dumplings). Both were good, and notably, had the right sauces. This is often a problem with Japanese restaurants but they got that right. The sushi was also good. I had about seven pieces of "nigiri" sushi - when they put a piece of fish on a small hunk of rice.
The thing that stands out in my mind most is that the prices were low, but the quality was still good. The shumai and gyoza were about $3.50 each, and there were more shumai than one usually gets in most places. The sushi is the real bargain. If you're dining in, each piece of nigiri sushi (and pieces of sashimi as well) are only $1. Some of the pieces I ordered normally go for $2.00 or more, both here and other places.
Cheap sushi is a touchy subject. When you're eating raw fish, you don't want low quality. At least on this visit, I think the quality was decent.
I still prefer Miyako and Yoshi, but I'll definitely give Sushi Tei another try soon.
In other news, Miyako has a new set of special rolls. I've had two of them and both were very good. They are, of course, expensive, generally $10 or more. But they are also large and interesting too. The other day I had one that has salmon and avocado in the middle with tuna on the outside, served shaped like hearts, and resting in small drips of a mild dressing - looks like Russian dressing but I think it's a little different.
I also went to Yoshi yesterday (sushi 3 times in one week - something's going on). Nothing new, but it was still excellent. He has an appetizer with hirame (fluke) in a ponzu sauce. I just love that one.
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I went to Sushi Tei for lunch this past week in Guilderland. I'm pretty hesitant when it comes to new sushi places. I've got my favorites - Miyako in Guilderland and Yoshi in Latham, and it's hard to knock me off that.
It was Monday and I was craving sushi. Miyako is usually closed Mondays and I think Yoshi might be too. I don't like most other places, but Sushi Tei was new so I figured I'd give it a try. It's in the same spot as San & Bada Sushi was -- Cosimo's Plaza.
I don't remember all the details (I meant to write this sooner), but overall it was pretty good. I had an order each of shumai (steamed shrimp dumplings) and gyoza (fried dumplings). Both were good, and notably, had the right sauces. This is often a problem with Japanese restaurants but they got that right. The sushi was also good. I had about seven pieces of "nigiri" sushi - when they put a piece of fish on a small hunk of rice.
The thing that stands out in my mind most is that the prices were low, but the quality was still good. The shumai and gyoza were about $3.50 each, and there were more shumai than one usually gets in most places. The sushi is the real bargain. If you're dining in, each piece of nigiri sushi (and pieces of sashimi as well) are only $1. Some of the pieces I ordered normally go for $2.00 or more, both here and other places.
Cheap sushi is a touchy subject. When you're eating raw fish, you don't want low quality. At least on this visit, I think the quality was decent.
I still prefer Miyako and Yoshi, but I'll definitely give Sushi Tei another try soon.
In other news, Miyako has a new set of special rolls. I've had two of them and both were very good. They are, of course, expensive, generally $10 or more. But they are also large and interesting too. The other day I had one that has salmon and avocado in the middle with tuna on the outside, served shaped like hearts, and resting in small drips of a mild dressing - looks like Russian dressing but I think it's a little different.
I also went to Yoshi yesterday (sushi 3 times in one week - something's going on). Nothing new, but it was still excellent. He has an appetizer with hirame (fluke) in a ponzu sauce. I just love that one.
Saturday, September 08, 2007
Cella Bistro - Schenectady
In my second review of the day (I promise to go slower in the future), we went to Cella Bistro in Schenectady last night for my mom's birthday (which of course was really another day - she went out with friends that night).
Cella Bistro is in Schenectady on Rosa Road, very close to Ellis Hospital. Overall it's a great restaurant. There were some negative aspects to the experience that I describe below, but they are mostly not the fault of the restaurant and you are unlikely to experience the same problems.
First of all, the interior is really gorgeous. The bar is separated from the tables by a curving brick half-wall. There are other brick walls inside and this look works well. The hardwood floors are also quite beautiful. But wait, there's more. In one corner there's a couch and a couple chairs with a coffee table. It's a bit weird to see that in a restaurant, but it also works. Since we were eating early and the restaurant was not crowded yet, it was a good place to take our 2-year-old.
The food was very good. Cella Bistro is definitely shooting for a higher level "cuisine" thing. You don't see veal parm, fettucine alfredo, or spaghetti with marinara on the menu. When we tried to order spaghetti for our kids, they didn't have any. They did have other appropriate pastas and the kids were relatively satisfied (to the extent that our children ever are).
My mom and I split a salad with beets, mixed greens and goat cheese (on the side since mom is currently vegan). I liked the array of salad choices and this salad was good. My wife said her salad was good too. I think she had mixed greens with fontina cheese on a cracker. We also had a pizza appetizer. We ordered it for the girls and had it simplified dramatically from the fancy description on the menu. Of course they didn't eat it, so we did and it was good.
For an entree, I had a paella dish. I wavered before ordering because I've never been a paella guy, but the various ingredients with it looked attractive (especially the shrimp, scallops and sausage). It was the best paella I've ever had, but it's still not my dish.
I advised mom to call ahead and request a vegan dish, and she did so. They brought her a pasta dish with a nice variety of veggies. She liked it. Notable about this is that they made the pasta special for her, as they did not have vegan pasta.
My wife nervously ordered the lasagna dish, as this was not a typical lasagna and she is not always adventurous. It had a bechamel sauce and swiss chard. This was not her thing -- too cheesy for one thing, but still okay, and she wants to go back and try something else.
There are a variety of somewhat interested details about our experience. The restaurant was very good about dealing with our requests for changes, as we had made special orders for mom and the kids. The service was slow for us, but that was partly due to our special orders and only a problem because we were there with kids, as small children don't sit well for long meals (well, ours don't anyway).
At one point I took the two girls for a walk outside. On the way in I had noticed several signs warning about parking issues, specifically mentioning Donnan Street. Cella Bistro is on the corner of Rosa Road and Donna. We walked up Donnan and I could see the problem. The neighbors have all posted "no parking" signs just about everywhere they can. It would seem they don't like having a restaurant there. I don't think their antipathy is at Cella Bistro in particular, as there was a restaurant there before and some of the signs look pretty old.
Cella Bistro definitely does not fit in with the neighbors. Parked at or near the restaurant were a number of new cars, often German, Japanese, or otherwise fancy. I think there was even a Toyota Prius. Walking up Donnan Street I don't think I saw a single vehicle less than 10 years old. There were a number of junk pickups and cars. I did see one foreign car, a Saab with badly faded paint. Jeff Foxworthy would have been uncomfortable here. I was too. I think one of the neighbors kids yelled something at us, but I didn't hear what he said. The houses in general did not look well kept (there were two exceptions). Most diners will not notice this, I suspect.
One other thing. They do not accept Discover Card. I see this once in a while but for the life of me can't understand why any business that takes credit cards would not take Discover. If your credit card processor doesn't take it, switch processors.
Cella Bistro is in Schenectady on Rosa Road, very close to Ellis Hospital. Overall it's a great restaurant. There were some negative aspects to the experience that I describe below, but they are mostly not the fault of the restaurant and you are unlikely to experience the same problems.
First of all, the interior is really gorgeous. The bar is separated from the tables by a curving brick half-wall. There are other brick walls inside and this look works well. The hardwood floors are also quite beautiful. But wait, there's more. In one corner there's a couch and a couple chairs with a coffee table. It's a bit weird to see that in a restaurant, but it also works. Since we were eating early and the restaurant was not crowded yet, it was a good place to take our 2-year-old.
The food was very good. Cella Bistro is definitely shooting for a higher level "cuisine" thing. You don't see veal parm, fettucine alfredo, or spaghetti with marinara on the menu. When we tried to order spaghetti for our kids, they didn't have any. They did have other appropriate pastas and the kids were relatively satisfied (to the extent that our children ever are).
My mom and I split a salad with beets, mixed greens and goat cheese (on the side since mom is currently vegan). I liked the array of salad choices and this salad was good. My wife said her salad was good too. I think she had mixed greens with fontina cheese on a cracker. We also had a pizza appetizer. We ordered it for the girls and had it simplified dramatically from the fancy description on the menu. Of course they didn't eat it, so we did and it was good.
For an entree, I had a paella dish. I wavered before ordering because I've never been a paella guy, but the various ingredients with it looked attractive (especially the shrimp, scallops and sausage). It was the best paella I've ever had, but it's still not my dish.
I advised mom to call ahead and request a vegan dish, and she did so. They brought her a pasta dish with a nice variety of veggies. She liked it. Notable about this is that they made the pasta special for her, as they did not have vegan pasta.
My wife nervously ordered the lasagna dish, as this was not a typical lasagna and she is not always adventurous. It had a bechamel sauce and swiss chard. This was not her thing -- too cheesy for one thing, but still okay, and she wants to go back and try something else.
There are a variety of somewhat interested details about our experience. The restaurant was very good about dealing with our requests for changes, as we had made special orders for mom and the kids. The service was slow for us, but that was partly due to our special orders and only a problem because we were there with kids, as small children don't sit well for long meals (well, ours don't anyway).
At one point I took the two girls for a walk outside. On the way in I had noticed several signs warning about parking issues, specifically mentioning Donnan Street. Cella Bistro is on the corner of Rosa Road and Donna. We walked up Donnan and I could see the problem. The neighbors have all posted "no parking" signs just about everywhere they can. It would seem they don't like having a restaurant there. I don't think their antipathy is at Cella Bistro in particular, as there was a restaurant there before and some of the signs look pretty old.
Cella Bistro definitely does not fit in with the neighbors. Parked at or near the restaurant were a number of new cars, often German, Japanese, or otherwise fancy. I think there was even a Toyota Prius. Walking up Donnan Street I don't think I saw a single vehicle less than 10 years old. There were a number of junk pickups and cars. I did see one foreign car, a Saab with badly faded paint. Jeff Foxworthy would have been uncomfortable here. I was too. I think one of the neighbors kids yelled something at us, but I didn't hear what he said. The houses in general did not look well kept (there were two exceptions). Most diners will not notice this, I suspect.
One other thing. They do not accept Discover Card. I see this once in a while but for the life of me can't understand why any business that takes credit cards would not take Discover. If your credit card processor doesn't take it, switch processors.
Nicole's Bistro - Albany
This the first of two reviews today, and I reviewed another restaurant just the other day. This furious pace will not continue.
I had a very good reason for eating lunch at Nicole's Bistro yesterday. My car battery died. I had just left Albany Criminal Court and my car wouldn't start. Maybe that's justice. I resolved a DWI case with a high BAC (0.22). The final result was a plea to a parking ticket. I would joke about our motto being "Keeping Drunks on the Road Since 2003", but this particular client was suspended while the case was pending, and his suspension was much, much longer than it would have been if he'd pled guilty to a DWAI (which wasn't offered anyway). We got the DWI dismissed and resolved the right of way violation with a parking ticket.
But that's way off topic. The point is, after my car battery died, I got AAA to tow me to Broadway Auto Clinic, which is next door to Nicole's -- at Quackenbush House. It was a little early for lunch, but I had at least an hour to kill. As if I really needed an excuse.
So, I walked inside. Nice interior and a friendly server. Offered to sit outside, I bit. They have some seats out front, but she sat me in the rather large back patio area, which was quite pleasant. I started with some kind of tomato bisque soup. I forget the other main ingredient in the title, but regardless, the soup was excellent. Flavor was good, and the tomato was not overpowering as often happens with tomato-based items. I also had a "mesclun mix" salad that was very good, and then a risotto dish for the entree. Unfortunately I have forgotten the finer details of the risotto, but I remember that I liked it.
It was a very nice lunch. As the Terminator would say, "I'll be back!"
I had a very good reason for eating lunch at Nicole's Bistro yesterday. My car battery died. I had just left Albany Criminal Court and my car wouldn't start. Maybe that's justice. I resolved a DWI case with a high BAC (0.22). The final result was a plea to a parking ticket. I would joke about our motto being "Keeping Drunks on the Road Since 2003", but this particular client was suspended while the case was pending, and his suspension was much, much longer than it would have been if he'd pled guilty to a DWAI (which wasn't offered anyway). We got the DWI dismissed and resolved the right of way violation with a parking ticket.
But that's way off topic. The point is, after my car battery died, I got AAA to tow me to Broadway Auto Clinic, which is next door to Nicole's -- at Quackenbush House. It was a little early for lunch, but I had at least an hour to kill. As if I really needed an excuse.
So, I walked inside. Nice interior and a friendly server. Offered to sit outside, I bit. They have some seats out front, but she sat me in the rather large back patio area, which was quite pleasant. I started with some kind of tomato bisque soup. I forget the other main ingredient in the title, but regardless, the soup was excellent. Flavor was good, and the tomato was not overpowering as often happens with tomato-based items. I also had a "mesclun mix" salad that was very good, and then a risotto dish for the entree. Unfortunately I have forgotten the finer details of the risotto, but I remember that I liked it.
It was a very nice lunch. As the Terminator would say, "I'll be back!"
Thursday, September 06, 2007
Mexican Radio
I was in Columbia County yesterday, with a late afternoon appearance in Gallatin Town Court and an early evening appearance in Austerlitz Town Court. This left me about 2 hours to kill around dinnertime, so I decided to try a nice dinner.
At first I was going to go to Chatham and try one of the restaurants there, but then I remembered Mexican Radio in Hudson. I keep seeing it listed as best Mexican food in the Capital Region. My wife and I had talked about going there sometime, and this seemed like a good chance to check it out.
I started with a chilled avocado tomatillo soup. This was both interesting and good. I then had a fajita entree, mixing steak and shrimp. This option was not on the menu, but they accommodated me. Fajitas are one of my favorite Mexican dishes, and I'm afraid this did not live up to my expectations.
Partly the problem is the way the steak was served. I'm used to the meat being sliced in fajitas. Here it came in fairly large chunks. The sliced approach is more appropriate for how you eat fajitas -- wrapped in a tortilla. It was good quality meat, but didn't have that much flavor. I did like the array of veggies that came out with the meat, with squash, peppers, mushrooms and more. But for me it just didn't come together. Not bad by any stretch of the imagination, but not outstanding either. Another minor irritant was the very small quantities of pico del gallo and guacamole that were served with the fajitas. And there were only three fairly small tortillas.
One other negative was the slow service. The place was not crowded, and there was plenty of staff on hand, but I seemed to wait for long periods and my glass of water did not get refilled very often. A minor detail is that I didn't get any chips. I'm used to getting free chips and salsa in Mexican restaurants and I guess you don't get that here.
It was good, and certainly as good as any other Mexican restaurant I've been to around here. The menu is more adventurous, and that's a positive, and the interior is quite nice, but the overall experience was not so great that I would make a special trip. Still, if we happen to be in Hudson I would certainly eat there again.
I should add a couple things. First, there were a couple of "mole" (pronounced moh-lay, I think) dishes on the menu that might appeal to others. That's never been my thing, but they did look interesting.
Second, they had a flyer promoting a Restaurant Week for the county and a Chili Cook-Off in Hudson. Restaurant Week is September 24-28, 2007, with prix fixe lunches ($20.07) and dinners ($30.07) at several restaurants in the county. The chili cook-off is on the 29th, in Hudson and "Catskill Point." You can get more information on the Mexican Radio website.
At first I was going to go to Chatham and try one of the restaurants there, but then I remembered Mexican Radio in Hudson. I keep seeing it listed as best Mexican food in the Capital Region. My wife and I had talked about going there sometime, and this seemed like a good chance to check it out.
I started with a chilled avocado tomatillo soup. This was both interesting and good. I then had a fajita entree, mixing steak and shrimp. This option was not on the menu, but they accommodated me. Fajitas are one of my favorite Mexican dishes, and I'm afraid this did not live up to my expectations.
Partly the problem is the way the steak was served. I'm used to the meat being sliced in fajitas. Here it came in fairly large chunks. The sliced approach is more appropriate for how you eat fajitas -- wrapped in a tortilla. It was good quality meat, but didn't have that much flavor. I did like the array of veggies that came out with the meat, with squash, peppers, mushrooms and more. But for me it just didn't come together. Not bad by any stretch of the imagination, but not outstanding either. Another minor irritant was the very small quantities of pico del gallo and guacamole that were served with the fajitas. And there were only three fairly small tortillas.
One other negative was the slow service. The place was not crowded, and there was plenty of staff on hand, but I seemed to wait for long periods and my glass of water did not get refilled very often. A minor detail is that I didn't get any chips. I'm used to getting free chips and salsa in Mexican restaurants and I guess you don't get that here.
It was good, and certainly as good as any other Mexican restaurant I've been to around here. The menu is more adventurous, and that's a positive, and the interior is quite nice, but the overall experience was not so great that I would make a special trip. Still, if we happen to be in Hudson I would certainly eat there again.
I should add a couple things. First, there were a couple of "mole" (pronounced moh-lay, I think) dishes on the menu that might appeal to others. That's never been my thing, but they did look interesting.
Second, they had a flyer promoting a Restaurant Week for the county and a Chili Cook-Off in Hudson. Restaurant Week is September 24-28, 2007, with prix fixe lunches ($20.07) and dinners ($30.07) at several restaurants in the county. The chili cook-off is on the 29th, in Hudson and "Catskill Point." You can get more information on the Mexican Radio website.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Vin Santo in Latham
My wife likes to do something different on occasion, and this Friday that meant going to show at a small community theatre in Latham. The show, Sunshine Boys, wasn't my cup of tea. On the bright side, we had dinner first at Vin Santo Tapas & Wine Bar, which is in the Latham Farms plaza.
I do like the tapas concept and it was well executed here. We ordered three different tapas items along with two entrees and a couple desserts. Our tapas included chili spiced bean dip, the "tapas plate" (which has 3-4 different items on it), and the artichoke salad. The two entrees were a salad of beets and butter lettuce, and a filet mignon.
Everything was good, but the filet really stood out. It's supposedly a "small plate", and it's not huge. But it was by no means tiny, and the price ($16) is unbeatable for a filet in a quality gourmet-like restaurant. The only comparable deal I can think of is the filet at Miyako's hibachi tables - it's more money but you get more food.
Dessert was good but not the highlight of the meal. I had a creme brulee made with mango. I appreciate the variety offered (the creme brulee apparently changes often), but the mango didn't work for me. Not bad or anything, but not spectacular either. I don't remember what my wife had but I think it was good. Also, we rushed a bit to get to our show.
Now as I've mentioned before, we're not wine people, so I'm missing half or more of what this place is about.
You can read more about the place at their website: Vin Santo Wine Bar.
I do like the tapas concept and it was well executed here. We ordered three different tapas items along with two entrees and a couple desserts. Our tapas included chili spiced bean dip, the "tapas plate" (which has 3-4 different items on it), and the artichoke salad. The two entrees were a salad of beets and butter lettuce, and a filet mignon.
Everything was good, but the filet really stood out. It's supposedly a "small plate", and it's not huge. But it was by no means tiny, and the price ($16) is unbeatable for a filet in a quality gourmet-like restaurant. The only comparable deal I can think of is the filet at Miyako's hibachi tables - it's more money but you get more food.
Dessert was good but not the highlight of the meal. I had a creme brulee made with mango. I appreciate the variety offered (the creme brulee apparently changes often), but the mango didn't work for me. Not bad or anything, but not spectacular either. I don't remember what my wife had but I think it was good. Also, we rushed a bit to get to our show.
Now as I've mentioned before, we're not wine people, so I'm missing half or more of what this place is about.
You can read more about the place at their website: Vin Santo Wine Bar.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Downtown Cafe in Kingston NY
I had a little trip yesterday, down to Poughkeepsie for a deposition and then a little stop in Kingston City Court.
I got to Kingston early. The court parking lot had no shade on a hot day, so I drove a bit to look for a lunch place nearby (with shady parking, of course). Just down the hill from the Court is a lovely spot called Rondout. I parked under the bridge (hence, in the shade) and noticed a few restaurants. One stood out - Downtown Cafe.
It stood out because I saw the phrase "Zagat Rated" outside. The outside menu listed a chicken dish with rice and asparagus. In a small hurry, I walked in and ordered before sitting down. Pleasant atmosphere, nice decor, friendly staff, etc. The food was good, though I'm judging on only one dish. I did look over the menu and liked the variety and choices. Good dessert list too.
If I'm ever in Kingston for dinner, Downtown Cafe will be high on my list.
I got to Kingston early. The court parking lot had no shade on a hot day, so I drove a bit to look for a lunch place nearby (with shady parking, of course). Just down the hill from the Court is a lovely spot called Rondout. I parked under the bridge (hence, in the shade) and noticed a few restaurants. One stood out - Downtown Cafe.
It stood out because I saw the phrase "Zagat Rated" outside. The outside menu listed a chicken dish with rice and asparagus. In a small hurry, I walked in and ordered before sitting down. Pleasant atmosphere, nice decor, friendly staff, etc. The food was good, though I'm judging on only one dish. I did look over the menu and liked the variety and choices. Good dessert list too.
If I'm ever in Kingston for dinner, Downtown Cafe will be high on my list.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Mezza Notte - A Second Look
I wrote about Mezza Notte in March. We went back last night and had a great dinner.
We first went there with friends shortly after the place had just opened. The food was generally good then, but I noted that there are many other places in the area that have comparable food for far less money. I closed that post indicating that I hoped to go back in 6 months or so. Then a friend gave me a gift certificate so we went back a bit earlier than planned. It was a good gift.
As with the last time, I had the Carpaccio appetizer. For those who don't know, this is raw filet mignon, sliced extremely thin. It was excellent last time and this time as well. I also shared a Caesar salad with my wife, which was good.
For entrees, I had shrimp over pasta. This was really prepared well. The shrimp were rather large and cooked perfectly. The garlic/lemon sauce on the pasta was delicious. It was an outstanding dish.
My wife's filet entree was also very nice. It came with potato, portabella, red onion, and a few other vegetables, and I kept picking at the veggies on her plate. She graciously gave me a couple bites of her steak which I enjoyed. She had a side of risotto as well and that was good too.
I saved room for dessert and had the creme brulee. It was worth it. I especially liked the touch of a bit of kiwi and strawberry on top, but the main part of it is the creamy stuff (hey, I'm not really a gourmet) with the caramelized top, and that was superb. My wife had a hazelnut gelato and liked it.
Altogether, it was a top-notch meal. I still struggle with the pricing, as the total cost (including a nice tip) was nearly $140. My wife had a coke and I drank water. I should not that we're not wine drinkers, so I imagine if you have wine it gets even more expensive. It is my impression from what we saw around us and from others who have eaten there that the wine service is top-notch, but I lack the knowledge to comment further.
If you're the kind of person who doesn't hesitate to spend more than $100 on dinner for two, then Mezza Notte is the place to go in Guilderland, and one of the few places in Albany. Aside from a great meal, you get a very nice atmosphere and the sense of exclusivity. As we left, there was a stretch limo waiting outside. But not for us.
We first went there with friends shortly after the place had just opened. The food was generally good then, but I noted that there are many other places in the area that have comparable food for far less money. I closed that post indicating that I hoped to go back in 6 months or so. Then a friend gave me a gift certificate so we went back a bit earlier than planned. It was a good gift.
As with the last time, I had the Carpaccio appetizer. For those who don't know, this is raw filet mignon, sliced extremely thin. It was excellent last time and this time as well. I also shared a Caesar salad with my wife, which was good.
For entrees, I had shrimp over pasta. This was really prepared well. The shrimp were rather large and cooked perfectly. The garlic/lemon sauce on the pasta was delicious. It was an outstanding dish.
My wife's filet entree was also very nice. It came with potato, portabella, red onion, and a few other vegetables, and I kept picking at the veggies on her plate. She graciously gave me a couple bites of her steak which I enjoyed. She had a side of risotto as well and that was good too.
I saved room for dessert and had the creme brulee. It was worth it. I especially liked the touch of a bit of kiwi and strawberry on top, but the main part of it is the creamy stuff (hey, I'm not really a gourmet) with the caramelized top, and that was superb. My wife had a hazelnut gelato and liked it.
Altogether, it was a top-notch meal. I still struggle with the pricing, as the total cost (including a nice tip) was nearly $140. My wife had a coke and I drank water. I should not that we're not wine drinkers, so I imagine if you have wine it gets even more expensive. It is my impression from what we saw around us and from others who have eaten there that the wine service is top-notch, but I lack the knowledge to comment further.
If you're the kind of person who doesn't hesitate to spend more than $100 on dinner for two, then Mezza Notte is the place to go in Guilderland, and one of the few places in Albany. Aside from a great meal, you get a very nice atmosphere and the sense of exclusivity. As we left, there was a stretch limo waiting outside. But not for us.
Saturday, July 07, 2007
Ichiban in Guilderland - Chinese
I made some negative comments in the past about Ichiban for their Japanese food. I went there for lunch the other day for Chinese food, and as I expected, it was better.
I had a tofu dish (Szechuan Tofu, I think), and it was fairly good. However, it wasn't perfect and the rice was not done right in my opinion. I should mention here that, having lived in Japan for a year, I'm pretty picky about rice. Most Americans don't notice the difference. In a good Japanese restaurant, and most good Chinese restaurants, the rice should not clump together. It should be fluffy. At Ichiban the other day, the rice had a lot of clumps, and big clumps - as big as my thumb, and I have big hands.
With that said, I would eat there again. There are certainly worse places to eat Chinese food. My current Chinese food favorites are Emperor's on Wolf Road and Ocean Palace on Central. And we love Amazing Wok in Colonie for delivery.
I had a tofu dish (Szechuan Tofu, I think), and it was fairly good. However, it wasn't perfect and the rice was not done right in my opinion. I should mention here that, having lived in Japan for a year, I'm pretty picky about rice. Most Americans don't notice the difference. In a good Japanese restaurant, and most good Chinese restaurants, the rice should not clump together. It should be fluffy. At Ichiban the other day, the rice had a lot of clumps, and big clumps - as big as my thumb, and I have big hands.
With that said, I would eat there again. There are certainly worse places to eat Chinese food. My current Chinese food favorites are Emperor's on Wolf Road and Ocean Palace on Central. And we love Amazing Wok in Colonie for delivery.
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