All Over Albany

This week was brought to you by

This week in AOA was brought to you by cupcakes, presents, fried truffled mac & cheese balls, the number 5 and cupcakes. Yes, two cupcakes. We can, because we're 5.

This week was also brought to you by a host of awesome advertisers like the folks at The City Beer Hall, who hosted AOA's 5th birthday party this week. Not only do they serve fantastic food in a gorgeous building with a great outdoor deck, they're just really nice people. Pay them a visit when you can -- you'll be very happy you did.

You'll also want to check out the list of other great AOA advertisers below.

If there's something you want to pass along to the AOA Crowd, we can help get you started. It's easy and affordable. Just send us a note at advertising@alloveralbany.com.

Stuff to do

Mop and Bucket Improv Company, where making stuff up isn't lying - it's a gift for fiction. You can catch their shows every Friday at 8pm Underground at Proctors, every Saturday at The Comedy Works. They also teach drop-in classes every Saturday morning at Proctors.

+Troy Savings Bank Music Hall presenting Jake Shimabukuro -- a ukulele player who has been compared to Hendrix and Miles Davis and is entirely redefining the instrument. Saturday, April 27th.

+ The Hellions of Troy Roller Derby.

+ The Albany All Stars Roller Derby has a bout this Saturday at the Washington Avenue Armory.

+The Albany Institute of History and Art's exhibit of Currier and Ives prints continues this weekend.

Stuff to learn

Arts Center for the Capital Region. They're now registering for creative summer camps for kids, pre-teens, and teens. And on April 27th and 28th they're hosting a Fine Arts and Crafts Show, with locally-made handmade works in metal, wood, fiber, leather, paper, and more.

+The College of Saint Rose, offering 52 Graduate Programs with a purpose. Programs include: MFA in Creative writing, MBA, Computer Information Systems and more.

+The Weekend MBA program at UAlbany. Get your MBA in 22 months, while you work.

+The Breathing Room yoga space, classes in yoga, dance, pilates and more 399 Kenwood Ave Delmar.

Stuff to Try

+Albany Public Library's mobile app --find locations and hours, check your library card account, learn about upcoming events, download eBooks, audiobooks, music and more. Check ISBN bar codes on books, DVDs and CDs to see if the library owns what you're looking for.

+ Get a FREE MONTH of Wink High Speed Internet Service from Tech Valley Communications. Enter this code when you sign up for service at: www.winkinternet.com: w1n87k0

Food and Drink
The patio is open at The Wine Bar and Bistro on Lark. Specials:
+Pan Roasted Pork Belly; sunchoke relish, grilled scallion, caramelized fish sauce aioli
+Fried Chicken Lollipops; melted blue cheese, pickled carrot 8
+Bluepoint Oysters on the Half Shell; black pepper and shallot mignonette 3 for 6, 6 for 12
+Scallop and Shrimp Mousse; fava bean puree, fiddleheads, horseradish aspic 12

The Cheese Traveler, a purveyor of fine, hand-crafted domestic and imported cheeses mad by small producers by cheesemakers using Old World traditions. The Cheese Traveler offers a broad selection of artisan cheeses of all styles from the three major milks - cow, goat, and sheep - to compose a perfectly balanced cheese plate or to select a choice few for delightful snacking. All cheeses can be tasted before purchase and are cut to order by knowledgeable cheesemongers.

+All Good Bakers, Albany's farm to bakery cafe. Now serving croissants and pain au chocolat every day, made with our own fresh, grass-fed, cultured butter and NY stoneground flour from North Country Farms.

+JoinNew World Bistro Bar's as we proudly take part in Dining Out For Life this Thursday April 25th! Details on this and other events such as our Mother's Day Brunch Buffet and Grad Weekend Brunch Buffet can be found on our website, newworldbistrobar.com. By the way-the patio is OPEN!!

+ The Schenectady Greenmarket is indoors at Proctors for the winter season. Sundays from 10am to 2pm.

+The folks at City Beer Hall are now doing Saturday and Sunday brunch starting at 11AM.

+Mingledonating 100 percent of their sales to The Aids Council's Dining Out For Life on April 25.

+ Honest Weight Food Coop has all the best flavors of the season.

Helpful stuff

+Capital District Physicians Health Plan, offering Cafe Well, a social network to help you get well and stay well.