All Over Albany

Pea shoots from Little Seed Gardens

Pea shoots! Pea scores!

One of the fun things about going to the farmers' market is that you're never quite sure what you're going to find. Sometimes that means disappointment (all the tomatoes are gone!), but more often it means pleasant suprises.

A few years back we came across one of those little surprises at the Little Seed Gardens stand at the Troy market. They were selling pea shoots. Pea shoots? What's a pea shoot? So we tried some. And we're glad we did.

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Raspberry oatmeal pancakes at Cafe Madison

A pretty good way to start the day.

Breakfast is supposed to be the most important meal of the day, right? Well, a meal of that stature certainly deserves something substantial and tasty.

So, basically, you have a responsibility to eat the raspberry oatmeal pancakes at Cafe Madison.

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Tarts from Dutch Desserts

Zeer goed!

As the story goes, Keith and Marjan Beebe met in 1989 while she was visiting from the Netherlands. They fell in love, got married, and started a life together in Kinderhook. That's all pretty great for them. But it's been a good thing for the rest of us, too.

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Buddhapesto

It's the color of Summer.

Oh, Buddahpesto, you king of local pestos, how we love you so -- let us count the ways.

No, really. We've actually counted them.

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Raisin bread from the Rock Hill Bakehouse

Breakfast. Or lunch. Or a snack. Or whenever.

Somewhere along the line raisin bread went the wrong way and ended up at this overly sweet, gooey place, all swirls of cinnamon and sugar. And there's nothing wrong with that exactly -- but when you want a good piece of toast it's just not the thing. Thankfully, the Rock Hill Bakehouse has avoided this wrong turn.

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The Midsummer Night's Martini at DeJohn's

Simple, cool and delicious.

OK, we're not martini connoisseurs . We've been known to order them shaken, not stirred, straight up with a twist just because we've heard it before. But we're also not fond of sticky fruity drinks with lots of juice and umbrellas in them. If you like a summer drink that's dry and cool with just a hint of citrus and a few bubbles, you may just find your new favorite cocktail at DeJohn's on Lark Street.

That's where we found ours.

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Frankfurters from the Troy Pork Store

Sizzle. Snap. Yummm.

Perhaps it was the happy little pigs beckoning to us from the window of The Troy Pork Store that brought us into the 85 year old shop at 4th and Ferry streets (someone clearly hasn't told those pigs what goes on there), but it's the frankfurters inside that will bring us back.

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Parmesan cookies from Spill'n the Beans

Cheesy, salty, savory.

Dear Dish and Dirt:

Thank you very much for pointing us in the direction of the parmesan cookies at Spill'n the Beans in Troy. They are, in a word, delightful.

Sincerely,
AOA

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Sundaes Best Hot Fudge Sauce

It's like summer in a jar.

When is the last time you had a hot fudge sundae? Not an ice cream cone or a single scoop (regardless of how large), but an honest-to-goodness hot fudge sundae.

Once we've grown up, how often do we indulge our inner kid with thick, warm, molten, chocolatey, silky hot fudge sauce over our ice cream?

We say indulgence is a beautiful thing. And we've found a gourmet hot fudge sauce made right here in the Capital Region that will make your outer grown up willing to splurge on your inner kid.

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The duck confit panino at Swoon

Quack.

We don't think we ever would have put together the words "duck" and "panino." But we're sure glad that someone did.

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The pommes frites at Ravenous

With mayo, svp.

In America, French fries have been relegated to sidekick -- the Robin to the cheeseburger's Batman. Would you like fries with that? As if a good French fry can't be a reason to visit a restaurant. The fries at Ravenous in Saratoga Springs refuse to take a back seat.

But please, don't call them French fries.

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Lemon ice at Civitello's

Can you see the specks of lemon zest?

The sign in the window was so simple: "Try our lemon ice... it's refreshing!" It also turned out to be absolutely true. The Italian ice at Civitello's is both lemony and refreshing.

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Cheesecake at Cheesecake Machismo

Caramel toffee cheesecake -- no factory required.

Cheesecake can be a tricky thing for the mindful eater. It's a moment of indulgent bliss at its best, but the stuff is never going to be confused with health food. So if you're going to indulge, the bang better be worth the caloric buck.

And we're happy to report that the cheesecake at Cheescake Machismo is a wise way to spend all those saved up calories.

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Stacy's Mom at Ambition Cafe

Alas, you can't get Stacy's Mom with Mexican Wine. (What?)

Let it be known: we have had Stacy's Mom. And Stacy's Mom has got it goin' on.

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The bread at Perreca's

The upper crust.

Some of the best Italian bread you'll ever eat can be found on Arthur Avenue
in The Bronx. But if you're not up for the road trip, make your way over to
Perreca's in Schenectady's Little Italy. It's not quite Arthur Avenue, but it's really good
stuff.

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Buffalo chicken rangoons from Hannaford

Buffalo is known for its rangoons.

We know, we know, we know... it's just wrong. The idea of a buffalo chicken rangoon sounds like some kind of joke. It's fusion food taken to its trashiest -- though probably inevitable -- end. It's the appetizer of the geography of nowhere.

But if this wrong, we may have to give extended reconsideration to being right.

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Pierogi at Muza Diner

Just like our Polish grandmother would have made -- if we had one.

There are some foods that are, by their nature, kind of low-key. No matter what you do, they're probably never going to wow you. And that's OK, because there are times when a plate of something that's just kind of nice is exactly what you want.

So we mean it as a compliment when we say that the pierogi at Muza Diner in Troy are very nice.

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Hazelnut gelato at A Cone of Our Own

Yum.

Yeah, it seems like everybody has gelato now. It's the new ice cream. And hazelnut is the new chocolate. But the hazelnut gelato at A Cone of Our Own in downtown Albany isn't just any gelato -- it's a small revelation perched on the tip of a tiny plastic spoon.

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The guacamole at Cheesecake Factory

It's chunky, just the way we like it.

We have to admit that we didn't see this coming, either. But it's true: The Cheesecake Factory has good guacamole. In fact, it's probably some of the best you'll find around here.

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The doughboys at Esperanto

Cheesy, chickeny, doughy goodness.

In a hole-in-the-wall on Caroline Street in Saratoga, between The T&L and Desperate
Annie's, lies the best damn hot pocket you've ever had. Real golden brown pizza dough-- crunchy outside, just the right amount of chewy inside -- stuffed with grilled chicken breast, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, Colby cheese (yay cheese!) and a secret mix of spices. The doughboy is just about the best thing you can eat for only three bucks.

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The pizza at DeFazio's

A sausage pizza at DeFazio's.

People can be very particular about pizza. One person's pretty-good pie can be another's poor excuse for a slice. But even in the world of pizza, there should be some things we can all agree upon. So, let's start with something that shouldn't even arouse an argument: the pizza at Defazio's in Troy is some excellent pie.

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The Bros Pork Taco

Muy bueno.

One of the things that had been missing from the local food scene was a walk-in, hit-me-with-a-good-taco kind of place. But lucky for us, Bros Tacos has started to fill that spot nicely over the past year.

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The hummus at The Hidden Cafe

Combine with warm pita for yumminess.

There's a wide range of quality when it comes to hummus. On one end there's smooth, creamy, get-me-some-more-pita satisfying. And on the other, there's "hmm, tastes like... chickpeas and some other stuff... ground together." Lucky for us, the hummus at the Hidden Cafe in Delmar is a paragon of the first category.

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Bloody Marys at Cafe Madison

OK, we're not Bloody Mary connoisseurs or anything, but we know what we like. And we like the Bloody Marys at Cafe Madison.

Don't ask the bartenders. They won't share the secret to this tomatoey/peppery concoction. They will tell you they start with a basic Bloody Mary mix, but then they have a little fun with it.

What we like most about this particular tomatoey/peppery concoction is the consistency. It's thicker than your typical Bloody Mary, with just the right amount of horseradish, pepper, lemon and, of course, vodka. Not too spicy -- but spicy enough.

Sip one on a Sunday morning and you may find yourself in some powerful company. We're not naming names, but apparently at least one very tan Albany celeb is a fan.

Baked onion soup at The Olde Bryan Inn

It's soup weather. Oh boy, is it soup weather. Like cheesy, gooey baked onion soup weather. The kind they serve at the Olde Bryan Inn in Saratoga Springs. Ask any Spa City native where to get the best baked onion soup and they'll send you to the O.B.I.

Owner Louis Maggiore says if there's a secret to this soup's cheesy, oniony goodness, it's this: simple is good. "It's soup," he says, "not brain surgery."

First, they use real butter (we didn't say it was healthy). Then they take enough time to properly caramelize the Spanish onions, add a little sherry to the stock and give it time to cook off. They add a piece of hard garlic bread and finish it off with a blend of swiss and provolone cheese.

But heads up: if you order it as an appetizer you're not likely to get to dessert. It's pretty filling. We think it goes best in a soup and salad combination. You know, so the vegetables can counteract the butter. Right?

Hot chocolate at Mrs. London's

Mmmmmmmmm

Sure, you say you've had hot chocolate before. But have you really? Not that powdered, watered down syrupy stuff with faux whip cream. We mean REAL hot chocolate. The hot chocolate at Mrs. London's in Saratoga Springs will absolutely spoil you for any other. Why? Two things: whole milk and real French chocolate (milk shmilk, it's the chocolate part that does it). They melt high quality French chocolate into warm milk. It's like drinking a cup of rich, warm liquid happiness. Top it off with their famous whip cream made with real vanilla bean or drink it straight if you're a chocolate purist. Here's a warning though, if you're tempted to sample one of their desserts along with it, you may want to think twice... or at least share. Mrs. London's hot chocolate is pretty rich. It's kind of a dessert on it's own. Then again, you could always take a little something home...

The little cheeseburger and fries at Five Guys

Five Guys is like the anti-chain. Sure, they have outlets in 18 states, but the restaurants are stripped down, almost minimalist in an upstart, small business kind of way: some simple red and white tile, an open food prep area behind the stainless steel order counter, and a herd of utilitarian tables and chairs. There's no crazy junk on the walls. There are no clowns or cartoon characters. And there's definitely no Sierra Ranch Smoked Gouda Border Chicken (for a limited time only!) -- the menu could fit on an index card. Their mission statement is just as simple: "We are in the business of selling burgers."

And they're good at that.

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