Items tagged with 'food'
New to Lark: Al-Baraki II
Paul Chedrawee
Al-Baraki, the popular Lebanese restaurant on River St in Troy, opened a second location this week on Lark St in Albany. After being beckoned in off the sidewalk Tuesday evening for a few samples, we asked owner Paul Chedrawee why he set up shop on Lark. "Because it seemed like half my customers over in Troy were from this neighborhood," he told us.
And sure enough, not two minutes later, in walked a regular customer from the Troy location who lives just around the block from the new place.
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.
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
Tea Time on Lark
Tea time
Tea lovers, you can rejoice. Albany's now got a place just for you. You'll no longer have to settle for the coffee house scene, because the Good Leaf Tea Company has opened a real, honest-to-goodness tea house on Lark Street.
The folks of Good Leaf already run a shop and café at the At the Warehouse, not to mention an online store, but now they've expanded the business with another shop and cafe in Center Square. The cafe, which opened just over a week and a half ago, occupies the space that once housed Lark Tattoo at 274 Lark.
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.
How big is a scoop of ice cream?
After a few people posted comments about "underscooping" at Emack and Bolio's (the owner responds), we got curious about scoop size. And that prompted us to ask the question: when you walk into an ice cream shop and tell them to give you a scoop of ice cream, how much should you expect to get? Hmm. It probably depends, we thought.
So, we decided to collect some data. The AOA crew hit up five different ice cream shops yesterday and ordered one scoop of vanilla ice cream in a cup at each. Then we weighed those scoops with a digital food scale.
Who had the biggest scoop, the smallest, the most expensive, and much more subjectively -- the best tasting? Here's what we found...
Beekeeping in Center Square? Really?
Yes, really. Cindy Barclay has been keeping bees in downtown Albany for several years now, right in her backyard on Lancaster St. (She also keeps two hives in Delmar.) Her bees collect pollen from the flowers and trees in Washington Park, as well as from neighbor's gardens and window boxes. It's a setup that often leads to some interesting -- and unexpected -- flavors.
Crisan: at last, art you can eat
Claudia and Iggy.
It's a bakery! No, it's an art gallery! Hey kids -- it's a bakery AND an art gallery. And the art is edible. Crisan, the long gestating bakery/art gallery on Lark Street finally opened its doors this morning.
Artist Ana Claudia Crisan Calabria and her husband, jazz musician Iggy Calabria, are offering gelato, beautiful pastries and edible jewelery. Wait... what?
The scoop on Emack & Bolio's
A new, happy place.
We love ourselves some ice cream at AOA. So we've been looking forward to the opening of "super premium" ice cream joint Emack and Bolio's in Albany's Delaware neighborhood. The A-Town outpost of the Boston-based operation opened today at 11 am. AOA rolled in at 11:07. Here's the scoop...
Mangia no more
Out with the old, in with the Creo.
Earlier on AOA:
+ The Mangia auction: everything must go
+ Can we get 3, can we get 3, can we get 3?
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.
What's up at The Larkin?
Remember The Larkin? Yeah, that great place next to Elda's on Lark Street with the old
school booths and bar and the great little music space upstairs. Downtown residents have
been missing this favorite neighborhood joint for nearly five years. Meanwhile, the building at 199 Lark has been vacant. But maybe not for much longer.
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.
The Grand Street community bread oven
Where the neighborhood comes when it wants to get fired up.
Chew on this: In Albany's Grand Street neighborhood, they're not just breaking bread with their neighbors, they're also baking bread.
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.
Tulips really are edible... sort of
Good eats? Maybe.
When Judy Stacey, Albany's city gardener, told us that tulips were edible, we were kind of surprised. It seems you were, too. So we decided to do a little digging.
It would appear that it's most accurate to say that parts of tulips are edible. And people do eat them. There are recipes, even.
How "likely" is a local Trader Joe's?
It seems there will be many chapters in the Capital Region Trader Joe's story. And in the latest installment, Rensselaer County legislator Brian Zweig (or someone claiming to be him) reports in a comment on the TU's business blog that he's been in touch with the somewhat secretive supermarket -- and an Albany TJ's is "likely." Eventually. Maybe.
Zweig also reports that "other high-end food retailers are also exploring entry into the Albany region." Hmm. Anyone want to venture a guess?
Earlier AOA items about Trader Joe's.
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.
Albany's 3rd Avenue Harvest Garden
A tomato grows in Albany. Actually, lots of tomatoes and beans and herbs and a whole bunch of other good stuff. It's all grown in Albany's South End by volunteers from Youth Organics, with the help of the Hunger Action Network of New York State. If you live in Albany, and you want to eat locally, it's hard to get more local than this.
Here's how it works.
CORE Vodka
This seems like a not-too-bad way to use leftover apples.
Check it out: two guys in Columbia County are launching a vodka made from apples. CORE Vodka is a collaboration between Tom Crowell, a brewery owner, and Derek Grout, a web designer (re)turned farmer.
OK, but why make vodka from apples? (Don't we have potatoes and wheat for that?) Here's the explanation from the CORE site:
We chose to use home-grown apples for our vodka because we happen to grow a lot of them. Almost too many. And what greater value can you place on apples than when used to make what the French call Eau de Vie, or "Water of Life"?
If you're curious, it looks like they'll give you a tour of the distillery. All you have to do is contact them to set up an appointment.
photo: Harvest Spirits
AOA's Capital Region Outdoor Dining Map
Zoom, click, chill out.
A few weeks back we desperately wanted to go someplace, get something to eat and sit outside. Alas, the weather was a little ahead of local dining establishments that day. But the hunt got us thinking.
And here's the result: AOA's Capital Regional Outdoor Dining Map. It's a listing (and map!) of places you can have a drink or get something to eat -- and sit outside at the same time. There are about 40 establishments on the list right now and we'd very much like to add more (along with pictures and descriptions). If you can think of a few not listed (we know we've missed a bunch), post about it in the comments and we'll add it.
Now all we need is the return of warm weather.
It's never too cold for free ice cream
A "long picture" from the scene outside Ben and Jerry's today for Free Cone Day.
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.
It's Free Cone Day at Ben & Jerry's
Nothing takes the gloom out of a soggy spring day like free ice cream. And you can get some today at Ben and Jerry's. Yep, it's Free Cone Day. Once again the creators of of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and Cherry Garcia are celebrating their birthday by giving you free ice cream. And all the local Ben and Jerry's are taking part. Yep, Lark Street, Lake George, Saratoga-- even the super-secret Ben and Jerry's in the basement of The Union at RPI. So? Grab your umbrella and get in line.
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.
Rachael Ray: I liked everything that old Italian men like
Time Magazine hit the Ray with 10 reader-submitted questions recently about gossip, what she ate as a kid (sardines and squid, thus the old Italian man comment) and whether she would punch Tony Bourdain if given the chance:
No, I actually love and appreciate Tony Bourdain's work, and I think everybody has the right to their own opinion.
Well played.
The good stuff from the interview doesn't actually show up in the printed interview, it's in the accompanying podcast. For example, she says in the audio version that Bourdain wasn't necessarily wrong to criticize her for hooking up with Dunkin' Donuts. That doesn't mean she thinks she's contributing to the country's obesity problem by working with the donut chain, but she seemed to understand why people might have concerns.
And, Andy S. White from Schodack, the answer to your question about fast food is: "There isn't a fast food that I don't like, really. [Laughs.]"
photo: CBS / King World
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.
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.
Inside the sausage factory
Workers arranging chicken sausage into packages at the Bilinski's factory.
You know that old joke about how there are two things you don't want to see made: laws and sausage? Well, it seems that even if we wanted to see how the state budget bills are coming together, we wouldn't be able to. Watchdogs say this year's budgetpalooza is the most secretive in years and a thowback to "three men in a room."
OK, fine. If we can't see how the budget comes together, we decided to find out how sausage is made. And lucky for us, the folks at Bilinski's were nice enough to give us a tour of their sausage factory in Cohoes.
Wegmans & Price Chopper: the real deal
The object of so much desire.
You hear something once, you dismiss it. You hear it twice, you think, eh. But when you hear it five or six different places from people who are in no way connected to each other, you start to wonder. So, when we heard lots of folks repeating the rumor that Wegmans and Price Chopper had a sort of "gentlemen's agreement" to stay out of each others backyards, it definitely caught our interest.
And then we heard rumors that Wegmans might be making it's move on the Capital Region.
So, is there any truth to either of these rumors?
Kosher for Passover Coke
We used our AdvantEdge card and saved an extra 8 cents.
You asked and we found it! Price Chopper is carrying it in the special Passover sections at their larger stores. We scored our supply at the Chopper in Slingerlands.
What's the big deal? Well, normal Coke is made with high fructose corn syrup, which makes it not kosher for Passover. It also, according to soda snobs, makes Coke taste not quite right. Kosher for Passover Coke, on the other hand, is made with cane sugar (like Mexican Coke) and is said to be smoother and have a cleaner finish. It also has notes of cinnamon and caramel and pairs nicely with pretzel twists.
How do you know if you're getting the good stuff? Look for the tell-tale yellow cap (see right). And check the ingredients, which will list "sucrose" instead of high-fructose corn syrup.
Hazelnut gelato at 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 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.
Around the neighborhood
Here are a few things that caught our interest while taking a trip through the Capital Region's online neighborhood:
+ If you say that Barack Obama is "charismatic, rarely negative, isn't mean," does that make you biased? It's been quite the topic of discussion today on Kristi G's On The Edge blog.
+ Prompted by the story about the gambling ring bust that nabbed guys with nicknames such as Penguin and Bindy, Rob Madeo put the names of a bunch of famous-for-Albany people through the Mob Nickname Generator. And the results are pretty funny. Example: the nickname generated for Jerry Jennings was "Baby Buns."
+ Alex, of Alex and Cati fame, has the scoop on Mahar's and a few other places to hit if you're looking for a bar with quality beer. Of Mahar's, Alex says "Some people have referred to the bartenders as 'beer snobs,' and that could be. I certainly wouldn't recommend ordering a Coors light." Too true.
There's a lot more going on around the neigborhood.
The guy behind the Trader Joe's campaign
Our blog BFF CelinaBean has an interview with Bruce Roter, the organizer of the We Want Trader Joe's in the Capital District group. Here's a clip:
CB: There are a lot of causes out there to get involved in. Why Trader Joe's?
BR: I see it as a need, perhaps it was a personal need, but I just love shopping at Trader Joe's. And much to my delight, I've been joined by hundreds of other residents of the capital region who share that passion.
But to dispel any notion that this is what I do ever single moment of the day, that's not the case at all. I do have a real career and my real avocation is that of a composer. I compose orchestral music. I've written music which emulates the Middle East peace process, which celebrates first responders, so I'd like to think that I'm multi-dimensional....I've been commissioned by orchestras around the country including right here at home by the Albany Symphony Orchestra.
CB: So when did this Trader Joe's thing start for you?
BR: It began this past summer in mid-August when I was in the park talking to a friend. I was toying with starting a little club like this, and when I mentioned Trader Joe's there was this wonderful reaction on this friend's face. I knew that instantly that there were other kindred spirits in the Capital Region who would also be interested in this campaign.
And I seem to have simply given voice to all these other hundreds of other people including many professionals from our region. I've been emailed by doctors, lawyers, architects, business people, politicians, homemakers. The people who are part of this campaign really run the gamut of the fabric of this society in the Capital District.
As we recently found out, there's quite a clamor to bring a TJ's here.
photo: CelinaBean
Albany's best pesto
Which one tastes the yummiest?
Where can you get the best pesto in the Capital Region? Now we know.
Our blog BFF Celinabean held a local pesto taste test this week at The Wine Bar and Bistro on Lark Street for local food bloggers and invited us along. She brought six jars of pesto from local stores and farmers markets. And the clear winner was Buddhapesto, of which one judge said "My taste buds did a dance."
photo: CelinaBean
Trying the Dinosaur Bar-B-Que from the supermarket
And we didn't even have to go to Syracuse to get it.
The first time we thought that it might have been a mirage. Then we saw it again, but no... it couldn't be. By the third trip, we believed it: you can buy Dinosaur Bar-B-Que pulled pork at Price Chopper.
Having stuffed ourselves many a time at the famed Syracuse barbecue joint, we had to give it a try.
Trader Joe's fans unite
Honk if you want Trader Joe's
A guy named Jason stumbled upon this message in an area parking lot and passed it along to AOA. The site wwtj.org is part of a movement to bring this awesome alternative grocery store to the Capital Region.
We might need one of those bumper stickers.
(Thanks, Jason!)
Pizza from where?
Riddle us this: how is it that a place called Original Pizza of Boston ends up in the service areas along the New York Thruway? (What, no love for Brooklyn?) Confused and amused, we did a little background checking. Alas, answers were not forthcoming. The travel plaza directories list "New York Pizza" where we're pretty sure the signs on the road say "Original Pizza of Boston." And get this: Original Pizza of Boston is based in... Rhode Island.
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.
How much is that bagel in the window?
The HUGE bagels at Uncommon Grounds.
So we stopped by Uncommon Grounds the other day to learn that our favorite bagel place has hiked the price of our favorite bagels. Why? Well, the same reason the pet shop next door has been changing prices on their dog food for the last few months.
Kurver Kreme is open!
It opened on Monday.
Yes, it's officially the first day of Spring. And the Kurver Kreme is open! Just thought you might like to know.
Field trips for foodies
If your inner foodie is looking to get out of the house more, you should check out the Capital Region Gourmet Meetup. We get the impression the meetups are pretty laid back -- just a bunch of people visiting local gourmet shops, trading tips and learning some new things about food.
The group looks like it has some interesting stuff, um, cooking. It's already-booked-up "field trip" this month is a session at the Honest Weight Co-op about cooking exotic grains. Next month, they'll be getting together at the Warehouse to get the scoop on brewing loose leaf teas.
photo: Kathleen Lisson
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.
What to do about the Hannaford credit card security breach
Hannaford has reported that its credit and debit card transaction system has been breached and millions of shoppers' card numbers have potentially been exposed for the last three months. The company says every one of its stores has had a card compromised, which means: If you've used your credit or debit card at a Hannaford any time since December 2007, your number may have been leaked.
So, what now?
Free ice cream today!
Mint chocolate chip just seemed like the right choice today.
You know what's better than ice cream? Free ice cream. Stewart's Shops are giving out free ice cream cones all day today to anyone wearing green. Stewart's says it gave out almost 100,000 cones last year for its St. Patrick's Day promotion.
Hannaford milk mystery solved!
Who's Carl?
If you've ever bought milk at Hannaford, you might have noticed the person's name printed on the upper right part of the carton. It changes from week to week -- the last carton we bought said "CARL."
So, what's that about? Is the cow taking credit? (Unlikely. What sort of female cow would be named Carl?)
Well, we've finally gotten to the bottom of this mystery.
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.
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.
Braving the deep-fried candy bar at Capital Q
Dark magic of the fryalator arts: a deep-fried Snickers.
It was the sign inside the Capital Q Smokehouse that caught us: "Deep Fried Candy Bars, if Elvis were alive, he'd be eating one. Ask about one today!" How do you pass that up? The answer is: you can't. So we took the plunge and ordered a Snickers. A deep-fried Snickers.
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.
Dunkin' Pizza comes to Albany
Funny how it looked so much better in the menu board picture
Remember last week when we posted about New York being one of the first markets to get Dunkin' Donuts Pizza? Well, it has arrived. We found it at the D.D. on Madison Avenue in Albany (the one in the little fast food mall in front of Price Chopper). So, we took one for the team yesterday and tried it.
The music at Panera
File this under "Things We Hate About Places We Love." Panera is kind of a home away from home for the AOA staff. You might even call it one of our "satellite offices." We're usually there a few days a week for the tomato soup, free wi-fi and bottomless soft drinks. We realllllly like Panera. So what we say now, we say out of genuine concern. It's for everyone's good, trust us.
But, Panera, what's up with the freakin' Musak? (OK, we're not sure if it's technically Musak, but we do know it's pretty bad) Seriously... the food is good, the fireplace is nice, the comfy chairs and cozy booths; it's like you really want us to drop by and hang out. Then you hit us with a saxophone version of "No Ordinary Love" that would put Kenny G to sleep. Twice. Really, is that a song that needs to be slower? Let us help you. The answer is no. And what you did to Stevie Wonder the other day should be a crime. We should have reported you to authorities.
So, we don't mean to complain Panera. You do so much so well, but would a little actual Stevie Wonder kill you? Of if it has to be something instrumental, maybe some good jazz?
Which supermarket has the lowest prices?
We were curious, so we decided to find out. AOA put together a "basket" of 40 items that we thought could reasonably end up in most shopping carts in any given week. Then we checked the prices of these items at Price Chopper, Wal-Mart and Hannaford. Here are the results:
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's 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.
Cinnamon shaker
Sure, why not?
We spotted this cinnamon shaker on a table at the Washington Ave Extension Panera on Friday. Someone probably just left it there after borrowing it from the coffee bar, but we kind of like the idea of a cinnamon shaker on every table -- like salt and pepper.
The brownie mystery contest
Our blog BFF CelinaBean is holding a baking whodunit. If you can figure out where that brownie over to the right came from, she'll hook you up with a box of them. Check out the clues.
Jackbit and Joltz: down under Lark Street
The horseradish sauce on the "Horse'n-A-Round Sanger" was OK, but there was a lot of it.
Jackbit and Joltz was kind of a curiosity months before it opened. Washington Park and Center Square dwellers have been wandering past the former Bryn Mawr Book Shop on Lark Street since last spring, wondering about the franchise-style "coming soon" signs. "See you in June", "See You in September" and finally "Hoping for Australia Day." Well, Australia Day (January 26th) finally came, and the Aussie themed sandwich/energy drink bar (yep, really) opened for business. And pretty much every day since we've noticed people coming to AOA in search of information about the place. So we grabbed our dilly bags, hopped in the bog and set out in search of tucker. Here are a few tips we picked up for those venturing "down under"...
There's a reason they don't call it Dunkin' Pizza
When Rachael Ray first infiltrated Dunkin' Donuts as part of her diabolical plot to take over the world, she promised to help them create "health conscious options." So, is this what she meant? Dunkin' Donuts is trying out some new menu options including toasted flatbread sandwiches and... wait for it... pizza. Pizza? Seriously? From the people that brought you bread with a hole in it and called it a bagel? What's this gonna taste like? Well surprise! You can be one of the first ones to find out. New York is one of the first states where Dunkin' Pizza is being introduced. It's available now in participating Dunkin' Donuts in the Empire State and a handful of other lucky regions. Don't all rush out at once now.
No, we don't know if Rachael is actually behind this, but we can be sure it wasn't John Goodman. Now there's a man who knows a good donut.
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?