Oysters @ Albany Ale & Oyster

Can't say no to dollar oysters.

Late Night Dinner at the Ginger Man (Albany, NY)

And no, there are no pictures. It's too dark to take them... and it didn't seem like it was food picture approving. So this is just a quick recap. I've got a meeting to run off to.


The last time I hit up the Ginger Man was when I was graduating from college. The first time. I was out with my RPI friends and my then boyfriend. I don't really remember much, other than I ran into my TA and someone in our group having their leather jacket stolen.


M and I have been attempting to check the place out, but it always closed. Finally I wised up and just checked their hours. And they just changed to their summer menu. So a visit was in order.


Just like the other times, the place looked closed. But now I know I should go right up to the window to look... way too dim in there.


I was planning on ordering the cheese plate, but I ended up just ordering the paella. The server warned that it was spicy, but what's spice to me? Compared to other paellas I've had, this was one of the better ones. I would have preferred more seafood (especially at $24.95) but realistically that wouldn't happen... unless I made it myself.


I asked M to take a look at the menu because of his dietary restrictions. He didn't but apparently he wasn't feeling all that hungry. He ordered the fried artichoke francaise, served on a bed of salad greens and came with a side of rose sauce. It must have been good because he quickly ate that up.


Ordered a bottle of Petrus Aged Red, which I've tried before at a beer and cheese pairing. My bottle of beer cost more than M's appetizer. Anyways, I had about half before I gave it to him to finish.


Dinner before tip came out to about 46 dollars.

It's the Whole Foods Countdown

So it's really happening - in two days the Capital Region will get its first Whole Foods. Now I say first, because the word is out they are planning on opening more in the area. Where, I don't know... but if they think it'll work, more power to them.

Turns out today is the media day/sneak peek. I don't know... I think my invite got lost in the mail.

I kid.

Kind of. Maybe.

Whatever. It opens on Wednesday and you betcha I'll brave the traffic and head there. Possibly after work. Or after I work out. Either way, I am so there.

If you've been to Colonie Center in recent weeks, you would have seen glimpses of what awaits. The shelves have been stocked for some time, and the banners for the different sections are up. The tables for the food court area are assembled and have been used by staff as they do their team meetings (that's what it looks like through the windows). The distressed displays are in the main entrance, waiting to be stocked with weekly sales items. And hey... it even looks like the lights in one of the signs is starting to go out!

If you haven't been there, or have never stepped foot in a WF before, worry not. I went out and checked some of the nearby locations to give you an idea of what to expect.

 

 

Whole Foods Market (Hadley, MA)

 

I thought I took more pictures of this place, but I guess not. While it may look like the store is big on the outside, the inside is cramped. At 43,000 sq ft it shouldn't feel so crowded. But I suppose since the next store is in , they have to pack in as much as possible. And on my visit, it seemed like that. A maze of sorts to get through all the different departments. The only areas where there was breathing room were at the ends. And the eating area. Everywhere else seemed too close together. But it could have been crowded. It was later in the evening... who knows.

I remember a wine section. I really liked that. I really want ours to have one (damn New York and their archaic laws... let me have my wine!!!) but watch it just be beer. Healthy Living Market has the wine shop attached... BJ's has the liquor shop. So it is doable. I'm hoping for the best.

 

Whole Foods Market (Paramus, NJ)

 

This WFM is attached to Bergen Town Center, a mall I love to shop in (outlet stores!!). The layout of this store is what I envision the Albany location to be like, although it's more than twice the size (77,000 sq ft). You can enter from inside the mall (can't at the Albany location... unless they were hiding it), or from the parking lot. So both the mall shoppers and people from the surrounding offices can run in and quickly grab something. 

I remember checking it out when it first opened (so much closer than Edgewater, and bigger than Ridgewood) with Mags and it was... wow. Nothing along the lines of the clouds parting, rays of sunshine beaming down, and a choir of angels singing as we walked in. It was just... big. If you enter from the parking lot, you walk in to the produce area. This is a large area, and spaced out. Lots of organic produce, local produce, conventional produce. Local organic, local conventional. Organic local, organic conventional... wait... scratch that last part.

Ha ha? Ha ha!

If you come in from the mall, you walk in to their prepared food area. You have to walk past a makeshift wine wall to get to the food, but ooh... wine. This area is spacious - more than enough room for people and carts to go around and pack up foods in their madefromrecycledmaterialsandheyyoucancompostitwhenyouredone take out containers. It's not bad though... how can a dedicated dessert bar ever be bad?!? And looking at Pinterest, some WFs have Paleo bars. Must be major cities...

This location is the only one I recall in New Jersey that has a wine section. And it is a very nice section indeed. The don't have two buck chuck like Trader Joes, but they do have $2.99, $3.99, $4.99, and $5.99 wine deals. Their own label, 365 was pricer than these... and despite the low prices they were quite drinkable. And the wine chiller... That swirling vortex of ice cold water to chill your wines. Makes no sense really - they warm up when you get back to your car anyways.

This is probably one of the more spacious WFs, and hopefully the Albany location follows suit.

Whole Foods Market (Edgewater, NJ)

Before the Paramus location opened up, this was my go-to Whole Foods. Sure, the one in Ridgewood was closer, but it was small and cramped. not to mention getting there was annoying. Same goes with their parking lot. But the Edgewater one, it has a lot going for it: right up the road from Mitsuwa and other shopping strips; and they have a Jamba Juice in store. Say what you want about JJ, but smoothies are my jam. I am hoping that the Albany location would have one, but they have fallen out of style.

It has the space, but the store feels cramped. You constantly have to weave in and out down the aisles to pass. The seafood counter? Consistent bottleneck. But hey, when in Jersey...

I made a funny. Ha ha!

It's right off of River Road, which is a high traffic area. There is a parking lot, but they share with the other stores in the strip. Normally I dint have a problem parking, but peak hours you're looking at a trek from the far corner spots. You just have to keep thinking you're pre-emptively burning calories for the treats that await inside.

And there are other store I can mention, but they pretty much fall into that same category of packed full of items in a small space. They are all about good practice when it comes to the foods they sell, so you can't fault them for that. And they really do push local items in their stores, but based on the posts on Facebook, they really seem to be pushing the local angle for the Albany store.

I really hope the Albany location resembles that of the Paramus location, but I am sure it will be more like the Edgewater/Hadley ones. Of my concerns, parking may be an issue. Especially since it is in a mall and mall goers need to spots too. Cost isn't as shocking as it once was, and spending a little more for better quality is worth it.

And for those of you bemoaning this arrival, move along. Yes, I support local businesses. Hell, it's going on almost a decade of being a member at Honest Weight. Do I shop there exclusively? No, that isn't practical. And this does not mean I will shop only at Whole Foods. I shop at many store because each has (stating the obvious) its own niche. And like any other shopper, I compare prices. If it's a good deal, it's a good deal. No matter what the store is.  

Sushi Tei (Albany, NY)

The first day of spring. Cold and dreary… not how I wanted to start the day. But at least it ended on a good note. Not too long ago Albany Jane, R from Chopsticks Optional and I discussed having a girls night sushi fest. Along the way we got A, a cider donut tour veteran to join us. It was my first time going there, and I can’t believe I waited this long to do so.

I got to the restaurant early, and got a table. I timed it perfectly – soon after I arrived the place started to fill up. If you’re thinking about going here with a group, it wouldn’t hurt to call ahead and have them reserve a table. It’s a small dining area, but it didn’t feel cramped at all. While I waited for the rest of the group to arrive I flipped through the menu to figure out what to order. There is a lot of stuff on there, and of course I wanted to get everything.

But if I did that, then I wouldn’t have a reason to come back. Silly girl, tackle that menu in multiple visits!

Hiyayako – Cold silken tofu topped with bonito flakes, grated ginger, and scallions.

Mini Udon Bowl – Udon noodles in broth topped w/ shrimp tempura

Ika Maruyaki – Grilled squid w/ sauce

Oh, natto. You evil, evil stuff.



Finished off with green tea tempura ice cream, which I absolutely cannot pass up. 

Winner, Winner… All Good Bakers NY Farm to Chef Summer Dinner

As is ritual now, my morning break consists of me on my phone scrolling through facebook and twitter updates. And Wednesday was more of the same, scanning through the posts, glossing over tweets when I just happened to see one that Professor Fussy posted about an open seat for the first dinner. I figured I would give it a shot and posted a comment. Didn’t really think much would come from it, so I dove back into work. Two o’clock rolled around and hello! An email informing me that I won. And not just an email, but also a message waiting for me on facebook to get to it and confirm my spot.

I won?

I won!!

AOA 5.0

All Over Albany had their birthday bash last Thursday over at City Beer Hall, and I was lucky enough to score a ticket!

The good thing about these parties is that you get to meet people that write for AOA, are featured on there, or regularly comment on the site. There were definitely people I recognized – Duncan Crary for example – who I’d like to apologize to for my babbling of my frustrations with Troy. I blame the Captain Lawrence for acting as a truth serum of sorts. And I probably did the same to AOA Greg and Jon in Albany. My bad guys.

The ever present cupcakes. I practiced plenty of restraint and only had one. And to my knowledge, there was no cupcake thefts.

Okay, well maybe one…

On my way out I did grab the last cupcake on the tray nearest to me. And it just happened to have the 5 on it. But it was for a good cause, I swear! M never gets to participate in these events, so a little treat for him. We lit it and everything… and then a house centipede crawled over it and M killed it with some junk mail right on the candle, and then threw it out. Who wants a candle with bug guts? Not me.

Anyways, happy birthday AOA!

Get It While It Lasts!

Not to toot my own horn, but...

TOOT!!!!

I made this batch. And let me tell you, it is just as the label says - delicious.

Trader Joe'd

I was going to wait a little longer than I did, but I got back from the city Sunday at a decent time so I figured a drive down Wolf Road wouldn't hurt. But not before shopping at another store first. Which store? You'll see soon enough. 

I didn't take any pictures of the store itself, but they almost all look the same. I was worried the place would be a driving nightmare, but it wasn't bad at all. The police directing traffic really helped things run smoothly and I was lucky to find a spot quite easily. I left through the back and saw that people had parked over behind Panera and there was a road that connected the TJ parking lot to the Colonie Center loop. So, if you want to avoid the traffic, turn into the mall and head for the far Macy's parking lot. If you're on Wolf Road you can turn onto Sand Creek Road and enter the mall that way, avoiding the headache inducing left turn.

It wasn't the madhouse I had imagined it to be, but the empty shelves I thought I would see were there. Some of the sold out food items included soft white bread and tortilla chips... possibly all varieties. The store wasn't mobbed, but there were people standing around and staring. Understandable when it's your first visit, but it was burdensome as I had to do some dodge and weave exercises to get some items. Had I known I would have stretched first.

Checkout was quick but a little confusing. So you drop your cart off on one side and then stand on the other.  I don't remember doing that at other stores, but then again, I also remember someone taking my things when I got to the front of the line. The lady in front of me had mentioned that she was just there the day before and just had to come back. Looks like TJ's found themselves a new fan.

Lucky for me their opening coincided with my upcoming vacation. So while I'm off in the great outdoors, you'll have some TJ related posts to keep you busy. Just some mini-reviews... nothing fancy.

Expansion is Good

So the dark and sketchy back corner of the Asian Food Market is gone. I'm not sure when, but they've opened it up and now it's bright and open. I can't believe it took them this long to do this. 

Darwin Day 2012: Cooking the Tree of Life

The geeky food love series is back! Here are some pictures of the food samples.

Ralph’s Tavern (Albany, NY)

I’ve eaten here plenty of times, but it seems that I’ve never actually written about it. Here’s a tip – late Sunday afternoon/early evening is your best bet at getting a table. The place started to get busy as we were heading out, just before 6:00.

Taiwan Noodle (Albany, NY)

Is it just me, or is Central Avenue trying to Asia-fy itself?

Joe’s Grill (Albany, NY)

Photo by Pete Dzintars (http://www.flickr.com/photos/31451603@N02/5787152791/)


The saying goes, “don’t judge a book by its cover.” And while this may not always hold true for eating establishments, it does apply to Joe’s.

Farewell, Mr. Rooney

I would not have known he was from Albany, had it not been broadcasted all over Twitter and Facebook. Love him or hate him, at least he lived a long life doing what he loved to do.

Gone Fishin’

Curious how the fish fry tour turned out? Well, keep reading and follow the white dog!

Albany Eats Potluck No. 2

We said there would be another potluck, didn’t we? Here are the pictures to prove it.

Not What I Planned

I went to Honest Weight for some plants, but I left with a soda and cheese.

AOA 3.0/ Van’s (Albany, NY)

Yeah, the party was weeks ago… but I figured I’d mention that I was there. For a quick second. I don’t do well being in a room of strangers, and I wasn’t in the mood to go up to random people and strike up conversation.

Besides, I really wanted some pho.

I know. I left a party with some tasty bites (and cupcakes!) to get more food.

What can I say… I’m an eater.

Cooking the Tree of Life: Swine and Dine

Wednesday night was the start of the Cooking the Tree of Life series. It was my first time at this event, and it did not disappoint. Any time you can tie science and food is good in my book. I arrived late, so I’m not sure what happened before then. When I got there, Chef Tony Destratis was answering questions about pork belly.

I missed the pork belly!

En Lai Chinese Kitchen (Albany, NY)

This take out joint will always hold a special place in my heart.