Fly me to the (Jake) Moon

For this year's birthday dinner, I wanted something lowkey. I simply wanted a good meal in a place I could enjoy with my boys. After consulting with The Wine Consultor and talking tables with Table Hopping's Steve Barnes, Clarksville's Jake Moon came out ahead as the crowd favorite. I made a reservation. On Saturday evening … Continue reading Fly me to the (Jake) Moon

Tortilla Flats aka as the place with a waiter who must have flatlined

We stopped in at a little joint Sunday afternoon down in the West Village, Tortilla Flats, hereafter referred to as the place with the worst service.  Ever. Our party of three arrived at what I think of as the "shoulder season" of dining hours, around 3:30 or so.  There was a distinct lack of greeting … Continue reading Tortilla Flats aka as the place with a waiter who must have flatlined

Wading in with my new wellies

Let me open with a nod to Saratoga in August: I've got no horse in this race. I state this has an attempt to assure you that I have no investment in the current Capital District food blogging dust-up. But while I don't really care either way about who is "right," I'm not without some … Continue reading Wading in with my new wellies

At home in Italy – dinner at Mezze Notte

Guilderland is not my usual stomping grounds, but I really need to get out that way more often.  Last week the allure of Mezze Notte's restaurant week menu beckoned like a siren, you know kind of like a male siren, like this: But, anyway, back to my evening and what I ate. After a brief … Continue reading At home in Italy – dinner at Mezze Notte

Everything I know about Troy, I learned from Mary Panza

Ok, maybe that isn't 100% true, but she really did get me started on my Troy education.  When I first moved to Albany almost 25 years ago, I received some advice from a childhood friend regarding Troy.  He said, and I quote, "Troy is the armpit of the Universe." I was uncertain exactly what that … Continue reading Everything I know about Troy, I learned from Mary Panza

Getting ramped up

Although I generally avoid trends, thinking them to be too cliched for my attention, I have to confess to being susceptible to trends when it comes to food - specifically vegetables.  Over the years, I've bought in to fiddlehead ferns and garlic scapes and jicama with varying degrees of commitment.  This year, I jumped onto … Continue reading Getting ramped up

Done with Mother’s Day

Screw Hallmark - as far as I'm concerned, May 5th was my ideal Mother's Day. No matter what happens next Sunday, I will cherish the day I had, from the scandalously late start to the fortified-with-an-afternoon-nap late ending - perfect! Let me be a little more specific... Saturday night, I shot a SEEN gallery down … Continue reading Done with Mother’s Day