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

Frühstück

We've all heard of, and perhaps even experienced, the "Continental Breakfast." On occasion, I've encountered it in hotels and it has generally left me unimpressed with its often dried out bread items and unimaginative accompaniments. If I were from "the Continent" and was presented with one of those bastardized versions of what should be the … Continue reading Frühstück