The Daily Gazette - Schenectady, NY

Daily Gazette
Intermittent Clouds
41° F
Schenectady, NY Weather
Online access for current print subscribers.
New subscriptions.
user:
pass:

About 400 elementary- and middle-school students taking part in the Shenendehowa Inventors program will display their inventions at the former Cotton Market store at Clifton Park Center from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.
read more...



MULTIMEDIA


Latest Videos

Grosenick ready to return

Grosenick ready to return
View video


Gostisbehere isn't afraid of no ghosts

Gostisbehere isn't afraid of no ghosts
View video


Forgetting the Freakout

Forgetting the Freakout
View video



Galleries

Life & Arts
Restaurant Reviews


The Frugal Forager: Crossgates cafe has healthful alternative food, drinks
Sunday, Feb. 5, 2012

So you’re in the mall, and your choices for a healthy, tasty meal are slim. But now when I’m at Crossgates, I’m headed to Fresh Healthy Cafe.

Photo of At the Table: Brandon’s is reborn at a new Schenectady location
Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012

Sometimes you need a scorecard to help you keep track of the comings and goings on the Capital Region restaurant scene. Add to the “new” column Brandon’s Steak & Seafood, a full-service restaurant with a long pedigree that opened in December at 1702 Chrisler Ave., former home of El Divino and, briefly, Shalimar. At left is the Veal Sorrentino, a dish from Italy’s Amalfi coast.

Photo of At the Table: Reader notes ‘find’ in Cohoes: Joe’s Tavern
Sunday, Jan. 15, 2012

On a cold winter night, we sought refuge — and something to warm our innards — at Joe’s Tavern, an unpretentious neighborhood place whose food came highly recommended to us by one of our readers.

At the Table: Epicurean Bistro offers sophisticated, exquisite dining
Sunday, Jan. 8, 2012

The Epicurean has evolved naturally into the kind of restaurant you'd expect the talented staff to assume, given experience and greater resources: full menus for brunch, lunch, and dinner. Fixed-priced menus, wine-paired dinners, seasonal menus featuring different regions of France.

The Frugal Forager: La Mexicana provides authentic, fresh-made fare
Sunday, Jan. 1, 2012

The grapevine sent me this one, a small, family-owned and -run market/restaurant on State Street in Schenectady. My source gushed: “La Mexicana is a very authentic neighborhood Mexican joint. It’s a taqueria with a few special plates that go beyond. Nothing more than $10. What a place!”

Photo of Best of 2011: Gazette reviewers choose year’s most memorable meals
Sunday, Dec. 25, 2011

Asian and Italian cuisine dominated our restaurant reviews in 2011, but there’s also a cross-section of contemporary American, pub and barbecue selections among our choices for the tops in dining out this year. At left is Maestro’s at the Van Dam.

At the Table: Power’s Irish Pub has charm, flavorful shepherd’s pie
Sunday, Dec. 18, 2011

If you’re Irish, you’ll love Power’s Irish Pub, in the historic old farmhouse just off Route 9 that was the Old Dater Tavern and, more recently, the Old Dublin Inn. If you’re not, you’ll still find the restaurant attractive and pleasant.

Photo of At the Table: Better-than-ever Ritz Terrace has steak, seafood, Italian
Sunday, Dec. 11, 2011

The Ritz Terrace in its latest incarnation as R.J.’s Ritz Terrace is as good or better than ever. That was our impression after our dinner there the other evening.

Photo of The Frugal Forager: Stockade Home Market a good place for a quick bite
Sunday, Dec. 4, 2011

Tired of turkey on a recent weeknight, we trotted over to the Stockade Home Market — the new name for the venerable Arthur’s Market at the Indian circle — and enjoyed a light supper in the newly opened convenience store and deli.

Photo of At the Table: Lavish evening of Mediterranean fare at Cella Bistro
Sunday, Nov. 20, 2011

One of the most pleasurable, if indulgent, ways to while away a Sunday evening in Schenectady is to treat yourself to a wine pairing dinner at Cella Bistro. Chef Michael Cella and his family offer these lavish, hours-long affairs only occasionally, and I suspect their rarity makes them even more popular. The most recent event featured wines and foods of the Mediterranean islands, and there wasn’t an empty seat in the house that I could see.

Photo of The Frugal Forager: Benevento Pizza Cafe serves meals that are a cut above
Sunday, Nov. 13, 2011

We didn’t plan to go to Benevento, but ended up there after we discovered our original destination was closed. It turned out to be a serendipitous detour. The place has an extensive menu from which we sampled liberally, and the food is much better than I expected to find at a pizza place.

At the Table: Jonesville Store serves delectable food for every season
Sunday, Nov. 6, 2011

We talk about food a lot in my family, but that’s not why Mom and I remember exactly what we had for lunch at The Jonesville Store six months ago. It’s because it was so good. A quick trip to their website revealed an appealing dinner menu and an excuse to go back.

The Frugal Forager: All aboard for a delightful meal at State Street Station
Sunday, Oct. 30, 2011

State Street Station is a small, family-owned restaurant with a menu like a diner’s, a homey atmosphere and friendly service. It’s charming, and the food is very good.

Photo of At the Table: Hudson Harbor a good choice
Sunday, Oct. 23, 2011

Friends invited us to dine with them at Hudson Harbor Steak & Seafood, and we looked forward to the evening because they had raved about the food. There’s a touch of faded glory about the place. Not surprising considering this was the home until the late 1990s of L’Auberge, the popular French restaurant which for decades specialized in haute cuisine dishes for its well-heeled and celebrated guests.

Photo of At the Table: Old-world Italian-American fare at its best at Lo Porto’s
Sunday, Oct. 16, 2011

There’s an old-world quality about Lo Porto Ristorante Caffe that hints at good food even before you have your first taste.




Poll
Sales tax on gift cards should be paid...


See the results