Pastries are an art — for both eating and to look at — at Crisan Bakery and Edible Art Gallery on Albany’s Lark Street. In fact, you would be hard pressed to find better pastries, according to our restaurant reviewer. A visit there may remind you of a European-style bakery, and best yet, the prices are very affordable. Crisan is the latest addition to our list of eateries getting our reviewers’ top grades. See the full review in the Nov. 30 edition of The Sunday Gazette (or click here). Here are our reviewers’ other restaurants that gained top ratings this year.
THE ALGONQUIN
4770 Lake Shore Drive, Bolton Landing. (644-9442). American cuisine — chicken, steaks and seafood — done well, with some interesting appetizers, including a nostalgic take on chicken liver pate. Family friendly with full bar service and you can arrive by car or by boat. Open through Columbus Day.
Apertivo Bistro
426 State St., Schenectady (579-3371). A lively, bustling, and stylish restaurant owned and operated by Angelo Mazzone, where you will find excellent food to enjoy in a number of ways. Order small plates — piattini — of exquisitely prepared and presented miniature Italian specialties ranging from simple dishes of olives or cheeses to more elaborate ones, like lamb chops or steak tartare. Salads are big enough to share and a respectable list of entrees offers something for everyone. You must have one of their homemade desserts like the Nutella pizza or fried dough with fresh sauces.
Bistro Tallulah
26 Ridge St., Glens Falls (793-2004). Serves Cajun-influenced bistro food such as Cochon de Lait (roasted suckling pig), roasted chicken and andouille gumbo and Coq au Vin. Dishes are well prepared, creative and reasonably priced. Reservations strongly recommended.
Bombay Grill
571 Watervliet Shaker Road, Latham (783-7838). Bombay Grill serves lunch and dinner graciously in a small, comfortable restaurant near the corner of routes 155 and 9 in Latham. Try the bargain buffet lunch for a taste of their varied Southern Asian cuisine, or try the moist and spicy tandoori chicken, spicy chapal kabab, or creamy chicken tikka masala. For an authentic ending, have the sweet rice pudding.
Butcher Block
1632A Central Ave., Colonie (456-1653). A comfortable steak and seafood place, with rustic theme and excellent service. A great place to indulge your carnivore instincts with the prime rib or a char-grilled sirloin or filet mignon with gorgonzola cream. Seafood offerings include their signature shrimp in vodka sauce over mini penne. Open every day. It’s a popular place so reservations are a good idea.
Cafe Capriccio
49 Grand St., Albany (465-0439 or www.cafecapriccio.com). This restaurant has earned a reputation for consistently excellent food. The intimate basement restaurant has a crack team of servers and a menu that changes daily. Expect a well-paced, outstanding meal and be sure to save room for homemade desserts.
Capital Q Smokehouse
329 Ontario St., Albany. (438-7675). Slow-cooked smoked meats including brisket, pulled pork, ribs and rotisserie spice-rubbed chicken, with Southern side dishes like baked beans, Hoppin’ John, cornbread and collard greens. Mostly a take-out place, but you can eat in. Cash only. Not handicapped accessible.
Chefs Take Out
3770 Carman Road, Guilderland (357-2222). Take out or eat in, but either way you’ll get big portions of excellent Italian food. The staff is cheerful and friendly, and keep up with the busy take-out business. The comfortable and attractive dining room seats 60. Chef Cunsolo knows what he’s doing — this is good stuff. Try the savory and perfect veal marsala or tender chicken limone cooked with white wine. Cannolis are homemade, and other desserts are very good. With Chefs Take Out, you can truly get fine-restaurant quality food at home. Keep in mind a take-out meal is enough for two people or will supply agreeable leftovers for days.
Cliff’s Country Inn
57 Route 9P, Malta (584-9791 or www.cliffscountryinn.com). Casual, family-friendly Cliff’s is the place to go if you want prime rib, where even the smallest cut would satisfy Fred Flintstone. Anything deep-fried is especially good, especially the onion rings. Enjoy your meat on the deck when the weather is fine, and if you really want to alarm your cardiologist, order the fried cheesecake for dessert.
Crisan Bakery
and Edible Art gallery
197 Lark Street, Albany. (445-2727). Crisan is the Capital Region's answer to a European-style bakery, complete with small tables for dining and savory flaky pastries for a light meal. The pastries are unparalleled in the city; only the few restaurants with a pastry chef can produce desserts like these–and you can enjoy them without the dinner check. There's layer cakes and tarts. flaky croissants and gelato–a dozen kinds.
dp
In Hampton Inn and Suites, 25 Chapel St., Albany (436-3737). Dominick Purnomo’s restaurant in the Hampton Inn & Suites is every bit as good as Yono’s, his parents’ place, but more casual, livelier and bustling. This means the place is noisy and busy but the atmosphere is electric. The food is outstanding, especially the homemade desserts. If you want an intimate meal, step into Yono’s, but if you’re looking for action, then dp is for you.
51 Front Wine Bar & Bistro
51 Front St., Ballston Spa. (727-2089 or www.51frontwinebar.com). An absolutely charming place with a commitment to top-notch cuisine and service. It’s a good place for a date, and it’s a dessert destination that’s friendly and cozy. You must try the fried chicken, what the Colonel himself would make if he went to the CIA. Grade: A
FIFTY SOUTH
2128 Doubleday Ave., Ballston Spa. (884-2926). Operated by Kelly Klopstock of the Lily and the Rose Gourmet Catering Co., Fifty South features American cuisine and interesting gourmet tapas such as rack of lamb served in a martini glass with mashed sweet potatoes and demi-glace, and pan-seared duck breast over wild rice with Asian orange sauce and steamed in-season veggies. Breakfast available all day; lunches include a range of salads and sandwiches and soups. Nightly dinner specials.
GUS’S HOT DOGS
212 25th St., Watervliet (273-8743). You know the little dogs, and you want them now. At Gus’s, you’ll get them with the works for a song and the ambience of no ambience. Take a burger or sausage patty sandwich home or dine al fresco at a picnic table. The food is good, the price is right. Get in line.
La Cocina
122 Main St., Hudson Falls. (746-2773). Cuban cuisine that is well prepared and served in chef-owner Brett Scott’s take on Old Havana in the venerable former Washington County courthouse. Sofrito-based dishes that include coffee-crusted sirloin steak on caramelized onions, a half-chicken marinated in mojito sauce and then baked and, of course, paella. Don’t miss the flan.
MR. FUJI TOKYO CUISINE
Village Plaza, 19 Clifton Country Road, Clifton Park. (383-5538). Lots of repeat business means that Mr. Fuji is doing something right. You'll enjoy their fresh Tokyo-style cuisine in the comfortable, attractive restaurant whether you're at a booth or at the sushi bar. Service is especially helpful and friendly, and don't pass up the excellent mango crab appetizer.
MochaLisa’s Caffe
22 Clifton Country Road, Clifton Park Center, Clifton Park (383-5373). Enjoy a cup of premium roast coffee, espresso, latte or cappuccino or whole-leaf tea or chai, along with a delightful Italian pastry, a delicious panini sandwich, a wrap or a green salad. Comfortable ambience, WiFi, and friendly staff. Open every day.
PIRATE’S HIDE-OUT RESTAURANT
175 Guideboard Road, Halfmoon. (373-8438). Go here for miniature golf for the kids and a pleasant, inexpensive meal in the attractive and comfortable restaurant, or supervise them from the outside seating area. Children’s meals are priced to bring in families, but adults will find the panini sandwiches, fresh soups and salads, and burgers satisfying. They fry in peanut oil, which is bad for folks with allergies but good for french fry fanatics. Soups are tasty, food is better than you’d expect, and the oversized soft ice cream cones come highly recommended by my mother.
PRIME AT SARATOGA
NATIONAL GOLF COURSE
458 Union Ave., Saratoga Springs. (583-4653). Looking for that special place to wow your date or celebrate an occasion? Any of Mazzone Management's restaurants will do that, and Prime at Saratoga National Golf Course is one of the best steakhouses around. Unsurpassed service, prime-grade beef, and attention to every detail is a Mazzone hallmark. Pastry chef on premises, so leave room.
Slick’s Restaurant & Tavern
127 S. Ferry St., Schenectady (370-0026). Famous with locals and downtown business employees for its epic sandwiches, piled high with ham, turkey breast, roast beef or corned beef, which you can wash down with your favorite brew or soft drink. Prices are moderate, staff is friendly and helpful and the pub ambience is pleasant.
Spill’n The Beans
Coffeehouse & Bistro
13 Third St., Troy. (268-1028). More than just a coffee stop, this is a place you can get a made-to-order breakfast, lunch, or a light dinner in the beautifully restored 1844 building. Bring your laptop or a book and settle into a comfy spot with a cup of Grafton Hills coffee, which provides serious, artisan-quality coffee that’s available by the pound, or sit at a table and enjoy inventive and tasty sandwiches, and fresh, beautiful salads. Most pastries are made in-house. No formal table service but the staff is uncommonly helpful.
TURF TAVERN
40 Mohawk Ave., Scotia (393-3344). American cuisine, family-style restaurant with full-service bar. Variety of seafood, steak, chicken and pasta dishes done well, along with interesting appetizers and soups. Efficient service and warm ambience. Grade: A
Winedown Lounge
613 Union St., Schenectady (344-7039). This Schenectady restaurant serves high-end, high wow-factor food at a competitive price in an attractively renovated old house on Union Street. Save room for the homemade desserts, but don’t pass up the complete and completely wonderful chicken roulade dinner or the ever-changing torn homemade pasta. There’s a lounge with fireplace for sipping drinks, a patio overlooking Union Street, and a comfortable dining room where jazz is offered on Saturday nights.
ZAIKA
54 Clifton Country Road, Clifton Park. (688-1548 or 817-3953). Featuring the cuisine of northern India, Zaika gets it right with an ambitious menu of deliciously prepared dishes that provide a sensory experience you won’t soon forget. Operated by Sonny Brar, who spent many years at Sitar in Colonie.
