a tour for the taste buds.. we went here twice recently, once in the late afternoon, and once after a movie at 9pm. both times the service was fast. the waitstaff is attentive. even at 9pm, i was glad we had reservations, every table was full. having this place right down the street from the spectrum theater was a great idea.
for starters, the decor is welcoming, wood, brick and the type of rich hues that feel conducive to a good dining experience.
for appetizers, we tried the tofu sticks, which were fried in a sesame oil. they were lightly crisp, not overly oily and brimming with sesame flavor. the crispy beans were also recommended to us. those were peppery, and certainly flavorful, but after we finished the plate i couldn't help feeling that they were somewhat one dimensional...maybe i was looking for a little more spice.
in our late afternoon visit, the only negative comment i could make was on a fig and chevre pizza that my wife tried. the idea was certainly great, but i think it was tilted far too much in the fig direction, making it too sweet. she commented that it could be a dessert. i'd think if the ratio of chevre to goat cheese was reversed it would be excellent..
for dinner, everything was splendid. the hudson valley salad was light and crisp, with a mixture of nuts, cheese, greens and apples. the dressing was vinigrette, but subtle enough to let the flavor of the greens come through.
in our party, we tried the brown rice risotto, blackened catfish, seitan stroganoff and pesto stuffed tofu. sharing these dishes made it a great tour for the taste buds. i don't think anything was out of place. the catfish had an interesting blackening, something i couldn't quite place my finger on. the fresh dill on the stroganoff pervaded the dish. the seitan gave it a nice mouthfeel and a suitable replacement for beef. large pieces of mushroom were present as well. a creamy gravy held it all together. the tofu dish was good, but i only tried a bite or two as i was having so much fun with the stroganoff. the risotto was melt in your mouth creamy.
for dessert we all split the brownie sundae...emack and bolio's ice cream sandwiched between two massive brownies. we actually had this both times, the first time the whipped cream was fluffier and the brownies a little moister, but still a good, if heavy dessert.
i'm not much of a wine drinker, but they seemed to have a good selection according to a wine drinking friend. i was happy to have a harpoon ipa on draft. a few other draft selections (brown's, wolavers) will have to wait until next time.
this is the kind of a place that you have a hard time deciding what to choose to eat. there's simply a lot to choose from and a lot of different flavors to be explored. i think this is one of the better places in the albany area. i also like the fact that they support local agriculture.