the kitchen table

----- aug 17, 2016 -----

wow! it’s been four and a half years since i’ve last been here. i think my constant desire to return makes it seem like a lot less time than that. in my mind, i treat nwbb as if it were 5 stars and i think this is because it was so unique to the city when it first opened. this is not to say that it has gone downhill over the years, but that the competition has risen dramatically.

tonight, for example, we had shishito peppers ($7) as an appetizer. just last week we had shishito peppers at another restaurant in albany. five or more years ago you were unlikely to have found them on a menu anywhere in the capital region. nwbb’s version with lime salt was a bit crispier after being scorched/grilled and the peppers were slightly larger in size. i prefer them crispy, but i also enjoyed the other restaurant’s preparation with grana padano cheese and paper-thin prosciutto on top.

one thing that i noticed has not changed is that nwbb still offers keegan mother’s milk stout ($7/pt.). my wife switched beers with me after she tasted my chatham czech’rd past pilsner ($6/pt). it’s a good thing that i also enjoy mother’s milk.

besides the shishitos we also tried the daily ceviche, crab bruschetta ($12) – with jalapeño, pickled cucumber, tropical vinaigrette, dill, parsley, and crab on a baguette. these were delicious with a great blend offlavorsand texture. served cold, they were even refreshing.

my wife then enjoyed their summer beet and arugula salad ($10) with orange, pickled onions, ricotta salata, white balsamic, and olive oil. she questioned whether the beets were fresh, but i seriously doubt at this time of year that they would be anything but fresh. she still liked how all theflavorscomplemented each other.

i decided to have the burger deluxe ($18). i ordered it medium-rare and it came out perfect. it was topped with peppered bacon that had a fantastic smoke flavor, cabot sharp cheddar, grilled onions, and a chipotle aioli. i tried a little of the kilcoyne farm beef by itself just to unmask it from all the other ingredients and was amazed at how flavorful it was from what we typically bring home from the supermarket. the burger came with fries that actually tasted like potato. i decided to eat all of them first.

we had decided to eat at the bar rather than wait about an hour for a table when we arrived. the hostess was kind enough to point out two people seated at the full bar who she would be seating at a table in about five minutes. the bar staff were equally as friendly and accommodating. the noise level is a bit above average, but not annoyingly so.

----- feb 20, 2012 -----

laissez les bons temps rouler. what better place to go locally to try laissez les bons temps rouler leading up to mardi gras than new world bistro and bar?

we primed the pump with pints of keegan's mother's milk stout ($6) and davidson's ipa ($5.25). these along with the little square rolls topped with caraway, poppy seeds and salt were helpful in dealing with the "heat" of the purple haze shrimp ($10). niceflavorsin the sauce on the shrimp, but i have to admit that i was expecting it to be even spicier after receiving the warning from our waitress when we placed our order. i'm not complaining, however, it was plenty spicy enough.

my wife tried the blackened catfish ($22) with a louisiana bearnaise, corn pudding, and braised greens. greatflavorsin the spicing on the fish, truly blackened in the broiler, very creamy corn pudding with a hint of coconut, and a good sized portion.

i went for a "taste" of all three of the big cajun bowls ($23) that were offered:
- bayou swamp gumbo - deep dark roux, gator tail, duck, mudbugs;
- fried seitan & kidney bean gumbo - blonde roux, dark spices, greens (vegan bowl);
- american gulf shrimp & andouille sausage jambalaya - with brown rice.

i didn't request any hot sauce because i wanted to taste theflavorsof each offering. in retrospect i think the vegan bowl and the gumbo would have benefited from some additionalflavorsand a "kick."

my wife said she was "stuffed" but could not resist the ice cream sandwich ($9) after it was described to her - jane's black raspberry ice cream with house-made chocolate chip cookies. i chose the crème brulee ($7.50) - ginger/lime. both desserts were delicious, especially the brulee.

the coffee here is very good. lots of roasted flavor. we weren't charged for ours since our waitress forgot to bring it before the bill. but otherwise, for a very busy night the service was excellent.

best restaurant in the area. it's not an accident either -- rick orlando has won prizes for his cuisine. this is the only place around where i can go and always love the food and never feel i've gotten ripped off. the wait staff are always great and attentive, and theflavorsare always well put together. the food is fresh, no frozen stuff here. i'm hooked on the calamari and cajun string bean appetizers. only less than great thing in dozens of trips was a friends' jerk chicken - a little dried out and overly spicy. my last trip there though - oh the summer menu is just fabulous. i had the sushi-grade tuna dish and i haven't had anything that good outside of nyc.

the others on this list can't hold a candle to the cuisine in this place. if you're from out of town, try this restaurant before the others.

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 differentflavorsto 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.