Duncan's (Dairy Bar)

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Category: Restaurant Reviews

Duncan's Dairy Bar it located at 890 Hoosick Road in Troy. The decor is rustic and somewhat minimalist. You walk in and there's a wrap around bar with high stool seating, and table seating around the back side of the establishment.

We went there for a weekend breakfast. When we walked in, we weren't sure if we were supposed to seat ourselves or wait for seating. We waited for a bit, with no assistance, then eventually wandered our way around and found an empty table for two.

The theme of our experience was "just okay."

Among the first things we noticed when we seated ourselves was the distinct lack of non-teenage staff. There were roughly two adults for approximately seven teenagers. While the ratio itself isn't a negative, there was a lot of counter-side chatter amongst the younger staff compared to the adult staff. That chatter resulted in lack luster service for our table. It felt impersonal and forgotten.

I ordered a simple French Toast with a side of homemade Corned Beef Hash. Brian ordered the Banana Chocolate ChipPancakes with a side of Bacon.

My french toast, while nice and eggy (which I enjoy), lacked overall flavor. The bananas and chocolate chips in Brian's pancakes had settled mostly to the bottom, but they were still cooked well. The bacon was "just okay." The hash, however, wasn't a favorite. The corned beef was pureed to mush, the dish was very greasy, lacked crispyness, and there was a very large onion flavor that basically ruined everything else.

Duncan's is an "okay" place to visit if you're in the area, and a decently priced meal, but not an establishment I'd go out of my way for.

French Toast	Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes w/ Bacon

Corned Beef Hash

Mio Vino

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Category: Restaurant Reviews

Mio Vino is located at 186 Main Street in Altamont. The decor is warm and earthy, with dim lighting and soft, dak tones.

We ventured there for dinner. When calling in a reservation, we ended up with a late seating as there was a party of 25 happening that night, and they wouldn't be able to resume normal seating until 8PM. We were actually glad they let us know, and went with the 8PM seating.

Brian ordered the Full Rack of Ribs ($28) which came with Mac & Cheese and Aspragus. I ordered the Lobster and Crab Mac & Cheese (It comes in half or full. I ordered the full - $26). I enjoyed the take on my mac & cheese. It was rustic and almost 'deconstructed.' The seasoning was borderline, but in the end I think it was the seafood that saved the dish from needing salt.

Brian's ribs were "okay." The meat fell off the bone, but the barbecue sauce was very sweet, almost too sweet for it being a savory dish. I would also argue that, for being fall off the bone, the meat still seemed chewy. Brian disagrees.

It took roughly forty minutes for our meals to arrive. We believe that had more to do with the party of 25 still winding down. The dishes were piping hot, and service otherwise was immensely attentive.

While a revisit isn't out of the question for us, I feel it was just an "okay" dining experience, for such a nouveau establishment and for the price. One problem we all agreed on was the presence of live music (which they have every Friday). From our perspective, this is a bad move for such an open restaurant. Even from the back of the house where we were seated, the noise (yes, I would categorize this as noise) was almost too much. I couldn't imagine sitting any closer to the front of the house tables. I wouldn't have been able to eat.

Lobster and Crab Mac & Cheese	Full Rack of Ribs

Windowbox Cafe

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Written by Brian

Category: Restaurant Reviews

Now that the holidays are behind us, we can try to get caught up on some reviews that should have been posted a while ago.  Windowbox Cafe has become our go to breakfast location.  It is in Slingerlands in a small strip mall.  It is a smaller location, but we've never had problems with being seated or finding parking.  Windowbox has a 'homey' feel to it, and within a few minutes of being there, you can tell that most of the people are regulars.

The review I'm writing is based on our first time there.  We were greeted and sat immediately when we walked in.  Their specials are written on a white board, but often need some basic deciphering (S.O.S. or Rodeo Benedict).  Josie ordered eggs and hash (since she was told their hash was homemade) and I ordered a simple french toast with a side of bacon.

The french toast was the best basic french toast I have had at a diner.  They didn't use any special bread or gimmicks it was just battered and seasoned and cooked perfectly.  My only problem with this dish is that I felt it was overpriced.  I don't remember the exact amount, and they don't have a menu online, but I believe it was around $7 for two pieced of white bread.  The bacon (not pictured) was amazing.  It has been cooked from limp to crispy in the different times we've been there, but it always tastes great and leaves you wanting more.  Josie ordered the eggs (poached) and hash.  Her poached eggs were a bit overdone, but still runny.  She really enjoyed the hash.  The best way I can explain it, is that it was just like the canned version, but used fresh ingredients.  Similar in ratio and texture with a nice crunch.  She has ordered a side of hash every time we have returned.

Service was friendly, but it was our waitresses first day, so it was a little on the slow side.  The biggest downside for visiting Windowbox would be the fact that you feel like an outsider.  Everyone is still polite and friendly, but you feel like you are missing out on a connection that most of the other customers seem to have.  A small price to pay for quality food, and original specials.  Windowbox gets 4 Forks and our repeat business.  (and just as an FYI, the rodeo benedict is eggs benedict with house-made pulled pork on it.  I had it at a later visit, it is one of the best dishes there)

Eggs and Hash	French Toast

View of open kitchen / bar

Tesoro (Guilderland Location)

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Category: Restaurant Reviews

Tesoro Italian Restaurant in Guilderland is located in 20 Mall on Western Avenue. When you walk in, the restaurant is broken up into the bar area to the right, and the formal dining room to the left that curves into an "L" shape.

Brian and I have been to Tesoro on many occasions and have always had a consistent experience. So, this time, we came to review. We started with a fresh Caprese Salad (homemade mozzarella), and homemade Arancini for appetizers. For entrees, I ordered the Veal & Shrimp Oreganato special, and Brian ordered the Homemade Cheese Ravioli special.

Service was fast, efficient, and friendly, which it's always been in times past and we were glad it still remained consistent. The appetizers were out of this world. The Caprese was fresh, light, enjoyable, and artfully done. The arancini had my mouth watering. It was to die for. The risotto was full of flavor, which was only complemented by the house marinara. I enjoyed these arancini more than the ones we had at Johny's. This was the burst of flavor I wished those had had.

Our entrees arrived, and there were mixed reviews but more positive than not. My dish was spectacular. The veal and shrimp were cooked perfectly, and the wine and sherry sauce was delightful. The penne (though not homemade) was cooked to a perfect al dente. My only critique would be that the tomatoes added nothing to the dish. All of the flavors stood up so well, and were so perfect together, that the tomatoes were basically the 3rd wheel to the party.

Brian's homemade ravioli special was done perfectly. The homemade ravioli had wonderful texture, the tomato cream sauce was nice and mild, and the cheese filling (I believe it was ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan) was very tasty. The problem was with the value. For $21.50, the dish had only 7 pieces of ravioli. While this may be debatable for some, Tesoro's Lobster Ravioli is also $21.50 and comes with 7 pieces as well. The Lobster Ravioli, and the Cheese Ravioli, are priced the same, for the same quantity, in the same sauce. I find that to be just ... wrong.

Aside from those critiques, Tesoro is a spectacular dining experience with wonderful food. While we're sure to return again, we'll probably think twice before ordering ravioli.

Caprese Salad	Arancini
Veal & Shrimp Oreganato (Special)	Cheese Ravioli (Special)