Hudson-Berkshire Wine Trail - Mac & Cheese

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Category: Events

Written by Brian

On Saturday April 20th, the Hudson-Berkshire wine trail will be holding their 4th annual Pasta Passport event.  This year it will be Mac and Cheese.

Buy a passport from any participating stop for $20, and you will get to sample wines as well as a special mac and cheese dish at each of the 5 trail locations.

Trail members are: Furnace Brook Winery, Hudson-Chatham Winery, Chatham Brewing, Harvest Spirits Distillery, and Brookview Station Winery just over the border in New York.

Event Website:  http://hudsonberkshireexperience.com/trail-events/

Carmine's Italian (Closed)

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Category: Restaurant Reviews

Written by Kent

  Carmine's Albany Restaurant was a Brazilian Churrascaria until recently when it closed and re-opened as an Italian Restaurant.  All 3 Cr Foodies members had been to the old Carmines Grill a few times, and weren't overly impressed, so we didn't go in with high hopes this time.  However, switching back to Italian style was a return to Carmines strengths of the past, so we stopped in for lunch since we work nearby.

When we first wandered in, there was no one present to greet us.  We were just standing there and looking at the vacant bar area.  After a few minutes someone finally appeared and sat us.  The person that sat us was the server and appeared to be covering the entire dining floor. At times, he seemed to be a bit disjointed.  He came over with water, started to walk away, did a quick turn and remembered he should tell us the specials, and came back. It did take some time to place our order.

Next, He delivered out warm bread and a toppings tray which had a tomato basil butter, an oil and basil dip, sea salt, and Parmesan cheese. Both the dip and the butter were fresh and flavorful.  It was nice to have that tray of toppings remain for the entire meal.

We asked about then ordered the Arancine Del Giorno as an appetizer ($6).  It is basically a lightly fried risotto ball with an ingredient that changes periodically.  This time it was bolognese.  We both found it to be a bit bland in flavor, and wouldn't have known it was bolognese if the waiter hadn't told us.  The risotto was a little overcooked.  Overall it was just ok.

Brian's entree was Crispy Parmesan Gnocchi Bolognese ($10).  The gnocchi was cooked perfectly as it was lightly pan seared with parmesan added.  It was amazing.  It had a strong flavor and a nice crunch.  The bolognese sauce was good, and complimented the gnocchi well.

Kent ordered Dave's Beans and Greens ($11).   The flavor was fantastic and the portion size was just right.  The pasta was al dente and the greens and the homemade meatballs were fresh tasting and flavorful. He would recommend it and order it again.

When we got the bill, it was a bit higher than we had expected.  They had charged us $9 for the appetizer that was listed as $6 on the menu.  Later, we noticed that the dinner price for the same appetizer was $9, so it was probably just the wrong button pushed on the pos system.  The credit card charge also says Carmines Brazilian Grill, which to us both showed that they have some kinks they still need to work out. Service will also need to improve if they plan to keep a return lunch crowd.  From the time we walked in to the time we got our bill was over an hour, which rules it out as a standard locale for many downtown workers.  Even with the various issues with service and the mediocre appetizer, our entrees were good enough that we will be trying Carmines again in the future.

Website and Menu here: http://www.carminesrestaurant.com/

Toppings Tray	Arancine Del Giorno
Crispy Parmesan Gnocchi Bolognese	Dave's Beans and Greens

Hudson Valley Beer and Cheese Fest

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Category: Events

Written by Kent

Celebrating craft beer from the Hudson Valley and farmstead cheese from the Hudson Valley.

When: Sunday March 24th 1 - 4 PM

Where: Keegan Ales   20 Saint James Street, Kingston NY 12401

Cost: Tickets are $30, which includes Beer and food.

Contact: 845-647-3000 or 845-331-BREW

Website: http://www.hudsonvalleybeerandcheeseweek.com/2013/02/hudson-valley-beer-and-cheese-fest-at.html

There is nothing better than pairing good craft beer with delicious locally made cheese! We here at Keegan Ales, with a little help from our friends over at Aroma Thyme, are very excited to be hosting the Hudson Valley Beer & Cheese festival on March 24th! There will be plenty of Hudson Valley breweries pouring their beers, as well as a wide array of cheeses to mix and match with your favorite beer styles. This is truly an event you won’t want to miss! More details can be found at http://www.hudsonvalleybeerandcheeseweek.com/

Cafe 217

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Category: Restaurant Reviews

Cafe 217 sits at 12.5 Delaware Avenue in Albany. It's one block from Madison Avenue. There's a sign hanging above the building, but it's at an angle that can't always be seen. When we went to visit, we weren't even sure if 217 was open at first. There was little to no lighting inside. Alas, we tried the door, and it opened. We were greeted, and ushered to a booth.

The decor is very "Secret Garden." The drapes have a Euro feel, and there are wrought iron gates affixed to the walls. Cafe 217 presents a laid back atmosphere (the sparse lighting), mixed with mild sophistication (cloth napkins with napkin rings).

Our visit was interesting, in many ways. We were intrigued by the homemade corned beef hash, and chipotle sweet potato hash on their online menu. Brian, who's not a fan of onions, asked if the hash had onions. Our server didn't know so he went back to check. It was a plus that he went to check. We felt it was a minus that he did not know the menu. The server came back to report that the hash did have onions and peppers.

With this in mind, Brian ordered their Strawberry Cream Stuffed French Toast. I ordered the Corned Beef Hash & Eggs, with a side of Chipotle Sweet Potato Hash. I enjoy the flavor enhancement of onions, so I was excited to try both their hash offerings. For my eggs, I asked for them to be scrambled soft.

Brian's French Toast was not stuffed. They were two slices of thick french toast, with a strawberry cream sauce ladeled over the top. That said, the french toast was by far the most amazing french toast he's ever had (too bad it was on special, and not the regular menu). The sauce was immensely flavorful, without being too sweet. The batter went throughout the bread, and it was rich and flavorful. The dish came with a side of homefries. Honestly, they added nothing to the dish. Though cooked well, the potatoes had zero flavor.

My dish was a disappointment. The eggs were not scrambled soft. They were scrambled through, which presents a firm, almost tough, texture which was not what I wanted. The hash was also disappointing. While the Corned Beef Hash had flavor, what I enjoy most about a homemade Corned Beef Hash is the briney, fatty taste of the corned beef. Unfortunately, the sheer volume of peppers and onions completely overpowered any other flavor. I knew I was chewing on protein, but I would have been hard pressed to identify it as corned beef.

Equally disappointing was the Chipotle Hash. It had a nice kick, but my expectation was to taste the corned beef, and the sweetness of the sweet potatoes. Most of what I tasted was spice, with a touch of the sweet potato sweetness. Then, there was the abundance of peppers and onions. For me, it was a sad state of affairs for Corned Beef & Sweet Potato Hash. Brian was able to taste the corned beef, from the spoonful he took, but that was only because he picked everything else out first. Quite honestly, the best part about my dish was the wheat toast. It was buttered, and grilled to perfection on the flat top.

A couple of odd tid bits (apart from anything that's factored into this review) include a notice on their menu that state they "reserve the right to add 18% gratuity to any bill." That raises an eyebrow (or two) for me. There seems to be a "nickle and dime" theme with this restaurant. Sodas are not ree refills, but they don't tell you that up front (you have to ask). When asking for condiments (other than salt and pepper) you receive tobasco for free, but Frank's Red Hot Sauce is a $0.50 up charge. Last, the coffee is the most expensive breakfast coffee I think I've ever seen. It's $2.25. I don't normally mention coffee at a breakfast shop, but this just astounded me enough to. I wonder if coffee refills were also not free. I'd have asked, but I only drink 1 cup with breakfast.

All in all, this visit was intriguing, but we're not sure if it was intrguing enough to return.

Corned Beef Hash & Eggs	Strawberry Cream Stuffed French Toast