Chili Bowl - Clay Arts Center - 3rd Annual

Details

Category: Events

Written by Kent

Wing Wars 10

Details

Category: Events

Written by Kent

Wing Wars 10

Duncan's (Dairy Bar)

Details

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

Details

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