TROY- Earlier in the week my editor,
grammarian that he is, quipped that in 2003 I found an unusual
number of new "favorite" restaurants.
It might seem odd to have more than one favorite,
but as parents know, it is not impossible. The choice of
limiting my favorites to a Top 10 for 2003 is made even more
interesting in that two of my better dining experiences come
from places that in the past, (under former owners), made my
personal-worst list. Indeed, four restaurants on the list
benefited from new management, and three of those are places
that radically changed an old image. For instance, my
second-best restaurant of 2003 is the Pearl Restaurant located
in the Steuben Club in Albany. A couple of years ago, Night
Owl and I had a meal at the old restaurant that was so bad it
was laughable. Thankfully, new management has changed the
name, brightened the rooms, put in a great menu and hired an
excellent chef. The décor still needs some work, as the
evening dining area offers the feel that you're eating in an
attractive banquet room. But that's the only complaint. The
Pearl is now one of the best eating places in Albany. It
would be the best restaurant in Albany if it weren't for
McGuire's, which offered, without question, the finest dining
experience in 2003. It even pleased super-critical Night Owl
who could not find even a minor flaw with the food
preparation. Not only is the food phenomenal, the menu is
amazing. McGuire's offers a number of exotic choices, as well
as innovatively prepared classics. It's a sophisticated place,
with our only quibble being that the back room space is a
little too loud for easy conversation. Another restaurant
that I once had a terrible time at was Marissa's Old Dater
Tavern in Clifton Park. The food was all right, but the
kitchen just couldn't get its act together, and it took more
than an hour for the food to arrive at the table. It is now
the Old Dublin Inn, and like any good Irish pub, it
understands hospitality. Not only is Old Dublin Inn a
wonderful place to quaff a Guinness or two (it has more than
50 varieties of beer available), it has an excellent
kitchen. Long Term and I had a wonderful dinner there, and
I can compare the quality of their rack of lamb to that had at
our number-one spot, McGuire's. I've eaten lunch at the Old
Dublin several times, and I can assure you that eating from
their pub menu is like having a full meal. On the subject
of lunch, I just had lunch at Riley's in Albany, and it was as
good an experience as was the dinner I had earlier in
December. In fact, I had the lunch portion of Long Term's
choice, the Chef's Choice - shrimp, scallops, and chicken over
linguine. It was large and delicious and cost less than half
the dinner price ($7.95/$16.95). Hacker had a huge
build-your-own burger with fries that was also fantastic. For
dinner or lunch, Riley's (which is at the site of the old
Beff's restaurant on Watervliet Avenue in Albany) is now a
classy, fine restaurant good enough to make this year's Top
10. December was a very good month for eating out. Not only
did I discover Riley's, later in the month I had an excellent
meal at Barcelona Restaurant, on Western Avenue across from
SUNYA. The meal was as interesting as it was
delicious. Long Term had a fish dish that was intriguingly
subtle, while I had a Fra Diablo that was appropriately
scorching. Our appetizer, dessert and Long Term's sides
indicates that this Italian restaurant with a Mexican chef can
do the in-between stuff very well also The atmosphere is
sophisticated, the prices relaxing. What better reason to give
Barcelona a top rating? Sadly, a new restaurant that makes it
on the list, Crabapple Farms in Jonesville, is no longer in
business. We had a wonderful meal in an enjoyable environment,
but for some reason the restaurant did not catch on with the
public and Crabapple Farms closed within a year of its
opening. It proves that sometimes it takes more than good
food to survive in the restaurant business. It also makes the
point that if you have a restaurant you like, support it with
your business and by word-of-mouth advertising. Thankfully,
many good restaurants do survive, as proven by a couple of
venerable favorites that make our 2003 list. Two of them just
happen to be Italian and they are completely different in
style and in food preparation. Each is terrific in its own
right and proves that longevity is not always an
accident. Sam's, near the last 787 exit in Albany, has been
around seemingly forever, and it just keeps getting better.
It's like dropping in at an old neighborhood restaurant where
the menu is basic without being dull and the food is prepared
with care and a bit of flair. I reviewed Sam's last
January, and I still savor their Clams ala Sam's and their
phenomenal marinara sauce. However, this is not a
sauce-and-pasta place primarily, as the quality and portions
of their meat and seafood entrees belie their modest
pricing. To show how the term Italian does not completely
define a restaurant, Café Italia has been around about as long
as Sam's. However, it is more an upscale place that prepares
highly specialized dishes that make you understand how Italian
cooking can seem gourmet. Whereas Sam's is neighborhood
friendly, Café Italia is welcoming in a more formal manner.
One of the many things they have in common is great food and a
desire to please their customer - and they each do it
well. Another old favorite is Longfellow's Restaurant on
Saratoga Lake. It is now has a motel connected to the
restaurant and is used as a conference center that caters to
conventions and groups. But growth has not diminished the
quality of their kitchen. The menu does not try to be
exotic; instead, they prefer to find way to improve the
basics. They do it with quality and touches of imagination.
The entrée is always perfect, but the side dishes make an
excellent meal even better. I always try to include one
sleeper on my Top 10 list, a place that because of its modest
ambitions would not be considered a "best of" selection. This
year that place is Gorman's Deli in Latham, where you can get
a superior meal for well under $10 - complete. The dining
environment is what you would expect in the rear of a
delicatessen, but the food is not. It's not gourmet, but the
limited menu does offer some pleasant surprises - and dollar
for dollar, Gorman's is one the best bets of the
year. Indeed, there is not a restaurant on the list that
does not offer a good deal. Beyond the high standards of food
preparation and comfortable surroundings, each place offers
honest value and fair pricing for their meals. No wonder I
have 10 new favorite restaurants.
1) McGuire's, Albany
2) The Pearl, Albany 3) Barcelona, Albany 4)
Longfellows, Saratoga Springs 5) Cafe Italia, Albany
6) Old Dublin House, Clifton Park 7) Sam's, Albany
8) Riley's, Albany 9) Crab Apple Farms, Jonesville
10) Gorman's Deli, Latham
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