TC Paris Bakery Preview

J and I have been avid fans of TC Paris Bakery since their early days inside The Chocolate Gecko in Albany. We would stop by every other weekend for fresh flaky and buttery chocolate croissants and boxes of french macarons, not to mention the best creme brulee (torched to order!) and lemon tarts too. Safe to say we were regulars but how could we resist all made from scratch treats. Being in walking distance was dangerously delicious. It would be an understatement to say that we were devastated to find out that TC Paris was losing their space back in March and had to relocate. We were in withdrawals throughout the summer and while TC temporarily found a home at Fluffalicious, it just wasn't the same not being greeted by Chef Paul and crew. 

We're so happy to report that TC Paris has found a permanent new home in Saratoga on Henry Street. It's a bit more of a hike for us to get our fill of treats, but it's one we're happy to make. We were honored to be invited to a preview of the new shoppe and every morsel we sampled was just as good as we remembered, if not better. TC takes pride in quality from ingredients to execution. The stars of TC Paris are the French macarons: delicate almond meringue cookies filled with light buttercream or chocolate ganache. These macarons have a light and crisp shell yet chewy center as you bite into the cookie and filling. They are delightful fun little morsels of textures and flavors ranging from chocolate made with Valrhona chocolate, salted caramel, and lemon to unique flavors like chocolate earl grey, chocolate rose, and ube purple yam. 

Did we mention how good Valrhona chocolate is? TC uses the same quality chocolate in their croissants and no other croissants have lived up to TC's since. We're also happy to report that TC started making chocolate-dipped pretzels with the same Valrhona chocolate. If you need more of a chocolate fix, TC is now carrying a line of Neuhaus Belgian chocolates and truffles, and we can vouch for those too but the in-house scratch-made confections are what you really want to go for. Duchilly hazelnut pralines are also back and we can't wait to see the return of our old favorites and new favorites to come! Congrats TC Paris Bakery! The new space and renovations are beautiful. It's great to see TC in their own space. We'll be back in two weeks for the official opening! - J&R

Karavalli Indian Restaurant

There's an abundant of Indian cuisine here in the Capital Region. Albany's Central Avenue alone has four Indian/Pakistani restaurant all within a one mile radius, not even! I remember being hesitant about trying Indian food, but after one bite, it wasn't as intimidating as I thought. I was introduced to Indian cuisine when a housemate during my summer internship had a hankering for palak paneer, a dish of farmer's cheese in a spinach sauce. We drove 70 miles to eat at Ghandi Restaurant on Central Ave where I was introduced to Chicken Tikka Masala and was hooked at first bite. 

I'm one of those people that likes to try a bit of everything and Indian buffets are perfect for that, but usually I've only come across buffets at lunchtime. So when the craving hit at dinner time, J and I decided to venture up to Latham to Karavalli and stray from our usual sushi date nights. A 4.5 star rating from Yelp was enough to pique our interest. 

There was already a pretty good dinner crowd when we arrived; a full dining room is always a good sign. Even better, there was complimentary papadum (a thin, crispy cracker) with a duo of sweet and savory chutneys aka Indian condiments. J isn't much of a seasoned Indian foodie as I am but was adventurous enough to order lamb saag. I usually don't like lamb but loved it in this dish. Sometimes the gamey flavor of lamb is off-putting to me but the blend of spices in the spinach sauce balanced well with the chunks of meat. I ordered the Chicken Tikka Masala, a dish that sets the standard and quality of each Indian-American restaurant that I visit. Karavalli's version did not disappoint; creamy and spicy (but not hot spicy), chicken tikka masala always hits the spot when the craving hits. Indian food is also never complete without naan, a buttery and chewy flatbread. It's perfect for sopping up the sauces and picking up bits of meat mixed in with basmati rice.  Don't be afraid to get hands on! A glass of mango lassi, basically a yogurt milkshake, is always an added treat too. 

What I love about Indian food is that flavors are so complex. Not every masalas and curries are made the same; dishes can taste different across the board depending on where you go. Each Indian restaurant is unique in its own way; they use their own blend of spices and if you go enough like I do, not one dish tastes exactly the same and that's the fun part! Just don't ask me to name all the spices, it's nearly impossible but I mostly pick up on cumin, cinnamon, and paprika.  Indian food can be as regional as our American foods and I love discovering and tasting the nuances of this type of cuisine. It's hard to pick a favorite Indian food spot in the Capital Region, but J and I thoroughly enjoyed our experience at Karavalli. Plus service was excellent; our dishes were cleared right away and you never run out of water (a giant pet peeve of ours when ignored). 

Does anyone know of Indian buffets for dinner in the area? I'd love to go on more Indian dinner dates. Variety is the spice of life right? Indian food certainly doesn't lack spice! Ok, really, I just want to be glutton and fill my plate with all kinds of delicious morsels. -R

Golden Harvest Farms

You know it's fall season when there's an abundant of all things apple and pumpkin-flavored, but nothing beats the real thing. The epitome of fall happens the moment you pick a ripe apple from the branches and bite into its crisp, juicy flesh. Upstate New York is magical in the fall and wouldn't be complete without a trip to the orchard for apples and cider donuts. J and I went on a whim and it just so happened to be opening weekend of Pick Your Own at Golden Harvest Farms in Valatie. Just 20 miles from Albany, this orchard is a nice getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city.

It's always a good sign when you are greeted by the rich, fragrant smell of freshly made apple cider donuts as soon as you drive through the parking lot. The sweet smell is enough to lure you into the shop first but a treat is much more rewarding after you've worked for it. If you need a little pep before venturing into the orchard, a distillery is conveniently located onsite. Harvest Spirits

has been making a range of liquors from apple vodka to apple jack and brandy. $1 will get you a sample and boy will it hit you. It's strong stuff, maybe that's why they'll only serve you up to three samples. Hard liquor isn't really for us but we really appreciate locally sourced and handcrafted products. Harvest Spirits also had samples of ice cider on hand from Slyboro Cider House.  Produced much like ice wine, ice cider is sweet from the residual sugars and the apple flavor is very prominent. We were big fans and picked up a bottle.

Warmed up from a couple shots, J and I were ready to hit the orchards. This pick your own was a steal at $15 for a half bushel bag plus two coupons for FREE apple cider donuts! Apple sampling is encouraged too which meant free snacks along the way. It's still pretty early in the season, so not all the apple varieties are prime for picking. Our favorite were red crisp and sweet galas and we had no problem filling our bag, and stomachs to boot. But of course there was still room for donuts at the end of the trip!

To round out our apple picking adventures, we picked up a gallon of apple cider and half a dozen of cider donuts (plus two free ones from our coupons). I'm usually on team yeast donut, but these cider donuts are one of the few cake donuts that I love; they're not too dense and deliciously covered in cinnamon sugar. Don't wait til you get home to have your first bite, especially if they are still warm. Eating one in the parking lot is perfectly acceptable and the more sugar you're covered with, the better. Plus it makes for a very special moment eating a freshly made donut made on premise from the cider pressed from the apples that you're standing a mere few feet away from. Now I'm curious, where are other must go to orchards in the area for apple cider donuts? -R

La Empanada Llama

We can officially add Peruvian cooking to our list of favorite ethnic eats. Just last week I got I got a chicken empanada from La Empanada Llama lunch stand at the Empire State Plaza. That empanada was so memorable that I had to track down the restaurant and share my find with J. 

I remember reading about the new La Empanada Llama storefront located in the Crestwood Plaza in Albany (same plaza as Spinner's Pizza) and can't believe I didn't make it a point to stop by earlier. J and I got to the place a little before closing time and and the restaurant was sadly empty except for the life size stuffed llamas. We decided to order a small feast to go which seems to be the norm vs. dine-in. 

Since empanadas are the specialty, we ordered one of each kind: beef, chicken, chorizo, and spinach and cheese. For little hand pies, these puppies were packed with flavor. The dough is light and flaky yet not too greasy from being fried. J's a "meatatarian" and the spinach and cheese was his favorite.  My favorite was the chorizo and cabbage empanada, which was different from the bright red and spicy Mexican chorizo that I'm normally use to. I was taken aback by the bites of raisins in the beef empanada but the sweetness worked so well with the spiced beef, corn and rice filling. As for the chicken, I can see why it's a Farmer's Market bestseller. It's cooked in a traditionally aji amarillo sauce, a Peruvian yellow chilli pepper, that is midly spicy but not as sharp as jalapenos. It's a good starter empanada, even for my co-worker who normally isn't adventurous and she loved her first time trying something new. Needless to say, not one bite of any of these empanadas was disappointing. It was a good balance of flavorful filling to crust. What we discovered is that there's so much more to La Empanada Llama than its signature empanadas.

Banh Mi Hung Phat

To most people Montreal is synonymous with the French-Canadian delicacy of poutine. J and I have a deep love for poutine but Montreal for us is about exploring my family's Vietnamese roots as well. My mom is an amazing cook and bar none makes the best homemade spring rolls and chicken pho noodle soup. The one dish that is best left to the professionals is the humble but oh so delicious banh mi sandwich. 

Marche Hung Phat has mastered the art of assembling a good 'ole banh mi sandwich. At a mere $3.50 in Canadian dollars/$3.32 in U.S. Dollars at the current exchange rate (that's no typo!), this deal blows the $5 footlong Subway sandwich out of the water. What makes a classic banh mi sandwich so good you ask? Let's break it down: 

- The Baguette: Did you know Vietnamese cuisine has a lot of French influences? Case in point--the very foundation of any sandwich--the bread. Banh mi literally translates to bread. What's unique about the Vietnamese version is that it's made from a combination of wheat and rice flours. The result is a crispy crust yet light innard, the perfect vehicle for meaty accroutrements.

-The Filling: A classic banh mi has a schmear of liver pate and homemade garlic mayo (other very French components) with thinly sliced layers of ham and pork bologna called cha lua. You can actually find cha lua at the Asian markets here in Albany if you want to give a go at making your own homemade banh mi sandwich. 

-The Greens: Must include pickled carrots and daikon, fresh crisp spears of cucumber, cilantro, and slices of bird chillies for a spicy kick. 

A good banh mi is a fine balance of the above elements. It's layers of flavors and textures in a humble sandwich. One bite and it's a party in your mouth: crispy, crunchy, spicy, meaty, salty, sour, umami. Banh mi sandwiches at Marche Hung Phat are that special. Maybe it's because of its location in the heavily French-influenced province of Quebec, or maybe it's because those ladies behind the counter just assemble your sandwich to order with love. By the way, every sandwich is customized to your liking so it really is made with love.  You can even deviate and order other banh mi sandwiches made with chicken, tofu, Vietnamese sausage, or pork meatball or go in a completely different direction with other Vietnamese soup dishes.

But really, make it a point to order yourself a #2 Classic Banh Mi at Marche Hung Phat. It's what they are known for. Best $3.50 you'll ever spend on "fast food".  It's also conveniently located near  Little Italy and Marche Jean Talon's public farmer's market where you'll find more good eats and free samples along the way. -R