Hump Day Happy Hour!

The food truck scene in the Capital Region has grown quite a bit within the past few years with a loyal fan base. I remember when Slidin' Dirty was just starting on the scene. Now their avocado fries have taken them all the way to Live with Kelly and Michael and lines have gotten longer, making the wait even sweeter. Not too long ago, we had missed the Food Truck Showcase at the Saratoga Eagle's Club and were pretty bummed out.  Lo and behold the kickoff of the Food Truck Showcase of Upstate New York's Hump Day Happy Hour at Shmaltz Brewing Company last Wednesday. It was the first warm and beautiful day of the summer, perfect for enjoying a few cold brews alongside our favorite food trucks.  

Naturally, our first stop was for beer. We were at Shmaltz Brewing Co. after all. $10 will get you a flight of 5 beers plus a souvernir tasting glass, even when the food trucks aren't around. Armed with a cold one, we were ready to hit the food trucks. J's been waiting to hit Slidin' Dirty since last summer. Sadly avocado fries weren't on the menu but we gladly substituted for jalapeno beef cheddar egg rolls. It's a fun twist on a favorite appetizer and tastes even better with chipotle cream dipping sauce. The beer, in this case a hoppy rye lager (David's Slingshot), paired great with the salty, crispy, and greasy eggrolls. We also shared a duo of sliders: The Dirty Soprano (beef slider with fresh mozzarella, pesto, balsamic glaze, and fried tomato) and The Avocado Bleu (opting for a fried tomato veggie substitute with blue cheese, arugula, crispy onions, and horseradish cream). As always, these are little bites packed with flavor. It might seem like a lot of ingredients for a little bun but it all comes together so well.

Gus's Hot Dogs

We're not always out to seek the latest and greatest that the 518 has to offer. Not every bite has to be the newest trendy bite out there, although The Crisp Cannoli's crodo sure is tasty. Growing up in Montreal/The North Country, poutine and michigan hot dogs were regulars on the menus. It was our go to comfort foods but I never realized how regional food can be til I moved away.  

I was introduced to Brooks' BBQ and chicken spiedies during my summers in Cooperstown, spoiled by bagels and pizza in NYC, and was no stranger to deep-fried pizza rolls from my college days in Potsdam. As I migrated to Albany, disco fries appeared on my radar and although melted shredded cheese/cheese whiz will never compare to the poutine curds of my childhood, the gravy fries and cheese concoction has grown on me. Even mozzarella sticks taste better with raspberry sauce. Albany has its share of unique regional favorites too and it was only up until recently that I went out of my way to try mini hot dogs. 

We've passed Gus's Hot Dogs on numerous occasions but finally made an effort to stop by this iconic Capital Region institution. A weathered sign points to a little unassuming red shack. There's a line but it's fast-moving; it must be good if it's been around since 1954 right? We weren't exactly greeted by the friendliest counter service, but it had a soup nazi chef kind of charm. Surprisingly, there's more than just mini hot dogs so J and I threw in an order for a Greek burger (patty with meat sauce) along with a six pack of wieners with the works: smear of yellow mustard, meat sauce, and diced onions. Food here is cheap! At $0.65 per dog and $1.50 for a Greek burger, it's certainly a steal. The burger patty is thin but had a nice char, was seasoned well, and for the price it's something we would choose over McDonald's. The mini dogs came locally from Helmbold's and for its size had really good flavor and snap. If only red hots came in a mini version. 

It's obviously all about the meat sauce here. It's comparable in texture to the North Country's michigan meat sauce, both a finely ground beef mix, but here the sauce is heavily spiced. I found the sauce to be a bit too bitter but J didn't mind. The experience of eating this regional food at a beloved landmark overshadowed some inconsistencies. It was just fun to take part in the Capital Region's food culture. Time to tackle the rest of the Tour de Mini Hot Dogs. Which is your favorite mini hot dog joint? 

Poutine La Banquise

Squeaky cheese curds. Thick, salty gravy. Fresh, crispy fries. It's so magical when all these elements come together in harmony. During a recent trip up north, we found the mecca of all poutines at La Banquise in Montreal. We've always stuck to basic poutine at La Belle Province, a run-of-the-mill chain by my folks' place, but J and I decided to venture out on our own this time. After repeatedly seeing La Banquise featured on Cooking Channel's Unique Eats, it was time to stop salivating and experience this much hyped-about poutinerie. 

We were starving from a not-so-great wedding buffet and really needed a late night snack to cure some hangry grumps. Lucky for us La Banquise is open 24hrs a day. Now that's dedication to poutine. You know the food will be good when you have to wait in a long line. We opted for the takeout line for a shorter wait. La Banquise takes its poutine very seriously. Here you'll find 30 different kinds of poutine. You read that right. The Canadian delicacy ranges from a classic version to a Montreal favorite with smoked meat and even takes on Mexican flavors with guacamole and tomatoes. For us gluttons, "La Trois Viandes" was calling our names. 

Meet a mess of deliciousness in all its meaty glory. It's not pretty but man did it hit the spot. The ground beef had some crispy bits mixed in with bacon and the hot dogs were brilliantly cut to match the size of the french fries so every forkful had a bit of everything. This poutine had everything we wanted and more. The cheese curds squeaked so much it almost brought us to tears. We're always so disappointed whenever we come across a 518 poutine swimming in a thin gravy or melted curds. We've never gotten the whole trifecta with the exception of The Montreal Poutine Truck and Creo. The Canadians really have mastered the art of assembly. The gravy was just hot enough to coat the fries but not turn them into complete mush or melt the cheese. Even the fries tasted amazing, retaining some crisp despite the mound of toppings and gravy. How did we know it was the best poutine we ever had? The next day, we had it cold for breakfast and the flavors still held up. Looks like we'll be taking more road trips up north this summer. 

Bread and Honey

I've had my share of NYC bagels when I spent a semester in New York, and even a few Montreal bagels from home. Each has its own unique style and now I get to add Albany bagels to that list. What's an Albany bagel? Just stop by Bread and Honey on Madison Avenue and taste for yourself. Bagels here are made fresh on premise but it's not just about the bagels. It's a mecca for all your carb-related needs--from loaves of fresh bread to pretzels, scones and sandwiches, and on occasion bread pudding made with Bake For You cookies! But the bagels here are the stars of the bakery.

Get to Bread and Honey early though, favorites run out fast. Lucky for us late sleepers, a couple of Everything bagels were still waiting for us. You're going to want a schmear of bacon scallion or smoked salmon cream cheese to accompany these jewels. No need for toasting, they shine own their own especially if you can get one still warm from the oven . It's not as thick and dense as the New York bagels I've come across but still sizable. There is a nice toothy bite to this Albany bagel with an unbelievable crunchy, crusty exterior and chewy soft innard that isn't too fluffy or doughy. It also has a great balance of toppings for an everything bagel, including chunks of salt which I haven't found as prominent on other everything bagels, if any really. The bagels from the chains just don't hold a candle to the ones at Bread and Honey. Even the cream cheese tastes better. You can actually taste the smokiness from the bacon one and the there's plenty of briny salmon bits in the lox one. One of each cream cheese is the way to go.

You can also add a cup of homemade soup for a light lunch. We happen to come on a day when turkey barley was on the menu. It was a cold, grey day and a cup of soup was just what we needed. I've never come across this combo before but this stew-like soup was so comforting with chunks of carrots, potatoes, and ground turkey. I never cook with tarragon and am not familiar with its flavor but a touch of this herb added a different and welcomed dimension of flavor. All it was missing was a touch of salt and pepper. 

We also got a sample of sourdough bread too and knew we had to take a loaf home. It had a beautiful crust and lovely chew. We knew it would be great bread to make grilled cheeses for dinner. It's refreshing to see so much thought go into a well-made, simple product and you can taste the love and care. We've stopped by at least three times now. Albany is so lucky to have a new bakery like Bread and Honey. Cheers to more Albany bagels!