currently snacking on...

...Hill Street Cafe cheddar gravy fries. Just as good as we remember from
Tour de Disco Fries, in all its cheesy, fatty glory. Turkey gravy's a must.

Namu Korean BBQ

Is it spring yet? The intoxicating smells of charred bbq meat seems like a delicious distant memory. Wish we could say we were the die hard few that still grill in the winter but our little grill is buried deep in the massive pile of snow. So when the craving hits, what is one to do? 

Lucky for us there's Namu Korean BBQ in Colonie. We enjoyed our last experience at Seoul Korean and were happy to hear about the addition of more Korean in the area but with a diy twist. Each table is outfitted with built-in grills and the thought of grilling our own meat sounded pretty exciting. The bbq side of the menu is a mix of different cuts of pork, beef, and chicken. Priced from $19 to $29, it's a bit steep for the little amount of meat served. Nonetheless, the bulgogi beef that we ordered was tender and tasty enough. The aromas of grilled marinated rib eye and charred scallions was divine. We insisted on grilling our own meal but the servers are happy to do it for you too. Flavors could've used more balance as I tasted more sweet than savory but it all came together when wrapped up in lettuce with some rice and a schmear of gochuchang pepper paste, although that in itself could've been spicier.

The BBQ came with a generous number of banchan which were the highlight of our meal. These free refillable side dishes are great complements to the meal. J and I both couldn't stop eating the japchae noodles but it was the teeny tiny anchovies and dried shrimp that won me over. Don't be bothered by the tiny eyes staring at you; these briny, salty, and savory bits were delightful, enough to ask for seconds of. Other banchan included a pickled radish and assorted veggies, stir fried green beans, marinated cold tofu, cold spicy squid, and the ever present kimchi. I was slightly disappointed by the lack of heat and abrasive sourness of this quintessential Korean fermented cabbage staple. Not that I wanted blow my head off spicy, but at least a bit more kick.

We're suckers for Japanese grilled squid so the Korean version was right up our alley. A whole squid comes sizzling on a hot stone plate with a mix of scallions and bean sprouts with a side of sweet glaze. The waitstaff chops it up tableside for more manageable bites. J loved this dish. Squid was not too tough at all and the hot plate imparted a good smokey flavor. I could've sworn I tasted butter and it oddly worked. Veggies were a welcomed addition too. 

There was a steady Korean clientele for a Friday night and I'd be curious to hear their take on its authenticity. While flavors could use some adjustments here and there, overall our dining experience was pleasant and we would come back to try the stone bowls and stews. It's not K-Town level but for what it's worth, it's another dining experience for the Capital Region that wasn't there before. While we wait for spring, we'll take tableside grilling for now. 

Swifty's Deep Fried Buffalo Burger

The craving for a meaty and greasy burger was intensified by this past week's so called Blizzard of 2015. Delmar isn't exactly a culinary mecca but the existence of a deep fried burger sounded especially comforting after the flurry of snowflakes. The buffalo burger at Swifty's Restaurant & Pub has long been on our #518eats bucket list. One Instagram from FUSSYlittleBLOG and convincing tweet from PirateJeni later, J and I were both headed toward what could be a poor life decision. 

There's no sharing in our household when both us are craving a burger. The buffalo burger sounded innocent enough until you read this on the menu: "Do not be intimidated by this one-of-a-kind burger! Hand breaded, deep fried crisp and golden, finished in buffalo sauce." Not one to shy away from a challenge, we both dove in with orders of our own, one rare and one medium rare, with medium hot sauce.

The result? An unbelievably gratifying indulgence. The moment you bite into the shatteringly crunchy batter is so satisfying as the juiciness of the fresh sirloin burger mixes in with the tangy hot sauce. Slather on a good helping of the creamy blue cheese sauce for an added moment of euphoria. You would think deep-fried anything would be heavy and greasy but the expertly executed fry job sealed in the rareness of the burger in such a magical way that it didn't weigh down the flavors of the beef or compromise the wellness of the meat. Both of our burgers had the desired amount of rareness. It's an odd concoction but it works so well. How can something so bad for your body taste so good? Oh yeah, it's deep fried and that crispy batter just sets it apart from all other burgers. Our only complaint was the buffalo sauce wasn't spicy enough; we probably would turn it up a notch next time. Now that we just got over an actual snowstorm, the craving for this burger hits again.