Showing posts with label Peck's Arcade. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Peck's Arcade. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Top Bites of 2015

The last days of the year brings back memories of yet another delicious round of great eats. We were a bit biased naming our wedding cake from TC Paris as our favorite local bite of the year on All Over Albany but 2015 introduced us to some other favorites that deserve honorable mention:


Uni with quail egg from Sushi Makio: Some bites are life-changing. Sushi Makio proved that fresh, quality sea urchin can be found in Upstate New York. The addition of a velvety quail egg yolk elevated this piece of sushi, bringing an ethereal element that complemented the brininess and creaminess of the uni so well. It was one of those moments where you just had to close your eyes for a moment of silence as you savor the explosion of flavor. 

Spicy ramen at Sushi Tei: The ramen craze is now just hitting Albany with the opening of Tanpopo Ramen and various appearances as specials throughout Capital Region establishments. But it's the Tuesday special at Sushi Tei that hits the spot every time. The tonkatsu ramen is a comforting mix of rich, creamy broth and fatty slices of pork belly . The off-menu addition of spicy pork gives the ramen not only an added kick of spice but flavor that's quickly becoming a favorite. With winter officially here, you can count on this special being on the menu twice a week now with the addition of Ramen Sundays to warm you up. 
Rice or egg noodle with seafood from Saigon Pearl: ICYMI Saigon Pearl now makes a pretty legit crackly banh mi sandwich but you'll also want to check out the rest of menu especially for this noodle dish. Under new ownership, you'll find a new menu with classic Vietnamese favorites like Bun Bo Hue Spicy Noodle Soup and Clay Pot Stewed Fish. One of my favorite dishes, aside from pho, is hu tieu kho thap cam which translates to assorted mixed dry noodles. It's a dish with many variations: dry with pork broth on the side; wet as a soup bowl with the noodles and broth mixed together; with egg noodles or with rice noodles. My preference is dry with rice noodles. The best part of the dry version is that a salty soy-based sauce coats the noodles, and when mixed with a bite of a little of everything, it's delightful. Plus when you get it dry, you still get a side of broth to either mix in with the noodles or slurp alongside. With an assortment of meats and seafood ranging from cha siu pork, fried chicken, fishcake, quail egg, and prawns, it's a dish that'll satisfying every craving. Plus the bits of pork cracklings are the crowning jewels. 


Squid-Ink seared scallop from Peck's Arcade: The creativity at Peck's knows no bounds. Our recent obsession with squid ink led us to a special featuring a perfectly seared scallop. Marinated in a dark briny coat of ink, the stark contrast of colors was just as appetizing as the mix of flavors between the pungent red miso sauce and tangy and creamy avocado mousse. It was a divine morsel and sharing one piece of scallop was a true test of our marriage. 







Garbage plates from Mac's Philly Steaks: A random detour to Canandaigua en route to Buffalo introduced us to one helluva Western delicacy. Garbage plates are a total guilty pleasure between the mountain of fries, hot dogs, meat sauce and mac salad but the mish mosh totally works! This particular one at Mac's featured a plump and juicy Rochester-based white hot dog from Zweigle's, most definitely the highlight of this Mac's Place Special. The Philly Plate on the other hand featured philly steak, onion rings, and hot sauce giving this combo the perfect zip! The added bonus was more carb on carb action courtesy of an Amoroso roll, a legit roll directly from Philadelphia. We can only imagine how amazing the Philly Cheesesteaks must be here but the garbage plate has a special place in our bellies.

More Top Bites: 

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Peck's Arcade

The days of summer are long gone but the memory of a delectable meal from Peck's Arcade lingers:
Sipping a sloe gin fizz on a perfect sunny day. So smooth as it went down the hatch.

Devouring creamy bites of this 23-Layer Potato [gruyere frico, salsa verde, merlot jam]. Thinly sliced potatoes are intricately layered and seared until a golden crust forms. The crispy wafer of nutty, salty cheese was the cherry on top.


Marveling at the rainbow of colors and flavors of this duck with chow chow, frise, and hazelnuts. It was an unexpected blend of familiar Asian notes with a Southern slaw, but its complexity was a welcomed flavor profile. 
Carb-loading on homemade tagtiatelle with lamb bolognese, peas, and ricotta. There's nothing better than fresh pasta with a rich, comforting meat sauce. The only drawback was that the pasta could've used a bit more cooking time.
Indulging in not one but two desserts: a decadent chocolate brownie with homemade vanilla ice cream and a creamy and tangy chevre goat cheesecake that was not only a piece of art but as good as it looked. From the friendly service to plating of the dishes, Peck's Arcade attention to detail was impeccable. As much as we miss summer, we're looking forward to what the team will bring in the coming winter months. Their creativity is endless.

Ok...don't judge us too hard but we also indulged in a third dessert next door at The Grocery. The maple soft-serve topped with feuilletine flakes was irresistible. Hopefully its reincarnation as Little Pecks will bring back the ice cream machine.