... cappuccino apple cider donuts from Cider Belly Doughnuts. Truth be told we also snacked on plain, cinnamon sugar, glazed, chocolate, and maple ones but our favorite so far are these coffee-flavored ones. They're light and fluffy with a crispy exterior with us enough sweetness from the glaze. They've especially tasty if you're lucky enough to get a few warm and fresh ones.
We fell in love with The Hollow Bar + Kitchen during Restaurant Week. I was so impressed with our experience that I returned the very next day for lunch with my co-worker. I was curious to try their burgers and couldn't pass on the signature Hollow Burger. It was love at first bite and quickly became my new favorite hand-crafted burger in the Capital Region. Cooked to a perfect medium-rare, the grass-fed patty was well-seasoned and the burst of velvety yolk from the fried egg added such a luxurious touch. The signature burger also comes with a side of house-made tangy habanero ketchup. A schmear on the bun adds just the right amount of zip to the burger. It was also a great dipping sauce for the sweet potato fries that I opted for. I knew this was a burger that J needed to try too.
A week later we returned to The Hollow for date night. We came smack dab in the middle of front bar renovations but the staff was more than accommodating making sure that the noise wasn't too crazy loud. We honestly didn't mind at all, it felt like we were in the middle of an episode of Restaurant Impossible, one of our favorite Food Network shows. J went with an order of the aforementioned burger and raved as much about it as I did.
My goal was to try the handmade pasta and lucky for us the night's special was a pappardelle with asparagus. At first sight, the dish could feed an army but proportion was no obstacle. I was more than happy to have leftovers for lunch and dove right in. Kudos to chef for making hand-made pasta everyday. The difference between fresh pasta and the boxed kind is unbelievable. Fresh pasta has a lovely texture and toothy bite to it. Finally I understood what al dente is suppose to taste like. A light tomato basil sauce allowed the pasta to shine and for once I didn't miss a heavy, rich meaty sauce like bolognese. The addition of grilled asparagus elevated the pasta dish that much more with that familiar smokey, charred flavor. Ribbons of asiago completed the dish with nutty, salty bites of cheese.
As if our meal couldn't get any better, dessert was on the house for us for all the construction noise. We were hesitant to try the apple cider donut bread pudding again but boy was it a major redemption moment. This time, each spoonful had that creamy custard that we were looking for the first time. Plus we were treated to more of that raw honey we loved so much. Dessert more than exceeded our expectations. Not only is The Hollow Bar + Kitchen now our new favorite place to grab a burger, but our new favorite date night joint.
This past week was Restaurant Week in Downtown Albany. For those not from the area, or the blissfully unaware within the area, this is a week that restaurants advertise a three course meal for a low low price of $20.13. As first-timers, we were afraid restaurants would cheap out on menu items and portion sizes.
I feel like I've been the negative nellie on this blog, which is hopefully not a reflection of my real life attitude. I do tend to be the one to write when we have a bad experience, for whatever reason. Today, however, I want to tell everyone about a fantastic experience we had at The Hollow Bar + Kitchen in Downtown Albany.
The Hollow. Though it failed to live up to its name in that we saw no headless horsemen--this is more disappointing to me than you'd think--the food, service, and hospitality managed to overcome this deficit. Walking in the interior is fairly nondescript, with simple brick walls and white linen tablecloths. The lighting is a little low, though I didn't have an issue reading anything (possibly because we sat near the window), and the music and atmosphere generally comes across as rock-indyish to me, but I may just be a cultural gorilla.
