The Breakfast Spot

Some of the best bites are classic ones. The Breakfast Spot in Cohoes is a charming throwback to the 60s with its decor but it's the menu of traditional breakfast fare that makes mornings more bearable. It's not breakfast without bacon and the quintessential B.E.C. sandwich is a pretty solid choice. The trifecta comes together with crispy applewood-smoked bacon aplenty, seasoned fried egg, and American cheese. Why does American cheese get such a bad rep? Its meltability works great for this breakfast staple. I'm usually team english muffin but a fresh, buttery Bella Napoli roll works real well here soaking up all that bacon flavor. In case you didn't have enough bacon, we highly recommend sharing the loaded home fries with more bacon, cheese, scallions, and sour cream. Add a cup of coffee and breakfast is complete. 

Pass The Thyme Cafe

Where did summer go? It's hard to believe that fall flavors are in full swing. The Capital Region is blessed with an abundance of pick-your-own orchards with a variety of apples and even better, cider doughnuts and fresh-pressed cider. One of our favorite orchards is Samascott Orchards in Kinderhook, NY. Now that  autumn apples are calling our names, a hearty brunch is a must before doing some picking. We've driven by Pass The Thyme Cafe numerous times on our way down for PYO summer blueberries and just recently stopped by for a fantastic meal. You'll find this sweet charming spot less than a mile down the road from Samascott Orchards serving a classic variety of breakfast fare and lunch items. 

Omelette of the Day: J went with the special of the day, an omelette with spinach, avocado, tomatoes, bacon and cheddar with a smashed potato cake, toast, and fresh fruit. For $10, this was a huge breakfast! Eggs were fluffy and generously filled with fresh vegetables. The most interesting element of this feast was the potato cake, a unique hybrid of creamy mashed potatoes sprinkled with scallions  and encrusted with a thin, golden crunchy layer of cheese on the bottom. The cheddary tuille of sorts was one of the best, memorable bites. 

We also shared a side of hash. I was perplexed by the dish of thinly sliced potatoes but somehow it worked. It wasn't potato chip thin but had just enough toothy bite yet satisfying crisp. 

Sweet Sue's

The brunch fairies have smiled down upon us again. A trip to Sweet Sue's was a bit of a redemption trip for J and I. We once stopped by for a cupcake and macarons but the texture of the treats were a bit off. Every place has an off day, we get it. But the more I looked on Facebook, the more I was tempted by the playful menu and brunch combos. I convinced J to check out brunch at Sweet Sue's in Troy and we couldn't have been more blown away. 

Sweet Sue's plays around with lots of global flavors, even Vietnamese pho and banh xeo from what I've seen. The day's soup of the day was a Thai Tom Kha and we had to start our meals with a taste. It was a light red curry broth that wasn't the usual blow your head off spicy . For once I didn't miss the heat and enjoyed the balance of sweet and sour flavors. It wasn't too heavy on the coconut milk either and fragrant aromas of lemongrass balanced the sweetness well. It was the perfect soup to start off a beautiful spring day meal.

Get there early because brunch specials run out fast. I had my eye on the arepas from an earlier Facebook post but since they ran out, I opted for a breakfast sandwich with homefries. It wasn't just an ordinary breakfast sandwich. This one was made with Heritage Farms hickory smoked bacon, scrambled eggs, brie, and a schmear of fig jam on an Our Daily Bread croissant.

I loved the salty and sweet combo; the fig jam paired very well with the creaminess of brie and of course everything is better with bacon, especially thick-cut quality bacon. I also love when places opt for the peppery bite of arugula instead of lettuce on their sandwiches. The side of homefries were perfectly crispy but needed a bit more seasoning; just ask for ketchup and sriracha and you'll be all set. Sandwich aside, I was actually just as impressed with the side salad of arugula and house-grown organic sprouts. The greens were brightly dressed with a light vinaigrette and something so simple tasted so fresh and delicious. Locally-sourced and quality, fresh ingredients really do make a difference.
J was just as impressed with his Sooie Sandwich: Heritage Farm pork confit with slaw, pickled onions, and horseradish cream on ciabatta. The pork confit was packed with flavor but not greasy at all. The meat was heavy on cumin which was unexpected but in a good way. The slaw added a good, fresh crunch and horseradish added a good kick. J wolfed down this sandwich in no time. 

Of course a trip to Sweet Sue's wouldn't be complete without a cupcake or two, plus one more for the road. We chose a duo of Lemon Chai and Triple Chocolate cupcakes. This tasted much better than our first time around. Although the frosting was still hard from the fridge case, we didn't mind it all since it was so flavorful. It's a very buttery frosting, richer than your typical cupcake. It's butter alright. The cake part was fluffy and J couldn't get enough of the pudding filling in the chai cupcake. Plus it was so refreshing to see and taste real lemon zest in the cake. As for the chocolate cupcake, definitely plenty of chocolate flavor. What a sweet ending to an awesome brunch. It pays to have a leap of faith and give a place another go. 

The Ugly Rooster Cafe

Sometimes we cheat on the New World Bistro Bar brunch. When up at the summer camp in Schuylerville, in addition to ice cream stops at The Ice Cream Man, we like to grab brunch at The Ugly Rooster Cafe in Mechanicville. 

Small and quaint, it's the perfect spot to grab comfort foods with a southern twist. There's a lunch menu too but the breakfast menu is where it's at. My go to dish is the Southern Style Breakfast sandwich, which is more of a heart cloggingly-delicious fork and knife dish. Biscuits and gravy with fried eggs, cheddar, bacon, and fried green tomatoes. The fried green tomatoes are a must try--tart pickled green tomatoes in a super crispy corn meal batter--and even better smothered with white sausage gravy. This feast also comes with a side of homefries; breakfast wouldn't be complete without them.

Other go to breakfast comforts are the pancakes. On this particular day, J was extra adventurous and decided to take on the Colossal PancakeChallenge. That's 5lbs of pancakes with whipped topping, fresh fruit, and scoops of butter (um yeah, those are NOT scoops of ice cream, much to J's dismay) with syrup that must be consumed in 30mins plus 5 mins without upchucking. If you're crazy enough to tackle this Man vs. Food challenge, give yourself at least 45mins because that's how long it takes to bake these monsters. If you miraculously win this challenge, you get your meal for free along with an Ugly Rooster Tshirt and major bragging rights. Needless to say, there has only been one winner and J will be gracing the Wall of Shame and we're down $15. On the up side, J actually enjoyed the first few bites of his pancakes; they were actually tasty, fluffy, and the fresh strawberries made the challenge a bit more pleasant. J is still in recovery mode and I think he's gonna stay away from pancakes for awhile. Meanwhile, I'd definitely go back for the fried green tomatoes.

Cats, Breakfast and Popovers

Our Maine vacation was plagued with grey skies, rain clouds, and freezing cold temperatures. While it was a nice hot 80 something degrees down here in Albany, were were covered up in at least three layers to keep warm in the 55 degree tundra of Bar Harbor.  I suppose it was a trade-off for how well we had been eating. Besides lobster, we needed food with sustenance to keep us going through the days and nothing was better than a hot comforting brunch. Lucky for us, Bar Harbor has a couple of two great brunch staples.