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. 

Short and Stout Tea Company

We've always been major coffee drinkers but per doctor's orders, J's been directed to cut back on the caffeine. His drink of choice lately has been tea and while we know some teas have less caffeine than others, we just don't know enough about it. Enter Short and Stout Tea Company. This new, quaint and bright shop is located right behind Cafe Calabria and has walls of blended teas to choose from. Overwhelmed? No problem, the owners are happy to help and offer suggestions. 

Being the supportive fiance that I am, I jumped on the low to no caffeine bandwagon with J. Come to find out, white teas have the least amount of caffeine while rooibos and fruit tisanes have no caffeine at all. We were in a fruity mood and were sold at first sniff of Black and Blue--a blend of berries (blackberry, blackcurrant, blueberry, strawberry, raspberry, elderberry), candied papaya, and hibiscus. Sweet smells of berries reminded us of the upcoming warmer weather and we couldn't say no to an iced version to kick start the spring season. It's refreshingly tart; no sweetener needed! Short and Stout takes brewing time very seriously. While you're waiting for your tea to brew, feel free to relax by the couches or browse the walls of samples. There are various blends to explore and smelling the delectable mixes is half the fun of exploring this space.

In addition to various blends of teas and preparations including bubble tea, the real treats reside in the display case. We also happen to have a massive sweet tooth and couldn't say no to homemade tea-infused confections, including the wonders of the brookie--an oolong-infused half cookie, half brownie hybrid. If you choose to stay in the shop, they'll warm it up for you and you'll fall in love with the combo of melted chocolate chips and chewy brownie. We couldn't really pick up on any oolong tea flavor but the chocolate flavor is where it's at. J was already asking for another brookie to go as we battled for the last bite. You won't be disappointed by the tea-infused cookies either. We got a matcha green tea cookie and normally I don't like shortbread cookies, but this one was buttery and the crumble didn't fall apart at first bite. It was also packed with matcha flavor and the frosting was the icing on the cake cookie. You'll find other flavors like earl grey and masala chai-infused scones and cookies. I'm particularly looking forward to returning for the earl grey cookie. 

What's unique about Short and Stout are the Thai-inspired savory pastries. You'll find baked versions of curry puffs and vegetarian spring rolls. The puff pastries are baked to golden perfection. Flaky and buttery, they are filled with unique flavors like yellow chicken curry and chicken curry with peanut sauce. The spices are prominent but the heat is mild and there's a touch of sweetness too. Additions of vegetables round out the filling. It's your favorite Thai curry in one little bite. 

You'll also find other Asian-inspired bites like crab rangoon. Short and Stout's version is not your typical deep-fried, greasy cream cheese takeout. These too are baked and lightly filled with surimi crab. I couldn't detect any cream cheese. If there was any, it was very light and a different take on this Chinese appetizer. Our favorite part was the sweet chili dipping sauce. It's not just Asian flavors, you'll also find Greek-inspired flavors of spinach and feta in phyllo among others. It's an international case of sweet and savory flavors. Short and Stout is more than a place for a spot of tea. Come by an get a little bit of everything, that's what we did! 

Creo Restaurant

Do our eyes deceive us? Banh mi AND poutine under one roof? The two dishes we live and die for were both on the lunch menu at Creo Restaurant. It's like they were meant just for us. I was always intimidated by Creo, thinking it was too stuffy to be part of our dining scene.  We frequent Mr. Fuji Sushi and The Meat House on a regular basis but for for some reason or another, we always bypassed Creo at Stuvesant Plaza. Setting our prejudices aside, we set off for to try a new experience. The menu had our names written all over it; how could we pass up on two of our favorite meals?

Our search for poutine in the Capital Region has led us to various interpretations, from The City Beer Hall to Capital City Gastropub, with little success in replicating the flavors and squeakiness of this French Canadian delicacy. They both deserve honorable mentions for use of quality ingredients but the magic is in a certain cheese curd and execution of the dish. It's hard to impress this Canadian-Vietnamese. Thus far, the only place that has been able to perfect the ratio of unmelted cheese curd to crispy fries and gravy has been The Montreal Poutine food truck. The cheese curd I look for has a particular flavor and texture that local cheddar curds here just don't have. Oddly enough, Montreal Poutine truck aside, the only other cheese curd with the exact flavor profile can be found frozen in Trader Joe's version of poutine but the fries and gravy that come with it are atrocious. It's difficult to describe what I'm looking for exactly in terms of flavor but it's almost a cross between mozzarella and cheddar and the texture and squeak of halloumi. So how does Creo's poutine fare? 

Reel Seafood Co.

Our one and only visit to Reel Seafood Co. was more than three years ago. Our meals weren't terrible; they were just forgettable. Ever since J mastered the art of shucking oysters, our outings for seafood has been limited to trips to fin-your fishmonger for our own stay-at-home feasts. But with recent news of renovations, new chef and owner, and renewed efforts to source sustainable seafood and local seasonal ingredients, we were willing to jump back on board Reel Seafood Co. We don't typically go out on Friday nights but it was a chance for us to observe a busy dinner service. 

Although it felt a bit like being inside an alien spaceship, neon glow aside, the "new" Reel Seafood Co. certainly looks sleek and modern with updated furniture, a wall of aquariums, and bright blue lighting.  We were excited to try the "new and improved" menu. We're more than capable of prepping our own raw bar and escargots has been on J's culinary bucket list for awhile now, so in we dove with snails as an appetizer. This was our first time trying escargots and we didn't quite know what to expect. What we got were underseasoned, butter-soaked bites. The little rounds of puff pastry didn't add much flavor or texture, and I didn't really care for them. A few shakes of salt helped a bit but the herbed-butter was overwhelming. As for the escargots, J liked them more than I did. They were a bit too earthy-flavored for my taste but the texture wasn't as bad as I was expecting; it's almost like eating a chewy mussel or clam. I would try escargots again but prepared differently. 

Good Night Noodle Preview

Pho with Chicken Meatball

This isn't the pho noodle soup I grew up with but I'm more than ok with it. It's all pho a good cause. Get it?! Forgive the pho pun. More on the soup. By day it's Good Morning Cafe, and by night owner Nancy Holzman and chef/business partner Linh Sullins are working to flip the same space into Good Night Noodle. Both under one roof, the businesses share a common objective: to bring good, healthy food using locally-sourced, seasonal ingredients with a give-back philosophy. You can read more about their mission and story at Indiegogo. 

Organic, grassfed, and gluten-free are not part of my Vietnamese vocabulary but it does translate into a delicious bowl of guilt-free pho soup. I found a kindred spirit in Linh as we chatted about our Vietnamese backgrounds and how she came about developing her recipe. With Good Morning Cafe's philosophy in mind, Linh wanted to echo those local and sustainable ingredients in her Vietnamese dishes while providing a healthier alternative. That means no MSG, no bouillon, and no fish sauce in the cooking process (gasp! more on that later). During a recent blogger preview, we were served bowls of chicken pho with samples of beef broth and veggie broth.