Winter Bites 2016

This winter was a mild one but there were a couple of days in between that were cold enough to justify some super comforting dishes. Here's a look back at some of our favorite winter bites: 

Camion Au Pied de Cochon: What better way to kick off the New Year than with poutine! We came across the mobile version of Au Pied de Cochon, a Montreal establishment well-known for very indulgent meals. After a stroll around the outdoors Le Grand Marche de Noel market, a warm cup of fries with gravy and cheese curds hit the spot. But it wasn't your typical poutine as this one was spiked with foie gras. Talk about gluttony. Each heart clogging bite was totally worth it. 

Michigan Plus: I spent a good part of my childhood in the North Country but for some reason always avoided michigan dogs. It wasn't until recently that I appreciated the uniqueness of this regional New York chili dog. If it isn't a pit stop at our favorite border poutine joint, it's a stop in Plattsburgh to fuel up on gas and a michigan with a neon red Glazier dog. For a twist, there's even a garbage plate version which we've also tried, for science of course. 

CNY Salt and Pepper Plate: Call it Chinese New Year, Tet, or Lunar Year, it's a great reason to celebrate and feast amongst good company. We shared a wonderful, adventurous meal at Hong Kong Bakery with FUSSYlittleBLOG, Albany Jane, Jon in Albany, and Ms. Garlic . There was abalone, ginger and garlic lobster, and even pigs feet but the highlight of seven course meal was the salt and pepper combo platter. It was a crispy mix of fried squid, little bite-sized fish, and tofu that even my normally anti-tofu husband loved for its flavor and texture. My favorite bites were the salt and pepper pork ribs and accompanying jellyfish! 

Garden Bistro Mussels: Mondays just got better thanks to Mussel Mondays at Garden Bistro 24. At $13.50, the mussel entrees are a steal. A hefty amount of fresh shellfish is served with equally generous portion of frites to sop up a flavorful signature sauce of your choice. I had a chorizo and kale special but J's lemon basil butter had be stealing more than a few bites. 

The Saphouse Pancakes: Major hat tip to Deanna Fox for featuring The Saphouse at Stone House Farm on All Over Albany. As if we didn't love venturing out to Sharon Springs and Cooperstown enough, an all-you-can eat maple breakfast (pancakes or waffles) is the only thing that'll get me up early on the weekends. Get ready for a sugar high because at $6 per person, it's easy to load up on maple syrup, maple sugar, and maple butter to your heart's content. My only complaint is that the maple milk doesn't come in a gallon size because it's that addicting! 

Tour de Honeymoon Lobster

We spent the majority of our honeymoon eating our way through Maine. There were brilliant bites in Portland, especially at Miyake Fore Street, but Kennebunkport also held a special place in our stomachs:

Before we headed to Kennebunkport, we had to stop by Eventide Oyster Co. in Portland for another bite of the highly-praised and addictive brown butter lobster roll. The Chinese-style steamed bun soaks up juicy, sweet chunks of lobster bathed in a warm, nutty caramelized sauce. It just takes one bite to be hooked on this lobster roll. 

We started our first official night in Kennebunkport feasting on a 3-course lobster meal at Stripers Waterside, our hotel's adjoining restaurant. The only standout of the night was a lobster taco but the highlight of our meal was sharing our dinner with President H.W. Bush, Babs, and his secret service team. They sat behind our table, unbeknownst to us, and we didn't realize the family was there until it was time for him to leave and he gave us a very presidential goodbye wave. 

The Clam Shack is more than just clams. Of course the fried clam bellies were spectacular but the lobster roll here deserves just as much praise. Our favorite classic roll of the trip featured a whole lobster tail in all its glory. The secret is to ask for the lobster with a half butter, half mayo concoction. 

Mabel's Lobster Claw was conveniently located across from our hotel, lending itself as the for the perfect location for an afternoon snack. As a change of pace, we ordered a half lobster, half crab roll option. To my surprise, I enjoyed the the crab half more. Perhaps it's because we were at least six consecutive lobster dishes deep into our honeymoon and were craving something other than lobster. This was the night we took a break and had steak for dinner. 

Despite high cholesterol levels, we just couldn't leave Kennebunkport without one final morsel of lobster. We indulged in a tempura lobster tail at Wicked Tails because anything on a stick and fried is awesome. Then we saw lobster poutine on the menu and squealed with glee. It was fate! Our last forkfuls of lobster was bathed in a rich lobster stew, SQUEAKY cheese curds, and hand-cut fries. We ended our honeymoon on a great bite! 

Summer Bites 2015

Adios Summer! I'm sad to see the weather cool down a bit. Our summer was so busy between work and our wedding but it was nice to indulge in some seasonal treats in between. Here's a look back at some favorite bites from the summer:

Scoup's Ice Cream: This little stand by The Crossings makes delicious homemade hard ice cream but it was the homemade Italian ice that had us coming back all summer-long. The texture is delightfully smooth and the lemon ice is so tart and refreshing.

Tastee Freez: It was definitely the summer of soft serve. We found ourselves making several trips to the Delmar stand for his and hers cones.

Jumpin Jacks Drive-In: We finally made it to this iconic landmark for the first time ever. The food isn't gourmet (and doesn't have to be) but there's a certain nostalgic factor to the place that adds to the atmosphere . The signature Jack Burger with the coleslaw was a bit perplexing but the onion rings and fish fry were surprisingly delicious. 

The Clam Shack: Our mini-honeymoon turned into a quasi Tour de Maine Lobster Roll in Kennebunkport. The lobster roll at The Clam Shack far outshined the rest of the bunch with generous chunks of lobster meat. Look at that whole tail! The half-butter, half-mayo mixture also added extra flavor. The fried clams were just as stellar but you have to get the ones with the bellies. 

Cantine Le Relais: A trip home to Montreal and back wouldn't have been complete without a stop by our favorite little summer poutine shack by the Canadian border. Every squeaky bite reminded us how delicious and unique cheese curds are in Quebec. 

Ravenous Creperie

A taste of France in Saratoga? We are obsessed with TC Paris and its delicate and magical confections so why not complete the French experience and balance the sugar out with some crepes and frites from Ravenous Creperie. Crepes come in savory and sweet options, so we got one of each.  

Chicken Bechamel: This savory version is stuffed with sauteed chicken and broccoli with a creamy bechamel sauce. The crepe batter was nice and thin but the filling lacked seasoning and was disappointingly bland.

Crepe Rhubarbe: Sweet crepes are Ravenous' forte. The filling is the right balance of sweet and tart with fresh strawberries, apples, and rhubarb and just the right amount of sugar. A dollop of whipped cream rounded out the dish and was the perfect topping for an added decadence. 

Pomme Frites: We missed the boat on poutine but weren't disappointed by an order of fries. These handcut frites were stellar and delightfully golden and crispy. An order comes with your pick of dipping dipping sauces from pesto mayo to sriracha ketchup. Most of the sauces we wanted to try had ran out but the horseradish mayo we ended up with was a good creamy accompaniment. With these sturdy fries, we had high hopes for the poutine. 

Poutine: Finally on a return visit, we got to try the poutine. I could tell the owner had a French Canadian accent and was hoping that from one Canadian ex-pat to another that flavors from my childhood would come through. Sadly, this did not live up to our expectations. The gravy had good flavor but was thin and lacking. As for the cheese curds, they did not squeak and weren't the flavor we were looking for.  For what it's worth, the fries were still good. Our search for good States-side poutine continues. Squeak squeak. 

Cantine le Relais 202 Poutine

Some dishes don't need all the bells and whistles; simple is best. Simple and found on the road side? Even better. You know how much we love poutine, especially Canadian poutine. So on a recent wedding trip to Plattsburgh we made a 20 minute detour to the Canadian countryside for a snack at a little cantine in Lacolle, just a few miles across the border. When asked by border patrol what we were doing in Canada, we got a little chuckle from the guard when we said it's because we craved good poutine. We weren't kidding!

We've had numerous American poutines--from The Montreal Poutine Truck out of Saratoga; Creo; City Beer Hall; Shirley's; Jonesville Cafe; to Capital City Gastropub--but none have truly lived up to its Canadian counterparts. We've even been to La Banquise in Montreal but there's just something about this particular roadside shack. For the longest time we didn't even know what it was called until I Google-mapped it. It's called Cantine le Relais 202. What a name right? But don't judge a book by its cover. La Cantine serves Canadian comfort food at its best and that translates to poutine with all the right elements.  These are fresh, crispy hand-cut fries fried to order and smothered with the perfect balance of salty, hot gravy to squeaky cheese curds that are barely melted. So what if the gravy tastes right from a powdered mix. To be able to share this classic dish from my childhood with my guy in the middle of nowhere was a special moment. The greasy goodness also helped with a slight hangover from a certain crazy, late-night bachelorette party the night before.

Our mini-trip was even sweeter when we stopped by the ice cream shop next door. They had a poutine ice cream sundaes! So the real thing is nothing like the ad but it's a pretty genius idea: vanilla soft-serve with rice crispy cubes, chocolate wafers, marshmallows, peanuts, and a caramel swirl. Needless to say, our double dose of Canadian poutine was the best wedding detour ever.

Poutine La Banquise

Squeaky cheese curds. Thick, salty gravy. Fresh, crispy fries. It's so magical when all these elements come together in harmony. During a recent trip up north, we found the mecca of all poutines at La Banquise in Montreal. We've always stuck to basic poutine at La Belle Province, a run-of-the-mill chain by my folks' place, but J and I decided to venture out on our own this time. After repeatedly seeing La Banquise featured on Cooking Channel's Unique Eats, it was time to stop salivating and experience this much hyped-about poutinerie. 

We were starving from a not-so-great wedding buffet and really needed a late night snack to cure some hangry grumps. Lucky for us La Banquise is open 24hrs a day. Now that's dedication to poutine. You know the food will be good when you have to wait in a long line. We opted for the takeout line for a shorter wait. La Banquise takes its poutine very seriously. Here you'll find 30 different kinds of poutine. You read that right. The Canadian delicacy ranges from a classic version to a Montreal favorite with smoked meat and even takes on Mexican flavors with guacamole and tomatoes. For us gluttons, "La Trois Viandes" was calling our names. 

Meet a mess of deliciousness in all its meaty glory. It's not pretty but man did it hit the spot. The ground beef had some crispy bits mixed in with bacon and the hot dogs were brilliantly cut to match the size of the french fries so every forkful had a bit of everything. This poutine had everything we wanted and more. The cheese curds squeaked so much it almost brought us to tears. We're always so disappointed whenever we come across a 518 poutine swimming in a thin gravy or melted curds. We've never gotten the whole trifecta with the exception of The Montreal Poutine Truck and Creo. The Canadians really have mastered the art of assembly. The gravy was just hot enough to coat the fries but not turn them into complete mush or melt the cheese. Even the fries tasted amazing, retaining some crisp despite the mound of toppings and gravy. How did we know it was the best poutine we ever had? The next day, we had it cold for breakfast and the flavors still held up. Looks like we'll be taking more road trips up north this summer. 

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? 

The City Beer Hall

I take lunch pretty seriously, especially since I work in Downtown Albany. In looking back at my favorite Downtown Albany lunch spots, I can't believe I totally neglected to mention The City Beer Hall! Sure CBH is great for happy hour and dinner, but it's much quieter and less crowded during the day. With a gorgeous patio space out back, it's a perfect lunchtime getaway break in the summer. 

The lunch menu has evolved into a a lighter, fresher one using seasonal ingredients and it's been a nice alternative to days when I've had a 518 burger and felt too stuffed to work the rest of the afternoon. To be fair, it is probably the best burger I've had in Capital Region. Can't go wrong with quality grass fed beef cooked to a perfectly juicy medium rare. Other go to comfort foods that have stayed on the menu (and that I've obviously had more than once) are variations of delicious, cheezy things: truffled mac 'n cheese; gourmet grilled cheese with aged cheddar, pear, and jalapeno jam on sourdough; and the fried chicken sandwich with cranberry goat cheese and arugula. So when I came across the Heirloom Tomato and

Watermelon Salad, it was a nice break from the comforting carbs and for days when I try to eat more vegetables. I've been loving watermelon salads lately and the panko-crusted goat cheese medallion that accompanied the salad was a nice creamy, tangy element to the mix and the basil-mint vinaigrette rounded the dish well. It was the perfect light salad on a warm summer day. My only gripe was that the portion needed to be bigger but I guess it would be a great duo to balance the mac 'n cheese, which is now a smaller portion as well.

The inner french-Canadian in me squealed when I saw poutine on the menu. We all know that I have high standards for poutine. Since I got J hooked on poutine since we started dating, I couldn't have a bite without my partner in crime. We stopped in for a snack today and went all out: poutine with the pulled short rib. I've come to the conclusion that cheese curd here will never taste the same or squeak the same as the ones in Canada, with the exception of the local Montreal Poutine Truck. I'm always disappointed when the curds come melted but alas, this version was pretty tasty nonetheless. The short ribs were super tender and the beef gravy was made with beer which gave the dish another interesting dimension. The fries could have been more crispy but props for using hand cut fries. 

Since J and I thought ordering two orders of poutine would be overkill, we got a side of the fish tacos instead, which turned out to be an awesome decision. This taco has an asian flair: pan-seared rare tuna on a corn tortilla with ginger-soy slaw and drizzle of wasabi mayo and pickled pineapple. We love sushi and this dish was right up our alley. Good thing we ordered this dish because it was a light refreshing bite compared to the heavy greasy goodness of poutine. We've been big fans of Chef Menagias since his days at the now defunct Wine 'n Diner and even more so now since HopChef. Still dreaming of those HopChef hanger steak and eggs chef ;)  We're happy to see him back on the culinary scene here at the City Beer Hall. 

Montreal Poutine Truck

Not too long ago I had written about authentic French Canadian poutine here in Albany (link to post here). Come to find out, Shirley's Cafe in Jonesville shortly and unexpectedly closed as soon as I wrote that post. Noooo. It was already sad enough that Montreal Poutine had a short run in Crossgates Mall. While we frequented the Mall stop on a semi-regular basis, I can see why they closed. The poutine was never consistent; fries were soggy, not enough salt in the gravy, lacked flavor but the squeaky cheese curd flavor was always spot on. Disappointed that two of our closest Canadian poutine had closed, we almost came to terms that the only way we would ever get great poutine would be to visit my family in Montreal. Then, we saw the light at the end of the poutine tunnel in the form of a shiny yellow truck...

Duckfat

The last time we tried to stop by Duckfat in Portland, the "Closed for Renovations" sign put a kaibosh to our culinary plans but led us to the best lobster rolls of our lives at Eventide Oyster Co. We were on our way to Bar Harbor to spend some quality time by the ocean but duck fat fried fries were calling our names and we just had to make that 1-hr lunch detour. 

We became obsessed with Duckfat when we saw Owner Chef Rob Evans compete on Chopped Champions.  Off the high of last night's Fuel feast, we had high expectations for Duckfat. The joint is considered more of a laid back sandwich place with lots of unique twists, perfect for lunch. You can drool over the menu here. Vacation is the time to splurge and indulge right? Born and raised in Montreal, poutine to me is the epitome of comfort food. Gravy fries with shredded cheese is no poutine. I hold very high standards to every poutine we try, aka I better hear that cheese curd squeak! Duckfat's version of a poutine (hand-cut fries fried in duck fat and smothered with duck gravy) was just o.k. and the Pineland Farm cheese curd didn't squeak. 

I swear the French Canadians have poutine down to a science, even the McDonald's version is good. There's a distinctive taste to a Quebecois cheese curd that no ones seems to have perfected here, except for Shirley's Cafe in Jonesville. The owners are from Montreal and must import their cheese from Canada because it's the only place that makes poutine that tastes like the ones at home to me. We've tried poutines from The City Gastropub and Lil' Britain in Bennington and they don't come close to that at Shirley's. Plus nothing is more disappointing when the gravy completely melts the cheese curds; it's a fine balance of warm gravy to squeaky cold cheese curds to crispy fries.

Back to Duckfat, while the fries had a nice crisp the poutine just didn't wow us. To accompany our paninis, we ordered the craft sodas: a root beer for J and an all Maine tonic for me with raw apple cider vinegar, honey, and maple. Not your typically sweet sodas, but a nice refreshing drink to cut the rich flavors of our sandwiches. Reubens are J's go to sandwiches and he couldn't pass on the Corned Beef Tongue Reuben. You read that right! The corned beef tongue was cut very thinly and not tough at all. Paired with housemade sauerkraut, thousand island, and pressed on crispy rye bread, it was the perfect panini. Mine on the other hand, I was a bit disappointed with. I ordered the Roast Pork Belly panini: with pickled peppers, manchego, and saffron-tabasco mayo. As much as I love pork belly, I just wasn't wowed by my sandwich. The richness of the pork belly needed to be offset by more acidity and the mayo added more richness that wasn't necessary. 

Overall, Duckfat was a bit of a let down except for the reuben. I'm hoping we can squeeze in a redemption trip in the near future because we do love to try new and unique eats.