Brunswick BBQ & Brew

I want my baby back, baby back, baby back, ribs. Don't go to Chili's for authentic BBQ. Seriously. J and I have been making fun of BBQ sauce ever since watching an episode of Restaurant Impossible where a Southern BBQ joint was using bottled BBQ sauce with a dash of allspice and squeeze of bottled lemon juice for tang. We've been on the hunt for good BBQ ever since and have found bliss at Brunswick BBQ & Brew in Brunswick, NY. It's our go to place when the meat cravings set in and we're happy to make the trek from Albany.

Tucked in what seems to be the middle of nowhere, this place is hands down one of the best authentic BBQ joints in the Capital Region. Step out of the car and you are greeted by the sweet smell of smoked meat in the air. Ahhh, makes you salivate. It's hard to pick one menu item but a good starter is the BBQ Appetizer Sampler. You get a bit of everything: bbq wings, ribs, and piggly wigglys aka pulled pork sliders. All the meats are smoked to perfection and the depth of flavor can only be achieved by properly smoking low and slow and not just quick grilling meat. You can see that classic pink ring on the meat that they always talk about on the BBQ tv specials.  

J's go to platter is the tender and juicy beef brisket. You get an array of sides with the plates. Our favorites are the baked beans and sweet potato fries. But J's favorite staple is the corn bread with honey butter. The butter is like crack. Fluffy cornbread is the perfect vehicle for this sweet and salty buttah. He would eat a tub of honey butter if he could, but I'd like my fiance not to die of a heart attack. 

Brunswick BBQ isn't just about the meat but the pizza as well! They have a brick oven pizza that makes for the most perfect charred crust. The dough is crispy yet has a good chew to it and one of the best slices is the Brunswick BBQ Signature pizza with homemade, sweet Kansas City Sauce, cheddar cheese, and that yummy smoky pulled pork. The Margherita Pizza is just as good too, especially with prosciutto.  

Make a point to stop on by Brunswick BBQ, it's also a great pit stop to or from Grafton State Park or The Peace Pagoda. You will find blissful peace in this BBQ joint as soon as you taste it! -R

Cheesecake Machismo

I love me a good cheesecake. Some out of town friends came for a visit and wanted Cheesecake Factory for dessert. As much as I love CF's dense, creamy cheesecake, my friends needed to have a true Albany dessert experience at Cheesecake Machismo. 

Small, quaint, and definitely quirky (hello pop art and all things comic books), it's the ultimate unique sweets spot. You all know I'm a sucker for different flavors, and Cheesecake Machismo lives up to uncommon flavors that you won't find at chains like Cheesecake Factory. My odd flavor of choice was a green tea cheesecake with chocolate ganache topping while J was sold when he heard chocolate chip cookie dough crust and went with a slice of chocolate chip fasciana. I must admit the green tea flavor didn't really come through but the chocolate part made up for it, and I love the light texture of the cheesecakes here. Sometimes the CF ones are too dense and rich, and at CM I leave satisfied and not over the top stuffed after a slice. 

The friends went with slices of bananas foster and pineapple upside down (aka

Spongebob's Eviction) and were not disappointed. Cheesecake Factory who? Plus, at $5 a slice with your choice of a hot or cold beverage, it's a mighty good deal. When in doubt, always take out of town guests to the best local spots like Cheesecake Machismo. 

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.

Let's Go Dippin'

It's summer picnic season which means bring a dish to share time. Stumped on what to bring to a pot luck? Try this tomato basil dip and let the raving begin. Everyone will be asking you for the recipe and it's stupidly simple. I'm terrible at following recipes but here's the gist of this mind-blowingly good dip: 

- Whip two blocks of cream cheese with 1/2 cup-ish of sour cream until fluffy

- Spread cream cheese mixture onto base of a large serving dish (or two disposable round cake pans for easy take and serve)

- Dice a pint of cherry tomatoes or 3-4 large ripe tomatoes into a bowl and mix with salt and pepper to taste. Let sit for a few minutes to let juices drain. 

- Spread tomatoes (leaving juices behind) over layer of cream cheese

- Chiffonade fresh basil leaves (2-3 bunches pending your taste) and sprinkle over tomatoes

- Drizzle with a balsamic glaze (reduce a cup or so of balsamic vinegar in a saucepan and let cool til it thickens)

That's it! Not only does this dip look beautiful, but guests will rave over how good it is. It's fresh summer flavors all in a creamy delicious dip! Enjoy! -R

Trader Joe's Treasures

Hummus is one of the easiest dips you can make at home but sometimes I'm just too lazy to make and it's just too easy to pickup quality ones at Trader Joe's. My new favorite TJ hummus is a cilantro and jalapeno hummus. It's slightly spicy and for some reason reminds of Indian flavors, like the green chutney you get on the side from those all-you-can eat lunch buffets. Delicious with pita chips and sugar snap peas. 

Another unusual TJ product is edamame hummus. It's made with edamame instead of chickpeas and has this fun green color. You still have the classic flavors of tahini, lemon, and garlic but with a unique twist. 

My other go to hummus when I'm not at Trader Joe's is Sabra's Sun Dried Tomato Hummus with the fun dip in the middle and Tribe's 40 Spices Hummus. I have no idea what all forty spices are but cumin is definitely one of 'em. 

It's about time I snacked on something healthy.

Scooped

Summer is awesome in the Capital Region, especially because we're blessed with so many delicious ice cream stands! FUSSYlittleBLOG has pretty much covered the best of the best spots in The Tour de Hard Ice Cream and I can certainly vouch for how good The Ice Cream Man is, as in Bobby Flay lost in an ice cream Throwdown good. 

TICM in Greenwich is dangerously close to our summer camp house and we stop by every chance we get. A favorite of mine is the Almond Joy Ice Cream (coconut ice cream with chocolate chips and almonds) but since we had a Living Social coupon, J & I decided to indulge a bit and went for a couple pints. Bordeaux Cherry (cherry amaretto ice cream with almonds and fresh cherries) and Mochacinno coffee ice cream for J. Not only is it locally made, but TICM also uses local, seasonal ingredients when it can like the hand melons, blueberries, and strawberries from the Hand Melon Stand right down the street. Rich and creamy, this ice cream hits the spot every time. 

Another favorite new ice cream discovery comes by way of the Troy Farmer's Market. Dreampuff Marshmallows makes unique sweets and now they have ice cream sandwiches! We tried a rhubarb ice cream sandwich and the tart ice cream paired with a soft sugar cookie was the perfect portable treat for a sunny Saturday stroll through the market. Apparently there is also a new storefront in Brunswick that is on my to visit list this summer. Bring on more gorgeous summer days so I can get more ice cream in me! -R

NY Farm 2 Door Food Truck

Oh man do I love seeing a new food truck on the culinary scene, especially when it's on my lunch break. I am blessed with awesome lunch spots in Downtown Albany and that includes the outdoor Farmer's Market at the Empire State Plaza on Wednesdays and Fridays. My go to trucks on Farmer's Market days are usually Slidin' Dirty and Capital Q Smokehouse. It was refreshing to see some newcomers on the Plaza including DeFazio's Pizza, Empanada Llama, and 'Merican Food Truck. 

I'm looking forward to expanding my lunch choices but my eye, and stomach, was on the NY Farm 2 Door Food Truck. Not that that a burger was a healthy choice, but the fact that it was made with locally sourced and farm-raised beef made me feel better about my

food choices. I'm loving seeing more restaurants and now food trucks in Albany committed to using sustainable and seasonal ingredients from our local NYS farms. It just makes me feel better knowing where my food comes from. Back to the burger; NYF2D uses 100% grassfed beef that is dry aged for 40 days. At $6.50, it was very reasonably priced for the quality of the product. While on the smaller side, compared to the ginormous ones at CityBeer Hall, this burger was just the right portion for lunch and satisfying. It had a nice charred crust and was well-seasoned. I opted for maple-pickled jalapenos which gave the burger just the right kick. My only gripe is that I like my burger towards the medium-rare side. 

I can't wait to try the maple dusted doughnut holes, they're fried in pork fat! I'm sure a nice healthy salad with organic greens will balance those calories out.  The lunch chronicles to be continued as I hit up the rest of food trucks and vendors at the Empire State Plaza this summer.