Swifty's Deep Fried Buffalo Burger

The craving for a meaty and greasy burger was intensified by this past week's so called Blizzard of 2015. Delmar isn't exactly a culinary mecca but the existence of a deep fried burger sounded especially comforting after the flurry of snowflakes. The buffalo burger at Swifty's Restaurant & Pub has long been on our #518eats bucket list. One Instagram from FUSSYlittleBLOG and convincing tweet from PirateJeni later, J and I were both headed toward what could be a poor life decision. 

There's no sharing in our household when both us are craving a burger. The buffalo burger sounded innocent enough until you read this on the menu: "Do not be intimidated by this one-of-a-kind burger! Hand breaded, deep fried crisp and golden, finished in buffalo sauce." Not one to shy away from a challenge, we both dove in with orders of our own, one rare and one medium rare, with medium hot sauce.

The result? An unbelievably gratifying indulgence. The moment you bite into the shatteringly crunchy batter is so satisfying as the juiciness of the fresh sirloin burger mixes in with the tangy hot sauce. Slather on a good helping of the creamy blue cheese sauce for an added moment of euphoria. You would think deep-fried anything would be heavy and greasy but the expertly executed fry job sealed in the rareness of the burger in such a magical way that it didn't weigh down the flavors of the beef or compromise the wellness of the meat. Both of our burgers had the desired amount of rareness. It's an odd concoction but it works so well. How can something so bad for your body taste so good? Oh yeah, it's deep fried and that crispy batter just sets it apart from all other burgers. Our only complaint was the buffalo sauce wasn't spicy enough; we probably would turn it up a notch next time. Now that we just got over an actual snowstorm, the craving for this burger hits again. 

Sadudee Thai Food

Don't judge a book by its cover. You've probably driven on 787 and seen the bright, colorful lights of Sadudee and pondered Thai food in Watervliet? It's an unlikely location for such bold flavors but curiosity drew us in for an overdue visit. Under The Copper Tree has long been a fan of Sadudee Thai Food and recommended the "pasta" dishes. Wait, what? There's Thai food in Watervliet and now we're telling you to get the pasta dishes? Don't knock it 'til you try it! 

Khao Soi: Deviating from my usual go to pad thai and drunken noodles, I opted for this coconut curry dish described as a popular Northern Thai noodle dish. Made with linguine pasta, the same Italian-American version from your supermarket, it's a headscratcher of an ingredient that surprisingly works very well. I'm assuming it's a substitute for the typical Asian egg noodles but here the al dente texture of the pasta holds up to the mildly spiced curry broth. A squeeze of lime brightens up the fragrant flavors, balancing the aromatics with the creaminess of the coconut. The added topping of crispy noodles not only added a wow factor to presentation but a satisfying element of textural contrast akin to extra wonton strips in your hot and sour soup.

Basil Noodles: Another stellar linguine dish was the basil noodles chockull of seafood and vegetables. The sauce here was slightly spicier than the khao soi but just as enjoyable. J's not as fond of Thai food as I am but this dish won him over. I personally love drunken noodle for its basil flavor but this might very well rival pad khee mao.

Duck Salad: The only disappointment was perhaps this salad. It had a lot of promise with enticing ingredients like crispy duck, tart apples, cashews (substituted with peanuts in this case), chili, and red onions. Unfortunately the tamarind vinaigrette was so pungent and salty that it overwhelmed the entire dish. A finer balance of lime juice and fish sauce and this appetizer would have been a hit. 

For what it's worth, Sadudee is not shy with bold and authentic flavors and it might very well give its Albany counterparts a run for its money. Next time you're in Watervliet, don't just come for Gus's mini hot dogs but stop by for a delicious taste of Thailand in one of the most unassuming locations.

currently snacking on...

...Trader Joe's Sweet Sriracha bacon jerky.
An unhealthy decision with absolutely no regrets.
Salty, sweet, spicy, bacon-y. Enough said!

Top Bites of 2014

Happy 2015! We're a bit late jumping on this bandwagon but looking over this past year's food shots made us drool all over again. We named Tara Kitchen's Lamb Tagine our favorite local food of 2014 on All Over Albany but couldn't resist reminiscing over these wonderful bites too: 

Sweet Sue's Breakfast Pasta: As if breakfast pizza wasn't amazing enough, we've found a new brunch favorite in this wonderful carb-filled bowl of fresh pappardelle with smoky bacon, earthy portabella mushrooms, spinach, and tomatoes all topped with cheese and a perfectly poached egg. The moment that velvety egg yolk breaks and coats those beautiful strands of pasta is magical.  Once you twirl a forkful into your mouth, you'll want to shovel the rest. 

DeFazio's Linguini with Clam Sauce: 2014 was the year of tasty carbs. DeFazio's is well-known for its pizza, winning the 2014 All Over Albany Tournament of Pizza Championship. But it was the pasta that left a memorable impression. Made in-house and from scratch, this pasta doesn't get any fresher or better, except maybe with some tomato sauce and a few shakes of freshly-grated parmesan cheese. 

Cider Belly Doughnuts: The classic cinnamon sugar doughnut topped FUSSYlittleBLOG's 2014 Tour de Donuts but it's the glazed ones that we can't get enough of. With rotating flavors like butter rum, apple cider glazed, and German chocolate among a slew of other unique flavors, you'll quickly find yourself filling up an order for a dozen or two. It's not easy picking a favorite but the coffee-flavored ones are stellar. The Stacks Caffeinator Belly was an extra special pick-me-up treat; made with Stacks espresso and glazed with coffee, it was the ultimate jolt of flavor.

Casa Dominica Cuban Sandwich: J's been obsessed with cubanos ever since watching Chef The Movie. Casa Dominica makes a mean pernil, translating to a juicy and flavorful Cuban sandwich. Yes it's a Dominican restaurant but the roast pork is key to this dish. One bite of this sandwich is an explosion of flavors. It's pork on pork action with shredded pernil and slices of salty ham; the combination of meat with melted swiss cheese, zip of mustard, and briny pickles blows any other ham and cheese sandwich out of the water. As an added bonus, you'll even find bits of crispy pork rind throughout each bite adding extra texture and flavor. 

Council Rock Brewery Burger: More 607 than 518 but Council Rock Brewery in Cooperstown churns out good beer and good food. This hands down was the best burger of 2014: maple-glazed angus, topped with brie, pickled green tomatoes, on a pretzel bun. It's a lot of unorthodox ingredients but they all complement each other very well creating a satisfying salty and sweet flavor combo. Sadly it's not on the regular menu. 

More Top Bites:
+ Top Bites of 2013

currently snacking on...

... Chinese Turkey on Christmas Day. We had a little Christmas Story moment at
Ala Shanghai with some delicious Peking duck, cut to order. It wasn't smiling at us though.

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

2014 was another tasty year. Sadly, a handful of our favorite eateries won't be making it past the New Year, some have already shuttered their doors and others closing its storefront soon.

Here's a recap of some 2014 bites that we'll miss dearly:

Good Night Noodle: This short-lived alter ego of Good Morning Cafe offered the Capital Region a unique take on Vietnamese food. For the first time in my life, pho went organic, healthy, and locally sourced. It was a welcomed alternative to our rotation and we'll miss its concept. (Closed November 2014; Good Morning Cafe still open for delicious breakfast!)

Shwe Mandalay:  Even more short-lived was this quaint Burmese joint. Global flavors like this type of cuisine is what I crave. It wasn't mainstream but packed so much flavor. This particular soup, moh hnn kahr, was pungeant and aromatic and just so different. What I'll miss the most is the fried, salted fish. (Closed October 2014)

Crisan: I'm kicking myself for not stopping here more often. Desserts were pieces of edible art with the kind of unique flavor combinations right up my alley. Summers won't be the same without the $2 scoop of gelato in flavors like honey bergamot and lavender. (Storefront closing Jan. 1; open for custom orders.)

The Crisp Cannoli: We said ciao to the only place that made cronuts aka crodos. The Dunkin Donuts monstrosity doesn't count. Sadly they were all sold out of the croissant doughnut hybrid but we indulged in one last sweet bite of hot, fresh-out-of-the-fryer crodoli--a cannoli croissant concoction filled with cannoli cream. (Storefront closing December 24; wholesale and mobile catering to continue.)

Tavern Noodle: Honorable mention goes to this pop-up ramen shop. The flavors didn't quite live up to our expectations (we've been spoiled by Pai Men Miyake) but kudos to Lucas Confectionary for bringing a taste of ramen to the area, even for a couple of nights.

currently snacking on...

...ginger brownies from Bread and Honey.
It's a taste of the holidays all in one delicious bite.