Parivar Spices & Food

Since our visit to La Mexicana Grocery, I'm convinced that the best eats come from the back of a grocery store. For the longest time we drove by Parivar Spices without a blink until Albany Jane's post inspired us to stop by for a snack, aka chaat as it's known in India. Our first go around was a bit intimidating between being greeted by quite an extensive menu and confusion navigating the counter service system. We came in expecting your standard Indian menu with your tikka masalas and tandooris but were surprised by the array of chaats, dosa crepes, and vegetarian only options.

Some items aren't as descriptive so you just have to dive in. The man behind the counter quickly sensed that this was our first time and happily explained that we order at the counter in exchange for a number and wait for our food; come back to the food counter after you're done eating, give back your ticket number, and take the receipt to the front cashier. He also happily talked us into a trio of samosas and pani puri was something I've been wanting to try for awhile after Sweet Sue's mentioned adding them as a brunch special.

Pani puri is like India's version of nachos. It took some time stalking my neighbors to learn

how to tackle this snack. This diy version comes with a handful of hollow, puffed crispy shells called puri that you crack the top off of and stuff with spoonfuls of a spiced chickpea and potato mixture, red onion, tomato chutney, and splash with chilled mint water and tamarind sauce. Stuff the whole thing in your mouth before it gets soggy and it's an explosion of flavors and textures all in one bite.

There are two kinds of samosas--a stuffed fried pastry version and the ones we got were wrapped in a thin, crispy wrapper, similar to my mom's homemade spring rolls. An order of five triangles come out piping hot and the shell shatters as you bite into one. It's stuffed with a deliciously spiced potato filling and a dip of tamarind sauce adds a sweet note while the cucumber yogurt raita cools it down. These were wonderful little bites too.

We're mostly carnivores and were impressed how filling and delicious vegetarian options could be. We came back for a dinner and were equally impressed. A full meal will get you two subzis aka your choice of veggie entrees, a lentil soup, rice, samosa, and paratha flat bread plus dessert. The dosa rice crepes is also an item you're going to want to savor. This giant crepe is crispy, light, and slightly sour and just as fun to eat as you rip and dip in a duo of spicy chili sauce and ginger coconut chutney. Wash it all down with a mango lassi drink or pista falooda (a pistachio flavored milk drink with nuts and sweet noodles) and you'll be happily stuffed to the gills til your next visit. 

Tango Restaurant Bar & Grill

More often than not, J and I are blessed with a multitude of bad and weird dining experiences. In fact, our relationship started with bad service at a restaurant and we've been cursed ever since. You can't blame us for being so skeptical when it comes to checking out a new joint. Lately we've had a streak of mediocre food and service but the most bizzare has got to be hands down at Tango Restaurant Bar & Grill. 

Most places you're welcomed by a smiling hostess or at least a "Please wait to be seated sign". At Tango, you have to navigate a large empty hallway, go down a dark grungy set of stairs, past a set of empty booths, and make your way to the bar lurking around like a creeper until the bartender sees you. This in itself would have made us turnaround except I had already purchased a Groupon thinking I could save a few bucks. Perhaps the food would make up for its quirky "charm". The fact that they served Uruguayan food piqued my interest enough to drag J along, and a certain newspaper review seemed hopeful. We're certainly learning that not all experiences are created equal.

Good Night Noodle 2.0

Good Night Noodle is officially open! What an exciting journey seeing Good Morning Cafe finally transformed to its Southeast Asian alter-ego. It's been many months since a sneak peak tasting in March and now everyone gets to experience Vietnamese food with a healthier twist. 

We've yet to make it up to Good Morning Cafe for breakfast but despite sharing the same space, its evening counterpart has a very intimate and inviting atmosphere, perfect for date night. The focus of Good Night Noodle is mainly on Vietnamese staples like pho noodle soup and summer rolls sprinkled with Thai favorites like pad thai and other Asian-inspired specials. While flavors are global, the ingredients echo Good Morning's mission to bring locally-sourced organic, fresh, and minimally processed ingredients to your plate. This includes farm-fresh veggies used in the summer rolls and grass-fed beef in the signature meatballs for your pho noodle soup. To boot, for each bowl of pho served, Good Night Noodle will give 25 cents toward the purchase of one pound of rice for the villagers of Poysomroung, their adopted community in Cambodia. Eat good, feel good, do good--it's that simple! 

Flavorwise, I've touched base on the pho before and Chef Linh has managed to improve on its flavor. We each got a bowl of the beef noodle pho. It's not the broth you're looking for at Kim's, Van's, or Saigon Spring but still has familiar flavor profiles. The aromatic soup has a natural beefy flavor with a clear, clean tasting broth that's elevated by the homemade meatballs.  The texture of the meatballs is unlike the ones you get elsewhere. I kind of missed the chewiness of the mass produced ones but the flavors made up for its Italian meatball-like texture. J missed the usual mix of sliced eye round and brisket but he most definitely approved this version. We both agreed that while not completely traditional, it's a welcomed version that's good and good for us. But if you need extra sodium kick like we did, ask for the premium Red Boat fish sauce. Pho is all about adding accoutrements to your liking including a dash of sriracha and Linh's homemade hoisin sauce,  which by the way tastes ten times better than the jarred stuff. 

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.

Friday Night Cookouts at The Cheese Traveler

There's no shame in admitting that we ate at The Cheese Traveler twice this week. Not only did we stop for grilled cheese sandwiches but the prospects of a Friday Night Cookout was too tempting to pass. Even during a torrential downpour on the kickoff night. Upon our arrival, despite being greeted by sunny skies and the smokey smell of a hot grill ready to go, grey clouds quickly turned into raindrops but that didn't stop the shop from grilling, even in the rain. 

With all the ingredients for delicious grilled cheeses at hand, The Cheese Traveler had no problem transforming them into the makings of a pretty unique summer cookout menu. That means quality products like fresh, never frozen Tilldale Farm ground beef burgers served on Bonfiglio & Bread rolls, with farm-fresh produce of your choice. But it wouldn't be The Cheese Traveler without optional toppings like Shelburn Cheddar or Colton-Basset Stilton and even kimchi from Mingle next door and French pate. But with lamb bacon as another option, how could we say no?! This lamb bacon changed my outlook on lamb. I was always turned off by its gaminess, but these fatty morsels are just life-changing especially in a grilled cheese or on a burger. The gaminess of the lamb bacon adds a unique layer of flavor to the burger. I chose to have my burger with just bacon and found it needed just a touch of salt. But J got the lamb bacon with havarti and the cheese really does make a difference in complementing the bacon and adding what was missing from my burger. Nonetheless, both of our burgers were plenty juicy and cooked to a perfect medium rare on a charcoal grill. We can't tell you how much we admire the charcoal grill; it just adds so much more flavor. 

Hump Day Happy Hour!

The food truck scene in the Capital Region has grown quite a bit within the past few years with a loyal fan base. I remember when Slidin' Dirty was just starting on the scene. Now their avocado fries have taken them all the way to Live with Kelly and Michael and lines have gotten longer, making the wait even sweeter. Not too long ago, we had missed the Food Truck Showcase at the Saratoga Eagle's Club and were pretty bummed out.  Lo and behold the kickoff of the Food Truck Showcase of Upstate New York's Hump Day Happy Hour at Shmaltz Brewing Company last Wednesday. It was the first warm and beautiful day of the summer, perfect for enjoying a few cold brews alongside our favorite food trucks.  

Naturally, our first stop was for beer. We were at Shmaltz Brewing Co. after all. $10 will get you a flight of 5 beers plus a souvernir tasting glass, even when the food trucks aren't around. Armed with a cold one, we were ready to hit the food trucks. J's been waiting to hit Slidin' Dirty since last summer. Sadly avocado fries weren't on the menu but we gladly substituted for jalapeno beef cheddar egg rolls. It's a fun twist on a favorite appetizer and tastes even better with chipotle cream dipping sauce. The beer, in this case a hoppy rye lager (David's Slingshot), paired great with the salty, crispy, and greasy eggrolls. We also shared a duo of sliders: The Dirty Soprano (beef slider with fresh mozzarella, pesto, balsamic glaze, and fried tomato) and The Avocado Bleu (opting for a fried tomato veggie substitute with blue cheese, arugula, crispy onions, and horseradish cream). As always, these are little bites packed with flavor. It might seem like a lot of ingredients for a little bun but it all comes together so well.

Gus's Hot Dogs

We're not always out to seek the latest and greatest that the 518 has to offer. Not every bite has to be the newest trendy bite out there, although The Crisp Cannoli's crodo sure is tasty. Growing up in Montreal/The North Country, poutine and michigan hot dogs were regulars on the menus. It was our go to comfort foods but I never realized how regional food can be til I moved away.  

I was introduced to Brooks' BBQ and chicken spiedies during my summers in Cooperstown, spoiled by bagels and pizza in NYC, and was no stranger to deep-fried pizza rolls from my college days in Potsdam. As I migrated to Albany, disco fries appeared on my radar and although melted shredded cheese/cheese whiz will never compare to the poutine curds of my childhood, the gravy fries and cheese concoction has grown on me. Even mozzarella sticks taste better with raspberry sauce. Albany has its share of unique regional favorites too and it was only up until recently that I went out of my way to try mini hot dogs. 

We've passed Gus's Hot Dogs on numerous occasions but finally made an effort to stop by this iconic Capital Region institution. A weathered sign points to a little unassuming red shack. There's a line but it's fast-moving; it must be good if it's been around since 1954 right? We weren't exactly greeted by the friendliest counter service, but it had a soup nazi chef kind of charm. Surprisingly, there's more than just mini hot dogs so J and I threw in an order for a Greek burger (patty with meat sauce) along with a six pack of wieners with the works: smear of yellow mustard, meat sauce, and diced onions. Food here is cheap! At $0.65 per dog and $1.50 for a Greek burger, it's certainly a steal. The burger patty is thin but had a nice char, was seasoned well, and for the price it's something we would choose over McDonald's. The mini dogs came locally from Helmbold's and for its size had really good flavor and snap. If only red hots came in a mini version. 

It's obviously all about the meat sauce here. It's comparable in texture to the North Country's michigan meat sauce, both a finely ground beef mix, but here the sauce is heavily spiced. I found the sauce to be a bit too bitter but J didn't mind. The experience of eating this regional food at a beloved landmark overshadowed some inconsistencies. It was just fun to take part in the Capital Region's food culture. Time to tackle the rest of the Tour de Mini Hot Dogs. Which is your favorite mini hot dog joint?