fidelity of farmhouse at the city beer hall | albany, ny
Food
wood fired pizza at cafe capriccio | albany, ny
Next time you see that Franco Rua is slinging pies at Cafe Capriccio, run, don’t walk to go check it out. Easily some of the best pizza being made in the Capital District, and certainly the only place bringing Neapolitan pizza this true to style to the area. I’ve slept on Cafe Capriccio way too long, but already looking forward to my return so I can check out some of their classics along with whatever cured meats Franco has fermenting along.
suarez crawfish boil | germantown, ny
common roots x rare form beer dinner at henry street taproom | saratoga, ny
After surviving (barely) another Saratoga Beer Week I finally have the chance to share with you guys some pictures from last Monday’s beer dinner at Henry Street Taproom featuring beer from two of my favorite local breweries, Common Roots up in South Glens Falls and Rare Form down in Troy. Ryan and Sonja McFadden, along with Chef AJ Richards teamed up with brewmasters Christian Weber and Kevin Mullen to bring some unique dishes and beer pairings to a sold out crowd Monday Night. Let’s take a look:
Peck’s Arcade Italian-Grandma Dinner
Before the new year the crew at Peck’s Arcade held another popup, this time a dinner in the style of your “Italian Grandma” rather than the noodle shop popups they have done in the past. The event was held a few times over the holidays and all of the classics were there, such as lasagna, homemade pasta, parm dishes and meatballs. Tables were decked out in iconic red and white checked tablecloths and a few Italian inspired cocktails were offered along with Italian and Italian-American wine. Italian-American cuisine is not something I go out for too often since I have a pretty good grasp of it at home, but it’s always nice to sit back, relax and let Chef Nick and his team do the cooking while sitting at the Chef’s Counter for a little entertainment for the evening. Let’s take a look:
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More NYC
Took a weekend right before the holidays to head down to NYC with a few friends and like usual, explore a bit, show them some of my favorite spots, check out some new ones, and grab some good food and drink. Some of the places I’ve been to in the past so I’ve included pictures from past visits as well.
NYC Day Trip
I’ve been doing a bunch of exploring around New York City the past year or so, but I haven’t done much posting or writing about it. With a day off on Black Friday I decided to head down to the City and check off a few places on my list with an ol’ buddy of mine, Chef Elliot Cunniff. (Capital Region readers may remember Elliot from his days at MezzaNotte and Creo, and he’s since gone on to do stints in NYC for Daniel Boulud, David Burke, and now has taken the reigns at Soho Grand Hotel.) We started our food and drink adventure in Brooklyn, followed by Queens and ended the day in Manhattan.
Birthday Dinner at Peck’s Arcade
Just wanted to give a quick shoutout to my homies at Peck’s Arcade for putting together this impromptu tasting for my birthday last week. I showed up unannounced to sneak in a quick solo bite before meeting up for the debauchery that would ensue later at Rare Form, The Shop, and The Ruck. Chef Nick and his kitchen staff killed it as always. (Sadly I only had my phone with me so these pics will have to do.) Thank you, everyone!
Roast Pork Sandwich at DiNic’s & A Walk Through Reading Terminal Market | Philadelphia, PA
While heading to Savor in DC this weekend, I found myself looking for a quick place for lunch on the way down. Hitting Philly around 4 hours into the trip, it’s usually an easy stop, with grabbing a cheesesteak from Tony Luke’s being my go to move and getting right back on the road. But I asked friends on The Facebook where they recommended and I was met with an almost universal response: the Roast Pork from DiNic’s (followed by beer at Tired Hands).
matthew 'fuj' scher 