Excellent B-Rad vs. Just Plain Bad

Two lunch excursions this week offered up the best and not so best of what Downtown Troy has to offer the lunchtime crowd.

First the Good:  B-Rad’s Bistro and Catering, at 1809 5^th Street in Troy is great food at a great price.  Tasty, innovative entrees and sandwiches, daily specials, interesting and definitely-not-from-a-can soups provide a range of options to meet any level of hunger and bankroll.  Take out or eat in.  The service is fast, efficient and best of all, personal and friendly.  Check them out.  Tell them Average Joe sent you.

No such referral for Bruegger’s Bagels at 55 Congress Street, across from Sage Colleges…more like a warning.  I have nothing against chains, and at lunchtime, Bruegger’s fare is ok in a pinch.  But the staff…well, they make me wanna heave and leave.  It’s not just that they come off as uninterested in what they do, or that they seem incapable of making eye contact, or that they often shove your change at you like they are practiced with a shiv.  It is that they seem to actively dislike you for making them work.  Whatever the case, I shall refrain from doing so from now on. 

What's In the Mix at Hudson Deli?

So not too long ago on River Street in Troy, Hudson Deli shows up as the new guy on the block there, Subway over there in Monument Square is probably starting to feel it. Eventually you just get tired of the old "Italian Herbs & Cheese" bread I suppose. However, you still can't go wrong with the "Honey Oat." Hudson Deli's keeping it simple, it's not much, you have a few tables, a few plants, a Keurig and some great bread.

You need that lunch right, well it's a good place to have in the mix. Subs/sandwiches and the weekly specials keep it going with some great surprises. One day you're getting the turkey swiss, the next you're getting the Thursday special, goulash. They seem to close before dinner, but if you're on the lunch break its not a bad place to grab a bite and change it up.

Francesca, will you marry me?

I love Francesca! There I said it and I want the world to know. I have spent time dining in and around all of the downtowns of the Capital Region and well into the hinterlands (ie. Clifton Park).  Yet, I am always amazed when I finally try a place I have passed by a million times.

I have no idea why I didn’t find Francesca’s earlier. Perhaps part of me simply didn’t want to be spotted by the staff at The Record located across the street.

Yesterday was one of those great days where the whole big Italian family got together for lunch.  We ordered from Francesca’s and we all agreed – Francesca needs to be in our family! 

Papa Bear had the Chef Salad, piled with fresh greens and super fresh smoked mutz and turkey, ham and roast beef. Mama Bear had the Troy Sandwich. Straightforward and in your face – ham, turkey, swiss, mayo and Dijon, pickle. Pow!  Sisters and brothers and cousins tried everything else – The Ciccia sandwich, the Julius Caesar, The Blossom Salad, The Capri, and the Tuna Melt.

Roasted peppers, artichokes, red onion, olio evo, blue cheese crumbles.  These ingredients make your mouth water every time.

If you haven’t been to this spot, you haven’t tried food in Troy.  Grab a copy of The Record outta the box and head over for lunch. You’ll be glad you did!