Cafe Madison: Best Breakfast - Arrive Before 9:30am

Few morning dining treats get me as excited as the weekend breakfast at Cafe Madison. First, the homemade bread makes the best toast you'll ever have and the homefries are perfectly seasoned real cut potatoes.  Now the hard part is deciding on whether to have an omelette with fresh veggies, a perfectly cooked egg over medium or oatmeal pancakes made with real fruit (no fruit goop). The coffee is always tasty, the cafe is spic and span and the waitstaff knows how to turn over a table (ie. superfast service once you sit down no matter how slammed they are). 

The only catch is that you need to show up before 9:30 on the weekend.  It’s no problem for an early bird like me, but I've tried to go with out-of-town guests who slept in and there's typically a wait. It's worth the wait, but why not just get up a half hour early?

Snapshot Around Town: Part II

Sit Down Lunch:
Scheduling lunches can be difficult. There are so many things to consider like: What do my dining partners like to eat? Can we get in and out before we have to be back to our desks? I found one spot that consistently hits the mark and never leaves me disappointed. The Albany Pump Station has a menu with a great variety, even for the liquid lunchers and let’s be frank, Average Joe has had a couple mornings where the only thing that will get him to 5pm is a couple pints over lunch. All the food hits the spot and the service is top-notch. It almost seems as though they understand you might have to get back to your desk in less than 45 minutes. The servers are almost always friendly and if it appears to be a business lunch, they know how to stay out of your hair long enough to let you get done what you came to do. As far as the rich and famous of Albany I’ve observed dining there, well there’s been Mayor Jennings, former gubernatorial candidate John Faso (he lost to Spitzer and don’t think that won’t come in handy at the Elbo Room trivia night some day) and a motion picture film star by the name of Angelina Jolie.

Snapshot Around Town: Part I

Average Joe likes all types of fare. Suffice to say I’m as content eating a plate full of Gus’ hot dogs on 25th street in Watervliet as I am in the ground level of 677 Prime on Broadway. One thing I’ve grown accustomed to at each stop along the way is managing my expectations. Not sure what I mean? Let me spell it out for you. If I’m headed to Gus’ I’m not expecting the red carpet to be rolled out, which makes it even more special when you encounter a friendly person behind the register. Where this gets particularly frustrating for me is when I feel I’ve managed my expectations correctly yet I am unfulfilled by the staff’s performance. This isn’t to say Average Joe is a service snob by any means, I’m just conscious with a buck like anyone else. In my experience there are several establishments who always slightly exceed my expectations in terms of service, banter, etc. I’ve shared some of them below but Joe wants to know about your experiences too. Who’s always exceeding your expectations? Who’s never met them?

 Counter Service:
 I used to work in Menands a while back—it was painful gainful employment but it wasn’t my kind of thing so I moved on. Before I did a colleague introduced me to a little gem of a place just up 378 in Loudonville that I never would have stumbled upon on my own. The Genoa Importing Company is everything you want in an old neighborhood, specialty grocer sort of way. The hardwood floors, the expansive display case and fresh bread are just some of the amenities that contribute to the authenticity. The fellas behind the counter make you feel like one of the boys. Their friendly demeanor gives Genoa a one of a kind charm and if that wasn’t enough, just wait until you see the sandwich you’re bringing home—let alone taste it. The entire Genoa experience is for those of us that want to be a regular but just never had the time.

Welcome to the 21st Century Average Joe

Average Joe might put his pants on one leg at a time just like everybody else, but he still wants to get his reviews out to as many people as possible. Click the pictures in this post or use the widgets on the sidebar of the blog to follow my Twitter page or like my fan page on Facebook.

Albany's The Fountain - not just for pizza any more

I have a new reason for all of you to flock to a well known, and well loved, local institution. Albany locals and regional pizza connoisseurs have been singing The Fountain’s praises for years. Their pies are garlicly and delicious. I recently discovered there’s more to this New Scotland Avenue watering hole. If you like nachos, no scratch that, if you have taste buds then you owe it to yourself to head over to The Fountain and order some of their nachos. What’s so special about them you ask? How about toppings piled on top of a bed of Nacho Cheese Dorito’s. Who could have thought that such a simple twist on the appetizer would make it so out of this world? Average Joe is no stranger to nachos, so trust me when I say they are some of the best ones I have had in the Capital Region. A perfect layer of cheese, freshly diced peppers, red onions...and Doritos. Fantastic! 

Can’t-Stand-Ya, Can’t-Stand-Ya

“Can’t-Stand-Ya” was the memorable nickname given to George Costanza by his high school gym teacher. Even though his gym teacher hated him, Seinfeld fans just can’t seem to get enough of that short, quirky bald man. Sit back, relax and enjoy the video.

Saying George is a screw up is like reporting that water was still wet this morning - it’s not exactly a secret. All George wanted to do here was get his daily eggplant calzone fix, but after one bad decision, he got caught with his hand in the tip jar and finds himself banned for life. Once he tried to show off how much he left as a tip, George committed an Average Joe no-no. He took food too seriously, just like so many of the people who review it.

Far too many food critics forget what’s really important. While they babble on about place settings, all you can do is scratch your head and wonder about the food. Well, don’t you worry, here at Average Joe, I promise to never lose sight of what matters. Dinner is a time to unwind and enjoy yourself. Leave it to me to ask the questions you want answered and to cut out the fluff. Keep checking back, more reviews are on their way.

Wing War is back!

It’s that time again, Watervliet’s Wing War is back for its third year. Wing lovers should flock down to the AOH Hall on 1021 Ninth Avenue in Watervliet this Saturday. The event kicks off at 3 pm and lasts until 7 pm. Tickets are available at the door for $15 and proceeds will benefit the Watervliet Civic Center. There will be more than a dozen restaurants on hand so you’ll definitely get your money’s worth. For more information call 273-5922.


Both of last year’s top awards went to Watervliet restaurants. Giuseppe’s Pizzeria & Deli took home the award for best wings and The Black Bear Inn won for best sauce. Can they hold onto their crowns this year or will one of the new challengers take them down? Let me know and be sure to tell me where you get your favorite wings.