B-rad is a Friend of Mine

Have you heard that buzz around the Collar City?  No it’s not the annual construction season.  No it’s not fireworks up at the Joe.  It’s coming from a new spot on good ol’ 5^th Ave, B-rads Bistro & Catering.  Open for just over a month, B-rads has already established itself as one of Downtown Troy’s go to spots for lunch. 

My body can only handle Famous Lunch once a week, so it’s nice to have new weapons in my arsenal.  During my first pilgrimage to B-rads, I ordered conservatively, and strongly based on title.  I’m Average Joey from Troy (South Troy against the world!), so you’re crazy if you think I was ordering anything but the Troy Club. 

O-M-G.  Yup, it was so good that I just went 14 year old girl on you.  This sandwich is right up Billy Fuccillo’s alley….because it was HUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGAAAAAHHHHHH!  Turkey, bacon, lettuce (hold the tomato), WOW. 

B-rads has a new Superfan, and his name is Average Joe.  I can’t wait to go back and try all the other great options on their menu (I’m looking at you Dorito Crusted Tuna Melt).

A Summer Tradition

Kay’s Pizza in Burden Lake is a summer tradition if you grew up in Rensselaer County. Every once in awhile during the winter I would go to their website to count the days --- literally. They have a countdown clock touting the days, hours, minutes and seconds until they open in the spring. I can’t bear to look at that ticker now, as it counts the “Days left to enjoy Kay’s Famous Pizza this season” (55 days from this posting).

 

Don’t expect air conditioning, the ceiling fans work fine. When you walk through the door it’s game on for a seat. Someone from the wait staff may greet you hello in passing, but there’s no “wait to be seated” here. You immediately put your hunting glasses on and try to skulk around the nearest table with scraps of what was Kay’s Famous Pizza. Regulars know the advantage of going in the second entrance that leads to the main eating area. It sometimes can feel like parking at the mall in December--- even if you’ve been waiting with your blinker on for 5 minutes, someone may pull in the other side and grab the spot.

Why Kay’s? Why travel on country roads for some time to get pizza, wings and beer when I can just about get it anywhere? Does it bring back memories of a simpler time? Is it the waterside view? Maybe, but deep down those that have gone know it’s the food. It’s the perfectly cooked pizza with a soft crust and plenty of cheese and sauce. This day I choose pepperoni and bacon as my extras.

The food is ALWAYS just right. Not once can I remember something being “off”. I always start with an order of wings, extra crispy of course, and then move on to Burden Lake’s most famous of all pizzas.  Oh, sorry…. and a pitcher of beer!!! Truly a summer tradition.

Midnight Rendezvous at the Brown Bag

I've always been into brown bagging it, everyday, because that's how I roll, but recently I found a new way to enjoy brown bagging, on 4th street in Troy. I've realized that I get hungry at the late hours and have no where I really want to go, I always just settle. As you can see from previous posts I am a fan of the Taco Bell, but even that place closes when I need it open. The Brown Bag in Troy is open 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. and is always there when you need it.

You aren't looking at anything fancy here, but that's exactly what you need for the late night cravings. A good juicy burger, or better yet a hotdog combined with the classic grilled cheese sandwich. I also dabbled into the grilled asparagus too, quite nice. You can enjoy fries with your friendly meal, they have a little bit of a kick to them, just a heads up.


So the next time you're out late, hungry, tired or even feeling it a little bit still from the party last ngiht, this is your jam.  Everyone comes accross a place like this eventually and it's a good find. When I'm in the need of late night food, and maybe even a little bit of bacon, I know where to go.

What seals the deal is that the bag was actually brown when I ordered this to go...

Nothing Better than Football and Beef

Friday was one of my best days of my life. I was fortunate to meet one of the best quarter backs in the NFL, Eli Manning. I spent my Friday afternoon enjoying the sun and some championship football training camp at SUNY Albany.

The afternoon was complimented by night out and about Albany. I initially wanted some Doritos Tacos but I found my way to the Center Square Pub. This is where the inspiration for my next blog.

Center Square Pub is located at the corner of Dove and State in Albany. I haven't been to this pub yet and I thought there is no better time than now.

I usually don't ask the waitress for any recommendations but on Friday night I decided to let the waitress decide what I will have for dinner. I asked the best best sandwich Center Square Pub has in their menu. She suggested the "Lancaster". I agreed to the sandwich before I realized what was on it.

The Lancaster is named for Lancaster street two blocks away from Center Square. The sandwich was filled with roasted beef with onions, peppers, mushrooms and a choice if cheese. Obviously, i went with the habanero cheese melted on top. It adds a nice bite to the sandwich. The roast beef was cooked perfectly as the beef just pulled apart and melted with each bite. This sandwich is a variation to the classic Philly cheese steak. The order came with a side of fries (so many options). They had regular, sweet potato, onion rings, curly fries, crinkle cut and my favorite, the waffle fries.  
After dinner I walked down Lancaster, full of beautiful brownstone apartments. I will definitely be coming back to CSP, as the pub regulars abbreviate Center Square Pub. I hear their chicken wings are some of the best in the city. Only one way to find out, a Albany chicken wing contest for the city's best chicken wing crown.
 

Francesca is my new best friend

Troy has some really neat little eateries that can be easily overlooked, especially when you are trying to navigate through Troy's complicated grid of one-way streets by car. I happened to stumble upon Francesca's while running some errands to the post office on Broadway during my lunch break and decided to pop in for a quick bite to eat. For such a small eatery, the place was hoppin' and the tables were all full, leaving me no choice but to take my food to-go.

The menu offered an abundant amount of choices, from salads, sandwiches, drinks and soups. There was also a wrap and soup special offered and it is changed up on a daily basis.

From what I've been told, Francesca is the wife of Harry Tutunjian, the former mayor for the City of Troy. She makes each and every one of the sandwiches herself, with her staff making drinks, manning the register and assisting her. While making sandwiches, Francesca was greeting familiar faces in line, which happened to be everyone next to me. It's refreshing to find a home-style sandwich shop where even the owners themselves remember names and faces and in Francesca's case, their "usual" fare.

I ordered a tuna melt with smoked Mozzarella, lettuce and tomato on wheat- you really can't go wrong with a tuna melt. My buddy ordered "The Collar City"- a gourmet sandwich served with turkey, ham, field greens, onions, roasted red pepers served on a toasted basil focaccia with the choice of cheese and dressing. The sandwiches were served with pickles and chips.

Back at the office, we eagerly unwrapped our sandwiches and dove in. Is it possible to taste the difference between a sandwich and a "hand crafted"sandwich? Yes, I truly believe so, and that is what I tasted from the tuna melt. The tuna is obviously made fresh, with just the right hints of pepper.

My buddy's "Collar City" looked delectable and was gone in 5 minutes- luckily I snapped a photo before he attacked the second half.

According to the restaurant's menu, they are open for breakfast and lunch (7:30 AM- 4:30 PM) but only Monday through Friday. With so many businesses moving into the downtown area (i.e. RPI), I'm almost sure that they don't need to be open on the weekends, but it would be nice if they were for my early mornings at the Troy Farmer's Market. 

So yes, Francesca is my new best friend and I'll be visiting her on a weekly basis. I hope Average Jane won't mind!

"Went down to the Crossroads..."

I took to the streets again this week looking for something new and exciting. I traveled near and far from the outskirts of Albany. I found my way to Athens, New York. Athens is an old historic village in Greene County, near the Catskills. The old Athens photo reminds me of when Marty McFly and Doc Brown traveled back to 1885.

What brings someone to Athens? Crossroads Brewery. I took the 30 minute trip to Athens and I found my way to the brewery.

The Athens brewery has 10 of their own craft beers on tap. I have to give a recommendation for you all to try their Cream Ale. The Brady’s Bay Cream Ale is a German Pilsner Malt at 5.0% abv.


I initially went to Crossroads for the beer. What I soon found out about the Crossroads Brewery was they opened their kitchen to the public for the first time. I had to check out the menu. All of my readers know I am a huge fan of pulled pork. When I see it on the menu, I have to try it because I have a secret ambition to write a book surrounding the best pulled pork in the United States.

The food was delicious. The pulled pork was succulent and full of flavor. The Crossroads Brewery pulled pork can hold its own. In the last few weeks, I have had pulled pork from Dinosaur BBQ (Troy, NY) and the Pig Pit (Albany Food trucks). Now, I can add Crossroads Brewery (Athens, NY) to the expanding list.

Crossroads Brewery is located 21 Second Street, Athens, NY.

Hours:

Mon - Thurs:

4:00 pm-9:00 pm

Friday:

4:00 pm-12:00 am

Saturday:

12:00 pm-12:00am

Sunday:

1:00 pm-9:00

Now That's A Big Sandwich

The menu clearly states: “All sandwiches eaten on premise are served with chips and a choice of macaroni salad, potato salad or pickles.” I like simple and there are simply five sandwich choices on the menu. Did I mention that is the total menu minus beverage choices and soup of the day (only during the winter)? That’s all good because all you have to do is look at my ham sandwich and agree that Mama Cass would be proud.

Roast beef, turkey, corned beef, ham and cheese or tuna fish is what Slick’s Restaurant and Tavern, at 127 South Ferry Street in the Stockade area of Schenectady, specializes in and they do it in grand fashion. This is the real deal in size. I didn’t weigh it, but we are talking at least one pound of meat. The meat is cut fresh from a deli slicer that resides at its home behind the bar. Breads of choice are white, wheat or rye.

The proper etiquette for consuming of said sandwiches is the one-handed messy taco approach. Make the commitment and stick with it. Never put it down. Pick up your drink with the other hand. Use your napkin with the other hand. Putting this beast of a sandwich down could cause some complicated structural defects that may not be fixable. The trick is to use your palm as the stop zone from the meat exiting the opposite side by way of the slippery dressing.

The second you walk into Slick’s you get that cozy neighborhood bar feel. It has a nice long bar and a handful of tables towards the back of the room. I’m privy to take-out because I’m often on the go when I’m near here. The one drawback to take-out here is that the chips are not included (only “on premise” are chips allowed). If you are looking for a huge sub then go to The Deli and Brew, in Troy. If you are looking for a huge sandwich, Slick’s in Schenectady is the place.