Where are you going for Easter? A local brunch Sounds Marvelous!

   If you are looking for a place to eat this Easter, Albany County definitely has you covered! With many options to choose from, there is something for everyone this Sunday. Check ‘em out below:

Easter Brunch at The Capital American Eatery

Sunday, Mar 27, 2016 from 10 AM 4 PM

Where: The Capital American Eatery Address

Cost: $29.95 per adult. $14.95 per child under 12

   Come to the Capital American Eatery on Sunday, March 27th for a spectacular Easter Sunday Buffet Brunch. Immerse yourself in a dining experience fit to satisfy your palate and expose you to fine cuisine.

   Never know what to decide? That is ok!  With multiple food stations to choose from, brunch includes an Omelet, Pasta, Seafood, & Carving station, along with a Waffle and Dessert bar!  This buffet also includes tea, coffee and soda. Reserve your spot online here.

        Easter Brunch at The Point Restaurant & Lounge

Sunday, Mar 27, 2016 10AM

Where: The Point Restaurant and Lounge, 1100 Madison Avenue, Albany, NY

Cost: $29.95 adults, $15 children 4-12, plus tax & gratuity

   Enjoy Easter Brunch at The Point Restaurant & Lounge! Celebrate and relax with family and friends on this fine Sunday morning!

   Easter Brunch and Dinner at Simpson’s

Sunday, Mar 27, 2016 7 AM to 9 PM

Where: Simpson’s at The Desmond Hotel & Conference Center, 660 Albany Shaker Road, Albany, NY 12211

Cost: $41.95+

   Bring everyone together for either special Easter brunch, or have a nice holiday dinner. Eat, laugh, and celebrate time together, and take time to relax! Indulge in a special holiday menu, including traditional Easter favorites and more! Dinner is served from 1 pm – 9 pm.

   Easter Brunch At Glen Sanders Mansion

Sunday, 10 AM - 2 PM

Where: Glen Sanders Mansion, One Glen Avenue, Scotia

Cost: $40 Adults / $20 Kids

   Enjoy Easter Brunch from 10 AM to 2 PM at The Glen Sanders Mansion on Easter Day. View their menu here, and call ahead to reserve.

Brunch with the Easter Bunny at Reel Seafood Co.

Sunday 11:30 AM – 2 PM

Where: Reel Seafood Co., 195 Wolf Road, Albany, NY 12205

Cost: $5 - $25

   On Easter Sunday the Reel Seafood Co. will be hosting Brunch with the Easter Bunny. This is an extraordinary brunch with many choices on the menu to decide from. Designed with families in mind for a day full of fun and a visit from the Easter Bunny!

   Enjoy live music featuring Frank Sinatra classics and receive a free photo with the Easter Bunny. Adults can enjoy options from the Bloody Mary or Mimosa bar, or some Adult Hot Cocoa.

    Sugaring Off Sundays

Sunday 8:30 AM – 1 PM

Where: The Farmer’s Museum

Cost: $9 for ages 13 & up, $5 for ages 7-12, Free for ages 6 and younger

            Enjoy a full pancake breakfast including scrambled eggs, sausage, and home fries. Stay for many activities later on, including contemporary and historic maple sugaring demonstrations, children’s activities, and more.

   Join in on an Easter egg hunt in the Historic Village at 1pm. Eggs will be filled with carousel tokens and candy. One special golden egg winner will win free rides on the Carousel all year long! Now that sounds like something worthwhile! 

Reel Seafood offers seaside lunch spot on Wolf Road

Reel Seafood offers casual elegance for lunch guests.

Reel Seafood Company is proud to unveil a brand new lunch menu. Diners can choose from a wide array of made-from-scratch dishes, including casual fare, and more upscale cuisine, making it a perfect destination for a business lunch or a gathering of friends.

Part of the $1 million renovation, the main dining room was
inspired by co-owner Aliki Serras's trip to the Greek Island of
Santorini.

The menu features Reel Seafood Company’s famous raw bar, with colossal shrimps, east and west coast oysters, cherrystone clams, and little neck clams and other favorites. And when it comes to more traditional lunch items like salads or sandwiches, we think you’ll agree that greens topped with fresh grilled salmon or seared scallops, and grouper sandwiches blow your Caesar salad out of the water.

Reel Seafood Company is co-owned by Aliki Serras and Faith Takes, who say the restaurant is a perfect fit for business meetings and small gatherings. The restaurant, which underwent a $1 million renovation last year, now boasts fresh décor, ample meeting spaces, presentation capabilities, and a full-service catering menu for discerning event planners to choose from.

• And don’t miss Sunday Brunch at Reel Seafood! Served every Sunday from 11:30am-2:00pm this brunch features a waffle and pancake station, a full line-up of delicious omelets and eggs benedicts, as well as baked flatbreads, sandwiches and salads from the garden. Plus, great kids specials starting at just $6.

• Enjoy Happy Hour and Snacks seven days a week! Clams and oysters just $1, and drink specials all evening. Meet your friends, bring your client, unwind after a long day. Monday through Friday 4-6pm, Saturday and Sunday, 3-6pm.


• And don’t forget that Reel Seafood hosts banquets and meetings. Whether your group is 15 or 150, Reel Seafood can accommodate. With its well-appointed meeting space, and multiple banquet menu options, Reel Seafood is a sophisticated choice for your next affair.

Lunch is served every day from 11am to 2:30pm. Prices range from $5 to $35. For more information, or to make a reservation, contact the restaurant at 518-458-2068, or visit the restaurant website: http://www.reelseafoodco.com/

Suffragette City? Albany hosts musical celebration of the suffragette movement

History happened here. We hear it all the time. But a new musical performance ties together the threads that lead up the 19th Amendment, and women's right to vote, and anchors that history in Albany.

Coinciding with Women's History Month, the Musicans of Ma'alwyck will present a full-day of events, and special concert performance of "A Declaration of Sentiments," all devoted to kindling your love and appreciation for Elizabeth Cady Stanton and her fellow suffragettes.

The March 20 events will start with a pre-concert lecture at 2pm, followed by the concert at 3pm, and then a special 1920s style society dinner with craft beverage pairings presented by Druthers Brewery. The Albany County Historical Association at Ten Broeck Mansion will also present a special exhibit to help set the stage for the performance.

"We hope to invoke a sense of the period, through the music, the texts, and the dinner, allowing the audience to step back in time," says Anne Marie Barker Schwartz, Director and Violinist for the Musicians of Ma'alwyck.

"A Declaration of Sentiments" will feature works of American female composers Marion Bauer (Songs for Soprano and String Quartet, and Pieces for solo flute perhaps world premiere performances) and Amy Beach (Theme & Variations for Flute and String Quartet--an incredible piece of chamber music) and Daybreak of English composer Rebecca Clarke (who spent the final decade of her life in America). They are also delighted to present the world premiere of a work based on Suffragette texts by Kathleen Ballantyne. Commissioned by Siena College for this concert, the work is scored for chorus, vocal soloists and string quartet). Ms. Ballantyne will be in attendance at this concert.

"We are extremely excited to be presenting this concert in the brewery at Druthers in downtown Albany. This gorgeously renovated building on Broadway, is not far from where both Suffragette and Anti-Suffragette events happened in the early 1900s," says  Schwartz. "George de Piro, brewmaster at Druthers, and a friend of Musicians of Ma'alwyck since the Poor Soldier opera, will be hosting us there and also creating a special Anti-Suffragette brew for us."

It's a potent time for musical interpretation of history, with a capital "H." Crowds are going wild over the retelling of Alexander Hamilton's life in the Broadway musical, "Hamilton." The show, which chronicles the love story of Hamilton and Elizabeth Schuyler, is playing to sold-out crowds in the Richard Rodgers Theatre. Meanwhile, in Schuyler Mansion, the birthplace of Elizabeth Schuyler, and the site where this couple's infamous romance began, a different kind of musical movement is taking place.

The Musicians of Ma'alwyck, the ensemble in residence at Schuyler Mansion, continues to tackle topics like immigration, women's rights, as well as well-known writings of that time, including Goethe's poetry, all in the stunning stylings of the 18th and 19th Century.

Their latest offering, Declaration of Sentiments, focuses on Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Stanton's grandfather James Livingston was born in Albany and fought in the Revolutionary War, her mother was born in Albany, and her father practiced law with many notables, including Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr. Elizabeth Cady Stanton was also influenced by Frederick Douglas, William Lloyd Garrison, and Lucretia Mott. She is the forerunner of Susan B. Anthony.

"This project grew out of a desire to celebrate female composers and to tie it into local history. When we started thinking about historical ties, we realized there is a tremendous link to the Suffragettes locally, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, most notably. Female composers only started to have opportunities at the beginning of the 1900s, right around the time that women were fighting for the vote. Once we settled onto this time period, everything grew exponentially," says Schwartz.

"We hope the audience will leave with several aspects of the concert provoking some thoughts about the Suffragettes and women's rights," Schwartz continued. "One is the high quality of the compositions. The pieces we are performing are fantastic, and are not merely included because they are by women composers, they are great work.  The second is that the audience leave with a true sense of how much life had changed for women and how great the struggle was to change it."

"A Declaration of Sentiments" will take place on March 20, at 3pm at Druthers Brewery, 1053 Broadway in Albany. Related events will go on all day. For more information, call 518-377-3623 or visit the website here.

Irish Soda Bread: Four ingredients--lots of variety

True Irish soda bread is made from just four ingredients--flour, baking soda, sour milk, and salt--and yet, endless variation is possible, as evidenced by the singular popularity of Irish Soda Bread competitions across the country. And one local museum, gave rise to that culinary creativity.

"Our competition was first, but we now they've sprung up all over the place," says Ryan Mahoney, Executive Director for the Irish American Heritage Museum in Albany. Mahoney says the Museum started the Maureen Farrell McCarthy Irish Soda Bread Competition in 2012, and that every year, it continues to get larger. The competition will be held on Saturday, March 5, this year, and will help kick off St. Patrick's Day festivities in the Capital Region. The competition welcomes professionals and amateurs alike to submit their best loaves for judging, with prizes awarded in three separate categories: traditional white flour soda bread, wheaten soda bread, and family not strictly traditional (or FNST, as its known to die-hard soda bread enthusiasts). Soda bread with raisins or currants would fall into this last category, Mahoney says. "Grapes didn't grow in Ireland," he explains.

To enter the competition, you must register. Registration packets can be found online here. Loaves will be judged based on shape, freshness, bread chew, crumb, soda taste, even browning, and proper cross cuts--and lest you think you can sneak a raisin or pat of butter in, adherence to mandated recipes.

The first known and written recipe for Irish soda bread was published in the November 1836 issue of the Farmer’s Magazine (London), page 328, referenced in the Irish newspaper from County Down. This recipe of white flour, salt, bread soda (baking soda) and an acid such as sour milk or buttermilk established the traditional Irish soda bread. If your recipe contains anything more than the original four ingredients cited in the County Down recipe, such as additional ingredients like raisins, eggs, currants, butter, caraway seeds, sugar and other ingredients, you are making what is called “spotted dog” or “railway cake,” which has become, over the past one hundred and seventy plus years, non-traditional soda breads.

The Irish Soda Bread Competition takes place on Saturday, March 5. Loaves must be dropped off between 10am and 5pm on March 4. Three Irish American Chefs will be judging the soda breads beginning at 5PM, and the winners will be announced at 3:00 pm on Saturday. Prizes include a pair of tickets to the O'Malley's Irish Pub Dinner Theatre, presented by Mazzone Hospitality and Enchante Cabaret at the Hilton Garden Inn in Clifton Park, on March 12. Sign up for the Irish Soda Bread Competition, and learn more about Irish cooking at http://irish-us.org/. For more information, contact the Irish American Heritage Museum at (518) 427-1916.

The Ginger Man's Newest Menus (and V-Day Brunch!)

The Ginger Man, an "uptown" Albany favorite, is certainly serving up something special this winter! Take a look at their newest winter menus here which features a Root Vegetable Baklava, their delicious Short Rib Burger, and even a Game Hen with marsala, Shitake mushrooms, rosemary, and Israeli couscous risotto.  

And if you're looking for Valentine's Day plans, look no further than the newest Ginger Man event, Valentine's Day Brunch from 11:30am-3pm on Sunday, February 14. Take a look at this incredible menu and make your reservation today! 

New Year's Eve: Food & Fun in Albany

If New Year's Eve has lost it's luster, then you haven't experienced it in Albany! The best restaurants are offering menus you won't be able to resist. Here's a summary of what's going on for this New Year's Eve: 

Specials & Live Music at The Ginger Man
Special dinner menu followed by a late night menu with live music from Sensemaya! Ring in the New Year with a complimentary class of champagne. More info>

New Year's Groovin' Eve at the Albany Marriott
Recreate the glory days of the 60s and 70s at the Albany Marriott! Enjoy dinner, dancing, live music, a champagne toast and a cash bar. You can even stay the night. More info>

New Year's Eve at 677 Prime
Angelo's 677 Prime will be open on New Year's Eve from 11:30 on. Make your reservations now to ring in the New Year in fashion! More info>

New Year's Eve at Cafe Capriccio
Celebrate New Years Eve at Cafe Capriccio. They will be serving a special set five course menu full of your favorite Italian specialties at $85.00 per person. More info>

New Year's Eve Masquerade
Dress to impress for this after masquerade dinner party at The Pearl Street Pub. For only $55 enjoy an open bar from 10pm-1am. More info>

New Year's Eve Prix Fixe Dinner Menu at The Hollow
Enjoy a delicious mean prepared by 'Rising Star Chef' competition Winner for the 2016 Albany Chef's Food & Wine Festival for only $66 per person! Reserve your spot now for one of the two meal times. More info>

New Years Eve 2016 at City Beer Hall
Enjoy New Years Dinner at City Beer Hall, and stay for the late night dance party! Enjoy dinner from 5-9pm and stay for the countdown, balloon drop, champagne toast and of course a huge dance party from 10 until very late. More info>

New Year's Eve Party at Blue 82
The legendary party of the year on NYE includes open bar for 4 hours, a champagne toast at midnight, DJ, party favors & hors d'ourves! More info>

Ring in 2016 at The Desmond
Dress for the occasion and party like a Rockstar the last night of 2015 at the hottest party in Albany! More info>

The Barrel Saloon Presents: A Beef & Flannel New Years
Smoked brisket, good beer, and a comfortable flannel? For only $50 you'll enjoy as much smoked brisket, Texas sides and Shinerbock beer as you can during the two hours of the party. More info>

The Capital American Eatery New Years Eve Dinner
Head into downtown Albany for a four course meal with a wine pairing for each course for only $65. Make your reservation now! More info>

Dave & Buster's 18+ New Year's Eve Ball Drop Party!
Choose from a few incredible packages this New Year's for delicious food and tons of game play! More info>

Dave & Buster's Family Fun New Year's Eve!
Ring in the New Year with your family at Dace & Buster's! Excitement is in store with their New Year’s Eve package which combines all the food & fun. More info>

Check out the full calendar of events for more things happening this New Year's.

Holiday Dessert Guide: Albany's best bakeries, shops, & more

Ah, the Holiday Season. A party or get-together every other day, endless treats in the office gathering place, and never enough time to get all of the shopping done AND create the perfect dessert to bring to your family's gathering. 

Don't worry! We can help you find the dessert you can order, pick up, or purchase that won't disappoint because even if you didn't make it, it is homemade with love... by someone. 

Pie - In my family, it's just not the holidays without pie. Pecan, pumpkin, apple, blueberry, peach, wheat (yes, wheat), you name it, it's probably on the table or somewhere near it. And don't forget the homemade whipped cream! If you don't have the time to bake the perfect pie for your next gathering, no worries! Try these local businesses:

• Goold Orchards: 

• Choose from their wide selection of pies! Call ahead to order 518-732-7317.
• Hours this week:  Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday 9 AM-5 PM, Thursday 9 AM-3 PM, Closed Friday, Re-Open Saturday, December 26, 11 AM-4 PM.

• Grandma's Pies:
• Taking pie orders in person or over the phone 518-459-4585.
• Hours this week: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday 6 AM-10:30 PM, Thursday, December 24 pie pick up 6 AM-3 PM, Closed Friday. 

Chocolate - For those who may not like pie, chocolate is usually a pretty good alternative. It also makes an incredible last minute gift for that selective person on your gift list. Luckily, the Capital Region is full of incredible chocolatiers.

• Krause's Candy:
• Chocolate covered nuts, fudge, petit fours, gift boxes, and so much more! Call for more info & to place an order ahead of time 518-869-3950.
• Hours this week: Monday-Wednesday open 10 AM-6 PM, Thursday 10 AM-4 PM, closed Friday & Saturday. 

• Uncle Sam's Candy:
• Uncle Sam's offer butter crunch favorites, roasted nuts, and your favorite chocolates, too! Call ahead at 518-608-4949.
• Hours this week: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday 8 AM-8 PM, Thursday 8 AM-6 PM, Closed Friday. 

ANYTIME Favorites - Whether it's doughnuts, cheesecake, cannoli, cookies, or whatever your family prefers to have as a sweet treat during the holidays you'll find it at these local places:

• Cider Belly Doughnuts: 
• Be the hero of the holidays by showing up with a box or two of your favorite doughnuts! Call ahead at 518-253-4640.
• Hours this week: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday 6:30 AM-3 PM, Thursday 6 AM-Noon, Closed Friday. 

• Bella Napoli: 

• Cookies, cheesecake, and all of the Italian goodies you can dream up. Call ahead at 518-783-0196.
• Hours this week: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday 6:30 AM-10 PM, Thursday 6:30 AM-10 PM, Closed Friday. 

• Schuyler Bakery: 
• If small-town bakery is what you desire, then Schuyler Bakery is your go-to place for bread, cookies, bars, cupcakes, and anything else you can think of. Call ahead if you wish 518-273-0142.
• Hours this week: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday 5:30 AM-5:30 PM, Thursday from 5:30 AM-3 PM. 

New Year's Eve at The Ginger Man

The Ginger Man is serving up a fun filled evening this New Year's! Special event menus feature mouth watering options from oysters on the half shell to pan seared filet mignon and everything in between. Catch this delicious menu from 4:30 to 9pm. 

After that, a late night menu with favorite finger foods such as The Ginger Man Burger and a Cheese and Charcuterie platter, and Ginger Man classics like the delicious Lobster Mac & Cheese. At 9pm, you can also expect live music from Latin Jazz Trio Sensemaya until midnight. 

At the turn of the year, guests will enjoy a complimentary champagne toast to celebrate the past and bring in the future! See the full menu here. 

Winter has arrived at Creo

Creo is bringing in the colder weather with a brand new menu for lunch and dinner. The available dishes have a French flare and are inspired by Chef Sell's experience and affection for longer cooking processes.

The result? Warm and satisfying favorites like House Made Cavatelli with bolognese and herb ricotta mousse, Rotisserie Half Chicken with a cinnamon chipotle rub, mashed potatoes, broccolini, and apricot jus, and Grilled Salmon with cheese roasted cauliflower, lemon yogurt, and a salad of frisee and grapefruit segments with a chive vinaigrette. 

Click here to see the whole menu or take my word for it and just make a reservation for tonight. 

Holiday Pastries with Joan Dembinski

Prepare to amaze friends and family this holiday season with delicious Italian pastries! The International Center for the Capital Region is sponsoring a baking class on Saturday, December 5th from 10:00 am - 12:00 pm entitled Holiday Pastries. 

This hands-on cooking class will be lead by celebrated local Chef, Joan Dembinski. Whether you're new to baking or simply looking to shake up your recipe book, the pastries featured in the class are sure to be a hit.

The class will take place in the kitchen at the Celtic Hall, 430 New Karner Road in Colonie. The cost is $20 for ICCR members and $25 for not-yet members. To make a reservation, please call ICCR at (518) 708-7608. Click here for more information. 

Eight Epic Entrees to Satisfy Your Fall Cravings

The weather is colder, the days are shorter, and our taste buds are craving fall favorites! Here are eight dishes that are guaranteed to please when you're in the mood for classic fall food:

The Ginger Man

234 Western Avenue, Albany

Fall cravings satisfied by:  Sweet Potato Gnocchi with maple brown butter, goat cheese, and toasted walnuts

#NewMenu item #SweetPotatoGnocchi! With a maple brown butter, goat cheese and toasted walnuts #AlbanyGingerManMenu #AlbanyGingerMan #NewDinnerMenu

A photo posted by AlbanyGingerMan (@albanygingerman) on Oct 20, 2015 at 4:29pm PDT

The Hollow Bar + Kitchen
79 N. Pearl Street, Albany
Fall cravings satisfied by: Butternut Squash Bisque with Nine Pin Cider, apple, and onion

New World Bistro Bar
300 Delaware Avenue, Albany

Fall cravings satisfied by: Pecan Bourbon Braised Pork Belly with roasted garlic caramel, shaved kale, and smoked Old Bay pecans

Mmmm #foodporn

A photo posted by Nishka (@nishkamatic) on Jun 5, 2015 at 6:02pm PDT

Druthers Brewing Co.

1053 Broadway, Albany

Fall cravings satisfied by: Smoked Chicken Panini with American cheese, kimchee aioli, upstate apples, mortadella, spiced pumpkin seeds

Peaches Cafe

1475 Western Avenue, Albany

Fall cravings satisfied by: Caramel Apple Cheesecake

carmel apple cheesecake I can die happy now

A photo posted by Bree Beaudette (@burreeto_) on Oct 22, 2013 at 2:54pm PDT

La Serre

14 Green Street, Albany

Fall cravings satisfied by: Stuffed Portabella Mushroom with spinach, roasted red peppers and fontina

City Beer Hall

42 Howard Street, Albany

Fall cravings satisfied by: Beet Salad with roasted golden beets, bulls blood beet, fresh burrata, aged balsamic, watercress, and bitters candied quinoa

Our new fall menu features some delicious seasonal salads!😛 Roasted golden beets, bulls blood beet, fresh burrata, aged balsamic, watercress, and bitters candied quinoa🌿 #Seasonal #WeGotTheBeets #CityBeerHall #NoFilter

A photo posted by The City Beer Hall (@thecitybeerhall42) on Oct 16, 2015 at 10:29am PDT

Grandma's Pies

1273 Central Avenue, Albany

Fall cravings satisfied by: Roasted Half Chicken with apple walnut stuffing and cranberry sauce garnish

2016 Albany Wine Fest Line-Up Announced

The Albany Chef’s Food & Wine Festival Wine & Dine for the Arts will be back again in January and this year’s program is bigger and better than ever before! With 14 events over the course of 3days, this festival is not only the largest food and wine festival in Upstate New York, but it’s the most exciting. 

This year’s line-up has something for everyone and will benefit Albany’s best art organizations. The downside? Tickets will sell quickly, so don’t wait to get yours. And if you’re looking to stay in Albany for the weekend, The Hilton Albany has a room for you.

Here’s a peek at the events:

Thursday, January 15, 2015 | City Hall | 5:30 - 7:30 PM

• Mayor's Opening Celebration 

Friday, January 16, 2015 | Hilton Albany | 4 - 8 PM

• Battle of the Bartenders: Manhattan Edition
• Culinary Demos on the Bluestar Culinary Stage
• Educational Seminars
• NYS Craft Beer Pavilion
• Rising Star Chef Pavilion
• VIP Fire & Ice Lounge

Friday, January 16, 2015 | 90 State Events | 8 - 11 PM

• 2016 Slider Slam, 15 Chefs competing for best sliders in People's and Judges' Choice Awards! Craft beer pairings by Brewery Ommegang.

Saturday, January 17, 2015 | Hilton Albany | 11 AM - 12:30 PM

• Chemex Cup 2016, pour over coffee paired with artisanal donuts.

Saturday, January 17, 2015 | Hilton Albany | 12 - 4 PM

• Educational Seminars 
• NYS Craft Beer Pavilion
• Rising Star Chef Pavilion
• Adirondack Appliance Signature Chef Invitational
• Battle of the Bartenders: Blood Mary Edition
• VIP Fire & Ice Lounge

Saturday, January 17, 2015 | Hilton Albany | 6 PM

• Grand Gala Reception & 6 Course Dinner 

Information on all of this and more are available here.

New Menus and Special Offers for Fall

Whether its a menu for the whole season or just a few weeks, change is good when it comes to Capital Region Cuisine. Here's a peak into the newest menu choices at Albany's favorite restaurants:

New World Bistro

Korean seafood & kimchi stew 🍲🔥 @newworldbistrobar #kimchigoals #dinnerstodiefor #newworldbistro

A photo posted by Adam Dane® (@theadamdane) on Sep 27, 2015 at 8:12pm PDT

New World’s menu is inspired by the available produce of the region and so their menus change by the season. Some of their fall features include the return of the much anticipated and loved Brussels Sprouts Trio - balsamic roasted, garlic walnut sauteed and shaved with Serrano ham and sage. The seafood bowl for the fall is Korean Seafood and Kim Chee Stew, featuring house made kim chee. They also have some delicious new desserts as well as an updated fall cocktail list! Click here to view the full Fall 2015 Menu.

The Ginger Man
Has new lunch and dinner menus for the season. Butternut squash, apples, and warm flavors of fall make their appearance in new items like the butternut squash infused risotto croquettes served with a maple cream sauce, an appetizer for only $12. While you're there, try their Apple Cider Sangria, one of our 2015 Spirit of Albany Cocktails! Click here to view the new menus.

Orchard Creek Golf Club

Is offering an Oktoberfest Menu from September 25 to October 18th! Menu items include a Wurst plate, Sauerbraten, Bavarian pretzels, and potato pancakes. Enjoy these classic German foods at the Golf Club's restaurant. Click here to see the full menu. 

Creo'

Brunch! Need I say more? Creo's new brunch menu will start on October 3 and will offer everyone's favorite items! Eggs, pancakes, and biscuits for those wanting breakfast foods and salads, fish tacos, lobster rolls, and shared plates for the lunch preferred brunchers. See the full menu here. 

Dave & Busters

Anyone looking for a menu that's just for Football? Well, you've found it! Drink specials and $5 appetizers every Sunday and Monday throughout Football Season. See the special offer here. 

Summer is to Margaritas as Fall is to Spirit of Albany Cocktails

Each year, the Albany Visitors Bureau puts together the Spirit of Albany Recipe Guide which contains creative cocktail concoctions from Albany’s favorite restaurants, bars, and craft beverage producers. This year, the amount of apple inspired drinks was impressive, and although the recipes were “collected” in May and June, their masterpieces just seem like they want to be tasted in the fall.

Here they are, in all of their autumnal glory: 

The Albany Apple Knocker

The Empire State Apple Manhattan

Roff Old Fashion

The Warehouse District

 

Apple Cider Sangria

Ironweed Old Fashion