Love that Salad Creations!

At least once a week I end up in Clifton Park around Exit 9.  It is a busy area with tons of food options, most of which are chain restaurants.  From my options, I always seem to choose Salad Creations.  It is convenient, reasonably priced, and just plain tasty.  Of course, I also love salad.

Salad Creations is located in the Clifton Park Plaza strip mall, right next to Marshall's.  The place has a very inviting feel.  It is spacious and has a lot of large windows in front.  Inside, the walls are painted in pastel colors and pictures of (what else?) salad are hanging from the walls. 

When you enter Salad Creations, you are immediately greeted by your salad creator who is smartly dressed in a chef's cap.  He takes your order and asks you whether you would like a junior size or a full size salad.  I always go for the full size -- it is just a little more money and a lot more food.  He makes your salad right in front of you, and adds salad dressing to taste.  If you don't like any of the salads on the menu, you can always make your own. 

The salads over at Salad Creations are pretty good.  This is a full size chinese chopstick salad.  It is a pretty big meal for around $8.00.  The lettuce is always fresh and crispy, and I love the wontons and the Asian peanut dressing.  It is making me hungry just looking at it!  My only complaint is that there could be larger strips of chicken in the salad. 

In my opinion, Salad Creations is a hit!  Everyone is looking to eat healthier these days.  True, not all salads are healthy, and certaintly the one I featured probably has more calories than a Lean Cuisine.  However, I feel much more comfortable eating this than I would a Subway sandwich or a Big Mac.  The quality is better and it has lots of veggies!  They need to open one of these along Western Avenue in Albany.  I am sure it would do quite well. 

Crispy Basil: A new pizza place in a very crowded market

My girlfriend and I tried the new Crispy Basil restaurant, inhabiting the old Friendly's on Western Avenue.  It is the second Crispy Basil in the area.  As I drive along that stretch of Western Avenue every day, I have peeked at the Crispy Basil parking lot and have noticed that they do not attract much business.  I was somewhat concerned about whether or not our food would be good, but I wanted to try something new.

Crispy Basil has tons of coupons in this month's Coupon Clipper magazine.  One of the coupons is two salads for $11.99.  My girlfriend and I were in the mood for something relatively healthy after working out at the gym, so we figured we would take advantage of this great deal.

The restaurant is fairly well appointed on the inside, especially for a pizza place.  It is a casual fare restaurant than a fine dining experience.  There is no waiter/waitress service.  There is seating for around 20 people.

Upon entering the restaurant, the first thing we encountered is the display case of pizza.  The pizza in the display case did not look too appetizing.  It did not look inedible, but it looked like it had been sitting there all day.  That confirmed my idea that business is slow at this establishment.

We ordered our salads from the owner and picked up two drinks from the refrigerator.  We handed him our coupon but he allowed us to keep it, which we both thought was very nice of him.

Both of us got very nice sized salads, as you can tell from the picture below.  Mine was a chicken salad with the chicken tossed in mild buffalo sauce.  The lettuce was high quality romaine, which I appreciated.  The chicken was fresh off the grill and in plentiful supply.  I liked my salad a lot.

Overall, we had a very positive experience at Crispy Basil.  Now that we still have our coupon, we will go back again for salads.  I will not be buying my Super Bowl pizza from them though.  I will get it from Price Chopper, which surprisingly enough has excellent pizza for a supermarket.

Junior's

Tonight I ate at Junior's on Madison Avenue. Though this mostly is a college hangout, there is some decent bar food to be had there.

I had a buffalo chicken salad which was one of the better ones I have had. Served up in a huge bowl, this salad had cheese, some tomatoes and a large portion of mild buffalo chicken. The portion was way bigger than something Friday's or 99 Restaurant would serve. For mild, the chicken was a little spicier than I would like.

The only thing I have not liked about this restaurant is that the service is not very good. Perhaps they are understaffed because the waitresses do not seem to get much time with their customers. Perhaps they do not want to get in the way of their customers watching sports on one of the many TV's in the restaurant.

If you stick to the recommended dishes, like buffalo chicken, Junior's is a good place to go. It has a fun atmosphere and reasonable prices.

Scarborough's

I visited Scarborough's in Rotterdam this Friday. The atmosphere was warm, and the food was good, though the portions were a little small. Overall, I was very pleased with this restaurant.

The restaurant is in a strip mall on Altamont Avenue, convenient for Wal-Mart shoppers. Though the mall is sedate, Scarborough's does it's best to dress things up inside, with a large bar and ample wood furnishings. It feels like TGI Friday's would feel if it was not a chain.

The menu is all comfort food. Burritos, sicilian chicken and roast beef sandwiches are all on the same menu. The prices are reasonable, with many entrees priced below $10.

I ordered the turkey platter, which was delicious. Turkey, cranberry sauce and stuffing were stacked one on top of the other. The turkey was juicy, the stuffing was rich and the cranberry sauce was sweet. There was only a quarter pound of thin sliced turkey on my plate, which was not enough to satisfy me. However, you do get what you pay for. For $8.95, the portion was adequate.

I like what Scarborough's is about -- old-fashioned atmosphere, and down-home cooking at a reasonable price. I will definitely visit this establishment again.

Xin Fu

I recently tried Xin Fu, a new Chinese-Japanese restaurant on Route 7 in Latham. Though the food was excellent, I found the portions to be a little small.

The inside of the restaurant is elegant, comparable to Koto or Hana. The menu is slightly lacking. There are vastly more Japanese options than Chinese options. The service was fast and efficient.

I had wonton soup and chicken with broccoli. The wonton soup was one of the best I have ever had. I loved the softness of the wonton dumplings, and the strong flavor of the soup. The chicken with broccoli was delicious. The sauce was a little greasy but very flavorful. The dish offered an equal portion of both chicken and broccoli, but needed more of it. Though this was a dinner portion, there was less than a pound of chicken breast. Diners looking for a hearty meal may be disappointed.

Overall, this was a very good restaurant. The food was tasty, though the portions were a little bit small. I would put the taste of the food on par with the fine Chinese restaurants of the area, such as Emperor's and Ichiban.

Golden Phoenix

The Golden Phoenix in Niskayuna is the best chinese buffer in the area. Like all Chinese buffets, it is very sparse inside. However, there is a great variety of fresh food. If the food was healthier, and less expensive, I could eat there every week.

Not only is the food excellent, there is a large variety of it. Along with the favorites, such as sesame chicken and lo mein, there was also salt and pepper shrimp and pineapple chicken. There was also a nice selection of sushi, from the conventional California rolls to a sushi shrimp tempura roll. The sushi alone would have made a good meal. Add to it Chinese food and a Mongolian bar and I could have eaten well beyond satiety.

One problem I have with this place is that the Mongolian bar asks you to put on your own sauce, rather than putting the sauce on for you. I am not a chef, and I do not know the ingredients in many of the sauces, so I made my dish way too spicy for my tastes. Next time I will ask for the chef's advice before creating my dish.

I give the Golden Phoenix two thumbs up. The variety and quality of their food was superior to any Chinese buffet I have been to in the Capital Region

Jose Malone's

I went to Jose Malone's on River Street in Troy this Troy Night Out with my girlfriend. The restaurant offers large portions and a comfortable atmosphere. I can definitely see myself coming back to this place.

Jose Malone's is ideally located right next to Ryan's Wake, Revolution Hall, and some other bars on River Street. There are two municipal lots close by which seemed to have plenty of parking. The restaurant is described as 'Irish-Mexican,' but it is more like a Mexican restaurant that happens to make corned beef. Mexican adornments like a sombrero line the walls of the restaurant. Almost all of the customers were eating Mexican dishes. Perhaps this is a restaurant with an identity crisis.

I gave the Irish food a shot because I so frequently dine at Moe's and other Tex-Mex places. I ordered the corned beef and cabbage, which I give two thumbs up. The dish came with five pieces of very lean and flavorful high-quality corned beef. The sides were mashed potatoes, carrots marinated in tequila, and cabbage. I was a little disappointed with the cabbage, which I found very greasy. However, cabbage is not a dish I typically enjoy. The mashed potatoes had real potatoes in them with the skins on, but they were a little dry.

I was surprised that, not only does Jose Malone's charge for chips and salsa, they also charge for refills. I found this a little stingy for a restaurant of this caliber. However, the salsa was freshly made and excellent. But, when a restaurant is looking to get established, it is the little things that count. This is one thing Jose Malone's should reconsider.

Hot Dog Heaven

I went to lunch today at Hot Dog Heaven, and I am glad I did. It may not be heaven, but they offer a good meal, and a comfortable atmosphere at a fair price.

I like two things about the atmosphere at Hot Dog Heaven. First, the only person who I have ever seen tending the grill is the owner, who makes everyone feel at home. Second, if you sit by the grill, you get a great view of Lark Street. It is indeed a picture window.

I ordered the eggs, hash browns and toast, all of which were above average. As promised on the menu, the food does take a little longer than fast food, but that is because it is made to order. The eggs scrambled eggs was a bigger portion than I would get at many diners. The has browns were made from scratch with delicious chunks of potato and some bits of onion. Even the toast was nice and thick and generously buttered.

Unfortunately, Hot Dog Heaven is not open nights or on weekends, otherwise, I would probably be there much more often.

Phoenicians

Heather and I dined at Phoenicians on Central Avenue in Colonie on Friday night, and we were glad we did. The food was excellent and the service was friendly. We are both fans of this relatively new Lebanese restaurant.

This is not a large restaurant, but it is newly built and very clean. The walls have painted on them a mural of scenes from Lebanon. From our seat, we would see the vertical rotisseries in the back cooking what would become our dinner. The staff is very friendly; the owner was visiting every table shaking hands with the customers. I had never seen anything like it, and I enjoyed it.

We both ordered the schwarma, which proved to be a good choice. This was just the right portion of food -- enough to be full but not enough to be bloated afterwards. The chicken schwarma was served with rice, salad, hummus and tzatziki sauce. The presentation was beautiful, the duller colors of the chicken and rice contrasting with the bright tomatoes and hummus. The shavings of chicken were nicely spiced and just delicious. The rice was moist and flavorable, the salad fresh and covered in olive oil. I usually do not like tzatziki sauce, but I was dipping my pita bread in it for the entire meal.

This small restaurant has proven that in any economy, if you offer fresh food and good hospitality, you will get customers.

Capital Q Smokehouse

Capital Q Smokehouse was rated one of the best barbecue restaurants in the Capital District. Though they did have good food, I was not wowed by this restaurant.

The restaurant is located in the student ghetto of Albany. If you are not in your 20's, you may feel slightly out of place in this restaurant. When I was in the restaurant, the crowd was exclusively college-age individuals. Dollar bills on the wall by the cash register had greek letters written on them of the various frats and sororities of the local colleges.

We ordered the pulled pork in this two-pound portion, assuming we would get a better deal ordering by the pound than each having a sandwich. We may have gotten a large jug of meat, but we didn't enjoy it too much. The meat was of high-quality and was not fatty, unlike Pig Pit. However, the North Carolina vinegary taste of the meat was not to my liking. I had left-overs the next day, and I almost did not finish them. This is slightly unusual behavior for me.



With our 2 pounds of pork, we ordered a couple of sides. The winner among the sides was the sweet potato fries, which were excellent. They were freshly-made, and worth the wait.



There are different barbecue flavors at Capital Q, so next time we might try one of those. However, I am not running back to this establishment.

The Bayou Cafe

The Bayou Cafe in Glenville is one of my favorite restaurants. There is a great ambiance in there, combined with great food and an extensive menu.

The Bayou achieves the difficult balancing act of being a bar and also a family restaurant. It is one of the few restaurants located in Glenville, a suburb of Schenectady, and therefore serves a lot of families. It has a very comfortable feel inside. Chips and fresh salsa are put on every table before customers start eating their meal. The salsa is mild but full of tomato.

The menu has American, Cajun and Mexican options. I do not know of any other restaurant in the area which has Cajun offerings.

I ordered the Barbecue Brisket which was a special. I have been on a barbecue kick lately, so I figured I would give it a try. Of course, it was not as good as something from the Pig Pit, but it was tasty in its own right. It was covered in a sweet, syrupy barbecue sauce. The brisket was very tender, and the portion was acceptable, but not huge. The brisket came with seasoned potatoes and macaroni salad. The potatoes were a strange pairing with the brisket, but they were fresh and tasty. I would much rather had fries or even a baked potato. I had cole slaw rather than the macaroni salad, and it also was fresh.

For a hometown place in the suburbs, the Bayou has a lot to offer. Great atmosphere, food, menu are just three of the reasons why the Bayou is always packed.

Chico's BBQ

I went to Chico's BBQ, past the Route 20 and 146 intersection in Guilderland. I was a little disappointed, but perhaps boneless buffalo wings were not the thing to get at Chico's.

The ambiance suggests that Chico's is a serious barbecue place. There were motorcycles parked outside the smoker in front of the restaurant. Inside Chico's there is the same rustic, rugged feel. The crowd seemed to be a mix of working class men getting a beer and families looking for a good meal.

The chicken was no better than anything one would get from any restaurant. They were all white meat, but a little dry. Overall, this was a 8 out of 10 on the wing scale.

My wings were $8.90, which is slightly more than the Wings of Albany meal I enjoyed so much. Considering I got a coupon for a large ribbon fries that expires at the end of March, I may try Chico's again. I would get pulled pork, or something else that gets made in the smoker.

Cajun Grill Cafe

To spice up my routine, I ate at the Cajun Grill Cafe in Colonie Center. It is above average mall chinese food.

The ambiance of the storefront is above average. Unfortunately, there is a man outside of the storefront handing out free samples. He is not quite as pushy as the women who stands outside of Oyishi Japan. The storefront is clean and modern-looking, and slightly nicer than China Max or Oyishi Japan.

The meal that I ordered is the two meat, one side for $4.50 deal. It is not a bad deal. I got the fried rice, honey chicken and bourbon chicken. The portion is reasonable for lunch, and perhaps a bit small for a dinner. The bit of fried rice that I had was moist and tasty.

The meat portion is all meat; there is no broccoli or other vegetables to take away from the protein. The chicken is served in small cubes which are nicely marinated in sauce. The chicken was not fatty, but it was mostly dark meat. Though the chicken is not fried, it is probably fairly high in calories. The honey chicken has a nice sweet flavor. It is not gourmet, but fairly good for mall chinese food.

I would recommend Cajun Grill Cafe to those seeking out chinese food in Colonie Center. For under $5.00, this is a good alternative to Arby's or Mr. Subb.

Smokey Bones BBQ

I went to Smokey Bones BBQ on Central Avenue in Albany on Friday, and I definitely enjoyed my experience. The food is a solid 9 out of 10, though it still fails to compare to the Pig Pit in Cohoes. However, if you want a solid barbecue meal in a restaurant, this is the place to go.

I ordered the two entrees (pulled pork and smoked brisket) and two sides (mashed potatoes and french fries). I was not a big fan of the pulled pork. It was a dry rub and there were a lot of spices in their that masked the flavor of the meat. However, it was a lot less fatty than the Pig Pit. The smoked brisket was excellent. It was covered in barbecue sauce which was sweet. The fries and potatoes were both homemade and both better than average. I only wishes they had given more of both. The portion was average rather than heaping.

The ambiance is also pretty good. The restaurant was able to easily accomodate our large party, though they do not accept reservations. There are tons of TVs everywhere, so it feels more like sitting in your living room than a restaurant. The waiter was very friendly and helped explain the different options on the menu.

For $13.95, I felt like the amount of food and the quality were reasonable. I enjoyed a nice sampling of some fresh barbecue food. If you are looking for a good meal out, you cannot go wrong with Smokey Bones.

Nothing but Noodles

I went to Nothing But Noodles in Clifton Park. I had the Pad Thai and my girlfriend had a pasta dish. Usually one would think a place that has such a varied menu would not be able to make everything good.

The Pad Thai had the same excellent flavor that one would find in a Thai restaurant. I appreciated the chopped peanuts on top and the lime. However, I felt that they could have put a meat in the dish to make it more filling. There were pieces of egg, which was obviously not real egg. I felt the portion was a little small for the price though.

The Pad Thai and a beverage at Nothing But Noodles is around $10, which is not really a bargain.