Mizu Sushi

Since I was passing by at lunch time on Saturday I stopped at Mizu Sushi having read about it in The Masticating Monkey.

I'll add my positive review:

Yum!

It's tucked away in the teensy Mohawk Plaza, just opposite Balltown Road on State Street on the eastern edge of greater Schenectady, and it's a teensy spot itself, with a nice dining room.

I was the only customer for my late - ish lunch, which was the sake special.  Goodness!  I have a certain set of favorite sushi attributes and this place hits on all of them.  There is a good proportion between the fish and the rice, the temperature is more like room temperature so that the fish is full-flavored along with the rice and the creaminess of the sake is marvelous, making it a lovely complement to the chewiness of the sticky rice. The special included seven pieces of sake sushi and a sake roll.  It was sake heaven.

Since it's so easy to get to, I'll be returning often.  There's a huge menu to try, including a great-looking lunch menu.

Awakened by the PerFussor

I'm behind!  For some reason I've really slowed down in my explorations of Capital Region foodie sites.  But after reading today's post in Fussy Little Blog of the PerFussor's "best" list I'm determined to get back out there and keep my "best" list current.

So many categories!  So little time!  My list isn't even half of what the original poll contains, but just for fun I'll list the few that get my vote.  I pledge to do the full list next time.

Appetizers – Athos - Western Ave. in Guilderland

Bakery – Bread Alone in Woodstock
Beer Selection – Merry Monk
Bistro – Garden Bistro 24
Bread – All Good Bakers
Breakfast – Oriole 9 in Woodstock or Haven in Lenox
Coffee – Daily Grind
Deli – Gershon's
Dining on a budget  -- Mr. Pio Pio
French fries – Ravenous
Lunch spot – Mamoun's
Soup – Tom Ka at Kinnaree
Cider Donuts – Golden Harvest
German Food – Smokehouse of the Catskills
Chocolate shop/Candy Store – Chocolate Gekko
Health food store – Honest Weight Food Co-op
Supermarket – Guido's

Blog – FUSSYlittleBLOG

Chinese – Ala Shanghai

Greek – Athos

Shopping

Apple orchard – Golden Harvest

Athos

Is it just me, or have restaurants gotten darker and darker?  I was just reading an article about restaurants in New York who are not allowing customers to take photos of their food because the flashing was getting to be an enormous annoyance for everyone.  Well...I USTA be able to just quietly take out my phone and take a photo but I haven't  been posting lately because I can't get a photo that way anymore.  It's too dark.

Athos was the same way earlier this week when I visited with a friend.  She has taken to the restaurant and I know why.  Located at 1814 Western Ave., it has a very handsome and comfortable ambiance.  We slipped into a booth because we were there for wine and appetizers.

My friend was experienced, so she was a very helpful guide regarding how much to order.  We both enjoyed the cabernet sauvignon, and we got the shared salad for two, which was dressed with a subtle creamy house dressing that didn't cover up any flavors.

Pita with tapenade came with the table and the tapenade was a great start.

We added:


SAGANAKI
lightly sautéed kefalograviera cheese finished with table-side greek cognac flambé 10 †

and


KEFTEDAKIA
grilled ground beef & lamb patties seasoned with mint, garlic, and onion 8  ◊

The cheese was strong, chewy and salty and was magnificent with the wine and the other flavors on the table, and the keftedies were perfectly grilled.

So I couldn't think of a better way to enjoy sitting with my friend, sharing our new haircuts and catching up with each other than this lovely spread of delicious food.  And I still can't, several days later.

When we left on that Tuesday night, the parking lot was full, but the restaurant had remained very quiet - a mark of excellent architecture in my book.  My friend explained that the family who owns the place had a restaurant that her family used to enjoy in New York City, and now they have relocated here.  I'm really glad they did!

A morning shop in the south end

The signs aren't huge, so keep an eye out once you cross 2nd Ave going out the Avenue

There are a few parking spaces in the plaza but the street may work better for you.

After hearing much about All Good Bakers and The Cheese Traveler I finally made it out to the modest little shops on Delaware Ave, just north of Nicole's Restaurant and Mingle, tucked a bit back from the street.

They were a complete delight.  I picked up a small slice of French aged goat cheese that has one of those phenomenal flavors that keeps unfolding as you and it get more and more intimate with each other. I also got a small log of fresh goat cheese, a pack of frozen sweet Italian sausage, Jan's crackers (my most favorite crackers ever in my whole life), and of course some bread.

Garden Bistro

Due to a sort of wandering around on Friday I ended up at Garden Bistro in Central Square Plaza. The Central Square Plaza is out Central Ave. across from the Kohl's Plaza, just before you reach route 155.  It has a mish mash of businesses, and the Garden Bistro is tucked in the middle.  I had the mussels with lemon pesto sauce.  I LOVE this dish.  I asked for a spoon in order to get every bit of the amazing perfectly balanced sauce which is generously providing a soupy delightful bath for the mussels. Thin slices of tender onion, basel and fresh tomato are swimming contentedly among the nuggets of tastiness.

I prefaced the feast with a huge and delicious martini, and that added quite a happy glow to the occasion. Pommes frites, with ketchup and a horseradish mayo sauce are the standard companion for all the mussels.

I've been to the bistro a few times and have not been able to get past the mussels because they are just so lovely.  They do have a menu that should make a party happy even for those who do not care for mussels, and they always have a special in each category.  Besides the lemon pesto sauce for the mussels there are also a suite of other well-balanced flavors that complement the delicate mussel flavor.

The ambiance in the bistro is warm with browny reds and despite the lack of carpeting, the sound level is busy but very comfortable.  There's a small bar and a good sized dining room.  It was full on Friday, as it should be, since there is much comfort and refreshment to be had within.

I highly recommend the mussels, but it is worth a visit no matter what your mood.

Oh my pesto sauce at Elda's

The Point revisited

Being weary on a Tuesday evening I spied the mid-town restaurant The Point and instantly recalled a rather good experience in the past.  So I entered and was politely greeted and given a table right away. There was a nice buzz going in the bar and people looked comfortable.

Not having had a Manhattan in many years, I was inspired to have one from the ample cocktails menu. It was delightful and produced a warm glow to match the warm and cozy feeling in the room.

I ordered from the Prix fixe menu - but it took me a long time and about half way through the Manhattan to decide because so many dishes looked attractive.

I began with the butternut squash soup with maple creme and candied walnut dust. After tasting the degree of sweetness, I added salt and pepper to tone things down a bit.  After several spoons full, I realized that it was actually a squash foam due to significant over blending.  That texture made it difficult to eat as a soup.  Perhaps it would have been nice as a mousse.

The view of Madison Ave. is lovely,

and the ceiling mirrors add a bit of quirkiness or interest.

My main course was the chicken chassure and it was lovely.  The accompanying vegetables would have been better off left to themselves without the thick coating of garlic and I-don't-know-what, and the roasted potatoes were a welcome relief.

The pistaccio gelato was very mild and the finishing sauces provided a bit of a puzzle.  The spoon was constructed so that it was not capable of picking up the sauce, only smearing it around the bowl.  When I rested the spoon the back of the handle was immediately covered in the sauce, which then became distributed over my hands and into the napkin.  Ahem.

So although a good-looking meal in a handsome restaurant, there was a bit more style than substance and I went away wishing for a cleaner and less fussy meal using most of the same flavors and bringing them back down to a meal that wasn't so over-produced.