Who needs a hug??? - Dinner at Il Faro

Eating great food and writing good reviews about really nice restaurants where you have absolutely no complaints is so sickly sweet I'm still reeling from this sugar high of good will and happiness and I'm now SO ready to hug everyone and genuinely love them too.

Outdoor dining in better weather - parking lot on the right

 Yes, this is really Zena. Now back off.

OK where was I. Oh, right - Il Faro, located just a couple of miles from downtown Albany in Menands, is small and family run, with experienced NYC Chef and Co-owner Christian LoFaro working side by side with General Manager and Co-owner Jennifer Lamoreaux, who is running the house. The space is open, dark, romantic and softly lit, a contrast to the artless exterior. Coming inside is like being enveloped in warmth - a perfect spot on a cold October night.

Romantic setting

The menu is traditional, appealing to most of what the locals find good about Italian food - better yet, it's in the neighborhood. But be prepared to enjoy your dinner just a bit more than you expect - no bottled dressings and cheap wine and rollatini still cold in the middle. The food is stepped up a notch - or I'd say two.  Think veal and pasta and calamari and lasagna, but with fresh pasta and really good bread and thoughtful ingredients and careful preparation, there to embrace your palate and your soul. The house white, Stella Pinot Grigio is only $5 at happy hour, even in the dining room. The hugs get longer with glass number 2.  

 

A simple salad to start

Red and I started with a House Salad that could have fed three ($8) - soft greens, red onion, tomatoes and olives tossed with a light vinaigrette - I could do without the canned black olives but it was simple and tasty. This, along with fresh warm rolls that were salty and sweet and yeasty with just a bit of chew was a lovely beginning. 

Fresh, warm yeasty rolls

Red almost polished off a generous serving of Penne Vodka ($14) - a dish I can almost always hate - but this one was smooth and rich and light on the tomato. Others can be harsh, or underseasoned - this offering was like the perfect cuddle - love in every bite. 

 

Penne Vodka - servers brought grated parm to the table

Yes, I had the Chicken Parm ($17) (now you KNOW it's really me!). A bit heavy on the sauce, but the taste of the breading came through with its parmy saltiness, lovely crisp edges, just the right amount of cheese on top - excellent. The red sauce was clingy but not thick, the tomato was bright but mellowed with cooking. The side of house-made capellini was amazing (with just a bit of water on the plate). I almost destroyed it as I clasped it to my bosom, slurping up every bite - delicious.

 

Chicken Parm. Yep, that's Zena alright!

A lovely dining area, Sinatra on low, attentive service, lots of promise - it wasn't busy on a Wednesday. Zena says Get out to Menands, eat more Italian, and getta hug!  

Oh, and congrats on one year in business - wishing you many, many more.

Love, Zena, Goddess of Fire

P.S. Yes, I have my soft side. Mostly it's inside but it's there, trust me. 

DOING DISHES: Chicken Parm at Bellini's

I was buzzing from a big night of fighting off more zombies in Guilderland (that's a problem out there), and I needed a pasta and chicken parmesan fix, bad, real bad.

Scenic strip malls in Albany, NY

So on Saturday noontime it was off to Bellini's, located in just another scenic strip mall down in Slingerlands at the intersection of 85 and New Scotland Road, with two great friends for toasts to summer. Yes, I love the luxury of daytime drinking, don't you? There was a nice selection of reds ($25-$130/bottle), most (if not all) available by the glass. TBB ordered a glass of the Josh Cellars, Cab Sav ($10)  - a reliable choice. There were fewer whites but what we had we quite enjoyed. I tried the Massimo Sauvignon Blanc (NZ, $8/glass) - grassy and crisp, and Stitch treated herself to the house Pinot Grigio, Tiziano, Toscano ($7.75).

A casual dining space with a touch of class - clean except for a fly that liked me very, very much

We talked a lot and finally, buzzing again and being buzzed (see above caption), we ordered.

They had "salad", and "soup". Stitch loved her soup/salad combo ($9) - choosing a small but hearty bowl of Florentine (chicken & mushrooms, spinach) - creamy, delightful, with tender greens and meat, followed by a house salad (cranberries, cuke and a cherry tomato with mesclun greens). The cranberries were delightful, as was the housemade balsamic dressing, topped with a generous helping of shaved parmesan. Not a big lunch but filling enough and delicious, especially if you have a slice of their warm, traditional light crusty Italian bread along with your meal, served with a bit of basil oil or butter if you prefer.

Florentine soup (above), and the house salad "Di Casa"

TBB asked for the Caserta Salad ($10.95) without the proscuitto or mozz, with a topping of herb grilled chicken ($6.00). She said "wow, this is the best dressing I ever had", pumping the waitress for details. We got mixed messages at first, but it's a simple mix of OJ and lemon juice and mustard, oil, S&P. Five stars!!!

The most delicious salad dressing in the universe

Of course, I ordered the Parmigiano (pan fried chicken cutlet, marinara cream sauce, lots of rigatoni/$12.95), as well as the aforementioned house salad ($5.95). The cutlet was served hot, the meat was succulent and fork tender with crispy edges, the cheese was gooey, the pasta was perfect al dente, and I would have licked the plate clean the sauce was so tasty. I tried to eat the whole thing but there WAS alot of pasta, so I finally had to stop. It was SO good, I really must go back any second now for another round. If I can take down zombies, I think I can take out a dinner portion.

A perfect cutlet - with a hearty portion of pasta. Burp. Excuse me. 

Lunch for three ladies, including four glasses of wine (yep, I had two!), plus tax, came to $84.

Cheers to friends and summer!!!  xxx

Zena, Goddess of Fire

DOING DISHES: Take Away Meals - U Mundu E Ca

One of the stupidest excuses other singles have for not cooking is that they can't be bothered with it for just one person, even when that one person is YOU. If you are anything like Zena, you are the center of the universe, and you don't have to be a goddess or superhero to appreciate how special you are. Ask your dog if you don't believe me.

You don't have to cook to eat real food.  You could easily make yourself a tuna sandwich if you are organized enough to have bread and mayo and a can of tuna around the house (and you can share your repast with the cat, who may not appreciate you, but they do like it when you feed them). Red's go-to on a lazy night or during an overly busy time is popcorn. Both go quite well with cardbordeaux (that's wine in a box in case you didn't get it), and while it ain't fine dining, it's certainly better than fast food. Or you can eat out somewhere decent, solo is fine, if good food and the world is what you need.

Parking is better on the Wolf Road side of this strip mall.

But apparently "The World is Here", which is what U Mundu E Ca supposedly translates to in English, although the closest I got online was underpants something. Anyway, this is an Italian specialty store with a small grocery selection, a well-stocked deli where you can order by the pound, a fabulous selection of sandwiches and take-away meals. Everything is homemade with best quality ingredients: these treats are totally worth stopping in for any day of the week, whether it's lunch or dinner for numero uno, or just you and a friend, or a family of four. Mundu is hidden away in a strip mall in the Hannaford's Plaza on the corner of Wolf and Sand Creek Road in Colonie. Happily, they post their daily creations and specials every single day on Facebook so you can plan accordingly (and if you LIKE Albany Dish on Facebook you will get their announcements as part of our news feed).

Always watching my nickels because I need what little I have to invest in saving the world from the forces of evil (and believe me, a new cape ain't cheap), I've been lucky enough to snag a few DoubleTakeOffers deals over the past few months for $20 worth of goods for only $10 at Mundu. So don't tell me that fast food is cheaper. It isn't. Ain't. NOT. On Friday night Foodie Friend and I stopped by for a procured meal to bring back to Chez Zena's. For $8.95 plus tax each we ordered Chicken Parm with ziti (no surprises there, if you've read our posts before) and a special dish of Crab Lasagna, each served with garlic bread and a salad, bringing us in just under our $20 coupon, so I bought a candy bar for dessert and handed over an extra $0.14 as we headed out the door. I win.  (:

They will heat your meal or package it for reheat in a microwave or conventional oven.

They can heat your meal or package it for reheat in a microwave or a conventional oven. We opted for aluminum and oven reheat at home (we replaced the plastic lid with foil before drinking anything), and sipped on the first of two bottles of beaujolais that would start our weekend off right. An hour later at 350 degrees F we split the main courses and set ourselves a nice table. The garlic bread, wrapped tightly in foil at Mundu and which we only heated for 10 minutes or so, was toasted to just the right color. The bread was dense and chewy and buttery, although I'm not crazy about the taste of garlic powder/salt when fresh is always SO much better. Speaking of which, the salads were very fresh, with carrot, grape tomatoes, pimento stuffed olives, and mixed greens (including a healthy dose of romaine), served with a homemade balsamic vinaigrette packaged on the side. It was very tasty.

Two lovely side salads with a homemade balsamic dressing on the side.

The ziti, even with an oven reheat, was the perfect texture (toothsome but not tough), telling me it wasn't Prince spaghetti night. The sauce was bright, tart and generous with the flavors of black pepper and garlic. The chicken cutlet, topped with the sauce and a few thin slices of provolone (?) was tender and juicy, a bit crispy still, and the whole dish held together nicely. But the Crab Lasagna was the show-stopper: rich, creamy, cheesy, and totally decadent, and if I could take myself out on food (defying other forces of evil) this would be the way to go. The crab flavor was subtle in a totally decadent ricotta filling layered between perfect pasta. The texture was so lovely I closed my eyes and groaned with pleasure. Not out loud, of course, maybe a slight woo woo sound or something, but I'm afraid it was still audible.

The Crab Lasagna was delicious. Next time I'm not sharing it.

U Mundu E Ca is one of those little hidden gems that are worthy of attention. They are busy, and, I hope, they will just keep getting busier. They deserve the repeat customers more than anyplace I've been to in a long time. It smells DIVINE in there, and the staff are genuinely friendly and seem to care deeply about what they serve. I'll keep an eye open for more of those groovy coupons, for tonight's special, for this and other ways of being good to myself, and for cars zooming through the parking lot as I head home with my booty.

Zena, Goddess of Fire

P.S. Let me make a suggestion, if you value your Batmobile or whatever vehicle you are driving these days - park on the Wolf Road side of the parking lot. The Sand Creek side, in front of Mundu, is on a busy through road in the mall and it's hard to pull out without feeling like getting T-boned is in your horoscope for the day. Just saying.  

Lunch out at Treviso by Mallozzi's

I've been at the University at Albany for almost 14 years (by day I'm a librarian), and never ONCE has Treviso bleeped Zena's superpower radar as a lunch option, even though it's only a few miles up the road. Like a good night's sleep, I've clearly been missing something for a very long time. No wonder I'm cranky.

The unmarked entryway and shabby awning shouldn't discourage you from venturing inside.

Located at The Italian American Community Center on Washington Avenue Extension, Treviso is one of five eating establishments managed by Mallozzi's. The exterior is a bit stark and uninviting, but with cold snowy weather we hussled inside hoping for warmth and good cheer. We were NOT disappointed. The entryway to the dining room is glowing and homey, and the staff were bright and happy to welcome us. The air was heavily scented with garlic. OOOOOOOH. Nice start.

Coming in from the cold the reception area is warm and inviting.

My first visit was in mid-December, just before the holidays, and the dining room was packed. How did I miss this place? One thing to know - Treviso is only open on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday for lunch, and a reservation is recommended if you are going with a larger party (something they seem to do very well, as there were more than a half dozen large tables being served that afternoon). Luckily there were only two of us, and even without a reservation we were promptly seated and attended to. The booths are very popular - big, deep red upholstered things, but the tables are also sturdy and large, and red linen is everywhere. 

The decor is elegant but homey - all the walls are plastered with vintage photos.

The mid-day menu is limited but includes soups, salads, and sandwiches, as well as a choice of eight Italian classics. Jaguar ordered a Pesto Turkey Club ($8.95) and I asked for the Veal & Peppers with ziti (capellini was another option - $9.95). A basket of warm garlic bread sprinkled with parsley was delivered with our club sodas (no wine on these visits - gotta be a good Goddess and achieve amazing feats at work during the afternoon). The bread was good but tasted distinctly of garlic powder - not so good, but crunchy and buttery. The Club was huge - at least 3" thick - mounds of freshly roasted moist turkey thinly sliced on a lovely ciabatta roll, a few slices of perfectly cooked bacon, tangy cheddar cheese, and a flavorful sauce that complimented the whole. A side of parmesan fries were decidedly light and not at all greasy, and they didn't overwhelm the plate either. Less bread might have been better, practically speaking, as I watched my friend try to take a bite without opening her mouth like she was at the dentist to have a molar extracted. But she loved the dish so much she took half home to enjoy later, in private.

The bread was toasted and garlicky.

At 3" thick, Jag's sandwich required superpower heroes to bite into.

I was happy too. The Veal & Peppers, topped with freshly shaved parm, had lots of big pieces of freshly roasted red peppers, the meat was incredibly tender, and the sauce rich and luxurious, sporting garlic and wine and spices. Th textures were fleshy and sublime. And not too much pasta for a change. Half of this dish came back to work with me where one of my co-workers generously agreed to try it for the Dish. She was also wowed by the veal and the tasty peppers. Very nice. Well considered and presented.

Veal and Peppers topped with freshly shaved parmesan cheese.

The dessert menu offered up tiramisu, tartufo, gelato and cheesecake, among others ($3.95 - $5.95) but we were full and then some, despite holding back on cleaning our plates, which was pure willpower, trust me, because everything was delicious. Lunch for two, including two sodas and two cups of coffee, came to only $30.65 plus tip. The waitstaff were well tipped on this one, and they deserved it. Everyone smiles and is not playing by rote. Excellent service from start to finish.

In early January I returned, this time with Red, Pony and Foodie Friend to try Treviso's menu again and see if the food was as good as the first time. My friends remarked that the space had the feel of a family living room, and with that I agreed. Though not as busy as during the holiday rush, the room was still well occupied and lively, but not noisy by any means. We ordered simple beverages and each asked for different dishes so we could taste more of the menu. Our garlic bread arrived promptly, and it was relished by all while we waited for lunch.

Foodie Friend had the special - Shrimp Diavolo ($9.95) -served over a creamy risotto. The shrimps were large, sweet and tender, and there was a very spicy sausage in there laced with fennel. This one had some heat, and the sausage had a dense bite which we enjoyed, with lots of tomato but not drowning in sauce (though the image might indicate otherwise). Decadent and powerful, this was a hit, with more zing than anything else on the table.

Shrimp Diavolo with spicy sausage over risotto.

Red ordered the Eggplant Rollatini ($9.95), which tasted like................wait for it........... eggplant, not at all mushy, with capellini. The filling was a luscious seasoned ricotta, and the sauce was light and aromatic with plenty of herbs to keep it interesting. Perfectly seasoned, this classic was a hit with all of us at the table that day.True to form, Red quietly ate the whole thing. She's a superpower in the making, that's for sure.

Eggplant Rollatini with capellini pasta.

After my own heart, Pony asked for the Chicken Parmesan, a large serving boasting a rather thick cutlet with a crisp breading and a dose of some nice stringy mozzerella on top. The meat was just a bit tough but it was very tasty. We liked the red sauce. It had some complexity and flavor, and the pasta was cooked to perfection. She thought it was one of the best she had had in a long time, and I agreed. Let me point out, too, that the sauces on these three dishes were all different - not just some red sauce dumped over everything leaving the kitchen. Kudos.

Pony had the Chicken Parm

Because FF beat me to the special, and Red beat me to the Rollatini, and Pony beat me to the Chicken Parm, I decided to order a the Classic Caeser Salad (sp.!!! - $7.95) topped with chicken (for another $4.95). This was a disappointment - no croutons (weird - usually I have to push them aside), with a dressing that was dense and garlickly and somewhat bland. I had our server bring me a few wedges of fresh lemon, which helped. The chicken was cold, and garlicky also, and salty, and the whole thing could have done with a bit of freshly ground pepper. Certainly virtuous, a nice "share" for the table, and I finished it, but can't recommend. At $12.90 total, it was a little overpriced for what it was.

 A virtuous salad after the holiday glut.

Lunch for four came to $52.10 for four entrees and two sodas plus tip, so a bargain, considering the stellar service and general ambiance. We felt welcome, appreciated and left feeling happy. So when Zena is feeling cranky from now on everyone is like, "Let's go to Treviso." Good idea. 

Zena, Goddess of Fire

P.S. The entryway sports a cool old motorcycle just beyond the reception desk. Men.

DOING DISHES: Chicken Parm Time Warp Again at Petta's

I ate at Petta's last week for the first time and it was a total time warp. I think their chicken parmigiana needs to go back in time as well.

Madness takes its toll, and with a Groupon that cost me $15 for $30 worth of fine dining I dragged Cookie out for another night of Italian food in deepest darkest Schenectady. The parking lot for Petta's is big, and newly paved, and swept clean, but the area is pretty run down/sucked. The restaurant's exterior was less than inviting, but I was curious. Petta's is one more of our family run Italian restaurants in the Albany area that we should never tire of, established in 1951 and now run by Mike Petta, grandson of the original owners. So with a jump to the left, and a step to the right, we wound our way past a take out window and a bar full of regulars to a seat in a very large dining room with musack that probably doubles as a banquet hall.

This is as busy as it got but it was Tuesday

Seating and service were quick, we asked for a wine list, and noted it was adequate but very limited. We ordered a bottle of Mirassou sauvignon blanc, a crisp, cold, reliable summer wine that was served up right in a lovely marble bottle cooler ($21.95/very affordable). In another dimension, we looked over the menu while our server delivered a basket of bread. It was everything bread should be - homemade every day, soft with a chewy crust and a nice yeasty flavor. It was so dreamy.   (:

Cookie looked at me and said "I love this bread!"

So far so good. Salad or soup, along with a side of pasta (or potato and veg) were served with all the main courses. The salad was generous, with a bit more variety that most, if not all, of the family Italian places I've been to these past few months. Petta's makes their own Russian, Italian and blue cheese, but I went with the regular Italian. It was light and vinegary. Everything was fresh and crunchy except for the cherry tomatoes, which were squishy and overripe. They really drive you insane, with your hands on your hips: in September in Albany there are AMAZING tomatoes to be had. Why the cruddy duddies???

Anyway, Cookie had the soup, a generous serving of White Bean Fagiole (a Chicken Pastene was also on for the day) that could have been dinner all by itself. It was dished up nice and hot, the beans were smooth and delicious, garlicky for sure, but not too much, with a bit of Swiss chard in there, maybe chicken broth and some sage. A touch extra S&P was added at the table. You're into a time slip when food is that good - you just want to close your eyes and savor every bite.

Our main courses arrived and this is where we brought our knees in tight. Cookie ordered the Eggplant Parmigiana ($17.95), layers sliced about 1/8" thick and stacked up. We liked the presentation, with only half the dish covered in sauce (choice is good). We decided that the flavor was pretty bland. It tasted like, uh, eggplant, but don't get me wrong, I like to taste the veg but that's all we were tasting, that and something metallicky, which was probably the red sauce; and the "parm" was totally absent. This dish was barely okay, and time is fleeting. Cookie moved on to her homemade cavatelli with the red sauce and decided the sauce tasted really tinny, she didn't much care for it, but the pasta itself was very good.

I ordered the Chicken Parmigiana ($17.95), which was served up plain. It had just a touch of sauce between the cutlets and the cheese. A gravy boat of red sauce was served on the side.  As you might remember, I'm always complaining about the work we go through to make those crispy cutlets, then we drown them in sauce, so this caught my attention. I had a few bites of the meat, without extra red sauce, and let me tell you, this was hands down the worst chicken parm I've ever had, anywhere. It was so greasy I almost couldn't eat it, and it tasted like old oil, and wasn't at all crispy. We looked at the cut cutlet: there was a very thin layer of chicken-colored chicken in the middle; the rest was decidedly gray. Frozen meat? Cold, old oil that had soaked into the meat? Microwaves? I don't know what they did to screw this one up, but I think Let's do the Time Warp again, and go back to what the grandparents did, because no way almost 65 years later would Petta's still be here if the food was that bad at the start. What a disappointment, BUT, I think, remedied with a bit of time and attention in the kitchen.

The linguine was good, but I, too, didn't like the sauce. It was smooth, and thick, kinda like jarred (but it wasn't, I don't think). To my tastes it was almost harsh, "canned", and really needed some garlic, herbs, sweetener, something. There was a lot of food on the table at this point in our meal, but nothing I wanted to eat (except the bread!). We had to-go boxes packed up and, I admit, I trashed the leftovers (except the bread!). Even my superpowers couldn't save this one.

So the menu was the usual, the service was friendly and personal (I liked her), and we think we should go back some day just for the homemade spumoni. I may return for another taste test, but it won't be anytime soon.

Dinner for two, including tax, was $62.48 minus the $15 we saved using the Groupon. 

Zena, Goddess of Fire

PS: Going back in time is NOT one of my best superpowers, so a bit of critique will have to suffice before I go out later to save the world from the forces of evil. May it save the food at Petta's.

DOING DISHES: Chicken Parm at Valente's Restaurant

If you are a little superhero, or a little superhero wanna-be, then you will want to try the atomic supersized dishes of Italian food at Valente's in Watervleit. Yes, it's near the armory.

My friend BLT is tired of my Italian food reviews, but all that discussion about red sauce earlier this year on FUSSYlittleBLOG presented a challenge, and you all know Zena is always up for that. Foodie Friend and I are promoters of local, sustainable eating, which includes supporting family run dining establishments. With my Groupon costing $20 for $40 worth of food for two Sunday through Thursday except Mondays when they are closed which I found out the first time I went because it's not anywhere on their web site that I can tell, even with my xray vision, four of us wound our way out to dinner earlier this week, with yours truly ready to try another round of chicken parmesan.

We were seated promptly by our hostess, with menus but no wine list, which took some time to get as there seemed to be only one "real" waiter who finally came to our table. Wines were moderately priced, with bottles starting as low as $15.95; almost half of their offerings were available by the glass. Jag and I each had a glass of Chardonnay Unoaked Ruffino from Tuscany. It was very nice - cold, buttery ($7.95/ea). Quite a few Italian reds and whites (including three Pinot Grigio's), and a nice selection of California reds.

Okay the menu was predictable then it had some strange choices mixed in there. The usual appetizers, including fried calamari and mussels; nine veal dishes; fifteen pasta dishes, chicken dishes, Italian specialty items like ravioli; and a crumpled list of specials, leading with three Mac & Cheese dishes which are decidedly not Italian (their Mac & Cheese won prizes three years in a row at the Table Hopping MAC & CHEESE BOWL) and ending with Fried Haddock Parm (just like it sounds) being just on the edge of edgey. And potato skins and fried chicken and burgers and sandwiches and a kids menu and pizza. Hmmmmm. But dad (who is also a superpower, at least in my estimation) always said, "Never order spaghetti in a steak house", so we stuck to trying their Italian offerings.

Meals all started with a house salad and a basket of pretty bland crustless bread that might have been better if it had been heated before serving.

The house dressing (the only one made in-house) was simple, vinegary, and bright, but the salad was just iceburg and one little tomato cut in half and two cuke slices. Jag had the balsamic, served on the side. I picked two large brown lettuce leaves out of my bowl and placed them on the side dish. None of the servers seemed to notice, which they should have. They timed the delivery of our main courses just right. Jag and I also got an order of vegetables, which I didn't order (I think I would have ordered the broccoli instead), but those two dishes of zucchini were simply steamed and flavored with a bit of garlic and olive oil. Very nice, actually.

The servings were HUGE. Nuclear almost! I was SURE we would all leave there with amazing new powers IF we could finish what was put before us. Jag ordered the Eggplant Rollatini, which included fresh ricotta cheese, provolone, and prosciutto ($18.95). It had a slight char from being under he broiler to melt the cheese on top, but could actually have been served a bit hotter. There was breading on the eggplant, which I didn't really like, but the eggplant had a nice texture/not too gushy. She did NOT finish her dinner, so she did not end the evening with any new superpowers, but she will always be a superpower in my estimation. (:

Foodie Friend ordered penne pasta with white clam sauce ($15.95). The clams (supposedly fresh chopped littlenecks) were chewy and salty and sandy. It was supposed to be a white wine sauce but it tasted like butter and flour and garlic. FF also did NOT finish her dinner, and, sadly, also did not end the evening with any new superpowers in addition to the ones she has already (she is still my favorite tomato). She ate well but personally I didn't like this dish.

I ordered the chicken parmesan ($15.95), and it was DELICIOUS. The best ever so far in this series. The chicken was big, about 3/4" thick, perfectly cooked, tender, and fresh, with a slight browned flavor that was subtle but lovely. Too much sauce, but the sauce was great. Complex, herby, cooked long enough to meld all the flavors but still bright. It was wonderful on the parm dish and also with the plain, al dente linguine served on the side. We all shared bits of our meals but I still brought home more than half of what was given. I could have eaten a mushroom cloud of that pasta, to be honest. I retained my superpowers, FYI, but also did not leave with anything new to add to my arsenal.

Red had the baked lasagna ($15.95), which I thought was the best dinner on the table. Loaded with cheese, tender ground sirloin, and Italian sausage flavored with fennel, it was dense but not heavy; all the flavors - the cheeses, the meat, the sauce - were nicely balanced. We each got A BITE but I noticed, as we wound down, that she had, again, quietly eaten the whole thing. I'm not sure exactly what her new superpower will be, but she should be on the alert for anything unusual, like the ability to walk 10 miles a day to and from work come rain or shine until she's 100 years old and her ankle won't bother her anymore.

The leftovers were wrapped but the table wasn't cleared, and the waiter in a fly-by looked over his shoulder and said "Coffee and dessert"? No, but I did want to see the dessert menu. If I wasn't so full I would have liked to try one of their gelatos (hazelnut, pistachio, spumoni - always good). Maybe next time I will go splits on a plate and save room for sweets.

So the place was pretty busy. Definitely a family restaurant, cozy and simple. The July OurTown flyer in Colonie featured Valente's, established in 1958, with Chef Jack serving as the third in line to create their "original" (my quotes) recipes, and that is what friends and neighbors who frequent neighborhood establishments are often looking for. The food was mostly good - no surprises. The service was friendly but maybe not as attentive as it could have been. But we liked the feel of the joint - folks even saying "hi" to each other in the parking lot. And since no one seemed able to finish their plates at the tables and booths around us, and there were no apparent forces of evil lurking in the area, Zena enjoyed an easy night out with friends.

Dinner for four, including three glasses of wine, was $93.25 including the tax, plus tip.

Zena, Goddess of Fire

 PS: Did anyone watch any of those back-to-back episodes of the Simpson's these past two weeks? Speaking of challenges, some of Homer's best advice was "Can't do it son? Don't try." Leftovers work for me.

DOING DISHES: Chicken Parm at Grappa' 72 Ristorante

It's been a full year since Zena had lunch at Grappa' 72 Ristorante and did one of her first reviews for AlbanyDish. What took me so long to return?  Maybe I missed my friend the fly.

Red and Pony and I took a seat in the outside patio area despite another one of those annoying little rain squalls whipping up. Fresh herbs were growing in the planters and the sights and sounds of the parking lot were happily subdued by lovely surroundings, including music. Nothing like a classy lunch out to make you glow.

Last year there wasn't any greenery around the fenced off patio section. August 2013

August 2014

The lunch menu is sort of an abbreviated dinner menu; both seemed designed for the meal to be served in courses. Minestra e Insalata held no surprises (all $10 and under) - classic salads, soups, calamari, etc.; the house cured salmon looked interesting.  Seven pasta dishes, or Farinacci ($10-$13), were listed, including a special ravioli made with four cheeses topped with artichoke hearts and sun dried tomatoes in a garlic cream sauce. The selection was nicely varied. Three Risotti offerings ($13-$15) were also listed (one with scallops that looked terrific), followed by about 10 or so Piastra Calde - or Secondi dishes ($8 for the omelet of the day, to $14 for a dish with veal scaloppini and mushrooms). Warm bread and tapenade were served while we made up our minds what to order (we had this last year and remembered enjoying it then as well). Very garlickly, not chopped up too fine. Delicious. Pony was hungry and dug in quick before I had a chance to take a virgin photo!

She ordered the ravioli special, which turned out to be generous, very creamy, served in a lovely deep bowl. She thought the sun-dried tomatoes made the dish, which was very good, but wondered if maybe some of that basil growing on the patio would have brightened the flavors just a bit.

Red ordered the Salmone alla Grillia, a simple preparation (perhaps underseasoned) - and one of the few on the menu served with seasonal vegetables. It was a nice size portion and the yellow squash, zucchini and asparagus were very flavorful. Her meal was nicely balanced by the bread service.

20 points if you can guess what Zena ordered???

If you said "WINE" that would be incorrect.  We had to return to work after lunch. (:

NO, I ordered the Pollo alla Parmigiana!!! It was very good. The red sauce was heavily laced with parmesan or Romano cheese, something I wasn't expecting, so it was salty, clingy and thick, yet still very tasty with the flavors of garlic and herbs. The chicken was served nice and hot - tenderful and toothsome, but not crispy like I want it. The only downside was the dish carb heaven - tons of ziti - and yes, thank you, I ate them all. I would have preferred half that portion of pasta and a small side salad instead.

We finished up by sharing a serving of tiramisu - sweet and creamy; the texture of the lady fingers was nice and gooshy. Service slowed down a bit after our meals were brought out, but the staff were professional and kind in all respects. Oh and I had a decaf as well, since going back to work was low on my list of things I really wanted to do after such a nice meal. What's another 10 minutes, right???

Keeping in mind that the three of us were celebrating birthdays (not that superheroes age, FYI), AND I had one of those MetroMarket $40 gift certificates that I got for $20, AND it was turning out to be a beautiful day, AND we were all hungry, none of us were feeling all that extravagant. Most of the plates on the menu as it is now (compared to last year, if I remember right) seem to be lacking in something - usually vegetables - that would make a single order what I would call a well-balanced meal (carbs, protein, vegetables). So if that's important to you, this "eating right" stuff, it will bring the cost up to what I suggest is beyond the kind of "casual eat out regulars" daily lunch budget, so just keep that in mind.

Lunch for three with one dessert and one coffee was $48.87 with tax. A pretty good value.

Zena, Goddess of Fire

PS: I didn't miss the fly, but I did miss the veggies.