Jennifer Savino – TV Host of Bite Me

Hello friends. It’s been a LONG time since I’ve posted anything because I’ve been a total blogging slacker!  Between starting a new job and the lack of motivation I have over the winter months, nothing has been accomplished.  After thinking about the true intention of  “Bite Me,” the blog posts will be changing a bit going forward.  The main goal of the blog, Facebook and Twitter page was to promote local food and beverage businesses in the Capital District.  Somehow along the way, it became a food review blog and that’s not what it was intended to be (plus I hate taking pictures of my food while I am out).  Going forward, the blog will feature local businesses only.  If I think something is delicious, it will definitely get a mention but if something isn’t that great, I will keep it to myself.  These business owners work hard so who am I to say what’s good and what isn’t. Who the heck am I anyway?!?!!?!  The goal is to grow readership, which will in turn help get more exposure for the great places in our own backyard.  Who knows, maybe a TV series will accompany the blog soon too!  If there is place that you love, let me know!  There’s nothing more exciting than trying a new local eatery, winery or brewery.  Thanks for checking out the blog and I hope it helps you find some cool new spots to check out.

To kick off my first blog post in months, I wanted to mention that The Thirsty Owl winery is now open in Saratoga. The original Thirsty Owl Wine Company is a destination winery, midway up the west side of Cayuga Lake, dedicated to producing high quality wines. They have decided to open a second location in Saratoga which is to our benefit. They remodeled a building that’s been around for a while and it’s beautiful.  We did a tasting and I have to say that the Malbac was a favorite of mine.  The Thirsty Owl is now pouring full glasses of wine as well and they intend to open a restaurant in the front of the building.  If you are in the area, it’s worth stopping in and checking out.  The winery is located at 184 South Broadway. 

When I heard about this new place called The Charles F Lucas Confectionary and Wine Bar in Troy, it immediately piqued my interest.  How could it not with both wine and confection being mentioned in the title?!?!  It was around 4:30 and we were looking for a little happy hour fun. When posed with the inevitable “Where should we go?” question, I get stressed. We’re always torn between going to one of our usual spots or trying something new.  Once we decided on trying something new, we then have the task of figuring out where.  There are so many great options in our area but I had my eye on the prize and the Wine Bar in Troy was it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Right when we walked in, I knew this place was going to be good.  The décor was beautiful with exposed beams and brick throughout the space.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We took a seat at the bar and were immediately greeted by one of the very nice bartenders.  After hearing about the three wines they had on tap, I sampled the Cabernet Sauvignon and a Malbac from the large wine list.  I went with the latter which was very good but not too full bodied. I should have listened to the bar tender when he recommended the Cabernet Sauvignon.  No complaints though, trust me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After deciding on our drinks, it was time to move on to the menu. The Charles F Lucas Confectionary and Wine Bar specializes in small plates, cheese, charcuterie and confections of course.  We decided on doing the 3 for $12 cheese and charcuterie menu where you get to choose from a wonderful selection of many different types of cheeses all paired with something sweet like Nutella, fruit or chocolate.  The charcuterie selection was wonderful too so it made it very hard to narrow it down. We decided on Shushan Snow cheese which was from the Smooth and Silky section of the menu and that was paired with honey, the Soft Wheel from the Little Stinkers section which was paired with pear paste and Applewood Smoked Duck Breast to round out our third selection.  Our choices were served on a slate board with plenty of fresh bread, mustard, pickles and we even got some figs and fig jam on there too since I told the bar tender about how much I love figs- what a nice little treat!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The cheeses were incredible and I loved all of the pairings they came with. It really complimented everything so nicely.  The duck was excellent and the portions were very good.  We were toying with the idea of getting a small plate as well but I’m glad we stuck with just the 3 choices because it was plenty.  While sitting at the bar, we noticed lots of glass jars filled with all sorts of fun candy like Bit-O-Honey, Mike & Ike, Gummy Bears and Runts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can order from a wide selection of candies and chocolates and they will serve it to you in a glass dish or you can get it to go! How much fun is that?!?!  I saw that someone had ordered Runts which I haven’t had in years!  Our fantastic bar tender overheard me say how much I loved those as a kid and he gave us a little glass full.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, this place is truly heavenly.  Sadly, it was time for us to leave but that did mean it was time for the Confections portion of the meal…my favorite!  There was a beautiful display of truffles, cake pops, brownies, blondies and lots of other goodies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m totally obsessed with desserts topped off with sea salt so I went with the salted caramel truffle.  It was the perfect ending to our perfect experience at The Charles F Lucas Confectionary and Wine Bar in Troy.  This has become one of our new favorite places and we can’t wait to go back and try some of the other wonderful selections from the menu.  Put this place on your high priority list.  You will not be disappointed!

Oh and by the way, if you have to use the restroom, just look for the Troylet

Delaware Ave in Albany has some amazing places to get food.  New World Bistro, Mingle, Emack and Bolio’s (I know it’s not locally owned but still delish) and most recently, The Cheese Traveler and All Good Bakers.  The only unfortunate thing is that I have only tried three of the places mentioned above.  Lucky for me, they were all superb.  We headed down to Albany to run some errands and I had one thing in mind; where are we going to eat on Delaware Ave?  All Good Bakers was a top priority for a few reasons.  One, they offer my drug of choice, SUGAR!  Two, I know the owner from way back in the day.  We were actually neighbors and went to school together for many years.  Third, and most importantly, is their incredible reputation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was my fault for not checking their hours but they close at 3:00 on Saturday’s and I got there at 5:00.  I should have assumed that a bakery would be closed but it was wishful thinking on my behalf.  Luckily for us, or anyone else who happens to visit them, they are attached to The Cheese Traveler.  This is new shop that has some incredible cheeses from around the world. Eric, the proprietor, is more then happy to let you sample some of his wonderful selections. We tried samples of 2 different types of Gouda, something from Ireland and Parmigiano Reggiano.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Every single piece was phenomenal.  I feel as though I’ve been cheated in the cheese world after sampling some of the products in his store.  If you are in the Albany area, it’s definitely worth stopping by his shop located at 540 Delaware Ave.  This Sunday (November 18^th) is their Grand Opening where they will be partnering up with Tilldale Farms for some fun events like a cooking demo and cheese tastings and demonstrations.  The festivities go from 1-6 and it would be a great way to sample a variety of cheeses.   After we made our purchases, we headed down the street to Mingle to see what all the buzz is about.  We sat at the bar where I had a glass of red wine while checking out the menu.  I ordered the Korean Tacos which is two corn tortillas filled with marinated beef tossed in gochujang and stuffed with apple-radish kimchi, Napa cabbage, scallions and Chef’s spicy yogurt sauce.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They were everything I had hoped they would be.  The bar tender mentioned that they were spicy and when I first started eating them, I didn’t think they were too bad.  This is definitely a situation where the heat builds because by the end of my first taco, I could feel the spiciness but I liked it.  Mingle likes to support our local community and gives monetary donations along with gift cards and free food to places like Albany Suicide prevention, Senior Services of Albany and Women’s Employment and Resource Center.  If you are looking for a great place to have dinner, Mingle should be on the top of your short list.  While you’re in the area, enjoy some of the other great foods on Delaware Ave. I may pick up some cookies from All Good Bakers then head over to Emack and Bolios  and make an ice cream sandwich out of it.  Or, get some cheese from The Traveler and bread from the Bakers.  Ohhhhh the combos!!

To discover great local food businesses, “Like” me on Facebook and Twitter.  Thank you!

My favorite thing about fall is all of the wonderful food that’s available.  Right after Labor Day weekend, I’m ready for the pumpkin beers, cider donuts and freshly picked apples.  There are so many local places offering incredible fall treats so I thought I would highlight a few in case you needed a pumpkin, cider or apple fix of some sort.  One place that really exudes fall is Bowman Orchards.  They have a Pumpkin Pie ice cream that is to die for and their honey crisp apples are equivalent to Snickers bars in my mind.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I do get the cider donuts when I go because who can pass up a donut, but they aren’t my favorite in the area.  Not to say they aren’t good, I mean come on! It’s a fried donut covered in sugar, but there are better ones out there.  I was thinking that it would be good to make an ice cream sandwich using a cider donut and either Bowman’s Pumpkin Pie or Apple Pie ice cream in the middle.  The ultimate fall treat! Some of my favorite cider donuts are at Devoe’s in Clifton Park.  The only downside is that you won’t be able to get them hot out of the fryer.  Another great place to go is Lakeside Farms in Ballston Lake.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You could grab a donut as an app, then have breakfast or brunch on a nice fall day.  Grab another hot donut on the way out for dessert too! If you haven’t had enough sugar eating donuts and ice cream, check out the fall cupcakes Coccadot’s is offering.  Two of the flavors that really caught my attention are Pumpkin Spice Walnut and Cider Donut (you can’t have too much cider donut anything in my opinion).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These cupcakes are great and they look adorable too!  After eating all that sugar you may need something healthy to balance everything out. 3 Chicks and a P sells a pumpkin hummus that goes great with apple slices, or you can sprinkle candied walnuts on top for a little added crunch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s still healthy if you eat the whole container right?!?!  Moving on to the adult beverages.  I seriously wait all year for the release of Browns Oktoberfest and Pumpkin Ale.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s SO good and having it with their Beer Pretzels and Pale Ale mustard is about as good as it gets.  To round out the evening, head over to The Living Room in Saratoga.  They have a Pumpkin Pie Martini that will rock your world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They won’t say what’s in it, but it’s absolutely wonderful and the cinnamon sugar rimmed glass adds such a nice finishing touch.  So pull out the cozy sweaters, put on your loose fitting jeans and enjoy all of the fall deliciousness the Capital District has to offer.

After seeing what all of the local restaurants came up with for their version of the ice cream sandwich, I started to think about what my ideal ice cream sandwich would consist of. There were a few ideas that starting swirling around my head like a S’mores ice cream sandwich or something that incorporates Nutella. But in my sugar addicted mind, the ultimate combo would be a chocolate chip cookie on one side and a peanut butter cookie on the other (possibly a smear of peanut butter on it). Add chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream to the middle then roll it in crushed up peanut and pretzel pieces (heavy on the pretzels).  I may need to hit up a bakery to pick up some cookies so I can make one of these!  What would be your ultimate ice cream sandwich?