Buckets of Love
Yesterday I got to vent. Thank you for your continued patience. The downside of getting things off one’s chest is that people seem to remember the vinegar, but they quickly forget the honey.
There are plenty of things in the Capital District that I have found to love, many of which I have already written about. Others assuredly will be written about in the future. Please remember I am only on my third year in the region. All things considered, I think I’m doing pretty well.
The FUSSYlittleBLOG was never intended to be a review site. I continue to review local businesses and such on Yelp. You can look at my favorite Albany restaurants and institutions here. I like to think that I am tough but fair.
Today, I have put into buckets of love things that I have specifically written about in this forum. It’s not an exhaustive list to be sure. Somehow I haven’t written about Mrs. London’s, and I haven’t even made it to the Chocolate Mill.
Albany is not nearly as small as I had once feared.
Regional Foods
1) Fish Fry
2) Real Deal Diners
3) Mini Hot Dogs with Meat Sauce
Local Spirits
1) Harvest Spirits Cornelius Applejack
2) Harvest Spirits Core Vodka (especially batch 21)
Local Markets
1) Troy Winter Market
2) Rolph’s Pork Store
3) Asian Supermarket
4) South Asian Markets
Local Eateries
1) Capital Q
2) Bella Napoli Donuts
3) Pasquale’s Pizza Crust
4) Wolff’s Biergarten (when it’s not crowded)
Local Events & Media
1) “Food For Thought” Film Series (co-sponsored by Honest Weight Food Co-op)
2) All Over Albany (especially their Tournament of Pizza)
Restaurants that Earn National Acclaim
Hattie’s
National Chains of Distinction
1) Chipotle
2) Five Guys Famous Burgers and Fries
Maybe you’ll think this is a long list. Perhaps you will think it’s short. But the above posts represent about 10% of what I’ve written on the site to date. To put that in context, “Albany” is only tagged on about 40% of posts.
I’m sticking with tough but fair.
FUSSYlittleBLOG 
I think you’ll like the Chocolate Mill. It’s a little pricey, similar to Mrs. London’s but the pastry has a similar aesthetic. The sandwiches are really good, there’s a roast beef one and a pulled pork one that I like. And the chocolates are almost too pretty to eat but somehow I manage. There’s a passion fruit bonbon and a banana rum bonbon that are spot on for flavors.
I continue to find foodie things around Albany. The latest – this morning! – was my first trip to Adventure in Food, over in Menands. I asked the always-helpful Steve Barnes where I might find a foie gras for a dinner party this weekend, and he directed me there; the place is fabulous (I walked out with, in addition, some whole booked chestnuts, fig paste, and balsamic glaze). Not only that, but next door is a fish place I had not previously known about who sold me 2.5 pounds of ultra-fresh haddock for $12. Yeah, I’ll be back. And despite glitches – I still lament Tosca greatly, and good _grief_ why is there no decent gourmetish grocery store? – it’s a decent place, we’re finding, to be a foodie.
[In passing, other recent highlights: Chipotle was good, but http://www.dutchdesserts.com has the most awesome chocolate tart I have ever tasted. Oh, yum.]
i’m glad you posted this list–i had missed your review of five guys, which i find to be one of the finest burger joints in all the land. i second your assessment that an in-n-out burger pales in comparison.