Summer at McDonald’s
Somehow, I got on McDonald’s good side. The fast food chain does not get a free pass in these pages. But I’m admittedly not ideologically opposed to its existence either. There are things the chain does well, like cracking eggs behind the line to make each Egg McMuffin. And there are things that I’d like to see improved, like the heavy reliance on high fructose corn syrup in its ketchup and sauces.
Of course, when a large enterprise like McDonald’s makes small improvements, the changes can have huge effects. Like when it switched to MSC certified fish back in 2013.
I’ll take my kids to McDonald’s as an occasional treat a few times per year. It usually works out to about once every couple of months. Maybe in the summer we’ll go more. But recently, I’ve been frustrated about finding options that fit my new diet and are fun to eat. Thankfully, they serve breakfast all day, so my go to order has been a bowl of oatmeal—no cream and no dried fruit—and an Egg McMuffin, hold the meat. That combination, perhaps with a cup of coffee, feels like real food.
Well, yesterday, I was invited to come into the Clifton Park outpost and taste the newest offering. And I’m quite pleased because now, provided the supply keeps up with the demand, I’ve got a fighting chance of having something besides breakfast.
Two Years After The Impossible
Two years ago, the family was still living in Princeton, and we were coming to the end of our stay at the Institute for Advanced Study.
June was the last month of the program. We watched some of our other friends return to their home countries throughout the month. Saying goodbye was hard. And looking back on my Google calendar as I write this, I find myself getting homesick for our New Jersey experiences. For the people. For the places.
Back then my mantra was, “Let’s choose to be glad it happened, instead of being sad it’s over.” Somehow, that seemed to work. There was no fighting it, because leaving this utopian community was inevitable.
Which isn’t to say there wasn’t anything I missed about the Capital Region while I was gone. Because it was also two years ago that Whole Foods opened in Albany. And I was not around to see it happen.
But I was here to help Whole Foods Albany celebrate its first anniversary. And on Saturday, the store turns two. To get ready for the celebration, they brought in a bunch of local producers for a product sampling. Naturally, I had my favorites.
Touring Troy
This weekend I was reminded by an old friend that I was a far lot fussier when I first moved to the region. And it’s true. It would be pointless to deny such a thing, since evidence of that time is littered all around the internet. Here’s just one example of many.
It took a long time before I could see the Capital Region with fresh eyes. With eyes that weren’t clouded by my West Coast experiences. It was only when I started writing for All Over Albany, and I was compelled to come up with one great dish every other week, that I started to piece together a better appreciation for the goodness that surrounded me. Also, by then, things objectively began to improve.
A little bit of context about what preceded my arrival in Albany might also be interesting.
So, I undertook the move to Albany with great trepidation. Never in my life had I lived somewhere so small. So I did a lot of research before coming out. What I found extremely discouraging was that even in the greatest bookstores in the Bay Area, overflowing with books on travel and tourism, both foreign and domestic, I couldn’t even find a pamphlet on upstate New York.
Oh, they all had New York sections. In fact, the New York sections were jam packed with countless volumes shoved into the shelves. Except all of those books. Every. Single. One. Were for New York City.
What does it say about a region, when there isn’t one tour guide to be found anywhere?
Lighting A Candle
Once again, today’s post has been preempted. I’ll bring this post around to food, it is a food blog after all. Please just be patient.
Last night Hamilton did gangbusters at the Tony Awards. Lin-Manuel Miranda presented a sonnet in lieu of an acceptance speech. Just in case you didn’t see it, or just in case this link fails at some point down the road, I took the liberty of transcribing his words. Why? Because last night, this was just what I needed to hear to shake me from my cynicism and growing detachment at each new horror of our modern age.
My wife’s the reason anything gets done
She nudges me towards promise by degrees
She is a perfect symphony of one
Our son is her most beautiful reprise.We chase the melodies that seem to find us
Until they’re finished songs and start to play
When senseless act of tragedy remind us
that nothing here is promised, not one day.This show is proof that history remembers
We live through times when hate and fear seem stronger
We rise and fall, and light from dying embers,
remembrances that hope and love lasts longer.And love is love is love is love is love is love is love is love
Cannot be killed or swept aside
I sing Vanessa’s symphony, Eliza tells her story.
Now fill the world with music, love, and pride.
Ok. Music and Love, I’ve got covered. Pride is going to need some work. But I’ve got a plan for that.
Take The Plunge
Diet soda. I don’t get it.
It’s not that I don’t get diets. I’m on one. And despite the fact that I have more splurge days than I intend, it’s going remarkably well. I still drink about a beer a day, and not the crappy light stuff either. I’m drinking more calorie dense double IPAs than I care to admit, but I’m finally growing a bit weary of the modern, tropical fruit style. I haven’t even started the exercise part of my program, and I’m still shedding pounds.
Part of it has to be genetics. I can’t take full credit for what’s going on here. But the other part is that when I’m not eating something special, I’m eating purely for sustenance. That means super small portions of whole foods, whole grains, nuts, low-fat fermented dairy, and as many vegetables as I can get.
I’d like to say that I’m not depriving myself. But I miss ice cream, slathering big pats of butter on rich challah, and eating all the fatty bits of meat wherever I might find them. I’m actively pushing things out of my mind, like Swifty’s deep fried buffalo burger. Actually, I’m avoiding Delmar entirely. All said, though, I’m feeling pretty good about the whole thing.
Some people try to improve their diet by looking for replacement products for the highly caloric ones they currently enjoy. In some way I do that. I’m opting for skinless chicken breast instead of the succulent leg-thigh with all of its crispy, fatty, and salty skin.
But these days diet soda has gone beyond that. It’s a thing in and of itself. And it should stop.
First Salad of Summer
Back to business. Do you know what I love about summer? There are so many great things to do. Do you know what I hate about summer? I can’t do all the things.
I’m sorry I’ll miss some of my friends at the preview of Lucky Strike Social at Crossgates tonight. But I just can’t make both that and Sip for TRIP. And even though I’ll be mighty close to The Ruck, I still won’t be able to make it down there before their Hill Farmstead Double Galaxy is kicked. And forget about Beer Camp at The City Beer Hall, which looks awesome. But it’s also the first Alive at Five, and I know that afterwards The Hollow is having five dollar pints of Founders,
It’s just so much. All that is just what I’ve got from the top of my head. Surely there is even more going on tonight, and pretty much every night during this season that Albanians find themselves out of doors.
To make matters more complicated, the CSA deliveries have begun for the year, so that means I’m going to be under some amount of pressure to cook and consume this magnificent bounty of seasonal produce from Roxbury Farm.
That said, it’s not a burden. At all. It’s a remarkable pleasure. Let me show you.
Are You Being Served?
Today’s originally scheduled post is being preempted to bring you a special report.
Actually, I wasn’t entirely sure which post you would be getting today anyhow. It may have been about another ridiculous day of eating, even while I still contend I’m on a diet (which is going just fine, thankyouverymuch). It could have also just have easily been about the first CSA delivery of the season (so excited to have seasonal slaw and pesto in my future). But I might have chosen to plug the upcoming Sip for TRIP benefit on Thursday that Yelp is sponsoring (hope to see you there).
Instead, I’ve decided to honor a reader request from the comments section yesterday. The note came in response to a critique from Steve Barnes. Apparently Steve felt like I was doing my readers a disservice, so I’ll also take a moment to address that too. But I could not ignore the plea of WCF who wrote:
I really wish you or Steve would clear the air regarding what happened to your relationship. As i remember Steve even had your Blog on his list before it was removed.
You and Steve are very important members of the local food scene and this falling out is confusing to the rest of us without some facts or context. Unless of course its too personal which would be understandable.
I’m happy to lay my cards on the table.
Meat Math
It’s hard to remember, but I think once I introduced myself to Angelo Mazzone. It would have been at one of his restaurants on some kind of press junket a few years ago.
For those who don’t know, he’s one of the pillars of the Capital Region restaurant community, with a portfolio of restaurants, foodservice operations, and a catering company. He has also worked with the FarmOn! Foundation and contributed an on-farm commercial student teaching kitchen.
It’s great to see leaders within the local restaurant community supporting organizations that promote local food, local farms, and local farmers.
Recently, Mazzone Hospitality announced a new beef supplier for its two steakhouses, which are the crown jewels in the Mazzone empire. And while the announcement may not have been earth shattering, it revealed the potential to do something significant in the future.
Playing in Heather’s Sandbox
In theory, the great thing about a small, well curated wine store is that provided you’re adventurous and can keep an open mind, you can’t possibly pick a bad bottle.
As a wine seller, the smaller your shop, the harder your job. There are so many great wines in the world that you could put on your limited shelf space. And there isn’t even close to enough room just for your favorites. So you have to make hard choices.
But for the wine lover, a small shop is a blessing. The hard work of identifying interesting wines with character and distinction has already been done. Sure, it can be difficult to choose from all the bottles on display. However, that’s where a good wine merchant can be of help. They’ll take the time to listen to your preferences and find something that appeals to your taste and budget.
Twenty-Two 2nd Street Wine Co. in Troy is such a shop. A few months ago, I asked owner Heather Lavine to help me put together a mixed case for under $150. I was looking for six different bottles, split between red and whites. And what she put together was fantastic.
There was only one problem. I drank it all.
So recently, I took the opportunity to test out my theory. Could I, when left to my own devices in Heather’s store, pack my own mixed case of interesting wines and get out of there for under $150. Well, let’s take a look.
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