Skyline Diner

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Created on Wednesday, 06 March 2013 03:51

Skyline Diner was recently written up in the Times Union, and I've been meaning to try it too.  The TU reviewer wrote about a great expierence with eggs there.  This small diner in Rensselaer, NY has recently been renovated and looks directly at the Albany Skyline, just minutes away from downtown.

Skyline serves full Breakfast from 7 am to 11 am daily and then nearly everything from the breakfast menu is available until closing, at 3 pm.   There is a seperate lunch menu with standard fare.   The server pleasantly explained that items like Waffles, Steak and Eggs, and Breakfast Specials/Combos are not available after 11, when I asked.

I ordered the eggs benedict, a coffee, and a water.   The tables only had sugar on them, not splenda, equal, or sweet n low, which was unusual but were all available upon request.    The food was very good to great.  The side potatoes were just average, but overall, the food was fast to arrive, good portion size, and fresh tasting, I would say 4 forks, and possibly the best Hollandaise Sauce I have ever tasted. 

The service was a little dodgy at times, as I didn't have my coffee filled promptly or when needed, and then when the check was presented, I noticed I was charged higher on my bill then the menu showed for my order. 

When I paid the bill, the hostess/cashier asked how everything was.  I said great food, good service, but mentioned that I thought I may've been charged different (higher) for my meal then the menu showed. She shrugged, replied "oh yea", and rang me out at the higher price. 

For this, I score them overall 3 forks, but I will be trying them again.    

Eggs Benedict

Carmine's Italian

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Created on Saturday, 09 March 2013 15:52

  Carmine's Albany Restaurant was a Brazilian Churrascaria until recently when it closed and re-opened as an Italian Restaurant.  All 3 Cr Foodies members had been to the old Carmines Grill a few times, and weren't overly impressed, so we didn't go in with high hopes this time.  However, switching back to Italian style was a return to Carmines strengths of the past, so we stopped in for lunch since we work nearby.

When we first wandered in, there was no one present to greet us.  We were just standing there and looking at the vacant bar area.  After a few minutes someone finally appeared and sat us.  The person that sat us was the server and appeared to be covering the entire dining floor. At times, he seemed to be a bit disjointed.  He came over with water, started to walk away, did a quick turn and remembered he should tell us the specials, and came back. It did take some time to place our order.

Next, He delivered out warm bread and a toppings tray which had a tomato basil butter, an oil and basil dip, sea salt, and Parmesan cheese. Both the dip and the butter were fresh and flavorful.  It was nice to have that tray of toppings remain for the entire meal.

We asked about then ordered the Arancine Del Giorno as an appetizer ($6).  It is basically a lightly fried risotto ball with an ingredient that changes periodically.  This time it was bolognese.  We both found it to be a bit bland in flavor, and wouldn't have known it was bolognese if the waiter hadn't told us.  The risotto was a little overcooked.  Overall it was just ok.

Brian's entree was Crispy Parmesan Gnocchi Bolognese ($10).  The gnocchi was cooked perfectly as it was lightly pan seared with parmesan added.  It was amazing.  It had a strong flavor and a nice crunch.  The bolognese sauce was good, and complimented the gnocchi well.

Kent ordered Dave's Beans and Greens ($11).   The flavor was fantastic and the portion size was just right.  The pasta was al dente and the greens and the homemade meatballs were fresh tasting and flavorful. He would recommend it and order it again.

When we got the bill, it was a bit higher than we had expected.  They had charged us $9 for the appetizer that was listed as $6 on the menu.  Later, we noticed that the dinner price for the same appetizer was $9, so it was probably just the wrong button pushed on the pos system.  The credit card charge also says Carmines Brazilian Grill, which to us both showed that they have some kinks they still need to work out. Service will also need to improve if they plan to keep a return lunch crowd.  From the time we walked in to the time we got our bill was over an hour, which rules it out as a standard locale for many downtown workers.  Even with the various issues with service and the mediocre appetizer, our entrees were good enough that we will be trying Carmines again in the future.

Website and Menu here: http://www.carminesrestaurant.com/

Toppings Tray	Arancine Del Giorno
Crispy Parmesan Gnocchi Bolognese	Dave's Beans and Greens

City Beer Hall (Weekend Brunch)

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Created on Sunday, 04 November 2012 02:45

After two or three trial visits for brunch at The City Beer Hall, I feel properly prepared to write my review.  I plan to write a separate review for Lunch or Dinner at CBH in the future.   CBH is relatively new to Albany, opening in May of 2011 and Brunch is newer than that - only started a few months back.  Brunch has a different menu from the lunch/dinner offerings, however, many of the same choices appear on both menus.

The brunch is only available on the weekend-days, and eating there for brunch comes with some added perks, assuming you order a brunch menu item, which I'll explain later.  

To start, if you are unfamiliar with The City Beer Hall, it is what the name says - a grand hall for enjoying beer...  The architecture is great and the atmosphere is good for my liking.  The wooden bar runs a great length, from the entrance to the back of the building.  The City Beer Hall is located on Howard Street, behind the Times Union Center and also behind lower State Street in Downtown Albany.  They offer free parking in a nearby lot.  This building was previously "Ballingers" night club and before that, "Ogdens".

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