Hudson-Berkshire Wine Trail - Mac & Cheese

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Category: Events

Written by Brian

On Saturday April 20th, the Hudson-Berkshire wine trail will be holding their 4th annual Pasta Passport event.  This year it will be Mac and Cheese.

Buy a passport from any participating stop for $20, and you will get to sample wines as well as a special mac and cheese dish at each of the 5 trail locations.

Trail members are: Furnace Brook Winery, Hudson-Chatham Winery, Chatham Brewing, Harvest Spirits Distillery, and Brookview Station Winery just over the border in New York.

Event Website:  http://hudsonberkshireexperience.com/trail-events/

Carmine's Italian

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Category: Restaurant Reviews

Written by Kent

  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

Hudson Valley Beer and Cheese Fest

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Category: Events

Written by Kent

Celebrating craft beer from the Hudson Valley and farmstead cheese from the Hudson Valley.

When: Sunday March 24th 1 - 4 PM

Where: Keegan Ales   20 Saint James Street, Kingston NY 12401

Cost: Tickets are $30, which includes Beer and food.

Contact: 845-647-3000 or 845-331-BREW

Website: http://www.hudsonvalleybeerandcheeseweek.com/2013/02/hudson-valley-beer-and-cheese-fest-at.html

There is nothing better than pairing good craft beer with delicious locally made cheese! We here at Keegan Ales, with a little help from our friends over at Aroma Thyme, are very excited to be hosting the Hudson Valley Beer & Cheese festival on March 24th! There will be plenty of Hudson Valley breweries pouring their beers, as well as a wide array of cheeses to mix and match with your favorite beer styles. This is truly an event you won’t want to miss! More details can be found at http://www.hudsonvalleybeerandcheeseweek.com/

City Beer Hall (Weekend Brunch)

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Category: Restaurant Reviews

Written by Kent

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".