Here’s the list of the participating restaurants. You can take a look at all of the special restaurant Week menus by clicking over to www.SaySchenectady.org.

• Alto Grille at The Parker Inn
• Ambition Cafe
• Angelo’s Tavolo
• Aperitivo Bistro
• Bangkok Bistro
• Bombers Burrito Bar (Not sure how you get your money’s worth with this one. Wings, burrito, and a beer? Eh. Not worth it.)
• Brandon’s Steak & Seafood
• Café NOLA
• Cella Bistro
• Clinton’s Ditch
• Cornell’s
• John Riccitello’s Restaurant (best Schenectady restaurant you never knew was there)
• Manhattan Exchange
• Moon & River Café (the vegetarian option)
• More Perreca’s
• Pasqualina’s
• Pentagon Restaurant
• Petta’s
• The Stockade Inn
• Stoney’s Irish Grill (this one makes me laugh, because this used to be a townie bar that my ex-husband’s parents frequented)
• Taj Mahal
• Tara Kitchen
• Tops American Grill
• Turf Tavern
• Union Inn
• Van Dyck Restaurant & Lounge
• Villa Tuscan Grille
• The Water’s Edge Lighthouse

Lots of choices, and there’s really something for everyone. I have to be honest, though: some of these menus are really stretching it to be included, and it seems that you could get a better deal during anytime other than Restaurant Week. I’m looking at you, Bombers.

Here are my picks for Schenectady Restaurant Week, based on their special menus:

• Best Bang for Your Buck: Looks like Brandon’s is offering the best overall menu. Lobster tail!
• Close second: Cella Bistro. Homemade gnocchi!
• Best Ethnic Choice: Tara Kitchen. The special menu is very limited, but the food is great (had lunch there last week). Harissa Marinated Olives!
• Best Dessert: Café NOLA. Beignets!
• Biggest Dessert: More Perreca’s Famous ½ lb. All Buttercream Cupcake.
• Best Bonus on Menu: Ambition Cafe. Free wine tasting for guests over 21!
• Most Delicious-Sounding Menu Item: Tops American Grill. Bruschetta El Greco: Homemade focaccia bread, grilled and topped with a mixture of virgin olive oil, garlic, cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, artichokes and crumbled Feta cheese. You had me at sun-dried tomatoes…
• Best Choice if You Like Beef: Turf Tavern. A Prime Rib (plus appetizer & dessert) for $20? Great deal, if you like Prime Rib.
• Best Menu Item That Reminds Me of the Brady Bunch: Manhattan Exchange. Pork Chops and Applesauce.

Bon Appétit à Schenectady!

I’m excited about this, and I know customers of the Troy Farmers Market and Schenectady Greenmarket will be as well – Tara Kitchen (purveyors of Moroccan cuisine at both markets) will be launching their own restaurant in Schenectady, scheduled to open on Tuesday, January 31.

The restaurant – Tara Kitchen, natch – will be located at 431 Liberty Street in Schenectady, just a stone’s throw from City Hall and the Post Office. Their website is listed as “coming soon”, so I don’t have any details on the menu. All I’m saying is that their incredible chicken harira better be on there (I’m sure it will – it’s gained kind of a cult following at the markets and the recipe made it into Metroland’s 2011 Holiday Entertaining issue).

I’m not very familiar with Moroccan cuisine, other than an occasional tagine and some couscous, so I’m looking forward to a new experience. And, it doesn’t hurt that it’s only a few blocks from my office.

Another thing to look forward to: owner Aneesa Waheed has promised a podcast interview with me in the near future, after opening week.

(for fans of their store on State Street, they have closed it in order to focus their efforts on the new restaurant and the farmers markets.)

The Brick House building is located in the Village Square shopping center on Clifton Country Road. Its building formerly housed the failed Arizona Pizza restaurant, and prior to that short-lived endeavor, it was the home of entertainment stores Strawberries and FYE.

The current incarnation is owned by the same family that previously owned the locally legendary Mama’s on Route 146, from 1982 to 2005. After a brief try at retirement, Mama’s family decided they wanted to get back into business.  Mama is now 70 years old, and keeps a close eye on things at The Brick House. How do I know? Keep reading.

The parking lot was quite full – we ended up having to park in the Trustco Bank lot – but we only had to endure a short wait, which we spent enjoying cocktails at the small bar in front of the open-ish kitchen.  Nothing special to report here – standard draft offerings, with lots of Miller Lite neon hanging around.

We were seated in a comfortable booth, and noticed that seating in the restaurant was a bit odd  - there seemed to be a lot of unused/underused/misused space.  I’m fairly certain they could fit two to three more tables in the place if they tried. Each of the booths has its own small TV set, equipped with DirecTV.  But, the one in our booth seemed to be broken. Our server later confirmed that it was the only one in the place not working. Of course.

The service on our first visit (a Saturday night, two weeks before Christmas) was pretty slow. It felt like an eternity before our server arrived to take our dinner order (luckily we still were nursing our cocktails from our wait at the bar).  She seemed extremely frazzled, and wasn’t paying attention as she took our order – her mind was clearly elsewhere. I’ve never worked in a restaurant so perhaps I am unqualified to make this assumption, but there seemed to be way too many servers on the floor that night – a situation which drove me nuts, because the service was SO SLOW.

Here’s the thing that really stuck in my craw that night: busboys carting garbage, buckets of dirty dishes, and huge containers of ice back and forth through the dining room – there’s got to be a different way to get that stuff in and out of the kitchen without traipsing through the dining room – it was very off-putting. If the kitchen doesn’t have a back door, someone needs build one. Watching bags of stinky garbage parade by my table makes me ill. (I didn’t notice this the second time we ate there, but probably only because we were seated on the opposite site of the dining room.)

We ordered boneless wings to start, Bob ordered a personal cheese pizza, and I ordered a Chicago Cheese Steak calzone.  Our entrees arrived at the same time as our appetizer – extremely poor timing on the kitchen’s part. But, Bob and I are accustomed to eating pizza and wings together, and it really didn’t bother us as much as it might have if we’d been at a more expensive restaurant.

So, here’s where things got interesting: when I cut into my calzone, it was COLD.  The dough looked like it had been in the oven long enough, but the ricotta and mozzarella were just cold. I began to doubt myself for a minute – are calzones supposed to be cold? I’m not Italian, not even a drop, so I’m not always sure when it comes to Italian food. When Bob, also not Italian, told me that it was indeed supposed to be hot, I summoned the waitress.

First thing she said was, “Are you sure?”  (I hate sending stuff back – it’s always such a pain in the ass. But this chick made the experience just ridiculous.)  After I needlessly confirmed my temperature assessment, she took the calzone away with a promise to make me a new one.

After a few minutes, a man in a black chef’s coat came to the table to confirm that I had received a cold calzone. He seemed pretty miffed, but luckily not at me. He apologized profusely, and assured us it would not be on the bill.  A few minutes after THAT, Mama herself (Stephanie Van Auken) came over to the table.

“I see the big boss stopped by – did you guys have a problem?” she asked. We explained what happened, and then she sat down next to me in the booth. Yes, she really did sit down. I had to skooch over.  She told us how the new place came to be: after they sold Mama’s in 2005,  she wanted to stay retired (her exact words were “I wanted to move to Florida and make some nice billionaire a millionaire”) but her family was itching to get back in the business. She also explained that they’d only been open for two weeks at that point, and they were having some issues training more than 30 new employees. We chatted about some other stuff, after which she stood up, gave us both hugs (!) and wished us a Merry Christmas. We absolutely fell in love with her – she’s just the nicest lady.

Looks lovely, but is it cooked inside?

The calzone arrived shortly thereafter, cooked perfectly. The filling was hot cheese, with a pocket of seasoned shaved beef. It was, as calzones often are, enough food for dinner and a subsequent lunch. Bob’s wood-fired pizza was quite tasty, with a chewy- and crispy-in-the-right-places crust, and a rich not-sweet sauce. The wings were unlike any I’d ever had before – they are not pre-formed breaded nuggets, but instead whole sliced breast pieces, deep-fried without breading and generously sauced (we tried BBQ sauce the first time, and Hickory Smoked the second time. Both good).

On our second trip, Bob ordered the pizza again (no surprise there, really) and I got the make-your-own pasta bowl with whole wheat penne, garlic butter sauce, and sauteed vegetables. Quite tasty – they use a good quality whole wheat pasta which was not gummy in the least, fresh vegetables (red and green bell peppers, onions, broccoli, sundried tomatoes) and a light hand with the garlic and butter. Their bread basket contained a small loaf of Italian bread, which was hot and fresh (but I’m guessing not homemade).

The rest of the menu is pretty typical – salads, burgers, pasta, sandwiches, chicken parm.  Nothing out of the ordinary.  It’s not haute cuisine, but it’s a great place to grab a beer, eat a pizza, and catch a game. They also offer trivia on Thursday nights.

Our cold-calzone saga just goes to show you what good service can do. If it weren’t for attentive owners and just plain niceness, we probably would never have gone back. But, we did go back and had a great experience the second time. And we’ll definitely go back again.

********************

Brick House Pizza & Grille

5 Clifton Country Road, Clifton Park

You’ll recall that this week’s original planned opening was delayed due to power and gas issues – specifically, they had neither. All’s well now, though, and the burritos will soon be available to all comers.

New piece of information I learned today about this particular Chipotle: the restaurant will occupy two floors, with elevator access to the second level.  It’s located in the new Mansion Square Shopping Center, 441 Balltown Road, in Schenectady (across the street from Mohawk Commons).  Phone (518) 370-8607, and fax orders accepted at (518) 372-2016.

*****

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My culinary odyssey is presented here in more-or-less chronological order.

DC3 - A while back, I had inquired about finding a Chicago-style hot dog in the 518. I did get a couple referrals, but I never followed up. So when Sarah asked if it would be okay if we got hot dogs for lunch on Friday, I jumped at the chance. DC-3 is a one-off little joint, with a large menu and a small seating area. Of course, I ordered the Chicago 7: all beef dog, poppy seed bun, tomato, pickle spear, “nuclear green relish” (they aren’t kidding – that stuff is day-glo green), onions, sport peppers, yellow mustard, and celery salt.  It was terrific. Those sport peppers pack quite a kick (you can see one tucked in there near the bottom left), and the pickle spear is a weird but welcome topping. I loved it. I got a side of fried pickles, which were pretty great – nice and tangy.

This was very, very messy.

On Sunday, while Sarah was out at a baby shower, I made a return visit to DC-3, and tried a Tucson Sonoran dog (bacon-wrapped dog, buttered bun, pinto beans, onions, diced tomatoes, white spicy mayo, jalapeno relish, mustard). It was not as tasty, and about 10x messier than the Chicago 7.  And it was sufficient fuel for the Oprah LifeClass marathon I sat (and cried) through that afternoon.

There’s more. A lot more. After the jump.

The Sweet Lobby – where I had my first macaron (properly spoken with a gravelly French accent). A religious experience, almost. I only recently became aware of the existence of these little delights, but was put off by the mania that has begun to surround them (much like that of my nemesis the cupcake). I was fully prepared to be underwhelmed by the experience. I could not have been more wrong. The selection at the shop was vast – they had probably 12-15 varieties from which to choose. After much deliberation and guidance from Sarah and the shopworker, I selected two: Hazelnut Praline Salted Caramel, and Pumpkin Black Sesame.

Heavenly, heavenly bites...

I thought the cookie would be crisp and chalky, like a traditional meringue (probably my most hated sensation). Instead, it was chewy and delicate. The filling was intense and ethereal, its flavor fading quickly and leaving me wanting more. I had remarked to Sarah that upon entering the phone-booth size shop (seriously – the place could really only hold about 5 people, tops) I wanted to buy approximately 8 dozen macarons. They were so beautiful, and looked so incredible.  But, she reminded me of their price. Sometimes I get carried away when I see sweets. Anyway, I’ve been dreaming about them ever since. I hear that one of my favorite local merchants, Dreampuff Marshmallows, makes macarons. She is also a vendor at the Schenectady Greenmarket (and the Troy Riverfront Farmers Market), so I’m hoping I can score some right here at home.

Busboys & Poets – we only had time to stop in for a quick beer and hummus plate, before we had to run to catch a play at the Capital Fringe Festival (Sarah’s friend Michael Merino wrote an odd – and amusing – play entitled “Squirrel, or the Origin of a Species”, which is essentially a series of conversations between Charles Darwin and an American Gray Squirrel. Yes, it was as weird as it sounds.) The menu was intrigiung – lots of vegetarian and vegan offerings, in domestic and ethnic varieties. I hope to get back here on a future trip – hint!

Fort Fringe - this is the theatre space where we saw the show. The venue itself was unremarkable – your standard black box with rickety stairs and dangerous, not-up-to-fire-code seating.  But the bar had PROSECCO ON TAP! What?!? No kidding. Yeah, it was pretty cool.

Kushi – After the play, we lingered around a bit until we finally decided to get some dinner. We ended up at a Japanese place in Mt. Vernon Square, which surprised me by actually being open that late (yes, I know, I’m from Upstate NY, where stuff closes at 9pm). It featured small (small!) plates, and we each ordered a couple things. The idea was to share, but the plates were so small that sharing was actually kinda difficult. I know that sounds very fat-American of me, but I am a cheapskate, and I really didn’t feel like there was a whole lot of value there. Anyway, I ordered a delicious soba noodle salad (fresh soba, with a splash of rice vinegar, soy, and some fresh greens), and an order of chicken breast skewers with shiso & plum sauce. The mixture of shiso and plum was transcendent – flowery, pungent, green, not at all sweet. It was unlike anything I’d ever had before.  More, please! Maybe give me two orders next time.

Chick-Fil-A – At one point, Sarah had mentioned that she loved the sandwiches at Chick-Fil-A, which took me aback. Sarah and I are both socially liberal, and I was surprised she would patronize a company which supports anti-gay organizations. She is, to her credit, conflicted by the fact that such a bad company makes such good chicken. I kept kidding her about it  (calling it Chicken and Hate) until she made me stop at one so I could understand why she would set aside her convictions long enough to eat their food. Grudgingly, I have to admit she is absolutely right. The original chicken sandwich was terrific, and simple – fried chicken breast on a buttered bun with pickles (we were in the South; butter goes on everything). I really did like it. Their waffle fries were not that good – undercooked and underseasoned – but, oh that chicken. It’s a good thing that chain isn’t here in the Northeast.  A nice touch: the bible verse on the receipt.

Argonaut – with Sarah and Joanne for Sunday brunch, something I just never do anymore, for some reason. I knew nothing about this place before Sarah suggested it, but I woke up that morning craving a Bloody Mary – apparently I was having some sort of premonition, because The Argonaut has an actual freakin’ BLOODY MARY BAR.  They bring you out a pint glass that has some ice and vodka in it, and you hie yourself over to the bar and help yourself to tomato juice, twenty different kinds of hot sauce, horseradish, celery salt, pepper, Old Bay seasoning, lemons, limes, and giant stalks of celery. I have never tended a bar, so I really had no idea of a Bloody Mary recipe, so I kind of just poured a bunch of stuff I like in the shaker. I made a huge mess. I did not return to the scene of the crime. Sarah enjoyed a bottomless Mimosa and tried valiantly to find the bottom, to no avail. Oh, also we ate some stuff that I don’t remember.

Hello Cupcake! – I know, I know. I hate cupcakes. I have no excuse. I bought two: Dulce de Leche and Maple Bacon Pecan. They were quite lovely. The Maple Bacon Pecan one did not actually have any bacon flavor in it, at least that I could detect. Perhaps Sarah’s experience was different. That’s all I’m going to say about cupcakes.

Founding Farmers – A very popular restaurant that my friend MEB suggested – she’s a frequent DC traveler, but hasn’t made it to FF yet, and thought it was something I might like. She was right. Founding Farmers has a goal of “promot[ing] sustainable agriculture and the ways of the American family farmer at every turn,” and “quality and natural ingredients.”  They don’t always buy local and organic, though – sure, if it makes sense, but they are mostly on the lookout for high quality ingredients from sustainable resources. And they buy carbon offsets in case the food sources are not all that local. A nice philosophy.

We started with an appetizer of Proscuitto, Fig & Mascarpone flatbread- so many delicious things going on there: fresh creamy cheese, fatty prosciutto, tangy balsamic vinegar, and sweet figs. We also got a bottle of Arbanta Tempranillo from Rioja, which was outstanding.  Sarah got a skirt steak with chimichurri (which looked good, but I did not taste it) and I ordered the Macaroni & Cheese with Gouda, Gruyere, ham, peas, & apples. The apples really put that over the top – so so good. I can’t remember if we ordered dessert. I don’t think we did, but we did finish the bottle of wine.

Mitsitam at the National Museum of the American Indian – We stopped there for lunch before I hopped the airport shuttle. The cafeteria is unlike other museum cafeterias, in that it serves interesting food – in this case, traditional offerings from several different American Indian geographical regions.  I went for the  cuisine of the Great Plains, and ordered a Chipotle Chicken Taco. I wanted it because it was made with fry bread, which looked so fresh and fluffy. I was also not really feeling particularly well that day, and there wasn’t anything else I really felt like eating. The fry bread seemed so soft and comforting. It turned out to be the best part of the dish – the chipotle chicken was so mild, there was not even a hint of heat. And it was topped with boring cheddar, lettuce and tomato. Eh. Not really worth $11.50. Sarah’s New England Lobster Bread Pudding (and her blueberry cobbler) looked delicious, but I didn’t even feel like trying it. Like I said, I was not well. The best part of this lunch was the fact that Sarah’s teeth were stained blue for the rest of the day.

Free Wine from Southwest Airlines – the end of a long trip. I boarded my flight home and was towards the end of the second boarding group, so seating choices were slim. I headed to the back of the plane (“the back of the plane gets there at the same time as the front” sez Sarah), and somehow managed to find an aisle seat. I was just settling in when I noticed a woman and her daughter, maybe 7 years old, trying to find a couple seats together. The mom told the daughter to sit in the seat next to me (the middle), while she would head back a few rows for another middle seat. I didn’t think the mom would want her kid to be sitting alone, so I offered up my aisle seat and took the lone middle seat in the back. The flight attendant saw me, and told me that since I was so nice, she was going to buy me a drink. A guy in the back yelled, “What’d she do? Can I do it, too?”  I still wasn’t feeling so hot, but who am I to turn down free Merlot? Thanks, SW.

Wow. Looking back on my weekend away, I am noticing that I ate a lot. A LOT a lot. No wonder I wasn’t feeling well that last day. Back to the gym I go.

*****

Other good things that happened on this trip: met someone who possesses the same superpower I do, got to see Joanne and new baby Lilah, and FINALLY got down to Richmond to see parents-to-be Marlene and Chris. It was a pretty fantastic weekend.

Just a heads up, in case you were planning on stopping by the new Schenectady (Niskayuna) Chipotle (which was slated to open tomorrow, November 29):

I stopped by there today, for their pre-opening celebration (to which I was specifically invited). The restaurant was not open, and the construction workers I spoke with said they’d be open “maybe next week”. The building did not have power, gas, or food. Those poor guys were surprised to see me, to say the least. At least they were nice.

I haven’t gotten a confirmation from Chipotle headquarters as of yet.  Updates coming.

What’s great about Chipotle, if you aren’t aware of it, is their focus on fresh, sustainable, responsible, high-quality food – a concept they call Food with Integrity (FWI). Some interesting facts (from their press release):

• Chipotle expects to use over 10 million pounds of produce from local family farms in 2011, up from 5 million pounds in 2010
• The local produce will be grown on farms within 350 miles of the restaurants where it will be served
• All the pork, beef and chicken they serve is naturally and humanely raised (an all vegetarian diet, no added hormones or antibiotics and responsible animal husbandry)
• In 2011, Chipotle will purchase over 100 million pounds of naturally raised meats and sell more naturally raised meat than any other restaurant company
• Its sour cream and cheeses are made from milk that is rBGH-free (recombinant bovine growth hormone); 35% of it is from pasture-raised cows
• 40 percent of the black and pinto beans used are organically grown with about 5 percent using water-saving conservation tilling methods

This is all pretty great, considering the sorry state of the rest of the fast-food industry.

For my part, I’m excited to have another lunch option close by my office. I love Chipotle’s rice (the cilantro really makes it for me), and I think it’s time I tried some other things on their menu besides a chicken burrito bowl with pinto beans, corn salsa and cheese. Seriously, that’s all I’ve ever ordered.

The Schenectady Chipotle will be open from 11am – 10pm daily, and will offer fax and on-line order pick up.

Hot Harry’s is a fast casual restaurant and catering business co-founded in 2004 by Samir Abdallah and his wife Maggie Abdallah, in Pittsfield, MA. Hot Harry franchises are currently open locally in Albany, East Greenbush & Schenectady, further out in Pittsfield, as well as one location in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.  Menu items include fresh burritos, tacos and other California-style dishes for breakfast, lunch & dinner; eat in or take out.  They also do catering. Their website is www.hotharrysburritos.com.

The proximity to Siena College practically guarantees success for Hot Harry’s. And I’m a fan – they offer brown rice and whole wheat tortillas for their burritos, a welcome change from some other local burrito joints.

According to their website, they were supposed to open a location in Glenmont this past spring – I wonder what happened?

I am a sucker for anything made from corn meal – corn bread, corn muffins, corn fritters, polenta, you name it – so this was an easy decision. And it was as good as I’d hoped. Coarse corn meal baked with fresh blueberries and only a small amount of sugar. Not too sweet, with tons of tart blueberries. I was so excited I forgot to take a picture. Sorry.

As is usually the case, the food is great and the service tends towards the slow side. But, they’re students, so you cut them some slack and enjoy the experience. And take an hour of personal time.

What I found to be the most exciting part of the experience was the conversation we had with instructor Jay Larkin as we were enjoying our desserts and cappuccinos.  Jay told us that the Casola Dining Room is now hooked up with Open Table – the electronic reservation service that you can access either online (at Open Table’s website or through the college’s website) or through their mobile app.  So now, if you don’t feel like playing the 10:00am Reservation Game of dial-busy signal-repeat (and I never feel like playing that game), you can simply search for a table using the handy-dandy Open Table service.  They’re still working out the details (including listing the particular cuisine available for that week), so for now you need to do a wee bit of homework to find out what you’ll be eating (schedule here and menus here).

Reservations will still be available two weeks prior to the date you wish to dine, and the phone reservation line is still active. But at the very least, Open Table will be able to help you secure a last-minute reservation (due to cancellation), or a reservation for an unpopular day/time.

This is a fantastic development for SCCC, since it will place them firmly in the digital age, and help them get more recognition for their stellar culinary program. Kudos to the person(s) who decided to join Open Table!

(Oh, the other exciting thing that happened at lunch was that a table of ladies sitting next to us recognized my voice from my days producing the Don Weeks Show on WGY. It was my own little Wendy Fan Club. So now I’m up to five members, including my mom)

Yesterdays’ Business Review ran a story about Monday night’s abrupt closure of the 16-year old Latham restaurant, part of a bankruptcy reorganization by the restaurant’s San Diego-based parent company, DWH1 LLC.  The company’s Pittsfield, Rutland, and Manchester locations are still open (the Vermont locations operate under the Sirloin Saloon name). Steve Barnes over at Tablehopping shares the insensitive manner in which local staff and management were notified of the closure (there’s also a lot of discussion over there about the closure, including blaming President Obama and a generous job offer to former Dakota staff from Dominick Purnomo, of Yono’s and dp Brasserie).

I should say I’m not at all surprised at the closure.

I know it’s easy to be a prognosticator after the fact, but the last time I ate there I recall saying that the restaurant was not long for this world. The food was mediocre (at best), the salad bar was horrible, the portions were smaller, and the service was spotty. It was half-empty at 7:00pm on a Saturday. The kiss of death.

It used to be a decent place – consistent food, good service, decent prices. Too bad.

But now I don’t know where to go to dinner tonight.