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RE: Caffe Vero, Lark St., Albany, NY

For Big Terr Southern, somewhere in the Great Firmament:

To Mr Steve Barnes [journo, reluctant punching bag, and editor of blog Table Hopping @ The Times Union]:

Travelled, no foul & no harm done (temper, temper!), to Caffe Vero today. As is my custom drove the scant few blocks, and I scarcely justify this action in light of cold weather, to an excellent coffee shop located as if by fortuitous miracle on a ground floor location. (How easy it is for so many would-be business mavens to overlook this essential detail for success.)

The select variety of pastries are good, nice design and implementation on the construction, but most importantly the coffee is great. Correctly roasted and brewed, and expert–yes, even lovely, dense, visual, not bitter–espresso shots. (This, your holiday missive from a Feller who has sampled and can critique the best in E and W Village, W Berkshire, Hudson Val and Cap Region java huts and purveyors, which mayhaps as they say counts for sumpthin’.)

Summarily impressed, at once I asked who owned the place. The owner was there this morning, a relatively young kid, named Kyle I think. What’s interesting about the story, and this is the reason I hip you to it, is he says they studied with the best in the country before opening the roasting company and studied with the best espresso people (or perhaps barista?) in the region before opening the ‘caffe’ on Lark Street.

This is a business that A. executed careful expansion with artisanal principles and 2. makes for good copy. So I suggest you may get good, communicable info on owner & partner (not on location) and help a food business operating at a fine-dining level of execution. One hopes the cute, attentive coffee elves in-shop execute to the same level of specification whether or not owners are on the premises, no disrespect intended.

Happy holidays.

Best, Jason

#Albany NY  #coffee  #espresso  #food and beverage  #restaurants 
French toast bagel, in a bagel bakery off exit 17 NYS Thruway, kitty corner to intersection at Route 23. Fantastic. An egg bagel? Big sugar crystals, cinnamon… salt, vanilla extract? Go get’m! If I recall correctly, the store is called Baker’s Dozen.

French toast bagel, in a bagel bakery off exit 17 NYS Thruway, kitty corner to intersection at Route 23. Fantastic. An egg bagel? Big sugar crystals, cinnamon… salt, vanilla extract? Go get’m! If I recall correctly, the store is called Baker’s Dozen.

#boil and bake  #french toast  #bagel 
Line cook

The last month or so I’ve been filling in on the cold side at work. My most favorite part of prepping the dessert station is making the recipes! The other day I made doughnuts from a sour cream cake batter recipe. Munchkin sized balls, par cooked near to completion in the deep fryer, meant to be brushed with butter, finished in the oven and then dusted with cinnamon sugar. To quote the bard, “yum-o.”

#dessert  #line cook 
Capital Q, Albany, NY 25.06.2010.

Capital Q, Albany, NY 25.06.2010.

"@Spirometer Guten tag food friends. Here’s to great coffee. Love Porto Rico NYC beans! Which are on sale across the board right now! A-mazing… peace."

http://twitter.com/Spirometer

http://www.portorico.com/store/

#porto rico roasting company  #nyc  #coffee  #new york city coffee 
Think Coffee, The Bowery, New York, NY.

Think Coffee, The Bowery, New York, NY.

I’ll Weave Some Wonder

This recipe is a tad on the salty side, but the overlords at my fave culinary college (the greatest in the world, just ask oh say Troisgois or Rippert) DO tend to go for aggressive seasoning when it a-comes to-a the salt.

1 Slice American Cheese
4 Triscuits

Tear or cut American cheese into quarters.

If you cut the cheese make sure your board and knife are sanitized as per New York State health codes. If you tear it, use rubber gloves and remember that food service and medical gloves are good for single use only! Don’t cross contaminate! This is an RTE item!

Place quartered cheese slices on Triscuits. Stack two or four high.

Eat, bubolah!!

Well suited for the most bubonic tastes and Napoleonic cheese lovers.

Kun Jip 9 West 32nd Street www.kunjip.net

“It was probably frowned on because it comes in a can,” said Alex Stupak, the pastry chef at WD-50 on the Lower East Side →
FWD: Cheese Cooker Operator (Schenectady) →

Chef Stephanie Izard, Chicago, IL.

Chef Stephanie Izard is scheduled to open her new restaurant, The Girl & The Goat, c. May 2010.
Jason Spiro:
How's the weather out there?
Chef Stephanie Izard:
snow snow snow.
Jason:
Can you tell me about the Vietnamese food scene in Chicago?
Stephanie:
will answer what i can. really can't help with the vietnam part... i LOVED it there, but have not eaten much around chicago. i have found some very awesome and authentic thai places that are just as good as anything i ate when i was there. but you have to ask for the special menu, as the main menu is often americanized a bit so as not to scare the average person off. if you wanted fermented black eggs and random animal parts you have to ask for the special menu.
Jason:
How do you like deep dish pizza?
Stephanie:
not a fan of the deep dish to be honest. i grew up on the east coast so i like NY style. was bummed when i first moved here as even places called NY pizza are nothing like it. but now, there is an emergence of neopolitan style pizza with awesome thin crust from wood fired ovens and very simple toppings. this makes me happy. spacca napoli is my favorite.
Jason:
What's the story with your meat purveyors & where do you try to buy meat from?
Stephanie:
we have a lot of local meats from IL and WI. pork, goat and beef are available and myself and other chef in the area try to use as much local product as we can. i also often turn to allen brothers for amazing meats.
Jason:
Is there something you've seen, felt, or heard lately that found its way into your head and onto a plate as food?
Stephanie:
i went to an awesome japanese place in vegas recently and it was truly inspiring. they use japanese coals on the grill which burn hotter and give amazing flavor... pretty sure those will find a place in our woodburning grill when we open.
Jason:
Were you ever tortured by a chef, or work for a screamer or anything?
Stephanie:
every day at the first fine dining place i worked. the chef was an award winner, and was a total cock. he screamed constantly...rather than have that earn him respect, it made us all hate him and for me, that is not motivation to do a good job. but i guess in the end it turned me in to the kind of chef i am. i try to encourage hard work and save the screaming for when it is really necessary.
Jason:
What's a dish you're making for friends or family right now?
Stephanie:
since it is nice and cold here, i like to take all of the leftover meats (prime chuck, short ribs, goat, lamb) in my freezer from events, add some pineapple, apples, pears, tomato and such and make a 24 hour stew. delicious.
#top chef  #stephanie izard  #chicago  #food  #bravo  #watch what happens  #cheftestant  #top chef 
FYI, peeps: Gael Greene's Website. →
"I don’t have to tell you the power of positive press is far quieter than the power of negative press. Whether you rant indignantly on Yelp, or feed a piece of barely true gossip to Eater, or pan a place on Chowhound, or talk doo-doo on your own blog/Twitter/Facebook about a particular place, you play a part in the wild fire that will surely consume said business."
via http://eggbeater.typepad.com/ (@ShunaFish)
It’s Just Lunch? Now that, my friends, is a soup and sandwich. Left to right, Shio Ramen and, “tuna mayo” (Nori and sushi rice wrapped around tuna salad). Thank you Ramen Setagaya St. Mark’s. Part of their Onigiri special.

It’s Just Lunch? Now that, my friends, is a soup and sandwich. Left to right, Shio Ramen and, “tuna mayo” (Nori and sushi rice wrapped around tuna salad). Thank you Ramen Setagaya St. Mark’s. Part of their Onigiri special.

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