518-foodies

The Bread Butler, Opening New Colonie Center Location

hello@518foodies.com (Jackie Silvestri) — Tue, 21 Nov 2023 22:08:05 GMT

Their new bakery and cafe will bring sandwiches, ciabatta pizza, soups & more to the area!

It’s no secret that The Bread Butler, a business that started originally with fresh bread delivery during the beginning of the COVID pandemic, made its name in the Capital Region. I remember that Andreas Mergner, the owner, reached out to me during the early weeks of the pandemic, asking to sample his bread. Of course I agreed, and it was absolutely life changing.

Bread is tricky. Yet so few ingredients, it’s incredibly hard to master. A baker must not only follow a recipe, but take conditions such as environmental humidity into consideration. Andreas and his team have truly mastered the art of breadmaking.

They announced this week on their social media that they are opening a location in Colonie Center as a “bakery and cafe”. We spoke to the owner for a first look at their new menu. Not only do they have handcrafted espresso drinks, but they actually roast their own beans! They also offer fresh squeezed lemonade, grilled cheese, grilled pilgrim bread with turkey and cheddar, and grilled banana bread. Their immediate plans to expand are into soups, sandwiches, ciabatta pizza, and strata.

Since COVID, they haven’t differed much from their roots. They still offer a weekly delivery service for their products, and all bread is baked on premises. It’s delivered directly to your home within hours of baking.

All of the bread is organic, hearth baked, and uses a specialized starter. They offer specialty options and goods every week as well so you can easily change it up.

Keep in touch with their social media pages to see any updates of when they will be open to the public!

Modena, Contemporary Italian Cuisine in Greenville

hello@518foodies.com (Jackie Silvestri) — Sat, 02 Sep 2023 18:56:02 GMT

This, this is your new spot.

When I tell you Italian is my jam, it’s my jam. I recently had the pleasure of visiting Italy a few months ago and really exploring the cuisine there. There’s quite a difference between American Italian cuisine and actual Italian. In Italy, they focus a lot of fresh, bright and simple flavors.

A few months ago, Modena opened in Greenville. Formely Mountain View Brasserie, this restaurant is owned by the lovely couple Danielle Corellis and Todd Graves. Danielle has a background at Cafe Capriccio, the popular authentic Italian restaurant in Downtown Albany. She executed many roles there, specializing specifically in pastries. Her husband Todd might be well known to most serving as the executive chef of Cafe Italia.

Upon entering, the restaurant is stunning. They did an amazing job transforming it into a contemporary Italian restaurant. With dark wood accents, and subtle sage green hues, it really is beautiful. The atmosphere is warm, inviting and perfect for a date night or special occasion.

The wine list is extensive, specializing specifically in beautiful Italian wines you won’t find elsewhere. It’s a nice mixture of familiar favorites, and also Italian classics. It’s a very well-versed menu created as a collaboration between the owners, Jonathan Stewart of Frederick Wildman and Breeda Phoummany from Santa Margarita. We opted for the Pinot Noir as a light start, then the 20 Rows Cabernet, which is in my opinion one of the best Napa Valley Cabs. It’s buttery, velvety and rich in flavor.

The menu itself is small, which is a wonderful sign in my opinion. That means they’re really focusing on the dishes they’re offering. They are sourcing local from surrounding farms, and getting ingredients imported right from Italy. Tomatoes are something that you could deem as so simple, but as a true foodie, you know there’s a difference. Modena cuts no corners. They’re bringing in San Marzano tomatoes for their sauces, and local fresh heirlooms for their bruschetta.

For starters, we chose the bruschetta. The bread was soft, yet had a perfect crunch. The bruschetta was sweet, balanced and delicious. They really left the flavor of the tomatoes shine through. For entrees, we opted for the two specials of the evening: the Chilean Sea Bass served francese style over sautéed spinach and the Eggplant layered with four cheeses — the gorgonzola added a nutty and sour flavor that complemented the richness perfectly. We also split a half order of Pomodoro Basilico which was housemade tagliatelle, San Marzano tomato sauce, EVOO, garlic, basil, parmigiano. I just need to mention the homemade pasta again. Cooked a perfect al dente, the sauce was bright, acidic and absolutely delicious. How a real Italian red sauce should be.

With Danielle’s background in pastry, of course we needed to order dessert. A slice of Ricotta Pie AKA Italian Cheesecake and Tiramisu were the most delicious sweet ending of the night. The ricotta pie had notes of orange zest and cinnamon which was bright and light, and the tiramisu was simply decedent and creamy.

Overall, the experience was flawless. The food was impeccable, the atmosphere was inviting, and the service was great. Make the trip to Modena.

The Hedge Bistro in Guilderland Opening April 1st

hello@518foodies.com (Jackie Silvestri) — Mon, 06 Mar 2023 22:03:50 GMT

Located at Western Turnpike Golf Course

Donavan Kenney, a Guilderland local, and business partner Mike Snyder are opening a restaurant. Called The Hedge Bistro, it is taking over residence at the Western Turnpike golf course located at 2350 Western Ave in Guilderland. This is Kenney's first restaurant venture after working in the industry for over 20 years.

Kenney graduated from University of Alaska's culinary program and has been working in different facets of the industry for the past 28 years. He always had a dream of owning his own restaurant. His three kids all had summer jobs at the golf course, and when he found out the contract for the restaurant prior was up, he jumped on the opportunity to finally open a place of his own.

The menu will consist of Italian classics such as chicken parmesan, pasta Alfredo; it will also include American pub fare such as a salmon, steaks, build your own pizzas, sandwiches, and their "fantastic fries" which will be fresh cut fries tossed in a variety of seasoning blends. They will also provide a catering menu in their 500-person banquet space to hold events.

The Hedge Bistro will host their grand opening on April 1st at 11am. The restaurant will be open for both lunch and dinner. Lunch will be available from 11:00am to 2:30pm, from 2:30 to 4pm they will offer a limited bar menu, and from 4pm on they will offer dinner service.

The owners goal is to provide a family restaurant environment targeted to the Guilderland community and not just golfers. He wants the space to be a regular stop when you choose where to dine. Bringing in karaoke, trivia nights, and events are among his agenda in the future.

Follow their Facebook page for updates!

518 Donuts in Troy is closing...

hello@518foodies.com (Jackie Silvestri) — Sat, 04 Mar 2023 14:49:46 GMT

Sad News for the Capital District, but there' still hope!

518 Donuts was founded by 3 local gentlemen, from the 518, who have a passion of bringing quality food to the area. They originally opened in their Clifton Park location serving donuts, fried chicken and many gluten-free options. They quickly became popular amongst the locals in the area, and later expanded into Troy for their second location. Their success shined as they were nominated as one of the best restaurants to open in 2021. Clifton Park temporarily closed late 2022 for repairs, but at the same time they announced the grand opening of Troy.

Early Saturday morning, 518 Donuts let their Facebook followers know they will be closing their Troy location. Their Facebook post reads as follows:

BUT...... there's still hope. One of our 518 Foodies team members got in touch with ownership and they're currently looking at "prospective buyers". With the right fit, 518 Donuts may carry on what they originally started. Best of luck to them!

A Hidden Gem in Altamont

hello@518foodies.com (Jackie Silvestri) — Wed, 01 Mar 2023 23:33:54 GMT

Main Street Cafe & Bakery - 190 Main Street, Altamont

Located in Albany County, is the quaint and desirable village of Altamont. In the early 18th century, the Dutch settlement was known as Hellerburgh. Changing in the early 19th century to Knowersville, the area was established in the rural part of Albany county just below the Helderberg Escarpment. Eventually, it became known as Altamont. Altamont was a very popular summer vacation spot because it could be reached by train. The old train station now houses the Altamont Free Library and the village itself is lined with history plaques telling the story of the people and places that made Altamont what it is today. The Village is home to generations of locals and a wide array of businesses including: a restaurant, a liquor store, a florist, a local newspaper, and a new brunch establishment.

Long the site of the Home Front Cafe, now houses the cheerful Main Street Cafe & Bakery. Run by Jennifer Venduro, Main Street offers a full breakfast and lunch menu. They are open Tuesday thru Sunday, 8am to 3pm. We had to try it for ourselves, and have come to the conclusion this place is an absolute hidden gem. What a breath of fresh air in this town that has been desperate for a breakfast and lunch spot.

Immediately upon walking in, you’re greeted by one of the staff members. We chose a table close to the window, so we could utilize the natural light for taking pictures of our meals. The menu consists of a wide array of breakfast items including omelets, breakfast sandwiches, eggs, corned beef hash, pancake and more. The Irish Benedict was immediately intriguing. Our server informed us that the corned beef was made in-house. “IMMEDIATELY, YESSSS” was our reaction. We also ordered the peanut butter cup pancakes. I mean, how can you resist a little bit of sweets with such a savory meal? The light and fluffy pancakes were topped with Reese's peanut butter cups, chocolate sauce and peanut butter.

The vibes were comfortable, the food was fantastic and the location was even better. The owner let us know they’ve been open since October and most of their customer base are locals. This place is 100% worth the drive, add it to your list!