Midpoint Pizza is still rocking it! The service is always…read moregreat, we have dined in, and we have ordered take out on numerous occasions and every time we go in the staff is always extremely courteous and seem grateful for our business. The cozy atmosphere of the restaurant is great for a romantic evening or a quiet family dinner. We love that they have clearly marked on the menu all the vegan options and what is vegetarian to make ordering easy. Ordering online is simple but it's just as easy to call and place an order of you have any questions or concerns. This time I ordered a large pizza with vegan cheese. Half the pizza had artichokes and kalamata olives, the other half was topped with fresh sliced mushrooms and vegan sausage. No canned mushrooms here! I think its great that they know their ingredients. The Vegan cheese is always browned and properly melted. You don't have to tell them extra crispy or well done, they aren't going to give you a pizza that does look and taste delicious! Anytime we are in the Latham area and looking for a place crowd pleaser where we can order for us and the rest of the family that doesn't eat vegan food, Midpoint is at the top of the list! There really is something for everyone!

Loved the selection of food! So many amazing options.. wish we could have tried them all. What our…read moregroup did try was amazing. Our only critique was that the women's restroom had a strong, deep-seated urine smell that indicates it needs thorough sanitizing and better upkeep.

What a beautiful restaurant!…read more Did you ever have a long day and want to drink a big glass of red wine with dinner? The Scarlet Knife put a check in all the boxes. I walked in with no reservations. I noticed the space is very large with multiple dining rooms. I'm tired, I asked for a table close to the open kitchen. Once seated, I'm given a large, leather menu. There are lots of great entree choices but after I review all the selections, I'm going with the SK Bistro Burger. The entree also has a wine pairing suggestion, a Cabernet Sauvignon. It's like they read my mind, I'm sold! I'm starting to read about the restaurant, they have a large wine cellar and was recognized by Wine Spectator with an award for excellence. My bistro burger arrives, I can see this is a well crafted burger. From the pretzel bun to the thick burger patty, Scarlet Knife served me a great meal that I would typically order at The Capital Grill. My only issue, the onion straws were cold. I scraped them off and continued with my meal. I'm just passing thru town, Scarlet Knife was a fantastic spot to dine and have a generous pour of award winning Cabernet Sauvignon.

Scarlet Kitchen has been on our must try list and I was happy to find they had availability for…read moreEaster brunch and were serving their typical brunch menu. We arrived early and were seated promptly; water was poured before we even had napkins on laps. This surprised me, as reviews indicated that service could be slow and this was a holiday. But this started a constant service of someone checking in on us every 2-3 minutes (I am prone to exaggeration for a good story, but I assure you this was true. I kept checking my watch to confirm). We put in an appetizer order (deviled eggs) that was served within a minute or two. These were well seasoned and tasty, ice cold from the refrigerator. It's not that they didn't taste fresh, but they were served to us so quickly that I know that they were prepared well in advance and only the warm pork belly was recently prepped. Our meals were served as the appetizer was finished (I was still chewing). At this point, we were 10 minutes into our seating. Our meals included steak and eggs, which I incorrectly assumed would require a little bit more time. Not true! Our plates arrived, piping hot and tasty enough...but boy did we feel rushed. Our server, the manager, bussers, and other attendants stopped by our table every few minutes. I recognize this was a holiday, but there was not a steady stream of people coming through the doors and plenty of open tables were available. Our conversation was repeatedly interrupted with these check-ins and we all took great care to eat the meal as slowly as possibly to stretch things out. At this point we were on track to be out the door in 30 minutes. As a table we made a decision to order dessert and we were able to savor and dawdle long enough to get us to one hour. $180 later, we finished our Easter visit out in the parking lot where no one was pushing us out. (I will note that several families arrived after us and completed their meals in 30ish minutes. What's special about brunch when it's that rushed?) I wish I could review the food better, but my taste buds hardly had time to register the experience. Entrees were hot but clearly prepared well in advance and kept at the ready under heat lamps or in warming ovens. The dessert was cold and sweet as appropriate, but had that prepped yesterday feel to it. This is not what I expect from a restaurant that markets itself as a fresh farm to table establishment. I don't quite regret going to Scarlet Knife, but there are enough quality restaurants in the greater area that I probably won't return.

Only open Friday and Saturday! Wonderful, try them!…read more We thought it was closed but NO, we love this place.

This review isn't of the food here, because I haven't had the food. It's a review of the cocktails…read more Sometimes in my reviews I mention that I don't know much about the cuisine that I'm reviewing and you should take my opinions with a grain of salt. That won't be the case here, because I'm a big weird cocktail nerd, and I'm putting my hands on your shoulders, looking you straight in the eye, and telling you that cocktails at 288 are very, very good, and not in an I'm-grading-on-a-curve-because-there-aren't-many-places-around-here-serving-truly-good-cocktails kind of way. The drinks here are well-balanced and tasty, but also INTERESTING, which makes this end of Lark Street with 288 and The Savoy officially the best place to get legitimately good and creative cocktails in the Cap District. The cocktails at 288 are good because the bar manager, Emmanuel, is an absolute pro: he was the reason that the cocktails at the late, lamented Speakeasy 518 were the best around, and now he's brought his expertise to 288. He's working with a much smaller bar here, but describing your favorite flavors to him and letting him surprise you is still a great idea. If you want to order off of the menu, the Commodore #2 (with house-made grenadine) might be my new official drink for fall/winter 2021. Really, though, you should just order whatever looks good, and be prepared to end up ordering another.

Gina is amazing! The drinks are good. Great customer service, very informative about drinks. Place…read morealso connected to a bunch of other Definitely plan on coming back when in town!

Looking for a romantic, candle lit spot with drinks for date night? Look no further…read more If you want a quaint spot for a glass of wine and a snack with friends, look no further. Lucas Confectionary has such a warm, inviting vibe all around. It may not be a one stop dinner spot, but it is an amazing pre-dinner stop for some drinks and appetite inducing snacks. With the extremely limited menu and offerings, you expect everything to be thoughtful and serve a purpose, and they deliver. For my drink, I ordered one of the red blends and it was very good for sipping along side a board of charcuterie and cheese My small group opted for the "pick three" option for a board. We ordered the manchego, smoked duck breast, and the pâté. It was a superb plate. The manchego was salty and funky, offered with dried apricots. The pate was rich and fatty, offered with whole grain mustard, pickled onions and cornichons. The smoked duck was offered with a blueberry-mustard compote. Also all accompanied with some nice fresh bread. Each flavor served a purposed and made for several tasty bites that piqued my interest. For a pre-dinner stop, I was very impressed. Also, sad to see this location absolutely empty on a Saturday evening. Lucas Confectioary is a perfect spot for an intimate date night, meeting friends, an after work drink, girls night, etc. Highly recommend a visit here!

On a scale of 1-100, there isn't a wine below 75 in this shop. If you had a great cabernet last…read morenight at Lucas Confectionary, you'll be able to get a bottle of it here. If you're looking for a bottle of Muscatel or Boone's Farm, may I suggest the liquor store on Ferry St by the homeless shelter? This store sells the best at moderately affordable prices.

Here's the story:…read more Went on a first date: went great. We stopped by a little wine bar. I picked out this super weird wine from the very back of the shelf and the owner couldn't tell us anything about it. Poured some drinks and it was so, so good- surprisingly so! Fast forward and it's that guys birthday a month later. I remembered the name of the wine and the image on the bottle, but that was it. I find it online. It's super hard to order. I get in contact with this beautiful company here, I email with Paula and talk to Shannon on the phone (they work here) and not only did they give me the kindest support and service, but they shipped the bottle of wine to me 9 states away in time for my guy's birthday! And it arrived early! I wish I could leave more stars- they deserve it. I am so grateful for the time, care, and quality they provided me. 8 states away or not, if there is a speciality bottle of wine, hell any wine, I need from now on- I'll be ordering it from here. Cannot recommend this team enough for going out of their way for me.

I had the pleasure of dining at Seasmoke Waterfront Grill for my husband's birthday, and it was a…read morewonderful experience. The stunning views of the Hudson River and the beautiful indoor décor make the restaurant worth visiting on their own. We were seated on the outdoor patio, which provided the perfect setting for a special occasion. To start, we shared the tuna tartare, served over crispy rice with thinly sliced jalapeños and ponzu sauce. Every bite was flavorful and perfectly balanced. We also enjoyed the Greek chopped salad, prime rib, hot lobster roll, and finished the meal with the Candy Bar dessert. Each dish was thoughtfully prepared, beautifully presented, and made with high-quality ingredients. From the atmosphere to the food, everything exceeded our expectations. I would absolutely return to enjoy more of their appetizers and entrées, and I'd highly recommend Seasmoke Waterfront Grill for anyone looking for a memorable meal with spectacular waterfront views.

Great ambience and excellent food and drinks! I'm not a seafood person but the burger was excellent…read moreand I thought the cocktails were very reasonably priced considering the quality.

For context, I rate products and experiences on a simple scale: 5 = love it, 4 = like it, 3 = okay,…read more2 = didn't like it, 1 = hated or unsafe. Another great visit to Innovo Kitchen I've been to Innovo Kitchen several times over the years and have reviewed them before, and today's visit didn't disappoint either. One thing I really like about Innovo is that they frequently change the menu, so there's always something new to try, and I've never had trouble finding something that sounds good. Tonight I went with the Rigatoni Riggies with tomato vodka sauce and chicken, and it was delicious. The warm bread that came with it was also really tasty. We also tried the Dorito Cool Ranch tater tots, which were delightful. But the real showstopper was the peanut butter mud pie. Soooooo good. Definitely one of those desserts that makes you wish you had ordered two. What really made tonight's visit memorable, though, was our waiter, Matthew. He noticed the funny design on my T-shirt and struck up a conversation about it. We laughed and chatted for a bit, and eventually he mentioned that he's been a waiter for 27 years. It showed. Matthew was high-energy, funny, personable, and attentive without being overbearing. He checked on us several times and seemed to genuinely enjoy what he was doing. Watching him work was like watching someone who has truly mastered his craft. It was a master class in waitership, and it made an already great meal even better. Great food, a fun atmosphere, and an excellent server. Another very enjoyable visit to Innovo Kitchen.

I feel like the food and service are two separate things. The service is not an issue - every time…read morewe have been here, our waitress/waiter is truly amazing. They are always pleasant and attentive. However, the food is not as good as a story. Your "experience" starts by reading the menu and being greeted by relatively high prices - which isn't an issue if the food is stellar (spoiler alert, it's not). I have had multiple dishes here from a roast beef sandwich, burger, chicken Caesar salad, an onion pasta dish, and even a lobster Cobb salad. Every single dish lacks seasoning, culinary character, and is just bland. I want to like it, but they make it very hard. If you go here, maybe just have a drink at the bar and go eat some place else.

Service was amazing!!!! I had a burger and as anyone getting a burger is always on the scary side …read more I will say it was one of the best burgers I have had. Unfortunately we aren't from the area but when we drive through again it's definitely the place we will stop to eat .

Any time we visit our daughter at her nearby college is a great time, Illusive made it even…read moregreater! We ran an errand nearby and I found Illusive on Yelp. We approached just as they were opening for the day on a Saturday. (Slightly after noon) Not seeing many cars in the neighborhood and having the gps seem to "arrive" outside of an empty lot was an inauspicious start but when we pulled fully into the lot, we saw that they had put some work into the place and it had a nice modern look. Didn't get to take advantage of the nice outdoor seating area because the weather was rainy. We were greeted by friendly staff and seated at a comfortable table. Our timing was impeccable because the place was full within the next half hour. Our waitress deserves her own paragraph! She knew the menu inside and out and had tremendous pride in the food served and the awards they've won! Illusive is a "foodie" restaurant, every dish is elevated yet remains unfussy. For appetizers, we shared the street corn dip and tater tot poutine. The street corn dip was creamy and zesty. The tater tot poutine was revelatory, the cheese was melted perfectly, the gravy wasn't some jarred nonsense, and the tots themselves were crispy. I enjoyed the different textures of it, some more cheesy and some more gravy. My wife enjoyed a chicken Caesar salad and my daughter enjoyed a grilled chicken pesto sandwich. Her sandwich was a nice enough portion that she finished it leftover for dinner! I enjoyed the buffalo lemon pepper wings, the sauce was a nice blend of heat and zesty flavor. I appreciated the amount of wings they served, some restaurants are going for "shrinkflation" but Illusive provides a full portion! We received quality and personable service throughout a delicious meal, we will gladly return!

Great spot to catch a soccer game, snack on peanuts, and put back some pints. Great beer selection,…read moreproper glassware for each, inviting staff. There's a reason it's been around forever while the spots around it constantly turn over.

I saved this for my last review of the Albany area night life. I loved everything about this…read moreplace. I liked the open area of that ambience, I loved that service remained from and center here. I loved the fact that they have 3.00 beer on a weekend night until 11:00. I loved how friendly everyone was. I enjoyed playing darts. I thought the drinks I had that were not beer were heavy pours. Overall, I would spend my evenings where again and again. It might have been one of my favorite places I got to check out while I was in town from NC.

With limited info on the website, it was tricky to figure out how this place "works" so I'll share…read morefor all here. The cigar lounge has a small but quality selection of cigars for purchase. Perdomo, Fuente (chateau line), Padron 1926 and 1964, etc. Average cigars go for $25, and mid- to top-tier go up from there. Currently in April '23 there's no other charge, but they do have lockers that you can rent through membership which allows you to bring your own cigars and stash a small bottle or two. There is no alcohol or other service, it's just a lounge. It's large, spread across three floors with a restroom on each level. Lots of comfy seating, large TVs available, and would be great for a group to hang out and converse. Very quiet on a Friday night. Had the second floor to ourselves, and a group had the upper floor. Can definitely recommend - it's great to have a spot like this in Albany.

It's closed. Permanently. It's showing as open on maps. It's not. It's gutted. Permanently closed.read more