Year in Review 2008: Restaurants

Special meals invite return visits to distinctive dining destinations
Sunday, December 28, 2008
By Irv Dean and Caroline Lee

As we look back on a year of dining out in places both grand and lowly, a lot of happy memories bubble up, all of them having to do with a particularly memorable meal experience or a particular dish that made us exclaim with sheer pleasure and rave about it to intimates.
The bad experiences you tend to bury in your subconscious, not to be summoned forth unless there’s a possibility of revisiting the place and your flight instinct kicks in.
Perfection is what we seek and what we rarely find. But in 2008 we certainly discovered places worth a second and third visit, even as we look ahead to the gustatory peaks and valleys of 2009.
TOP 10 restaurants
These restaurants are the top 10 choices of Gazette restaurant reviewers Irv Dean and Caroline Lee, each selecting their favorite five places that they visited this year.
DEAN’S LIST
Irv Dean’s choices for his Dean’s List of restaurants are listed alphabetically.
Bistro Tallulah in Glens Falls:
Butcher Block in Colonie:
Capital Q Smokehouse in Albany:
Slick’s Restaurant & Tavern in Schenectady:
Zaika in Clifton Park:

CAROLINE’S CHOICES

When husband Eric and I treat ourselves to a special meal, we want to be wowed.
I’ve walked away from three fine-dining restaurants this year that really impressed me, whether the price matched the wow or not:
Prime at Saratoga National in Saratoga Springs:
Winedown Lounge in Schenectady:
51 Front Wine Bar & Bistro in Ballston Spa:
Gus’s Hot Dogs in Watervliet:
Crisan Bakery and Edible Art Gallery in Albany:

HONORABLE MENTION

Hot Harry’s Fresh Burritos in Schenectady: This new franchise — there are only six outlets so far — seems bound for success based on our experiences at the 1625 Union Street location that opened only recently. The restaurant features Mexican-style food adjusted for American tastebuds, and everything is prepared with fresh ingredients as you watch — from tacos to weighty burritos to the warm tortilla chips that accompany your meal. If you find the food too mild, adjust the heat with some of the salsas offered. The low prices are particularly appealing in the current economy.