Pizza My Heart

There is something special about pizza. It comes in many shapes, sizes, and flavors, making it a nearly universally satisfying meal. Living in New York, even Upstate, means that we’ve been blessed in the pizza department. It’s well known that New York pizza is the best pizza in the world, but we’ve been taught that the best slices come from New York City. If you’re reading this from Upstate New York you know that we’re very different from the Big Apple, but one similarity remains– we have great pizza, too.
Continue reading “Pizza My Heart”

Under The Sea For Saratoga Restaurant Week

Eating out is not economical. I realize this each and every time I check my bank statement. Yet this expensive hobby of mine is one I will not kick. That being said, I do try to experience restaurants in the cheapest way possible, getting little tastes here and there at food festivals and events like Chowderfest and Wing Walk.  On December 1st Saratoga Restaurant Week started, so I took this opportunity to take a bite out of Fish at 30 Lake.
Continue reading “Under The Sea For Saratoga Restaurant Week”

Capital Region Spotlight: Enjoy Troy

On the East side of the Hudson River sits a city full of life, history, and food. I can’t deny that I once had pre-conceived notions about the City of Troy, often hearing that it was run down and unsafe. Those assumptions were wrong. Because I know I am not alone with the pre-conceived notions, and because I have since learned of all the awesome places Troy has to offer, I decided to highlight some of the best places to visit in Troy.

Continue reading “Capital Region Spotlight: Enjoy Troy”

Homemade Adventures: Bringing The Garbage Plate To Albany

If you’ve ever been to Rochester, or even within 100 miles of the central New York city, you’ve without a doubt heard of the famous Garbage Plate. Although initially hesitant to trying the mish-mash of greasy cheeseburgers, spicy meat sauce, macaroni salad, and french fries, today I find myself craving a plate quite often.

img_8104

The problem is, I don’t live in Rochester any more and getting a plate is not as simple as a drive down the street to the closest diner. Since buying a plate was not an option when my most recent cravings kicked in I decided to attempt at bringing the garbage plate to life in my very own kitchen.

img_8095The first step in bringing the garbage plate to Albany was to find the perfect meat sauce recipe. Lucky for me, Nick Tahou’s, the restaurant who put the garbage plate on the map, had a website floating around on the internet (check out the recipe here) which turned out to be pretty close, although not nearly as perfect as the real thing.

While the meat sauce was simmering I started making the home fries from scratch. I took a couple potatoes and cut them into small pieces, seasoned them up with a bit of salt, pepper, and cajun seasoning for added spice. I heated up the oil and cooked the potatoes until brown. While traditional garbage plates often have two cheese burger patties, one was enough for the my own plate. Although I made the sauce, burgers, and home fries from scratch, I ended up cheating just a little bit on the macaroni salad, buying a pre-made container from my local Whole Foodsimg_8097

Overall, my homemade fries were way too salty and the meat sauce came out a little bit too thick, but my first attempt at making a garbage plate was a success. Have you ever made a garbage plate yourself? Was it a success? Let me know in the comments!

As always, stay up to date on my food adventures on Instagram @erin.eats.upstate