Delaware Ave in Albany has some amazing places to get food. New World Bistro, Mingle, Emack and Bolio’s (I know it’s not locally owned but still delish) and most recently, The Cheese Traveler and All Good Bakers. The only unfortunate thing is that I have only tried three of the places mentioned above. Lucky for me, they were all superb. We headed down to Albany to run some errands and I had one thing in mind; where are we going to eat on Delaware Ave? All Good Bakers was a top priority for a few reasons. One, they offer my drug of choice, SUGAR! Two, I know the owner from way back in the day. We were actually neighbors and went to school together for many years. Third, and most importantly, is their incredible reputation.
It was my fault for not checking their hours but they close at 3:00 on Saturday’s and I got there at 5:00. I should have assumed that a bakery would be closed but it was wishful thinking on my behalf. Luckily for us, or anyone else who happens to visit them, they are attached to The Cheese Traveler. This is new shop that has some incredible cheeses from around the world. Eric, the proprietor, is more then happy to let you sample some of his wonderful selections. We tried samples of 2 different types of Gouda, something from Ireland and Parmigiano Reggiano.
Every single piece was phenomenal. I feel as though I’ve been cheated in the cheese world after sampling some of the products in his store. If you are in the Albany area, it’s definitely worth stopping by his shop located at 540 Delaware Ave. This Sunday (November 18th) is their Grand Opening where they will be partnering up with Tilldale Farms for some fun events like a cooking demo and cheese tastings and demonstrations. The festivities go from 1-6 and it would be a great way to sample a variety of cheeses. After we made our purchases, we headed down the street to Mingle to see what all the buzz is about. We sat at the bar where I had a glass of red wine while checking out the menu. I ordered the Korean Tacos which is two corn tortillas filled with marinated beef tossed in gochujang and stuffed with apple-radish kimchi, Napa cabbage, scallions and Chef’s spicy yogurt sauce.
They were everything I had hoped they would be. The bar tender mentioned that they were spicy and when I first started eating them, I didn’t think they were too bad. This is definitely a situation where the heat builds because by the end of my first taco, I could feel the spiciness but I liked it. Mingle likes to support our local community and gives monetary donations along with gift cards and free food to places like Albany Suicide prevention, Senior Services of Albany and Women’s Employment and Resource Center. If you are looking for a great place to have dinner, Mingle should be on the top of your short list. While you’re in the area, enjoy some of the other great foods on Delaware Ave. I may pick up some cookies from All Good Bakers then head over to Emack and Bolios and make an ice cream sandwich out of it. Or, get some cheese from The Traveler and bread from the Bakers. Ohhhhh the combos!!
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