Creo

Date
1/2/09

Location
A mall up by Lisa's place
1475 Western Avenue, Stuyvesant Plaza, Albany, NY

What I ate
Tagliatelle with caramelized onions, wild mushrooms, parmigiano, and white truffle oil

Who went
Lisa, Rob, and Matt

Website
http://www.creorestaurant.com/

Thoughts
First, let's just talk about the concept. Poke around their website to get a better idea, but it's a sustainability-centric restaurant with gourmet food. They're LEED-certified with awesome things like a grass roof, a floor made of recycled materials, and energy efficient equipment. They get high marks in my book before I even look at the menu.

The score just keeps going up after I do indeed look at the menu. They have a good variety on the menu and each item is thoroughly described. Every table gets a small bowl of edamame and a basket of bread, which were both tasty. My pasta was good and all of the flavors came through well, except maybe the truffle oil. Then again, that's probably because I haven't ever had it before and just couldn't pin down the specific flavor; there was an underlying but unidentifiable deliciousness to the dish, so I'll just assume that was the truffle oil. Everyone else finished their dishes with relative ease while making noises that suggest they were quite happy, but I'll leave it for them to describe their experience.

Our waiter was very helpful. He wasn't particularly conversational, but the place was packed and I'm sure he didn't have time to dawdle. He was friendly while answering our questions and giving advice. His manner of speaking suggested a good deal of familiarity with both the dishes on the menu and cooking in general. No one ever had an empty glass and our food arrived promptly.

The ambiance was a little busy, but nice overall. There is conversation everywhere and the odd lighting scheme surprisingly keeps the place well-lit without being too bright. I love that they have the kitchen open to view, though it can be a little distracting from table conversation. It's just too bad it's a 400+ miles trip from Charlottesville.

Recap
Pros - focus on sustainability, generally well-done, great food
Cons - it's too far from me, there are a few sustainability issues (some small things) that could make it even better
Overall - As if you couldn't already tell, this place is awesome. I highly recommend it to anyone who lives within about an hour. I'd say longer, but you don't want to drive too far while you're fighting the food coma.

The Local

DateOctober 16, 2008
Location
824 Hinton Avenue
Right between Mas, Belmont BBQ, and La Taza

What I ate
Appetizer - House made mozzarella,roasted peppers, grilled bread, and sea salt
Entree - Braised beef short ribs with potatoes, carrots, and pearl onions

Who went
Nora, Suzie, and Matt

Website
http://www.thelocal-cville.com/

Thoughts
The food was great. The locavore in me loves the emphasis on local ingredients and I spent a lot of time reading over the menu planning out future trips. It is a bit expensive to visit regularly - appetizers are $6-$8, pastas are $12-$15, entrees are about $16-$18 - but it really isn't overpriced. The portions were generous and the food was rich and filling, though Nora said her dish was a bit too rich. No one had any room left in their stomach for dessert, but they all sounded delicious. I'm excited about going back in a few weeks, especially if they vary their menu with the seasons. I didn't get a good chance to look over the drink menu, but it seemed like they have a very well-stocked bar leaning towards the higher end in general.

Our waiter was really nice, even though it seemed like he was relatively new. He was very helpful and our relatively small glasses of water were never empty. Their menu says they will not split checks for groups larger than 4, but it was just 4 of us and there was no issue. The place was relatively empty, but we didn't get there until 7:15 and the hostess told me the reservation I made, while unnecessary at 7:15, would've been a very good idea just an hour earlier.

The lighting was a little on the dim side of ideal and would vary from time to time, but you could still read the menu and see your fellow diners. They generally played good music though I'm not sure Dave Matthews counts as a "local ingredient". It doesn't look like a good place to bring a large group, but there is plenty of seating, both inside and outside. Had we arrived earlier, I'd imagine we would've really enjoyed eating outside since it was a crisp, cool evening.

Recap
Pros - delicious food, nice atmosphere
Cons - a little expensive (though not overpriced), no parking in Belmont
Overall - Highly recommended, just not more than every few weeks