Albany in Bloom
Spring was in the air this past January when Bloom Boutique Bar & Eatery opened its doors on New Scotland Avenue in Albany. The new joint is a floral-accented, Pinterest-perfect oasis serving up an eclectic menu of shareables, greens, handhelds, and mains (espresso-rubbed salmon, anyone?), plus specialty cocktails, NA drinks, beer, and wine. And weekend brunch brings its own flowery flair: Try the crab Rangoon dip, bananas foster pancakes, and ahi tuna nachos.
East Greenbush’s Grand Reveal
With a name like Grand Margaritas, people are bound to expect a spectacle—and that’s exactly what they get at East Greenbush’s newest Mexican Restaurant. Opened in January by the owners of Las Margaritas in Slingerlands, Grand Margaritas serves up big deals (two-for-one martinis and free churros on Mondays, $3 tacos on Tuesdays, BOGO margs on Wednesdays—you get the idea) in a bold atmosphere you have to see to believe. While pretty much every Mexican restaurant serves dinner, brunch is where Grand Margaritas really shines: We’re talking pancakes topped with ice cream cones, French toast stacks that defy gravity, and all manner of boozy brunch drinks served in outrageous vessels like a plastic tote bag and cylindrical tower with a serve-yourself spigot.
Latham Gets Caffeinated
The 518 might have been a little late to the Yemeni coffeehouse trend, but the region is certainly making up for it now. In February, Latham welcomed both Shibam Coffee Co. on Troy-Schenectady Road and Qamaria Yemeni Coffee Co. on Loudon Road, and a third spot, Qahwah house, the best known of the three, is set to open (also on Troy-Schenectady Road) later this year. While the coffee itself does indeed come from the country of Yemen, which is said to be the birthplace of the drink, Yemeni coffeeshops are known as much for the distinct taste of their coffee and Middle Eastern pastries as they are for being gathering places, especially for Muslim communities.
Saratoga Hits a Hi-Note
Sometime within that stretch of seemingly never-ending cold that descended upon the Capital Region this January, Saratoga got a bit of a morale boost when The Hi-Note quietly opened its doors on Putnam Street. Owned by the team behind the across-the-street taco and doughnut shop Taquero, the bar serves up cocktails, beer, wine, and way too much Fernet, plus a menu of empanadas, in an atmosphere that’s reminiscent—in the best possible way—of your grandfather’s basement (think retro wood paneling, blue-and-white checkered floors, and a pair of old skis hanging on the wall).
Schenectady Goes Au Naturel
Though it technically started welcoming customers back in November, Toni’s Wine Bar celebrated its official grand opening with the Downtown Schenectady Improvement Corporation in January. Specializing in natural wine but with beer, liquor, and NA drinks also available, Toni’s is a moody space owner Toni Riggi has said she hopes will be a place where singles in their 30s and 40s can feel comfortable and meet like-minded people. In February, the bar leaned into the love-is-in-the-air vibes by hosting a Valentine’s Day party with a DJ, plus Bestie speed-dating and figure-drawing events.
…And Now We’re Down two Delis
Capital Region sandwich-lovers were dealt a double dose of bad news this winter when, in the span of two days, Gershon’s Deli in Schenectady (which has been around for 60-plus years) and Loudonville’s Genoa Importing (2025’s Bestie-winning sandwich shop) both announced they’d be closing their doors due to rising food costs and ongoing economic challenges. It’s not all bad in the deli world, though: That same week, after 80 years of serving the 518, Cardona’s Market was added to the New York State Historic Business Preservation Registry.
