Rainbow Trout for Breakfast?

Well why not?

Especially if it’s cooked to golden perfection and gently laid on a bed of couscous drenched in fresh butternut sauce, with haricots verts (that’s green beans when you are at home) and avocado. Did I mention the scallion garnish?

And as for breakfast, well, why not?

Lobster Tostado

Eggs Tostado is quickly becoming our best seller. Today we offer them in Lobster! Terrific!

Mango Pineapple Waffles

Plain waffle, really, but with mango pineapple sauce, fresh fruit, and vanilla ice cream. And 100% pure maple syrup.

Oh, the weather outside is frightful, but the waffles are sure delightful, Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

With apologies to Bing Crosby

Best Coffee in All The Land!

Week of Sat. Jan 24 to Sun. Jan. 25

Matthew

Why are those Cortados so good?

Meet Matthew Loiacono, Lead Roaster at Uncommon Grounds in Saratoga Springs, NY

The idea of the Cortado is that it pulls all the natural sweetness it can from the coffee bean, given that caffeine is naturally bitter.  We also steam the milk for sweetness, while avoiding a stiff foam.  Ideally, the milk thickens the expresso and you don’t need sugar to make it good.

We finish it off with a dollop of fine German chocolate at the bottom of the cup, just to make you perky.

Carmen’s Café:

Bringing North Troy to South Troy since 2004

And here’s the news:

Beautiful tableCan you say six-way miter?

Beautiful table, but how do you cut those joints?

There’s not much room for error in this one. Bringing the six arms and legs together takes more than a little finesse.  Fortunately, Jim is up for it.  Check out this beautiful table at Troy Night Out next Friday, January 30.

Springwood Studios
154 4th Street, Troy
Open 5-9
music by Elizabeth Woodbury Kasius and Heard from 6-8.

124c516c-d984-476d-8371-023b01db5681Jim-Gerale is Back!

It’s been the hardest, coldest month on record

Not the temperature, not the weather.  We mean the soft drinks—  we have been out of Jim-Gerale, a full-blown South Troy Tragedy.

No excuses, no recriminations please.  Just be advised that your favorite homemade sodey pop is back in the cooler.  Let us jerk you a real old fashioned Jim-Gerale.

Made from seltzer, sweetened with fruit juices and a dab of agave, but at it’s heart it’s just fresh squeezed ginger.

Almond_Crusted_French_Toastb23b9eRegular Hours Resume March 5:

when we go back to the full schedule:

Thursday 11-6
Friday 11-10
Saturday & Sunday 9-4

Free local delivery for orders over $15 on weekdays
We can hardly wait!

Cookin With Chef CarmenCookin’ With Chef Carmen!

Who makes all that delicious food? Chef Carmen, mostly.

That’s not to say she doesn’t have help, but mostly it’s her back there, bringing us authentic Cuban recipes she was taught by her Aunt Matilda.  And a few things she’s picked up since then.

Here’s a picture I took of her the other day.  You can tell she was dreaming about springtime.

Pretty strong dream.  I hope it comes true soon!

Vegan_Flamenco4bd130Jan. & Feb.Hours:

Just open Weekends till we catch our breath:
Saturday & Sunday 9-4

Of course, we’ll still do a party if you call ahead!

Authentic_Cubano906638Cubano Sandwich

—everyone’s favorite!

It all starts with the bread, and we FedEx ours in from a Cuban bakery.  We roast our pork for 14 hours after marinating it all day, just to give you that authentic Cubano flavor.  Such a savory blend you wouldn’t believe!

HuevosFlamencosHuevos Flamencos

Is that really Spanish for Eggs on Fire?  Carmen used to actually cook the eggs IN the Flamenco Stew.  The first time she served them, she put a bowl in front of me and dared me to eat them.  Gingerly, I spooned a dab of 212° liquid into my mouth and (quite naturally) winced.  “Hah!  Yanqui!” she teased.  “Too hot for you?”  As welts rose on my tongue, I tried in vain to explain that there were two kinds of heat.

Spanish_Hot_Chocolate.1.1Spanish Hot Chocolate

The perfect way to start the day!
We shave Dark Chocolate into Milk & Cream, add Oranges and Cinnamon, then top it off with Whipped Cream, a pinch of Fresh-Ground Nutmeg, and a Slice Of Orange.

Strong yet subtle, the Spanish style!

Meet The ArtistMeet The Artist

No, that’s not her above, that’s one of her portrait photographs, showing  Abby Lublin, urban grower extraordinaire.  Does the name Susan B. Anthony ring a bell?  And she came by it honestly!

Meet her Saturday Feb. 21, from 5-8, when we throw our usual Grand Artist’s Reception. Dinner will be available, plus complimentary Cuban hors d’oeuvres

Tostadas con Huevos

Take a tostada— whips, I meant MAKE a tostada— then savor on the toppings. Home fries, chorizo or veggie hash, cucumber pico (chopped & pickled w/ tomato & cilantro), lime creme, ranchero sauce & avocado.

So many flavors blended so well!

Crepas— Cuban Crepes

Crepe shell filled w/ shrimp, saffron rice, garlic & onions; then topped w/ smoked tomato creme.

(It should have a sunnyside-up egg also but it was left off for clarity)

All I can say is, what a breakfast!

Homemade Orange Butter

New Year, and new specials. Sweet Potato Pancakes with homemade Orange Compound Butter.

To be clear: we add sweet potato to the pancakes, top them with the Orange Butter and a slice of orange, and serve you some of the most amazing pancakes you’ve ever tasted.

Oh, don’t worry. We still give you a pitcher of locally tapped, 100% pure New York Maple Syrup so you can sweeten to taste. And when I say taste, I mean plenty of that great Carmen’s flavor.

Good Morning from the Heart of the South Troy Arts District!

New Artist!

Abby Lublin by SusanBAnthonyDoes the name Susan B. Anthony ring a bell? And she came by it honestly!

Susan is from Brooklyn, and just loves Troy. So much that she’s writing a book about us— if by writing you mean taking pictures of everyday Trojans. And we’ve got a preview hanging on our walls. This is her photograph of our hero Abby Lublin, urban grower extraordinaire.

Meet her Saturday Feb. 21, from 5-8, when we throw our usual Grand Artist’s Reception. Dinner will be available, plus complimentary Cuban hors d’oeuvres.

Fire Drum by Jim Lewis of Springwood Studios

By Jim Lewis of Springwood Studios

What did YOU do for Christmas? Jim made drums for a numbew of people. Here’s the Fire Drum, made of cherry, blooddwood, and butcherblock oak.

See him for those extra special things, from furniture to sculpture to— yes, even counters and floors like Carmen’s.

Cookin’ With Chef Carmen!

Cookin' With Chef CarmenWho makes all that delicious food? Chef Carmen, mostly.

That’s not to say she doesn’t have help, but mostly it’s her back there, bringing us authentic Cuban recipes she was taught by her Aunt Matilda. And a few things she’s picked up since then.

Here’s a picture I took of her the other day. You can tell she was dreaming about springtime.

Pretty strong dream. I hope it comes true soon!

January Hours:

Just open Weekends till we catch our breath:
Saturday & Sunday 9-4

Of course, we’ll still do a party if you call ahead!

Regular Hours start Feb 1:

Back to the full schedule:
Thursday 11-6
Friday 11-10
Saturday & Sunday 9-4

Free local delivery for orders over $15 on weekdays.

We’re Back!

Week of Sat. Jan 10 to Sun. Jan. 11

We’re all spruced up and ready for the New Year!

January Hours: Just open Weekends till we catch our breath: Saturday & Sunday 9-4

Of course, we’ll still do a party if you call ahead!

Regular Hours Starting on February 1st:

Thursday 11-6
Friday 11-10
Saturday & Sunday 9-4
Free local delivery for orders over $15 on weekdays

New Artist!

Does the name Susan B. Anthony ring a bell?  And she came by it honestly!

Susan is from Brooklyn, and just loves Troy.  So much that she’s writing a book about us — if by writing you mean taking pictures of everyday Trojans. And we’ve got a preview hanging on our walls. This is her photograph of our hero Abby Lublin, urban grower extraordinaire. Abby Lublin by SusanBAnthony

Meet her Saturday Feb. 21, from 5-8, when we throw our usual Grand Artist’s Reception. Dinner will be available, plus complimentary Cuban hors d’oeuvres.

2014 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2014 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 40,000 times in 2014. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 15 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.