ALBANY, NY -- We're still a very young country.
I'm reminded of that any time I think of Reno, NV, Las Vegas's little sister that celebrated its centennial just a couple of years ago.
Or, as I'm reminded by an autobiography I'm currently reading by the actor Robert Wagner in which he notes that when he was a kid Tarzana, CA, was still just the name of the ranch owned by "Tarzan of the Apes" creator Edgar Rice Burroughs rather than a city as it is today.
But, we do have some oldies that are goodies. For example, European civilization along the mighty Hudson River that runs from Lake Tear In the Clouds on the U.S./Canadian border south to New York Harbor was ushered in four centuries ago with the Dutch-financed voyage of English explorer Henry Hudson on the Halfmoon.
So, it seems only fitting that some of the nicer restaurant/cocktail lounges in the
Capital Region are coming up with better and better cocktail lists to please the tourists who are, or soon will be, visiting the area now.
The latest place I've found doing that is Dale Miller,
the popular chef's eponymous new downtown Albany restaurant opposite the Times Union Center. I was searching for something different to start off the meal. Maybe a Paris Hilton. No, a Smallbany Sazerac ... or, a Tokyo Rose. No, wait. A Hudson’s Halfmoon!
What better way to recognize the Quadricentennial? And, no better way to start sampling the clever signature cocktail menu. Miller, one of only 61 Certified Master Chefs in the entire nation and one of only 300 Global Master Chefs worldwide, has long been known for his cuisine, but he also likes a cocktail or two when work is done. To give them some buy-in to the new venture, he asked everyone who tends bar at his new digs to come up with their own cocktail recipe.
John Wiz devised the Hudson's Halfmoon -- Gosling’s Black Seal Rum and Liqueur Clement Creole from the island of Martinique, with a touch of ginger over a muddled slice of orange, served on the rocks in an old-fashioned glass.
I found it a refreshing change from the frequently cloying specialty cocktails that seem to be in vogue these days.
The base spirit, from a Bermuda distillery that has been in operation for slightly more than two centuries, is rich, warm and dark, with lingering hints of the molasses from which it is distilled along with light notes of caramel and vanilla, almonds and allspice. It is Gosling's biggest seller and has long been the main ingredient of the Dark and Stormy, Bermuda's classic cocktail, as well as a key part of Bermuda Fish Chowder.
There is even an herbal note to the Black Label, complemented nicely by the Liqueur Clement Creole. That's an 80-proof Curacao orange liqueur that is just beginning to catch on with U.S. bartenders even though it has been available here for several years. It's in the vein of Grand Marnier and Gran Gala.
I'm anxious to try some of the other cocktails, particularly at the very reasonable $9 price for each of the 10 varieties. They include:
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Tokyo Rose: It's an Asian-influenced interpretation of the Bloody Mary, using chilled sake, ginger, wasabi, shoyu sauce and V-8 juice blended smoothly and served tall over ice.
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Smallbany Sazerac: A nod to some people's snarky nickname for Albany, but referred to by the restaurant as "Our Celtic nod to the Big Easy Classic." It's Sazerac Rye and Powers Irish Whiskey combined with a touch of Peychaud’s bitters and Herbsant, the latter a sort of absinthe but without wormwood.
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Cucumber Martini: Muddled cucumber and organic cucumber vodka blended with lemon, mint, and fine sugar. Shaken until very cold.
But, lest you think I was merely there for drinks, oh no. It was anniversary time for Constant Companion and me and we were anxious to try Miller's cuisine even though we knew he was off-premises for the night at a charity event. However, I've always found one of the hallmarks of an excellent head chef is how his staff produces when he's away.
In this instance, wonderfully. From greeting to parting the service was impeccable on all levels. The atmosphere in the Miller-designed modern space is created soaring ceilings, rich woods and wall coverings, soft recessed lighting, several dining alcoves -- one of them dubbed the Chef's Table -- for more intimate dining, and top-notch tableware and glassware. The restaurant's terrace had just opened, unfortunately on a rainy day, but it still beckoned with its Empire State Plaza views such as the ones shown above.
Our starters were uniformly excellent: A roasted baby beet salad with mâche, a nettle gratin and brioche toast with a toasted walnut/shallot vinaigrette; a "Pacific Rim Fish & Chips" offering that consisted of a slightly spicy, crisp-fried salmon cake, a pair of lotus chips and a ginger-touched Asian guacamole, along with malted sake vinegar and tempura-style haricot verts. After the cocktails and these "first impressions," as Miller calls them, we couldn't wait to keep going.
Miller has made upscale dining economically accessible, with reasonable prices for full portion entrees but scaled down sizes at lower prices. As just two examples, caramelized diver scallops with pignoli gremolata and artichoke/eggplant ravioli is priced at $26 and $16, and a char-roasted filet of beef with a horseradish/mustard crust, sumac onions and golden potato puree is priced at $30 and $18. Only the size of the protein portion of the entree is different, we were told by Terry, our top-notch waiter.
Those were the two dishes we selected, and were quite pleased with what was delivered.
The scallops were firm yet tender, just slightly browned, complemented in both texture and flavor by the gremolata and the soft, plump raviolis. A Brock Sancerre Sauvignon Blanc 2007 from France's Loire Valley -- part of a commendable list of wines by the glass -- was just the right combination of crispness, acidity and sweetness to work with the gentle flavors of the entree.
The beef was nicely aged, impeccably lean, cooked perhaps a touch too much but at the center of the nine-ounce portion the medium rare I'd requested, and it was there it was the leanest and most flavorful. The mustard crust was a good counterpoint, and the carmelized onions cut the saltiness of it. The potatoes were pure velvet heaven. I'd chosen a glass of Cambria Syrah 2006 from the Napa Valley, and exquisite inky dark red just bursting with stone fruit and pepsin notes. An absolutely perfect accompaniment to the beef.
All told, another Miller winner, from the good wine and cocktail lists to the smartly conceived food.
(Dale Miller is located at 30 South Pearl Street. Phone: (518) 694-3322.)
ON THE WEB•
Dale Miller restaurant•
Dowd's Guides
GUILDERLAND, NY -- You don't have to be a city to have a restaurant week, as this Albany County town found out. Thus, it will hold its 2nd annual "A Taste of Guilderland" restaurant week July 20 to 25.
