Heading to Albany next weekend for a wedding. We've got Friday night open to spend with friends and family. I'm hoping to get some restaurant recommendations with the following:

- Good food
- Fun atmosphere / Good people watching
- BYOB friendly

In addition, if you can recommend the best steakhouse in Albany, that would be appreciated as well.

As always, TIA.

Best steakhouse in Albany, when I was through there last, was Barnsider, located off Wolf Road between Exits 4 and 5 of the Northway.

Kimber, are you staying in Albany or in a neighboring area? (Latham, Schenectady).

We're staying in Troy (15 min from Albany, right?)

I've heard McGuire's on Lark is good. I've also heard Lark is a great place to go for drinks, entertainment, etc. Still undecided on where to go though.

kimber, although I haven't been there in a few years, Troy is a pretty dreary place. I suspect you'll be wanting to spend some time closer to Albany. By the way, agreat place for a burger lunch is Grandma's on Colvin. The Washington Inn or Tavern, on Western I think, has great wings.

Yes Kimber, Troy is just about 10-15 minutes north of Albany. Lark street in Albany is the area with many bars and bistro type places to eat. Unfortunately not many restaurants have corkage in Albany -Troy area, you would have to start heading North to Saratoga to find BYO friendly places, but that is 30-45 minutes north.

I will look over some of my own places that I have eaten at and try to recall the best places, as well as ask some friends of mine who dine down there often.

Is the wedding at Franklin Plaza???

Seek, thanks. Ever heard of Fresno's? That appears to be the wedding hangout this weekend.

Not sure where the wedding is being held....Franklin Plaza does ring a bell though. I was born in Schenectady but haven't been back in many many many years. Hopefully Troy isn't too dreary like Board-O remembers!

Troy has its problems and assuredly financial problems, but it is starting to come back much like Schenectady is.

One nice place to hang out is the Desmond on wolf rd. They have a great restaurant the Scrimshaw and a nice bar for relaxing with friends.

Kimber,

Unfortunately, I just saw your post. You guys probably stayed at the Franklin Plaza Inn and Fresno's was right across the street from the Inn right on the Hudson River. Don't know how long you moved away from here but that was the Castaways for many years and a good place for happy hour. If you do make it to Troy again, there are three restuarants of note in town. The River Street Cafe which is right next to the Troy Brew Pub, have a nice wine list, which is reasonably priced. LoPorto's for Italian food, and Monument Square Cafe. There is a connection with Monument Sq and Maguires, the husband and wife who own Monument Sq, worked with the Chef at Maguire's, when he owned Cafe Allegro in Troy. No restuarants in Troy as far as I know allow corkage.

I agree with comments above, about the Barnsider, but would also recommend Delmonico's on Central Ave in Colonie. The best Steakhouse in the area unfortunately is a haul from here in Daunesburg called The Bears, in my opinion.

Hope you enjoyed the wedding, and hopefully Troy wasn't so bad.

Chris

ChuckoWino, welcome aboard!

We had a good time in Troy despite the 6" of snow that fell on Saturday. Troy actually has a cool little downtown area with some diners, shops and older buildings sprinkled about....very typical upstate small town. Good for toddling.

We spent most of our time at Fresnos and Brown's Brew Pub for drinks and entertainment. The food at both places was just bar food, but that was ok. The River Street Cafe was closed all week for renovations. The wedding reception was at the Franklin Plaza -- spectacular setting.

Only wine we had was a 2001 Ritchie Creek Cabernet that we brought and enjoyed with my family before the wedding. LOVE that wine.

Sort of brain dead today.

There is a good old resturant on the south side of teh main drang at the bottom of the hill, down by the river. Sort of funky, classy, and prices not too bad. Could be "Broadway".

They had good food, and they had tons of old photos from the turn of the centrury [not this one, last one like 1880's.

edited: It be named Jack's on State Street.

Welcome to VC, CW!