Chef Nicole Bassis on her 30-year old Finnish sourdough starter, Finnish design + running bakery-cafe Cafe Mutsi on her own.

Korean Chef-restaurateur Doris Choi discusses Silvia + Good Night, the role of time in coaxing flavors, shifting from a plant-based mindset + her 2024 James Beard nod.

Tucked in a sloping tiny strip mall on Route 2 in Latham, Neda’s Persian Kitchen serves up classic Persian and Afghan dishes in a simply decorated, but sunny and welcoming café.

Dominican Chef Riany Mena talks Latin + Asian flavors, launching Pataconia, cannabis-infused dinners + why he stepped back from the restaurant industry to reignite his passion for food.

Channeling a Marvel Universe Utopia, Keshonn Hatcher blends Japanese sake with tiki indulgence for a taste of spring.

In a new bar manager role at Morrissey’s Lounge at The Adelphi in Saratoga Springs, Sha Bhatti shares his inspiration for a Kyoto Alibi.

Milas bar director Andrew Patterson finds inspiration for this Gibson riff in a lamb gyro.

Hamlet & Ghost Bar Director Sonia Castellani takes mezcal in a more subtle direction with almond and apricot.

For the official launch of Saratoga Maiden at Lucy’s in Saratoga, we talked with Pinhook Bourbon’s master blender, Sean Josephs about creating a Saratoga blend, his winemaker approach, and the future of American whiskey.

Yemeni coffee shops + smoothie bars are heating up upstate.

Veronica Agama—Latina, mother, entrepreneur + chef—talks food trucks, the diversity of Latin cooking + moving her Viva Empanadas business upstate.
— We also have her exclusive announcement of a new third location!

Upper New Scotland Ave in Albany’s Helderberg neighborhood is quietly blooming. We review Bloom Boutique Bar & Eatery, a new all-day new American restaurant inside The Rise/Midtown Square apartment complex.

Intel: All Change Around Albany + Troy.
— Editor Susie Davidson Powell dishes out the latest industry news in March.

Sonia Castellani, bar director of Hamlet & Ghost in Saratoga Springs, talks about growing up in France, the importance of culinary flavors + the women who inspired her career.

Is art best served in a bar? In Hudson, Troy and Schenectady, these 3 bar owners are drawing a crowd.

At Hamlet & Ghost, the team leans on kitchen ingredients to coax flavors out of cocktails. Bar Director Sonia Castellani’s hot pink Ube Milk Punch is a clear case of less is more.

Haema Hospitality announces their first brick-and-mortar in a spring move to Hudson. They’re taking over the former Bar Bene wine bar on Warren Street and building owner, Marie Wong, is thrilled.

In Kinderhook, Isola is equal parts wine bar + community hub with Hillary Zio’s curated focus on boutique, coastal European wines.

Hillary Zio, sommelier and owner of Isola Wine Bar in Kinderhook talks about her love of teaching, women in wine, and designing a balanced life on her own terms.

Spring Fever? All Change in Saratoga: 7 Chefs On The Move.