Tisean Daniels, GM + Managing Partner of Ama Cocina in downtown Albany, talks tacos, tattoos + the tea on cold-brewed tequila.

Christy Counts, the founder of Neverstill Wines, talks about the Finger Lakes, wine cocktails, opening in Hudson + her passion for animal welfare.

Hotel Lilien — a cool 1890’s boutique hotel, perfect for lounging if you’re upstate for a weekend; perfect for cocktails and light dinner in the living room of the hotel bar. Play pool, put some music on the juke box or show up for DJ Sir Shorty on a Saturday night.

From the award-winning chefs behind Contra + WildAir in NYC, an upscale, upstate dining retreat complete with chef’s gardens, boulder wrapped fire-pit, their signature creative small plates + impeccable cocktails. (Don’t miss their eclectic flavored ice cream.)

Suwun Thai Home Cooking is the new home of Brooklyn Thai restaurant Ghang Thai Kitchen in the former Cuckoo’s Nest in Albany’s Pine Hills. Upscale but warmly welcome, the menu reads as a best hits of Thai classics with Thai-inspired cocktails in flavors from tamarind to coconut-ginger.

3 spots you need to know when you’re hungry at the Albany-Rensselaer train station: Son of Egg, Shwe Burmese + Illusive Restaurant & Bar.

Casita at Mass MoCA is a love letter to the tiny villages of Mexico with regional dishes, house-made tortillas and moles, and excellent cocktails and mezcals sourced during visits to producers.

INTEL: 3 spots you need to know this summer for outdoor dining. Banh mi for your picnic. Burgers for the park playhouse. Taco truck, bbq and live music on an apple farm.

Adam Minegar, owner of Hemlock in Catskill, talks theater, making the 2025 Esquire best bar list, and opening a craft cocktail bar in a small town upstate.

Via Cassia is a fun, bustling Italian restaurant on lower Warren Street with a focus on simple, Mediterranean flavors, Hudson Valley farm ingredients, and a Californian twist.

Where to go for pickle cocktails

Chef Robert Finn talks travel, tattoos, comfort food + finding balance in the kitchen at Saint Florian, Hudson. 

Tom Blassman, bartender at Allen Street Pub, talks flair, fencing and crafting cocktails — with a focus on bacon built in.

Dive Presents Pint Sized announces its new fall location in classic corner store, Mittler’s Market and Bodega Bar, Saratoga Springs.

Kat Dunn, owner of Padrona in Hudson talks hospitality, Cape Cod summers, tiki cocktails and the time-honored tradition of tending bar. Padrona is a cocktail bar in Hudson, N.Y.

Restaurateur Brendan Dillon + Executive Chef Michele Hunter of Familiar Creature in Saratoga Spring really get along.

Where to go for $10 martinis around Albany, Schenectady, Hudson and Kingston. Part II.