The arrival of the fast casual Keobi on Lark Street in Albany put a full range of Nigerian and African dishes in reach from egusi and ogbono soup with fufu, to peppered goat meat, jute leaf ewedu and plantain porridge.

Aaron Wilson puts phở  on the cocktail list at The Larkin Hi-Fi Record Bar in Albany’s Center Square.

Local restaurateurs Kaytrin and chef Devin Ziemann (Ziemann Hospitality Group), the power couple behind The Nest on State Street, transformed the mood of Schenectady dining with the summer 2024 opening of Milas, a modern Mediterranean restaurant in the 120-year old former Schenectady Savings Bank.

First set alight and then cooled off with aloe and ice, “Sunburn” is an off-menu cocktail at The Hill, in Troy, a rebrand of The Hill at Muza by new owner Jonathan Blanchard.

The chefs behind the Filipino-Am pop-up talk grandmas, Jeff’s Record Shop, and pizza

Spotlight on a Plate: Ala Ala Grilled Chicken Adobo Marinade by Chef Arvin Clemente

Spotlight on a Pour: “Midnight Mirage” by bar manager, Nate Gebhard, at Night School in Athens.

When the owners of Cinnamon Indian Cuisine in Rhinebeck, were asked to open a sibling in Woodstock after the town’s only Indian restaurant closed, they saw it as an opportunity to try something different.