Emperor's Palace

At our house one of the birthday traditions is that the honoree gets to choose dinner and their cake. I will devote this post to the dinner - the cake was a bit complicated and will require an additional post. This year (and last year, if I remember correctly) Griffin requested Chinese food on his birthday; specifically Emperor's Palace. All of those discussions about independent restaurants seem to be making an impact on our children and it is extremely gratifying to think we are doing something right, in terms of parenting. Hey - you take it when you can get it.

We've been fans of Emperor's Palace since their days on Lark Street and it is the place we go to for both birthday celebrations and pre-birth meals. Quick story to explain "pre-birth meals:" When I was in early labor for Quinn, Tom & I did a lot of walking - laps around Stuyvesant Plaza, Sears to Macy's at Colonie Center, etc. We crossed Wolf Road to grab a bite to eat at Emperor's Palace, (I think we may have had the stuffed eggplant for it's reputed labor inducing properties), and the waiter promised me that I would have my baby the next day, Chinese New Year. And I did. Ok, back to the birthday instead of the birth day....

We are definitely hooked on a couple of items at Emperor's. Their fried squid with salt and hot peppers (pictured above on left) is fantastic almost every time. Once in a great while it is chewy, but not last week - it was hot, crispy yet tender and salty. And the four of us devoured it in no time flat. I ordered the Har Kow (above on right) which are always good - flavorful, soft on the outside and filled with shrimp. I love these things and it took great restraint for me not to eat all of them myself, but I did manage to bring some home for the husband and they reheated in the microwave fairly well. We also had an order of pork dumplings, which we requested steamed but arrived fried instead. No biggie. These were primarily for the boys and they are years away from worrying about fat calories or cholesterol. And how could I send them back after the waiter told me I was "so very kind?"

Griffin requested Peking Duck aka as the one dish the entire family will eat. We've had this dish in four different (Montreal, NYC, D.C., Philadelphia) Chinatowns and Emperor's Palace does a nice job with it, although my absolute favorite was in Philadelphia where they actually made a quick soup from the duck and served it as an additional course. The steamed buns, scallions and thick hoisin sauce make for some tasty little sandwiches when they are paired with the crispy and moist duck meat. Quinn had his go to dish - sesame chicken and I rounded the feast out with an order of Chinese broccoli with garlic sauce.

One of the nicest things, for my family, about Emperor's Palace is the service. The two or three regular servers remember us, always remark on the how big the children are getting and graciously take care of us. We've had excellent food from CCK, and I'm willing to give Ala Shanghai another shot, but Emperor's Palace is the place where we always feel like royalty. D'oh!

Champagne on the Park

Last night I was lucky enough to attend this event in beautiful Washington Park. To me, this has become the event of Tulip Fest weekend and I really look forward to it every year. I mean, if I want to have a couple of drinks in the park, I'd much rather do it with people who are dressed nicely, know what I'm saying? I was a little bummed that there were actually two events last night that I would have liked to attend. Maybe next year Taste of Albany and Champagne on the Park will each of their own night and I can make it to both. Last night's crowd was decidedly younger than in years' past and a bit hipper, too, I'd have to say. The band, whose name I never caught, was terrific and people seemed to be having a good time, despite the terrible tragedy that struck Tess' Lark Tavern Wednesday night. Both the Lark and Tess are Albany landmarks and I know they will be back and better than ever as soon as possible.

I've got some photos up from the party that you might enjoy.

Champagne on the Park

Most delicious ribs ever!

Since Tom is at work most nights of the week, I look for ways to make him feel included in our evening meals. You know, little prep tasks he can accomplish during the day to facilitate dinner preparations to help him to feel involved. That might be a bit of b.s. - it may really be more a matter of my needing all the help I can get feeding these kids, especially on soccer practice nights. Last night's family meal was a rack of ribs which Tom had picked up this week, except for Quinn who is going through an incredibly annoying phase where he seems to only eat yogurt, wheat thins and peanut butter.

I've been toying with various cooking methods for ribs for awhile and have tried low heat, indirect heat, slow cooking in the crock pot and broiling. I've heard that some folks boil their meat (keep it clean, folks) prior to grilling, but I wasn't interested in taking that route. I do believe, that yesterday's attempt was my (ok, our) best attempt yet, and here's what I (we) did:

Wrap the ribs in foil, place them on a baking sheet and put in the oven for about 2.5 hours @ 325F. Tom did this in the morning and then refrigerated the ribs until late afternoon. Fire up half of the grill (we actually have 3 burners, so it is more like 2/3 of the grill) to medium hot. Put ribs on the "off" side of the grill for about 40 minutes, turning once. Lower grill to low and baste with the sauce of your choice - I had some commercial bar-b-q sauce, probably loaded with corn syrup, that I mixed together with kecap manis. I generously brushed them with the sauce and cooked them for about 15-18 minutes, turning them 3 or 4 times. They were truly everything I want in a rib - tender, sweet, smoky, falling off the bone...yum. It took a tremendous effort on my part (way more effort than throwing some ribs in foil and abandoning them to the oven for a couple of hours), but I did manage to save one meaty one for the hubby. And that's the closest we get to family dinner mid-week.

Celebrity Whores

An open letter to the women who sleep with famous married men and then try to sell their stories:

Dear Loose Lips -

I wanted to congratulate you on reaching new depths in whoredom. You've really upped the ante for all of the future infidels because it is no longer enough to simply sleep with another woman's husband. Oh, no. Thanks to your capitalist nature and opportunistic ways, the act of deception is insufficient unless the entire universe hears your version of the sordid affair. Well done!! You're famous and perhaps have even gained financially from some woman's husband's transgression. You do, of course, realize that you are famous for being a whore, right? I'm sure your family is really proud.

Marriage is challenging and I do understand that extramarital affairs sometimes occur. What I do not understand is why anyone would value celebrity and money so much that they are willing to abandon any shred of self-respect or integrity. But, please stop trying to explain to the media (and to the wronged wife) what happened, marital interloper. I think the only person who might care to hear your perspective less than me is busy right now meeting with a really good divorce lawyer.

Sincerely - Mrs. Silvia Lilly

Sheila

Today marks 73 years since my mother-in-law, Sheila, was born. Even though we lost her more than two years ago, it just wouldn't be right to not honor her on this day. There aren't many days that pass without my thinking of her, or our family not sharing a memory of when she was still with us. Last Sunday, our family went to services at her church outside of Pittsfield to celebrate her birthday. Representing the family were three of her children, as well as her three youngest grandchildren, and we were warmly welcomed by the congregation. There is a beautiful wall hanging created in her honor very prominently displayed, and numerous people expressed their fondness of Sheila, and the loss they still feel by her absence.

Poor Quinn was just a few days shy of his third birthday when she died and hasn't quite grasped where she went. I've always tried to keep it simple for him and explained that Grandma's body had a sickness which meant she could no longer be with us in person, but that her love and spirit continue to live in our hearts. He seems to have held onto this fairly well, and I really do believe he has nonspecific memories of her, and the love she showered on her family, but there are times when he asks questions and I really fumble for an answer which will satisfy him.

After church we all took a ride to visit the cemetery where Sheila is buried, near her parents, two of her brothers, and her beloved sister, Patty. In the car, Quinn told us that he wanted Grandma to come back and be normal again. Tom explained that she was never "normal" and that we just had to remember her and, in that way, she would always be alive inside of each of us. This triggered a barrage of additional questions and comments that eventually overwhelmed us - not really in an emotional way, but more of in an intellectual way. How does one explain death when one doesn't really know what their own understanding of it is?

The cemetery in Dalton is small, filled with Irish surnames and surrounded by tall evergreen trees - a lovely setting. Across the street from the family plot, there is a large house seemingly as filled with children as the yard is filled by a pool and a trampoline and an oversized tent. The noise of the children, their shrieks and laughter, are the perfect soundtrack for Sheila's final resting place. Happy birthday, Sheila. We love you and you do indeed live in our hearts.

Oh, Albany!

Last Saturday, I met a couple at the restaurant who were in the process of moving to Albany from San Francisco. Now, there are others who have made this same trek East only to be disappointed by some of what the Capital Region has to offer. I don't know if it is a question of expectations, personal values or perception, but after more than 20 years living in Albany, I can emphatically say (politics and orange mayors aside) that I love Albany. Don't get me wrong - in my heart, Greenwood Lake, N.Y. will always be the place that I envision when I hear the word home, but, Albany is where I am able to provide my family with a good quality of life at an incredibly reasonable cost and I celebrate that with sincerity.

Since Saturday, I've been considering how much Albany has changed since I first moved here. The most obvious change, to me, is the increase in dining options. In 1988, there were very few fine dining spots downtown and little variety in ethnic food choices. The Lark Street area then was home to a mediocre Chinese place, El Loco and Mamoun's Falafel, all of which remain, but they have been joined by Indian, Thai and Greek options. Seriously, there have to be at least 7 or 8 countries represented by menus on Lark Street these days - and that is a good thing. And for fine dining downtown there are terrific options like Yono's/DP, Angelo's 677, Marche, Dale Miller, and The Brown Derby - all of which have made their debut in the past 5 years. Pretty impressive.

I grew up outside of NYC, and it was initially a challenge to consider Albany a "city," but over the years, I've grown to appreciate Smalbany and am quite content here. If you're local, be it native or transplanted, to the Capital District, what are your favorite places? Share.

Wine -N- Diner

We have another dining option in the DelSo - and this one is open for breakfast, lunch & dinner. The Wine-N-Diner has opened in the former Avenue A space and I'm really looking forward to giving it a try. The menu is unpretentiously creative and includes Appetizers, All Day Breakfast, Sandwiches (including some club sandwich choices), Burgers, Blue Plate items, Vegetarian selections, Salads and substantial Entrees after 4 pm. Pricing begins at $4 for soups and tops out at $27 for the Cowboy Ribeye, described as "Dry-rubbed, bone-in Hereford , served with mashed potatoes." The Ribeye is by far the most expensive item on the menu with the appetizers and breakfast $8>, sandwiches range from a $4 grilled cheese to an $11 Squat Lobster Roll (Langoustine). Half-pound burgers are served with chips and start at $6. The burger I need to try is the Carpet Baggin' Burger (w/cheddar, bacon, fried oysters and spicy remoulade, $9). Blue Plate items include Chicken Fried Steak ($6.5), Meatloaf ($7) and Southern Fried Chicken and Waffles (with mash & maple gravy, $9). There is also a selection of $5 items for children. The Greek watermelon salad looks enticing - watermelon, red onions, fresh basil and feta, $7, as does the All Thai's Up entree - veggies simmered in coconut mile and red curry broth served over cellophane noodles, $10.

Hours are: Tues-Thurs 7 a.m. - 10 p.m.,
Friday 7 a.m. - 12 a.m.,
Saturday brunch 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. and dinner from 4 p.m. - 12 a.m.
Sunday brunch 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

I'm not really clear if "brunch" means an abbreviated menu, but I'll find out as soon as we find the time to get there. I'm hoping to wrangle the boys there in the next week or two and am confident that the menu will provide satisfying options for each of us, despite the introductory lack of alcohol availability. Their web page is more a "place holder" than anything else but they do have a preliminary sort of Facebook page, as well. I'll try to add a picture or 2 later in the weekend to this post and, of course, will share our impressions once we have an opportunity to have a meal. If you go - please share your experiences here.