I had a work conference here and had the pleasure of having both a buffet style breakfast and a…read morebuffet style lunch. Breakfast was basic, but good. Eggs, potatoes, bacon, bagels. A few other pickings, but I don't remember. Potatoes were seasoned well and bacon was super crispy, just the way I like it! Lunch was different kinds deli sandwiches. Italian, tuna, and turkey. Chicken noodle soup, salad, chips and cookies. I had the turkey sandwich. It was tasty, until I had a bite of what I suppose was raspberry spread/jam? I felt it was out of place and not necessary. The chicken noodle soup was delish! Hearty and big pieces of chicken. Definitely made my insides warm on the cold day that Albany had yesterday. Service was great. Waitress made sure to clear out table of plates and utensils as soon as we had finished our meal. My only complaint that I have is that the bathrooms are all the way downstairs. So technically it's not fully part of the restaurant space as a whole.

I came here with coworkers while celebrating a special Office occasion. It was an interesting…read moreexperience that I might be willing to try again. First off, we made reservations and had our own table but I don't think they were entirely necessary as we saw lots of people come and go without them. Dress is very relaxes, with some people coming from work for lunch in suits and others in torn up jeans and t-shirts. Getting here was odd. It is off of a hallway off of the concourse, and though there is a sign it isn't obvious and I was glad I came with friends who knew the way. Upon entering the elevator, there were two options: restaurant (floor 2) and bathrooms (floor 1). Yup, they are on separate floors. The elevator dumps you in the very middle of the restaurant which I considered awkward. Leaving to use the restroom involves waiting in the middle again for the elevator, and then returning via the same manner. The buffets were wooden boards that were set up on saw horses in the middle of the room with power cords to the heaters and heat lamps. It seemed a bit amateurish but I suppose since they only do the buffet once a week they have to keep it easy to set up and break down. Every Thursday they do an Italian buffet lunch (and I don't think they do any other regular meal service) which apparently has various items that rotate. Today it was: Appetizers: Caesar Salad; Chopped Garden Salad; Grilled Vegetable Salad; Frittata with Four Cheeses; Eggplant & Tomato Compote; Crusty Bread Main dishes: Penne Primavera with Oil and Garlic; Rigatoni Bolognese; Chicken Parmesan; Porchetta; Grilled Vegetable Medley Desserts: Assorted Italian Desserts & Pastries (They had about 6 different dessert options.) The food on average decent. It is all served buffet style so dishes may get dried, sauces will congeal, and vegetables will weep water. I thought the chicken parm. was decent, I enjoyed the rigatoni Bolognese, and considered the frittata a standout dish. I took what I thought was a cream puff for dessert but it was filled with chocolate chip cannoli filling instead (I think). The staff were pleasant and frequently refilled the buffet. However, they kept taking our plates but wanted us to keep our dirty silverware which we had to put on the table cloth. By the end of the meal service, that cloth must look pretty bad. Prices were fair, I think $13 a person. However, it just felt really awkward at times. It felt like a restaurant was being crammed into a space that didn't really work (and at one time this was a really nice restaurant so I have been told). While it has the luxury of boasting the only buffet at the Plaza, I don't think I would come back unless there was another special Office function.

I've been telling people that the State Museum is a great place to visit on any day but especially…read moreon a rainy day. This weekend, I finally took my own advice and toured the museum for the first time in years. The Sept. 11th exhibit is among the current features marking the 25th anniversary of the terror attacks. Since I was there to watch the Twin Towers fall in lower Manhattan, I found it difficult emotionally to walk through the exhibit though somehow it was also cathartic. There were interesting exhibits of New York birds, mammals and minerals. I also enjoyed seeing the dinosaurs exhibit and the so called, "Cohoes Mastodon," which was unearthed near the Cohoes Fall. I had so much fun riding the antique carousel with many families. The museum is even open on Sundays. Admission is free with suggested donations. The staff is wonderfully helpful. The attendees are nice and friendly, too.

This place is a lot of fun! It's a large museum where you can learn just about everything there is…read moreto know about New York State. We didn't expect to spend much time there, but we ended up staying for well over an hour because there was so much to explore. Admission is free, although donations are appreciated. If you're driving, keep in mind that the museum doesn't have its own parking lot, so you'll need to find street parking. Fortunately, it wasn't difficult to find a spot when we visited on a Sunday afternoon. Highly recommended!

The Egg re-hatched on January 8th after a nearly $20 M renovation. That was great news! It was…read morestarting to become an eyesore with its aging seating and bathrooms. Now, it's a sight for sore eyes! Better sound system and LED lighting were among the upgrades. A little more seating. New seats and flooring. New wall coverings.The public was invited to check out the improvements at a free evening event. When you consider that the distinctive facility is about a half century old, the upgrades were overdue. The helpful ushers are not paid to be tour guides so I'm not sure how accurate their information was. Some ushers said the bathrooms were not renovated. The bathrooms I visited did have upgrades, but I cannot understand why the some of the original hardware including the old, chipped sanitary napkin receptacles were screwed back into the womens' bathrooms stalls. It seriously detracted from the overall appearance and seemed to be a bad penny pinching decision after so much money was spent. I can't tell you about the men's rooms. The men in our group of friends said they thought some work had been done. The Egg's unique shape was inspired by the half grapefruit that Gov. Rockefeller was eating during a planning meeting. In this day and age of large venues, it remains a more intimate setting. The Kitty Carlisle Hart theatre has a capacity of just under 1,000 seats and there's another smaller theater just below it. I was in the audience a few years ago when Pete Davidson did his stand-up act at the Egg. He complained about the small size of the venue. He added another show for same day just to make it worth his while. I came away offended by some of what he tried to pass off as humor. If performers like Davidson don't want to play the Egg again, I'm okay with that. It has great acoustics for fine artists of a whole different caliber. The Egg re-cracked open with aerial performances by Good Karma Studio and the DJ Hollyw8d. Looking forward to attending many awesome performances in this newly improved venue!

This Mid-Century Modern architectural masterpiece was stunning when it was built and now it's…read morerestored to perfection (2026). The artistic integrity remains and of course the proportions and design inside and out continue to WOW! A+ in every way! This venue is worth a good look and please certainly enjoy the top notch offerings! Thank you for the thoughtful restoration! The new seating is super comfortable too!

We were not the happy couple that booked Hudson Valley BBQ for their wedding, but we were lucky…read moreenough to get to eat everything and not pay for it, which is basically my favorite thing to do. I was at the wedding venue all day while they showed up and prepared, and I can happily report that Brandon and his crew were super friendly, worked hard, and fed our whole family quite handily. He even shared some of his cheeseballs with my daughters; while delicious, I personally preferred all of the actual food. It's worth noting that Hudson Valley BBQ makes a lot of delicious stuff that is not necessarily barbecue (by which I mean smoked meat). The grazing boards (cheeses, meats, dips, etc.) were gorgeous, the al pastor tacos were excellent, the giant caprese salad was mouthwatering, and truly all the food was beautiful. We had bacon wrapped scallops and other classic wedding hors d'oeuvres, and the mains of cedar plank salmon, smoked chicken, and picanha steak were all well cooked, and quite tasty. The catering staff were all quite accommodating too, with the exception of one lady who yelled at me for trying to take an aperol spritz one minute before we were allowed. I probably deserved it though.

Brandon was really great to work with and our guests loved the food! He was very accommodating with…read moreour meal choices and many guest allergies. He brings true craftsmanship into his work and the food is really delicious! Ali, who took over communication as we got closer to the wedding, was also great! We had a few minor things that didn't hit the mark which is why we couldn't give a full 5 stars. We wish there had been more servers to help during dinner service as food coming out was a bit slower than we assumed it would've been and there was only one bartender at our main bar at one point; but the team worked quickly and were all very kind! We did have a guest mention that there seemed to be some stress from the catering area around dinner service but we honestly didn't notice as the couple. The owner also added some extra stress the week of the wedding by trying to charge us extra per person for liquor choices we had previously had approved by him. We ended up providing one of the liquors ourselves to ensure the cost stayed at the contracted price. It was quickly resolved with Brandon the same night and didn't have a significant impact on our wedding as we were able to pivot; but, it was added stress that wasn't necessary the week of the wedding so I felt it was worth mentioning. Overall we really enjoyed their services, getting to know them as a team, and would definitely still recommend working with them!

I have been to two events at the Albany Convention Center and I have to say...this place is fu**ing…read moreenormous. And beautiful. I came for a mac & cheese event a few years ago and there were like...a million mac & cheese vendors PLUS a full sized basketball court. I recently came for a large formal event and I also had a great time for that. The event had to include well over 600 guests and there was more than enough room for them. The space is gorgeous. The ceiling has all these tiny, star like lights that are constantly changing. I arrived a little late so I didn't try any of the hors d'oeurves. There were lines at every bar, as to be expected at an open bar event for 600 people, but the lines moved quickly. The dinner I had there was not really good but to be fair I have never eaten at a large event and been like "oh, that prime rib was the best thing ever". You know what I mean... I'd say the entree was on par with other event venues that I've been to. The service was out of the park. The bartenders and the wait staff were all so friendly and accommodating. Overall I really have enjoyed this venue both times I've been there.

Excellent venue for more intimate performances. Holds about 400 patrons. Excellent accustics. All…read moregood seats in the house.

I booked Cindy for a paint and sip for my best friend's bachelorette party. We rented an Airbnb…read morehouse near Woodstock, and Cindy came and did an in house party. Cindy was such a professional, patient teacher. She made the class fun but I still feel like I learned something. It was so relaxing! All the girls afterward couldn't stop talking about how fun the class was and what a great experience we had. It was such a fun opportunity to bond. Plus, Cindy's prices are a steal for the quality of the service. I can't recommend this business enough. I would gladly hire her again if the occasion ever arises. Thank you for a wonderful time, Cindy. We will certainly treasure this memory!

Cindy is awesome! She is very patient with a bunch of people that are not artists! She kept it fun…read morean very professional. Highly recommend for any party or event.