Cardona's Market is a traditional Italian market that feels like stepping into a neighborhood deli…read morein Italy. The shelves are stocked with imported pastas, sauces, and specialty items that make it hard to leave empty-handed. I ordered the Chicken Cutlet Sandwich, which was outstanding with a perfectly crispy cutlet and fresh ingredients. The macaroni salad was a great side, and the cannoli was the perfect sweet ending to the meal. If you're looking for authentic Italian flavors and a true old-school market experience in Albany, Cardona's is definitely worth a visit.

I wandered into Cardona's Market for lunch and immediately got that small‑town Italian deli vibe:…read moreseparate counters for Deli items and Sandwiches and shelves of various Italian goods for sale. I ordered Joe's Special, and it was exactly what I hoped for: a well‑balanced stack of chicken cutlets, mayo, cheese, and bacon. The large was big enough for two meals. Albany turned up a lot of Deli options, Cardona's is a clear stand out.

This locally owned shop is a gem on Lark Street. Having read some of the reviews, I saw that the…read moreowners work hard to ensure they have organic/healthy options for neighborhood residents. Sure enough, I found that to be true. I introduced myself as a new resident to the neighborhood and explained that this was my first visit to their store. The owner introduced himself in like and stated if there is anything that I needed but couldn't find, they would do their best to offer it in the future. The store isn't the most organized but it's only because they carry so many different items that you'll be hard-pressed to not find what you need. From groceries, paper products, cleaning supplies, and health and beauty supplies. You'll find lots of natural products which fits the shop's name. Support local businesses! Support this store!

This store is one of the main things I'll miss about living on Lark. Any time I needed something in…read morea pinch I'd head over and Lark Natural Foods would have it, be it tape, batteries, bleach, fresh onions, or an ATM! The owner and his family are amazing people and I'm always happy to be a patron there They also have the sweetest kitty

Wow! I've wanted to try Rosanna's for some time now and I regret waiting so long. This is like one…read moreof those local best kept secret spots. I was able to book a reservation online for the same day. Of note, when you have the option of Main Floor or First Floor & Bar, just realize the Main Floor is up a flight of stairs. I'm not sure if there is a separate entrance but my wife was on crutches and she managed to get up the first three into the restaurant from outside but I don't think dining on the main floor would have been an option for us. Our server, Mike, was awesome and full of energy and enthusiasm. He offered suggestions and answered questions about details of the dishes. We were pleasantly surprised with how many menu items were marked v - vegan and v* - can be prepared vegan. This is great for us because it's another place in Albany that we will be able to go out to dinner with friends and everyone will be able.to find something to enjoy. The fried Artichokes are a must if you're looking for a starter. We were eyeing up the Fennel salad or vegan Caesar salad but opted to move on to main entrees. On this night they were out of the Gnocchi Cacio-Pepe which personally, I am not a gnocchi fan to start and Mike told us they were substituting a buccatini pasta instead... this had my attention! I went for his suggestion and chose the Arrabbiata instead which was delicious. My wife enjoyed her Wild Mushroom and Asparagus Risotto. We skipped dessert for this evening but there were vegan Gelato and cookie options for dessert as well. From start to finish it was such an enjoyable experience in this cozy corner restaurant which offers outdoor dining in the summer in the heart of Albany. We will totally be back with friends for another delicious meal at Rosanna's, the hidden gem in downtown Albany!

I haven't been to Rosanna's since it opened originally, and it has since changed hands, and so did…read morethe menu items. The cuisine was Italian inspired, and heavy on vegan and gluten free option, which is a great find locally, if you're looking for that. We were sat upstairs and I enjoy the ambiance here. I will note that the chairs are uncomfortable, which does not make a cozy dining experience. The cocktail menu was really great, a lot of gin options which is right up my alley. I had the Corpse Reviver and a glass of wine, both were great. We started with the shrimp balls, which sounded intriguing. They ended up being delightful, almost like loose crab cakes. The flavors were great and I loved the pesto. For my entree, I opted for the lemon mushroom tagliatelle. The pasta was very fresh and chewy, loved that. I enjoyed the combination of lemon and mushroom on the dish, but there were so many different mushrooms of all different textures, that some bites were more enjoyable than others. The snapper puttanesca was gorgeous as well. Overall it was a good meal, but I might have liked it a little more before the change. Definitely a great option if you are looking for dietary restrictions.

Everything here has a cooked at home feel and the staff is phenomenal. I go regularly and enjoy the…read morehouse and patio :)

OMG! Such a great time! We went on Saturday in early January. I had always heard great things about…read moretheir Sunday brunches. I had tried to go previously on a sunday in the line was almost to the curb. It was dead of winter , so I decided to go someplace else. I'm so happy that I decided to go on a Saturday. They do call ahead reservations , which is great. We had a table of three, and we were seated with a minute of our time. The staff was very friendly, and the food was amazing. I was very pleased that this wasn't an affordable outing with the rising costs of everything. The three of us made a pack to return again and i'm looking forward to it soon.

I wanted very much to love this restaurant. I will start with the good. There was no wait. The…read morepaella was good. The tostones appetizer was great. It's a very cute restaurant. That being said, they appeared to be short staffed so the staff wasn't as attentive as they needed to be. There were only two people at the front of the house and it appeared that they were running everything themselves. We were told that we could not order cocktails or mocktails. I'm assuming that their bartenders were not there. It was 6pm on a Friday. We ordered wine instead. We wanted a bottle, they did not have any cold bottles so we agreed to a room temperature bottle. My husband ordered rare churrasco, it came medium well. The chimichurri did not have enough acid to offset the fat from the steak. Overall, not the worst dining experience, but not one I'm anxious to repeat.

Where are you celebrating life today? Viva Empanadas is a…read moregreat spot to do just that! The Albany location at 90 N.Pearl Street is visually stunning while the empanadas are a true fiesta for the taste buds. Popped in for a late lunch where we enjoyed the tropical lemonade and the empanada special. Shrimp D'verde, Spinach & cheese, and Colombianita for me Classic Cheese, Vegan-licious, and D'verde for my friend The gentleman at the table across from us ordered the rotisserie chicken which looked and smelled amazing - might have to go back to try it soon! They also have a weekend brunch menu served from 10-2 that looks epic.

Absolutely lucked into this place while visiting our daughter at a nearby college. We were headed…read moreto the donut shop next door and saw the sign for the cheese shop. (Certainly a lucky neighborhood) It looks small from the street but once you walk in, it opens up to a sizable store. We were greeted by a friendly staff member, he took the time to describe their cheese selection and the other things going on in the shop. He then pivoted to giving us tons of help selecting the right cheese. We sampled a couple of things and then he dialed in three choices for us to buy. (With an assist from another customer that insisted that we would love the Delice de Bourgogne) Prices were reasonable enough for the quality. We added some gourmet crackers that were neutral enough to not overpower the cheese. The next day, we made the three cheeses the focus of our lunch. The Delice de Bourgogne was the star of the show, a creamy, earthy, and savory masterpiece. The two year aged Gouda and creamy blue cheese were delightful as well! Truly glad that we walked into The Cheese Traveler!

What a fantastic find -- a small but very well curated collection of cheeses, with an extremely…read moreknowledgeable staff who don't pressure you but provide help where needed. We appreciated the relatively local (Quebec, VT, NY) cheeses they have, and our destination cheese, Wisconsin Brick (which we had never tried before, and which they were quite willing to work with us on getting the appropriate size). The sandwiches looked delicious but we were there at the wrong time of day, alas, but we will 100% be back. If you like cheese, this is a destination location for the region.

I have found the best restaurant-made potato chips at Common Roots Brewing in Albany. The thing is,…read moreI wasn't even looking for them. They came free with my Nashville fried chicken sandwich order.They do great deep fryer food. My sandwich was all sorts of crispy, spicy and tangy fun. The space, however, has changed a lot. I remember when it was the Pump Station several years ago. The late owner, Neil Evan, was a fixture there and his seafood Mac & Cheese was something to rave about. By contrast, Common Roots has a more limited menu and plainer furniture. A lot of pizza varieties, tacos, salads and burgers. Decent bar food. By contrast, Common Roots flagship in Glens Falls appears to have a better menu with more variety. I generally eat healthy. I can't eat bar food regularly. The meal was great for a Friday night out. There's also a very good non-alcoholic beverage and drinks menu. I was happy to see all of varieties of stout. The snowy stout was delicious. So was the kombucha. The bar where I sat was clean, sleek and modern. The bartender, who took my order was helpful with suggestions. The main dining area looked a bit sparse for 8pm on a Friday night but the business is still relatively new. I'd like to see an expanded menu with at least a few more healthy choices and some family-friendly selections. Meanwhile, I'll know where to go if I get a craving for awesome freshly made potato chips.

If not for the amazing atmosphere, Common Roots would be pretty common…read more Although the establishment is vast with plenty of seating, the food has much to be desired. I ordered a sour beer of raspberry-lime. It was decent but something was missing I still can't determine. My starter were house made chips with their blue cheese dipping sauce. They arrived almost instantaneously and were well done, which I appreciated. The dipping sauce is so thick, it's more like a spread with some intense flavor. My smashburger arrived, which looked great until I realized the burger had been smashed to the point of being paper thin, making the edges crispy. This made for a "bread sandwich" that was dry until I got to the sauce and kimchi in the absolute center, which was quite good. There was no side salad option, so I went with the German potato salad. It was over-seasoned to the point where I had to stop eating. The runner also brought over fries, which I hadn't ordered, but he left them on my table anyway. They were also well done and tasted good. However, I was "potatoed out" at that point. Many other diners had pizzas and they looked great. Clearly, they knew something I didn't and I should have tried one of those instead. I couldn't relay this to the server because he kept disappearing for long periods of time and never happened to see me hold up a hand for help. He was kind but not attentive by any means. After fifteen minutes of waiting, he did reappear and finally got my check. Common Roots could be an amazing place to dine and hangout but they've got some work to do. Five stars for the atmosphere and two stars for food and service.

Great sandwiches. Coffee is on the mild side…read more Easy to find. Very nice staffing.

Walking into this sandwich shop, I was immediately drawn to the fun and vibrantly painted wall…read moremurals which I really liked! I ordered the #1 which was their special sandwich with a few meats such as pate, bbq pork, jambon and some other items in it. Also the #3 grilled beef and scallion sandwich along with a Vietnamese iced and hot coffee with condensed milk. The sandwich baguettes were fresh and quite good. I am big on condiments and both sandwiches did have mayo and veg but a little on the skimpier side. They were tasty don't get me wrong but I will ask for add ons next time for extra meat and veg filling. Also, heavier on the house made mayo too. The iced coffee was good as well but not as strong as what I'm accustomed to in sweetness and coffee flavor. Service here is good and the wait wasn't too long. A nice lunch option as they have a number of sandwiches that I would definitely try!