Absolutely delicious cakes! I tasted the chocolate and chai flavors...then was inspired to send…read moreassorted cakes to different family members. Everyone raved about the cakes.... I'll definitely order from Great Exbaketations again in the future!!

I've lost track of how many cakes I've ordered from Great Exbaketations. Six? Seven? They are…read moresimply my favorite dessert, full stop. My first order was the Margarita Limon cake for my birthday last year, and I've since ordered several more flavors for myself and I've sent some as gifts too. They are consistently excellent cakes (well-packaged for shipping, too, which isn't easy), and they are always moist and packed with flavor. Margarita Limon remains my favorite, but Chocolate Borracha is a close second. And the Cranberry Orange cake at Christmas is destined to become a new holiday tradition in our family. I only wish we lived in the Albany area so I could grab one anytime! They also freeze really well. In fact, we have one mini cake in our freezer right now.

Albany's Washington Park is a gem in itself but it's also fortunate to have a number of great cafes…read moreand restaurants nearby. Among the more recent arrivals is Java Cafe on Madison Ave. It offers a nice variety of coffees, teas, other beverages and baked goods, all in a relaxing setting. What's more, they tell me that small dogs are welcome. I stopped in recently after taking a stroll in the park with my West Highland Terrier. I was surprised when they told me that my little dog could come in, too. I ordered the most wonderful hot chai latte with coconut milk and a dash of cinnamon. Since I was staying, it was served up in a stoneware cup with saucer. I also ordered a potato borek, which they explained was a small Turkish-style mashed potato pie. It was good. My friend ordered a delicious large house coffee with cream. The cafe is small but inviting with exposed brick walls. There's nice furniture and interesting wall art, including a banjo hung from one wall. But my favorite is the amoeba-shaped full length mirror with the words,"You look amazing," painted above it. How's that for giving customers encouragement? My little dog stood under our table and smiled. She was well behaved. There were several other customers but most of them looked lost- in -concentration over their laptops. It was a delicious and very calming experience for us after a nice walk in the park. Thanks, Java Cafe.

This place is awesome, the staff is so kind and very attentive. The place is warm in both a decor…read moresense and a temperature perspective. The honey cake and latte I got was amazing! The pastry and latte my daughter had were also very good. (We left nothing if that says anything)! This place is located on a strip of coffee shops / cafes. It is worth a go and worth coming back to!

If you walk into my kitchen you will only find 3 kinds of bread. There's my own, Heidelberg whole…read morewheat or Prinzo's. There's no need for anything else. This is an old school bakery. You walk in and there's sacks of flour everywhere and there's a fine dust of flour on the equipment. You can actually smell the yeast in the air. There's nothing fancy, just amazing bread for incredibly reasonable prices. They've been making bread there for 60 years and they know what they're doing. I buy there regularly and always have a loaf stashed in my freezer for emergencies. I've only seen 3 people working there including the owner. The owner is great and the woman that is sometimes there is a peach. One of the cool things they do, and they don't have to, is they leave the unsold bread outside the entrance for people who are in need. There's nothing not to love about them.

Prinzo's bakery is Albany's bread mainstay…read more Get a roll or loaf here and you are set for a day or two. These are quality rolls made from scratch by a pack of rowdy and funny bakers in the back. It's a little bit bakery, little bit hangout. The Prinzo bakery has really squirrelly hours: they are open in the A.M. until like 11 - then they take a long and possibly well-deserved 'bakers-siesta' until about 2 or three. In the hours in between, some bakers are there but the front door is locked: it's a real local shop, so to speak! Come in the morning for large orders or stop by and take a peek at the wood panel interior of this tiny Albany bakery in the afternoon for sandwich breads, loafs, baguettes and boules. Review: 5

I have driven by Nino's bakery for years and always wanted to stop in. I finally did a few months…read moreback and wish I'd started going there years ago! I have tried a variety of their buns and a few of their loaves and every one has been delicious. They also have a selection of Italian cookies. Everything is freshly made and reasonably priced. Their hours are limited, part of the reason it took me so long to check them out, but going forward I'm going to get my breads from Nino's whenever possible. I would love to try their rye bread, it seems to only be available on certain days. The shop is small and if you don't get there on the earlier side, the selection may be limited. Make sure to bring cash as it is a cash only establishment.

One time place for Rebel Chef. Tiny cookies were brittle and dry. The only way I could eat them,…read morewas to dunk them. Sleepy cubicle-shop! Review: 4

I don't have a strong stomach... so I am careful when it comes to how people handle the food making…read moreprocess. Was originally going for a waffle bowl with ice cream... BUT watching that guy shape and roll the waffle with his bare hands... I could not do it. Ick. We came to get ice cream after dinner and just ended up getting ice cream in a cup for my kids... bc their stomach can handle anything. lol ahhh to be young. It's Ben & Jerry, nothing fancy. $15 for 2 small cup... seems like inflation hit everyone and everything. Eat at your own toilet risk.

Such friendly staff!! Perfect location for getting ice cream and walking around the park! Or…read moredessert after dinner on Lark :)

What a beautiful place oh my goodness. My boyfriend and I went to Albany for a comedy show and…read morerandomly walked here from our Airbnb. The owner was there and was so funny. We struggled to make a decision and she showed us what each one looks like to help. And wow yall, the cheesecake?????? HELLO? So thick and rich and delicious. The place is full of nostalgia and really just a fun spot to go to. Be sure to visit and put a pin on the map to mark where you're visiting from!

Small space with tasty treats. Lots of choices and all seemed tasty and a skittle unique don't was…read morehard to choose, but I went with maple. Prices a bit high but I knew that going in. For me it's a once in a while treat but definitely worth it!

Sometimes you need to stop and smell the roses. Other times you need to stop and eat the cookies…read more I've been following Buttercup Cookie on social media for a few years. And for a few years I've been always impressed with how visually appealing the photos of their cookies were. I often found myself wondering how they could possibly produce such intricately detailed goods. To be candid, my other thought was if they look that good they must taste horrible. Could you have the best of both worlds where taste AND sight were a match made in heaven? Bite into a Buttercup cookie and you'll find the answer is yes. I finally got the opportunity to try one recently and experience pure joy with every bite. The cookies texture was the right combination of soft but hard enough to not crumble apart in your hand. The taste, of course sweet but not too sweet and the perfect hint of butter to entice your taste buds. My taste buds were seduced aright as I found myself finishing two- one right after the other. Maybe I had to be assured the first cookie was a fluke or maybe it was the combination of site and taste proved too enticing. I posted a picture of one of the cookies which isn't the best representation of the batch or skill this baker has so if you'd like to see more visit their social media. And yes, it really does look like that in the flesh! Remember: stop and eat the cookies!

Awesome find in an out of the way place. The creampuffs are dangerously delicious. I'm actually…read moreglad I don't live closer but I've managed to go twice anyway. On my first visit I purchased a slice of the equally delicious coconut and pineapple cheesecake along with a couple of creampuffs. See why I must never live nearby? On my second trip north I managed to stick with creampuffs. They are SO good. Luckily I can easily find a reason to drive north. Be aware they only accept cash.

A step back in time. This bakery, located in downtown, has been producing baked goods well for a…read morelong time. We had the crumb cake - well seasoned, thick layer of crumb, soft cake. Chocolate cream pie - flaky, light crust, with a great chocolate filing, almost bordering on dark chocolate - perhaps best chocolate cream pie I've had. Kids had the raspberry chocolate cheesecake which was rich with milder raspberry flavor, topped with a nice chocolate layer. I highly recommend this place - well worth the short drive from the highway, on your way up to the 'Dacks or the Capital Region. Cash Only.