Is there any cake decorated more beautifully than a custom cake from this longtime popular bakery…read morein Schenectady? I do not think so. The cakes are made fresh and not frozen. Today, we had a 10" Carrot Cake for an 18th birthday party. It not only looked picture perfect, it tasted great. The website describes the many flavors of cake available in different sizes in round or sheet cake style. When you call to order, you speak to a knowledgeable staff person to select a flavor, size, frosting, and filling. Then you select the decorations and colors you would like. The signature iconic script handwriting of their decorators is attractive and distinctive. You know it is a Villa Italia cake when you first see it. However, always check a custom order cake before you leave. When we picked up the Carrot Cake, the worker did not open box to show us the cake. They should be trained to show the costumer the cake before checking out! Fortunately, I did open box and saw a pink frosted cake saying HB Jackie. My cake was for an 18 yr old grandson. They fixed it so it looked nice, but it was not quick. Please check out my photos to see a few of the cakes we have ordered and enjoyed!

The cakes are always moist. Filling just enough. Buttercream frosting yes is sweet but one of the…read morebest tasting around. Offer plenty of options for decorating also. Recently the gelato cakes have became a favorite too. Recently ordered cookie & cream ones. Every one complimented the taste. Also able to pay and order on the phone. Service was great.

Great ice cream in a bunch of flavors you don't ever see plus mini golf. What else do you need?read more

My husband and I love there soft serve Ice Cream. Can't wait to go back there next summer.read more

I am in town visiting friends and we came to The Blue Ribbon Restaurant for dinner. It has been…read moreyears since I have been there, and it nothing has changed. As always, the ambiance is warm and welcoming. Our waitress was very friendly, attentive, and helpful. I have some unique food allergies and they were able to accommodate my dietary needs. I got the Chefs Macaroni and Cheese. It was as good a my mother's homemade macaroni and cheese. For dessert I had the tapioca pudding. The presentation in the sundae dish with the whipped cream made it more appealing. It was delicious! If you are in the area, I highly recommend you check them out.

What do you do when your wife has a craving for a piece of carrot cake from the Blue Rose…read moreCheesecake & Bakery Shop on a Sunday, and when you look online you see that it closes in fifteen minutes and you are thirty minutes away? You go to plan "B." The Blue Ribbon Restaurant and Bakery is a "sister" to the bakery next door and is open on Sunday for five hours after the bakery shop closes. We might as well have dinner too while we are at the restaurant. Starting with cups of better than average diner coffee ($2.99/bottomless cup) my wife chose a Reuben with coleslaw and pickle wedge ($14.99) and added fries ($3) while I decided to have the Shredded Short Rib Sandwich ($14.49) which included fries, coleslaw, and a pickle wedge. We both agreed the fries were best while they were nice and hot but otherwise typically average once they cooled. Our respective sandwiches, however, were outstanding. The Reuben was the traditional corned beef on grilled rye with sauerkraut and melted Swiss cheese. It was large enough that half came home for the next meal. My Short Rib sandwich was too full of meat in a fresh and soft bun for me to chance picking it up to eat by hand, so I resorted to using a fork and knife. Regardless, it was really tasty. Now we were ready for the main event. My wife got her slice of Carrot Cake ($7.49) while I selected the Italian Rum Cake ($7.25). We both left totally satisfied and smiling, but on overload. This diner is very clean and staff are efficient.

I order from here more often than I would like to admit and they're decent cookies but 9/10 times…read morethey get our order wrong.

Definitely a front for something but the hours are convenient if you're craving grocery store…read morecookies and hood chocolate milk. Something just doesn't add up, they should at least make their own batter if they're a place that only sells cookies.. or just start selling frozen pizzas to stay on brand

The Grandstand is a Summer must. Food is delicious as is the ice cream. Tables with umbrellas and…read morea nice small playground for kids. They even have rest room !

My 10-year daughter attended a school dance and the large group of children and parents decided to…read moreget ice cream after the event, which is around the corner from their school. It was late and cold, and the girls were in dresses. My daughter is newly gluten free and nervous to eat at a place that she has not eaten at before, so she got ice cream from Stewart's prior to going to the Grandstand. She entered the establishment with the ice cream and sat down inside with her friends while their moms ordered ice cream for themselves and the rest of the children, totaling 14 other people. A worker approached the young girls, telling them that they had to leave, which they did. As the worker was walking away, another parent of the group was walking up to the table and the worker never confronted that parent to explain what had just happened. The girls informed the parent of the situation. In addition to addresssing the young children, and not the parents, not only did the girls have to stand out in the cold, but the rest of the party had to as well. Meanwhile, one the mother's calmly and respectfully stated her understanding of the policy to the owner, and then proceeded to explain that my daughter was the only one with ice cream from someplace else, due to her medical condition and level of comfort. The parent also explained that there were 14 others with the group that were still providing them business. The owner stated that it was disrespectful and that their policy is that customers are not allowed to bring in outside food and drinks. The owner was spoken to in a very respectful manner, while her tone was horrendous as she responded with phrases such as, "I don't know what you want me to do about it" and "...and your question is?!" She was very rude and lacked any sense of understanding. The girls and their friends go there often after school. Not anymore!

I miss when they were right in Rotterdam, but I've never tried anything from here that I didn't…read morelike. Everyone was always really friendly as well.

Best macarons I've ever had. And I've had A LOT! Tried a bunch all over the country. Thought the…read morebest was in NYC but these are top of the chain. Perfect texture and melt in your mouth flavors. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

I love their cookies and pastries! Not too sweet so that you don't feel like you're eating a sugar…read morecube. Just perfect! Going to try their sandwiches next. Can't wait! The service is friendly and knowledgeable. And the way they restored it to that retro feel is fantastic!

Civitello's reopened under its new owner Mark Novak on July 31, 2025 after renovations which…read moreincluded new plumbing and wiring. The new owner promised to keep the shop looking the same, and it appears he succeeded. Very nice! Booths were reupholstered in the same dark green color. Photos of Civitello family lined the wall. The ceiling was replaced with an embossed metal one that looks appropriate and like the original ceiling. I went to Civitello's at 10:30 am on Tuesday, August 5. The Co-Manager (owner's son) was pleasant and welcoming. I ordered a small Lemon Ice and bought a quart to drop off to my grandchildren. I have been enjoying the Lemon Ice regularly at Civitello's since my childhood. I have even eaten Lemon Ice in Italy. I sat in my car eating the Lemon Ice I had just bought; I ate slowly and with no distractions. The Lemon Ice definitely did not taste the like it did in the past. The texture was the same, but the pure lemon flavor was much less noticeable. Also, there were more tiny pieces of lemon zest in it. This zest did not taste fresh; it tasted prepackaged. I heard many of the family recipes were included in the purchase of the shop. However, I think the Lemon Ice recipe was not given to the new owner. Food-- Pizza (Tomato Pie) was not out yet, and I am eager to return soon see if it is as amazing as I remember it.. After looking at the menu, I asked if Eggplant Sandwiches were going to be available everyday, and he responded yes because the Fryer is now located in the kitchen. Previously, they were served only on Wed. and Fridays because the fryer was outside. Looking forward to having an Eggplant Sandwich, a favorite of mine as well as of many customers. Will it taste the same? Will it be on homemade bread sliced thin? Bakery-- Eclairs looked great. Guy ahead of me bought six. However, I noticed the Butter Cookies did not look as nicely cut out/shaped as before. I did not taste or buy any on this visit. I did not see any almond paste cookies; maybe I overlooked them. The shop was closed on Sunday because they were sold out after the grand reopening, so they may need to restock more of the classic cookies Civitello's is famous for. I plan on updating this review after I taste the Eggplant Sandwich and the Pizza/Tomato Pie.

This is a cute little bakery that offers some different confections than what I typically come…read moreacross at other bakeries. They also have a warm, homey looking backroom that calls out to sit down, relax, and enjoy a cup of coffee with your purchase. The display cases were filled with cookies, muffins, and bars that were very attractive and delicious looking. I decided to try a peanut butter muffin ($4) and a rum coffee bar ($3.50). The chocolate muffin with mini chocolate chips throughout was topped with coarse sugar crystals and injected and topped with a sizeable amount of peanut butter mousse. It was not overly sweet and a nice alternative to a cup cake. The rum coffee bar was the sweeter of the two confections that I bought and while being much denser it was equally satisfying and delicious. The coffee flavor was apparent, but I didn't notice a rum flavor. Service was friendly, warm, and welcoming. I asked about their cinnamon rolls and was informed that they are only available on Saturday. It was suggested that an early Saturday arrival, close to their 10 AM opening, was recommended if I wanted to ensure that I could purchase cinnamon rolls before they sold out.

I don't even want to admit how many times I have stood outside waiting for some cinnamon rolls…read morebright and early Saturday morning but if you haven't tried them already just know it's 100% worth it.

Wow! I waited over a week to visit this place because they were sold out of most of the desserts…read more They're so popular, and the owners take their time making new desserts. They have tea, but I wanted cheesecake. The cheesecake was excellent! You order online or at their kiosk inside. It's best to keep checking online to see if the desserts you want are in stock yet, if they aren't, they're listed as sold out. The ube cheesecake was creamy, sweet, with cream. The triple matcha cheesecake was very good, tasted like matcha, and best if you don't like dessert too sweet. Each piece of cake was around $10-11 would be nice if it was bigger, but it's great as it is because it's dense. It's so cute inside! Service is fast! Highly recommend!

Loved Eggcellent so much we visited twice on our trip in the Albany area! The options are fresh and…read moredifferent from what I am used to having when grabbing a milk or fruit tea. First up, I ordered the Jasmine Tea with Matcha foam and coconut water. This was a super refreshing drink and I am already wanting to have it again. Second we grabbed the Ube Milk Tea float which was a super pleasant taste, ordered with 0 percent sugar which kept it at a perfect level of sweetness. The ube milk tea float comes with a scoop of delicious ube ice cream on top. The service was super friendly and inviting, and the inside was really cutely designed.

We have supported this bakery for over 40 years, and it is time to offer a review…read more This Jay Street icon in Schenectady has the best Italian bread. It comes in round or loaf shapes and in one or two pound sizes. It is available in many local stores including the Niskayuna Co-op. True story: Jack Nicholson was filming in the area and found out about the delicious bread from his driver. He got the bread several times and thought it was great. He had it mailed to him. Photos of Nicholson and a related newspaper article are on display. The bread, rolls, and Tomato pie are baked in a coal fired brick oven from Italy. Besides the bread, there are other outstanding offerings including: Rolls! Breadsticks made at the bakery Bread Crumbs for cutlets and meatballs Tomato Pie -- so popular it often sells out Panini Sandwiches made fresh daily for grab & go. Italian olives and cheeses in the case. Italian cookies Parking in front and in a side lot shared with Cornell's Restaurant.

Perrecca's Bakery + More Perrecca's = Schenectady royalty…read more First things first: full disclosure -- my son is a server here. Yes, I'm biased. But also... facts are facts and the facts are DELICIOUS. It was a full-on snowstorm, the weird dead zone after Christmas where everyone else is like "nah, we're closing early," and Perrecca's was like: "We ride." Just me and the wife, snow coming down sideways, and this place is warm, welcoming, and absolutely cranking out hot food. And I mean HOT hot -- not "restaurant hot," but "careful-that-plate-is-trying-to-burn-your fingerprints-off" hot. Love to see it. Food? Super tasty. No notes. Service? Solid across the board. Bathrooms? Clean enough to eat off of (I didn't, but I could've). Parking? Plenty of off-street, no parallel parking Olympics required. Now let's talk about the hostess -- because WOW. She works the room like she personally built the place brick by brick. Touches every table, warm, friendly, checking in -- you'd swear her name was on the sign out front. Absolute pro. Hospitality Hall of Fame behavior. Between the legendary bakery, the attached restaurant, and the fact that they stayed open when the weather said "stay home," this place is a must-see Schenectady institution. Come hungry. Leave happy. Possibly leave with extra bread you didn't plan on buying but somehow needed. Would go back in a blizzard. Would go back tomorrow. Would go back just for the vibes.