Bella Napoli is one of those places where you walk in for one thing and immediately want one of…read moreeverything. Their bakery is hands down one of the best around. Everything always tastes fresh, and it's honestly hard to pick a favorite. I love their cannolis and cupcakes, but you really can't go wrong with anything in the case. They also have awesome Italian subs, which you can eat right there in the store or grab to go. It can definitely get busy, but the staff is always super friendly and they know how to keep the line moving fast. Highly recommend stopping in, whether you're grabbing lunch or just looking for a sweet treat. It's got that good old home town vibe with the old fashion counter for eating at.

Normally, I love Bella Napoli. They usually have amazing pastries, and their Valentine's Day…read moreselection looked especially tempting. I picked up two Valentine's Day cookies, a lobster tail, and two large cannolis--items I've enjoyed from them in the past. Unfortunately, this visit missed the mark. The lobster tail was soggy and lacked the crisp crunch I normally expect, and the cannolis were also soggy. That was especially disappointing because those are usually my favorites. The Valentine's Day cookies looked cute, but underneath the frosting they were dry and pretty flavorless. I really wanted to love everything, especially since I've had such great experiences here before, but this time the quality just wasn't there. I'm hoping this was just an off day, because I know how good Bella Napoli can be.

Simply delicious! I'm Surprised at the low number of ratings / reviews on Yelp for how amazing…read morethis product is. Great people. Local. Can't be beat. Great value and quality. Easy to order and easy pickup. Very convenient for me, in downtown Albany, just off the highway. I placed an order for 1/2 strawberry crunch cheesecake and 1/2 chocolate Pb cup for a special occasion/birthday surprise and everyone was blown away! They were very flexible / accommodating with pickup day/time. Very delicious. Will order again and highly recommend! Thank you. Extremely satisfied and the birthday girl was very happy!

One word: amazing! From the exceptional cheesecake flavor options to the friendly customer service…read moreand free delivery, they're outstanding. They also offer a discount with a 518 Foodies card, which can be purchased at 518foodies.com. Misses Kisses Pies does something that I've never seen another bakery do and that's offer a four flavor cheesecake! That's right -- four flavors on one cheesecake. It's insane! I ordered the chocolate peanut butter, strawberry crunch, banana pudding and Cinnamon Toast Crunch. I couldn't decide which flavor I liked best. They were all so delicious and the crust was heavenly. To order, visit MissesKissesPies.com and look over the menu before calling (518) 461-7324 with your order. Highly recommend!!

After seeing Asaf's review of this place I decided to splurge and order some things from here. I…read morelove homemade donuts and other baked goods, so after looking at their website I picked half orders (6) of the apple fritters and the smore's rolls. Delivery is available on the weekends, but since I live within a couple of miles I elected for pick up. Using their website was easy as... umm... cinnamon rolls? I talked with the baker who was putting them outside on a table a couple of minutes before pickup. Eating them fresh is nice, but warm out of the over is even better. She recommended warming them up before eating so I microwaved my apple fritter for 30 seconds in the microwave. It was great! It wasn't too sweet and that is partially because the dough didn't seem to have a lot of sugar in it. The glaze certainly did though and overall I thought it was a nice balance. I definitely tasted a nice, warm spice but can't put my finger on it. Likely cinnamon, but it seemed a little more nuanced than just that. They were very dark (but not burned) and would remind you of a pastry you might get at the supermarket but with a bit less sugar. I liked that. The smores ones did look as good as they could have, and they were a bit hard at room temperature. I heated them up as recommended and they became transformed into a decadent treat that tasted a lot like smores. I could pick out the graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallow and it made a mess on my fingers like a real one would. I think I would have preferred multiple smaller marshmallows on top instead of one large one as that came off in one bite. But, they were much better tasting than I expected. Note: Despite the wax paper liner in the box, I suggest not putting them on your car seat when you pick them up as they are a bit greasy and it goes through the cardboard. You have been warned. Prices aren't cheap, and I assume they are a little more if you elect for delivery. But in these hard times we all need to splurge on something now and then and also support local places. I did both of those, so this was a two-fer.

A friend of mine decided to monetize her 2020 baking obsession by starting up a home based baked…read moregoods business I like to refer to as a, "micro-bakery". So far I have been fortunate enough to try the following from her menu: Classic Cinnamon Rolls: These taste, well, like cinnamon rolls. Not the kind that are slathered, well practically drowned in liquid sugar to the point you get diabetes by simply touching one. More the kind that are fresh, firm, and taste like cinnamon without needing heavy amounts of glaze to do the heavy lifting for their flavor profile. If you like that notion and also knowing that you won't have glue hands after eating one, give these a try! Walnut Rolls: I believe these are based on a Ukrainian family recipe. They taste quite nutty in a good way. If you are looking for tasty buns that aren't overly sweet but still rich in their walnut goodness, and perhaps would like to have a flashback to your days at mom's table back in the Ukraine, give these a taste. Apple Fritters: These are firmly in the, "and stuff" part of the "Rolly-Poly Buns & Stuff" monicker. They justify the need for stuff other than buns being made at this micro-bakery as they are pretty darn tasty. Apple flavor comes out well in these little delights. S'mores Buns (Limited Time): I am looking forward to trying these new items soon. For now all I have is the description from the website below: "Filled with chocolate, covered in toasty marshmallows, you can't go wrong with these. Sure to be a favorite of anyone with a sweet tooth." In terms of service, she likes what she does and is friendly. When ordering from the website, you will need to request anything at least 24 hours before you get it. There is not a same day delivery option. Delivery is local (capital region only) and only on weekends. Pickup is any day. If you want to drive there from wherever, that wouldn't be a problem :) Payment system currently requires PayPal. All prepared goods follow the Home Processing Guidlines by NY State. However, GF cannot be guaranteed though vegan options could possibly be accommodated upon request. The business owner is just getting started and is open to innovation in terms of new items that could be worked into their, "special flavor" category. Send any ideas to their company email at rollypollybuns@gmail.com. I recommend giving this place a shot. Give it a shot because you don't get much more small than a home owned business and you don't get much more local either. Give it a shot because it'd be pretty darn cool if something positive like this could come from, well lets face it a pretty terrible year. Also, because the food is good! Finally, if you are picking up, understand this is a home, and further understand that you would be expected to adhere to current covid safety protocols such as wearing a mask, social distance, and so on. Here's hoping you try it, love it, say so in Yelp! And possibly make the term, "micro-bakery" a thing :)

Daisie's has grown. I was the first to write a Yelp review for this business more than 2 years ago…read morewhen it was solely a bakery featuring Daisie's awesome tres leches (3 dairy) cakes. Months later, Daisie began offering occasional meals. I know that it has become a full fledged eatery. What a nice menu! It wasn't very busy when my friend and I stopped in for an early dinner just before 5pm. The business is still very cute and clean. Daisie has added a lot of Mexican candy and snacks to her inventory. We came primarily for tacos. My friend had chicken tacos. I had chorizo tacos. They were on small soft corn tortillas and were as delicious as they were authentic. I also had an order of flautas. They were three crispy rolled tortillas filled with shredded chicken and topped with shredded lettuce, cheese and sour cream. They were good, too. So was the slice of tres leches which we shared. Daisie wasn't in but there was a very friendly and efficient young woman behind the counter who took our orders and served the meals. The dishes came out of the kitchen in a timely manner. It appeared to be well run whatever hiccups previously existed were gone. We enjoyed the meal and stayed so long that we almost ran late to catch a show. I left in such a hurry that I forgot my bag on a seat. I didn't get very far before I noticed my mistake. I called ahead and when I returned, the young woman welcomed me. There were no customers at the time, but she put my bag behind the counter for safe keeping which was reassuring. I was so grateful and she was so gracious, I insisted on giving her a second tip / reward as a gesture of appreciation. It was a great experience all around and I look forward to returning to eat my way through the menu. Thanks so much.

We came in and picked up a bunch of pastries and desserts after this place came highly recommended!…read moreUnfortunately, my empanada was served not heated through, which was a bummer- though the flavor was delicious. The cream cheese guava pastry was amaze. My partner wasn't a huge fan of the concha, it seemed less fresh than everything else we ordered. Tres leches was also tasty. The highlight was the churro cheesecake thought, just so unique and flavorful and decadent!

Best bakery in the NY capital region. During my time in Albany, I've been to a lot of bakeries. I…read morecame to Sweet Elevation 3 times in just 2 weeks. I don't remember when I had a more perfect chocolate cupcake, each time I've come here, the quality and service are perfect! Consistency and good service is what I look for. The attention to detail, hospitality, and kindness from Christian, the young man who works there, is exceptional. As I wrote before, the bakery shares the parking lot with the Yemeni coffee shop Shibam next door. The Yemeni coffee is just perfect with Sweet Elevation's treats, so don't miss this spot if you visit next door. I hope they can work out on doing something together. I've gotten hooked on Sweet Elevation's chocolate cupcakes. I'm having one as I write this review (these really are the freshest and best chocolate cupcakes) with some Yemeni coffee from next door - who knew how perfectly they go together. I'm very picky when it comes to cupcakes, and these are so soft, fresh, moist, fluffy, with perfect frosting with the sprinkles! Each time! It's really cute inside the cafe. What I'm most picky about is service, and I'm impressed with Christian, he's a respectful gentleman, knowledgeable, and really helpful with recommendations. Responsible, helpful, paying attention, intelligent. People my age often complain about the younger generation, they should meet Christian, our world's future is bright with young people like this. Good luck whatever you do Christian, and may you continue to shine as you do now always! Amen!

I ordered a smash cake for my baby's first birthday. It was supposed to be different shades of…read morecream. The cake I got somehow included... mauve. I wish I could include pictures. I really have no idea where they got the idea to add a purple-pink color to the mix.

Omg I can't say anything bad first time ordering a cake from here was a little scared it was the…read morebig 50 I was turning yikes!!! Pick up cake staff was awesome and the cake was beautiful just as I wanted so moist and the buttercream filling was amazing and the prices were very reasonable thank you guys for the hard work you did on this beautiful cake!!!

Amazing- everything is always delicious and beautifully decorated. The owners are extremely…read morefriendly and accommodating. Highly recommend for all of your bakery needs.

Very nice looking cakes and cupcakes I got the Lemon Cupcake with a chick on it and it was great!read more

order the carrot cake birthday cake. The cake part was good, but it was loaded with way too much…read moreicing in the middle. It had almost 3 inches of of the cake. It was a little burnt very pricey cake to end up with something like this, I was embarrassed to . I wish I could've posted a picture of the cake.

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.

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

These are good cookies (not great, not like your mother used to make) at prices that seem…read morereasonable compared to all the other mall-markups going on around it. We stopped by one evening on a date and got a pair of cookies that were good. I really enjoyed my peanut butter chocolate chip, but my wife wasn't such a fan of the regular chocolate chip. It seemed a bit dry to me. Maybe it had been sitting there a while. The guy behind the counter was mostly interested in his earphones and acted pretty weird when I tried to talk to him.

I prefer Crap Canadian Biscuits, but these will do…read more This is a mid-price cookie stand inside the mall in Crossgates, and you'll find these in a lot of popular malls, and surprisingly the cookies are actually pretty good. But after having some of the ones in New York City at the popular places like Funny Face Bakery and Levain, these don't match up - not even close to them - and actually Insomnia is probably better too.