While my wife was shopping in Athleta, I was lured by the Cookie Sampling in progress sign, and…read morefell in love with this family owned store. Many of the items are from local NY businesses, or from higher end brands. They had whole vanilla beans, cutting board oil and wax, chocolates, cookies, a Le Creuset section, and a very affordable knife section, as well as any kitchen gadget or spice anyone needs in a pinch. This is going to be my go to kitchen supply store since they have a great taste, and I would much rather support a local family owned business than Amazon.

Great place for tea lovers friendly staff , good tea selection, cozy atmosphere, and the dessert…read moreare great as well

Short & Stout has evolved into one of the best places in the Capital Region for bubble tea. I've…read moretried several things - my favorite being the recent Strawberry Matcha Latte. I love how they let you control the sweetness and the fresh (real!!) strawberry puree in the drink is fantastic. I also tried an almond macaron that was absolutely delicious. Every time I visit, I always try and grab some loose tea. They have an incredible selection of everything from green to black, white, oolong and so much more. I tend to gravitate towards fruity teas and they always have lots of options. They also have tea accessories too. There are ample seats inside and they also have an outside patio. They even have their own app so you can pre-order food and drink items if you're short on time. If you haven't been, get there ASAP!

Cheddar Parm Bagel toasted with Salmon Cream Cheese is outstanding! Good combo…read more Glad I did not order my usual Everything Bagel because Cheddar Parm was perfect. Crust is crispy with natural cheddar flavor and hint of parm. Plenty of places to sit on a Tuesday at 10:30. Sipped my Columbia Decaf coffee and people watched. Service as usual was efficient and fast.

I was only recently introduced to Uncommon Grounds so I was excited to try another location. The…read moreline was so long but it moved pretty quickly. Friendly service. Seating was a bit of a wait. It seems like people like to hang out there. We did get a seat. We both got the Mediterranean sandwich. I got mine on an everyday bagel and my friend got it on a rosemary bagel. My friend was very disappointed in her bagel. She said it was very "bready" and lacked flavor. Mine was just OK too. It didn't taste the same as what I usually get at the other location in Delmar. It was just as big and had the same ingredients but it just didn't taste the same for some reason. It actually had an overwhelming amount of avocado on it and it kept falling out. The vanilla chai latte was delicious!

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.

Brunch in Albany was a new experience for me. I decided to try this spot out and was pleasantly…read moresurprised. The atmosphere is very modern, with all the bells and whistles. The color scheme is amazing, and the service is second to none. They move efficiently throughout the restaurant; they don't have just one person assigned to each table but use a group approach, and you can order at the table with the app, which is cool. Bartender Benny was great! The food, I'll say, was fair. I do believe the prices don't fully reflect the quality, but the overall feel is great. The champagne machine is a great touch, so that was unique. This is a very upscale brunch, but it's worth the hype for the decor. Parking is not the easiest, but it's worth it.

The food took an hour to come out. The menu resembles the Dunkin' Donuts menu, but at three times…read morethe price. There were no waiting staff; you had to order from a QR code on the table. At the end, they added a 20% tip to my bill, even after I left a cash tip. I called asking to speak to the manager, and they hung up on me three times. I left one message but received no reply. In the end, Amanda refunded my money. However, we'll never go back to that place that made us feel so unwelcome and taken advantage of.

Excellent food, the line was fast even during dinner rush. The employees are very efficient and…read morekind. I only wish there was outdoor seating because it was nice out. Indoor ambiance is good, but pretty cramped because the line was out the door.

Fresh, flavorful, good quality food fast and at a reasonable price AND a local small business with…read morea positive story. Simone's is simply great. All of their proteins have enough distinct flavor that they actually taste different and there is enough topping variety to keep it interesting from one visit to the next. Simone's isn't generic bowl slop nor questionable quality Chipotle. Meatballs, beets, and spicy tahini would be some of my recommended favorites. My family can't wait for the Glenmont store to open!

Albany is the 338th largest city in the US. Jacob Alejandro would be right at home in some of the…read morelargest cities! The vibe is impeccable, truly comfortable and well designed! The staff were professional, pleasant, and coffee/tea focused! My wife enjoyed a black tea chai latte and I loved the reserve pour over coffee experience! I order pour over pretty much every time it's available at a coffee shop. Jacob Alejandro's pour over service is pretty much ceremonial! They serve it on a tray. The tray has the "pitcher", a glass for service, and a glass of palate cleansing jade tea in the middle. (I did have to ask what the jade tea was) The palate cleanse was the perfect start. The Costa Rican coffee was heavenly, one of those drinking experiences where even my amateur palate was engaged. It was truly nice to sit for a while and enjoy a great cup of coffee at Jacob Alejandro! Yes, they would fit in a larger city but smaller cities deserve great coffee also!

After going on a lovely walk through Albany's Washington Park on Easter Sunday, I noticed some…read moreactivity across the street at Jacob Alejandro. I was so surprised. Could they really be open on Easter Sunday? It seemed too good to be true. A great cup of caffeine was just what I needed at that very moment. So my friend and I crossed Madison Avenue and peeked into the tinted windows. Not only were they open, but the place was bustling. The inside of Jacob Alejandro is elegant and beautifully decorated. Furniture, plants, music and wall art are arranged to set moods. It feels more like a club than a coffee house. The baristas are super friendly, helpful and patient. As I tried to make up my mind on what to order, they offered suggestions. I wound up with matcha. I think my friend had some kind of latte. I remember both beverages were delicious. They were made to be savored slowly. We took in our surroundings and it was very relaxing. We'll visit again. Thanks Jacob Alejandro for a nice experience.

They have a great system in place for taking and making orders- for as busy as they are and as long…read moreas the line gets, line moves quick and the orders are unbelievably fast. One of the best bagels I've ever had! Do not miss this turkey BLT on everything.

Solid bagel shop. From a Brooklyn Ahjumma…read more Line moves quick, thankfully, but always a line. That always means, they have good offerings. We came early, around 9am... and on a weekday. Long line - lots of regulars, lots of workers picking up a bagel before heading to work. We dropped off our son for college move in and picked up bagels for breakfast. Got 3 bagels - plain toasted, w/ cream cheese; plain toasted with avocado, egg & cheese; sausage egg and cheese. All very solid. Bagels were soft inside and chewy, with crispy outside. Just like the city. Wish there were more seatings, it can get packed easily and with the line, can be overwhelming. The smell will be infused to your clothes. Ah well, smelling like a toasted bagel, not the worse scent. lol

Delicious, relaxed lunch with my daughter. First time for her and second for me…read more The Mango Green Ice Tea was refreshing. We both ordered the Beef Sukiyaki and tossed salad. The tender moist beef slices on a roll were very good. The Ginger dressing on the salad was flavorful, and I wish I could buy it to elevate salads at home. We enjoyed the Red Bean Ice Cream which is creamy with tidbits of bean. Outstanding. Service was attentive, friendly, and efficient! Ambiance is relaxed which was welcome after shopping on Wolf Road. And the bucket chairs are so comfortable.

Came here for a light lunch, tea and dessert. Our visit started off great- we were greated warmly,…read morepromptly seated and given menus. The tea was wonderful and our lunch items came quickly and were tasty. We asked to keep a menu, explaining we would like to get dessert after. Once we we received our lunch food, it quickly went downhill. We never saw our waitress again after that. My son finished his Boba tea and wanted another, but our waitress never came over to check on us. We sat for over 40 minutes after we recieved our initial order and not one waitstaff came over to ask if we wanted anything else, nor did they come over to give us the check. After giving up hope of dessert and more tea, we eventually went to the front counter to pay since we realized no one was coming to give us the bill. Normally, I would understand if it was understaffed or busy- yet the two parties next to us had waitstaff come over numerous times. We were literally ignored. We won't be back and I do not recommend.

On this chilly Saturday morning between 10:30am and 11:30am remarkable lines of people stretched…read morefrom the counter to the entrance door which is about 30 feet. Somehow, I managed to beat the rush. I sat down to drink my latte and people-watch. It's been several years since I visited Professor Java's. It's still on Wolf Rd but it moved into the Shopper's Park. It's still extremely dark despite many overhead hanging lights with low wattage incandescent bulbs. A bit depressing. Suited for people who don't like sunlight. I had been shopping on Wolf Rd. I hadn't had my morning cup of coffee yet. I wanted to get a great latte, then sit and savor it a bit. I did not want to be at a major chain though I generally don't have many objections to them. I would have liked soy milk in my latte but they didn't carry it. So I settled for almond milk. The latte was strong, dark and foamy. The wait was minimal after placing my order. I expected to pay a premium for this experience. My medium latte was 16 oz and cost $6 before adding tip, which put it over $7. It's a bit more than some businesses charge though in LA I've paid $10. I know coffee. I've had better lattes but this one was a good solid medium latte. Not bitter. Plus, no one was rushing me to get out. There was plenty of seating. The staff is very nice and chill. So I enjoyed my alone time of latte and contemplation. There were cheesy Christmas songs playing. The place has an excellent sound system so there was no tuning this stuff out. Breakfast is served all day. Maybe I could do breakfast here someday if I'm in another reflective mood. I wish someone would turn up the lights just a bit but that's part of Professor Java's "MO," so customers have to decide whether to take it or leave it.

For sanitary reasons, I do not recommend this place. The man making my drinks repeatedly put his…read moreungloved hands through his hair (he did have very nice thick hair) and the woman making the food was obviously ill (her voice was hoarse) though she was wearing gloves. The food itself was fine, nothing special, and the latte was very sweet.