Caribbean Breeze Packs Flavor Whollop

Brisas Del Caribe, the newly-reopened Caribbean and Spanish-American restaurant on Washington Avenue, brings the taste of the tropics to Townsend Park. The menu offers Caribbean favorites like jerk chicken and fish, oxtail soup, curried goat, and fried pork chops as well as a selection of more mainstream and vegetarian dishes.

Reopened under new ownership in late September, the remodeled restaurant offers an expanded menu, with the same eye toward flavorful, authentic Caribbean food. The restaurant maintained the same chef. He uses fresh ingredients, and then seasons and cooks them just right, turning even simple dishes into Caribbean reveries.

On the night we went, we ordered jerk chicken ($8.99) and pork pernil ($10.99). The jerk chicken was falling off the bone, and so savory that my dining companion couldn't stop raving. I was equally impressed with my entree, a slab of pork obviously fresh, and roasted in its own skin to maintain its tenderness. It was topped with peppers and onions that carried vinegary power punch, but it was served with a hot bowl of beans that tasted like they had been simmering all day, that more than balanced out the vinegar. Both dishes came with our choice of white or yellow rice, and a side of steamed vegetables to round things out. We also ordered fried plantains ($2.50) and an empanada ($1.50). Dinner came with salads. The portions are generous, so plan to bring some home for lunch the next day.

We had the restaurant to ourselves that night. The liquor license is still in the works and that may be scaring people off, our waiter told us. The food was so good (and affordable) that we were baffled as to why people would skip it just because you couldn't order drinks. Don't they know that if they drink too much of the island rum, they won't be able to appreciate the yummy spiciness of the food?

In addition to expanding the menu, the new owners also gave the restaurant a much-needed facelift. In addition to some more superficial changes, the wall between the narrow bar and dining area was torn down to give a more open feeling to the space. Tearing down the wall also revealed the island-inspired murals painted along one side of the dining room. The room was so dark and narrow before that you could hardly see them; now you can gaze at these prettily-painted oceanscapes and farm scenes, and almost believe you're on vacay.

Our bill came to about $30.00. For bargain hunters--try the All You Can Eat Buffet, $7.99. It takes place Monday through Friday from 10:30am-3pm, making this a perfect stop for lunch, letting you sample a range of dishes and all for an affordable price.

Brisas Del Caribe is located at 244 Washington Avenue, near the corner of Henry Johnson Boulevard. For more information, call 462-0895.

"Dead is the New Alive": The Linda's Zombie Fest Welcomes Undead

This weekend, the dead took to the streets as part of the Linda's second-annual Zombie Film Feast II. Beginning Friday, October 23, audiences enjoyed three nights of zombie entertainment that included 10 films, live music, video gaming, and a celebration of all things undead.

"The festival has been a success," said coordinator Graeme McKenna. "We've had nice crowds at the films, and lots of people purchased passes so they could attend all three nights. We've had good consistency."

The festival culminated Saturday night with a zombie walk down Lark Street and Central Avenue, a brain-eating contest, and a zombie prom. Dressed in their funereal best, people began meeting at the Lark Street BID at 4pm. Couples, individuals, friends and even whole families met on the sidewalk, to compare costumes and discuss the finer points of zombie lore. Some took the opportunity to reapply their makeup, adjusting their bloody maggots and making sure their bite marks were on straight. By 5pm, a sizable crowd of bloody zombies had assembled for the walk, and when McKenna gave the signal, the hoards began their long limp down Lark Street and Central Avenue to the Linda.

Crowds assembled on either side of the street to watch the 100-or-so participants stagger past, snapping pictures and shuddering at the gorey scene. As they moved down the streets, they groaned and growled, and yelled for brains. The corpses were in various stages of decomposition. Many looked as if they had really stepped right from the grave, complete with torn and muddy clothes and rotting flesh.

Play It Again, Karim: Casablanca Moroccan Restaurant Delights

Central Avenue has long been a destination for international cuisine. Worldly palates come uptown to taste the very best in Asian and Middle Eastern foods, and with the addition of Casablance Moroccan Restaurant, they can add one more stop to their dining itinerary.

Casablanca is located in a small space off Townsend Park, on the same block as already well-known restaurants like Shalimar, Gandhi and Aashiana. Its owners have worked hard to upscale the space, using Moroccan lamps, statues, weavings, and boldly striped fabrics to make it a little oasis from the hustle and bustle of Central.

I had never eaten Moroccan food before, so the menu was a completely fresh experience for my tastebuds. The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, and a range of dishes that include items from the grill, appetizers, salads, soups, tajines , and couscous. At the chef's suggestion, my dining companion and I split a salad sampler, which provided a more than ample taste of four salads: smoky zalook with eggplant, bell peppers and tomatoes; cherifiya, a fresh-tasting mix of red peppers, tomatoes, lemon and cilantro; potato salad, which bears little resemblance to the mayonnaise-based conconction we swear by in this country; and a beet salad, served cold and finished with a dash of orange blossom water. Karim, the restaurant's chef and our dining tour guide also introduced us to loubia, white beans cooked in a spicy sauce and served with homemade bread.

For the main course, we ordered a vegetable tajine and a vegetable couscous. Casablanca is extremely friendly to vegetarians, because they go out of their way to provide detailed preparation instructions for each dish. They also do not mix meat and vegetables during cooking, so you can be sure the dish you order is truly vegetarian.

The tajine was a mix of seasonal vegetables served in a light sauce, flavored with olives and served with rice sweetened by candied apricots. But the couscous was the real show stopper. Karim warned us that Moroccan couscous is not the instant dish served in this country. In Morocco, cooking couscous is an all-day affair, and uses three separate steaming procedures. The dish we enjoyed had a completely different texture from the boxes of couscous sold at the supermarket, and a buttery, smoky flavor that you can't find in the grocery store. The dish was topped with zucchini, carrots, squash, turnips cabbage, onions, and roasted chick peas. After lunch we split a pot of sweet Moroccan mint tea and baklawa and basabousa, a semolina cake sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar, and listened to Karim's story about his windy way to restauranteurship.

With its affordable menu (meal for two came to $25) and friendly owners, Casablanca should be your next dining destination. It promises to be a wake-up call to your palate.

Casablanca is located at 14 Central Avenue. For more information, please call the restaurant at (518) 463-1111.

Mayor's Drop-Off Day Promises to be most successful yet

This week, Albany Mayor Jerry Jennings announced plans to hold a local Drop-Off Day, where city residents can donate winter coats and clothing for city children.

Part of the National "Make a Difference Day," the drop off day initiative is in its fourth year, and promises to be the most successful yet, said Bob Van Amburgh, Executive Assistant to the Mayor. The event's new location and exciting attractions will really draw people in. "As people are riding by they're going to see this and say what's going on?" Van Amburgh said.

This year, the event will take place in the Hannaford Shopping Plaza on Central Avenue this Saturday, October 24. The mayor has invited the New York State Police Dive Team, who will be demonstrating their skills with a large dive tank. Radio station 99.5 The River will be broadcasting live from the site, and the Albany Fire Department will also be on location.

In previous years the event was held at Washington Park. This year, the Mayor's office reached out to the Central BID for help in finding a new location. The new location at the shopping plaza will be more visible and provides enough room to create a "curiosity factor," Van Amburgh said.

"We're extremely pleased with the new location," Van Amburgh said.

Anthony Capece, Executive Director for the Central BID, is pleased that the event is taking place in the district, and said he hopes businesses and residents will turn out to attend. "The event helps kids who can't necessarily afford a new jacket or winter gear, and there are quite a new in this neighborhood," said Capece.

People can participate by donating new and gently-used winterwear, or by donating cash to help purchase winterwear. Lodge's department store has discounted their stock of coats to $16.00 and slashed prices on the rest of their winter merchandise, "so for $20, you can really outfit a kid," said Van Amburgh. All proceeds will be used to purchase winter gear to help keep city residents warm this year. All participants will also be entered in a raffle to win a donated 32-inch flat screen T.V.

The mayor's office hopes the event will be gather up to 5,000 items for kids this year.

New York State Writers Institute Kicks Off Star-Studded Season

Friday night, the New York State Writers' Institute inaugurated its 25th anniversary season with Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman at the downtown campus's packed Page Hall.

Krugman, the author of several bestsellers and columnist for The New York Times spoke about the country's current financial crisis, and answered questions about U.S. financial policy, international trade theory, and the country's economic history. Krugman, who recently had dinner with the President and several other renowned economists, admitted that the current crisis is dire indeed, but said he believes that with additional stimulus and careful allocation of funds, the U.S. can steer its way out of these problems.

The short talk on the current recession concluded with an extended Q & A period, which Krugman explained is always the "most interesting" part of these events. Krugman spoke frankly and humorously to a packed auditorium. He punctuated his entertaining and enlightening discussion with frequent quips and ribbings, proving that even genius economists have a sense of humor.

Page Hall's 900-seat auditorium was filled to capacity. In fact, the program was so well-attended that many people were turned away at the door, said Program Director Donald Faulkner. With a roster that includes award-winning authors, historians, and politicians, this season's series of programs promises to be a series of turn-away events.

This fall, the New York State Writers Institute is celebrating its 25th Anniversary Season. The program was signed into law in 1984 by then-state governor Mario Cuomo, and November 16, Cuomo will make a special appearance to help commemorate the legislation. The season looks to be a truly remarkable one, with a line-up that includes Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Lorrie Moore, Richard Russo, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Russell Banks, and Don DeLillo.

Since the program started, it has hosted over 1,000 writers and screened 400 films. Events take place at the uptown and downtown campuses of the University at Albany. For more information about these events, please visit the website at www.albany.edu/writers-inst

Magic Hands: Mildred Elley Offers Discount Massages

This fall, let Mildred Elley get their hands on you.

Students from Mildred Elley's Massage Therapy program will be providing massages to the public as part of their training. Clients can choose from a number of styles for their 50-minute massages, including Swedish, hot stone, and pregnancy massages. The massages cost just $30, with a $10 discount for seniors.

The massage clinic takes place in the state-of-the-art spa at the school's recently renovated building at 855 Central Avenue. Arriving clients check in with the receptionist and complete paperwork, and then conduct a brief interview with their massage therapist. After that, they are taken to a semi-private area to undress and get on the table. Massages take place in relative silence with some relaxing music. Clients can indicate whether the pressure is appropriate.

"The massage clinic is important to the students training because it give them the opportunity to have a real life experience," said Belinda Green, Massage Clinic Coordinator. "They have the opportunity at this point in the program to work on the public, which allows them to encounter different pathologies." Students will work with clients with a range of conditions, including high blood pressure, diabetes, sciatica, as well as more everyday problems like muscle discomfort and stress, she said.

"The students also learn how to educate the public on the health benefits of massage therapy," Green said. "It's important to take time for you."

Mildred Elley also offers a full menu of spa services including haircuts, haircolor, manicures, and pedicures, all done by students and all at cut rates. The school uses high-end Redken products for their clients.

The fall massage clinic schedule:

September 21-November 13, 2009
Tuesday & Thursday
12pm to 4:30pm

Monday & Wednesday
5:30pm to 9pm

October 9-November 22, 2009
Saturday & Sunday
10:30am-2:30pm

Mildred Elley is located at 855 Central Avenue, Albany. For more information, please contact the school at 786-0855.