When coming home for even just one weekend from school, you'd be lying if you said you weren't looking forward to some kind of food from home. Let's be real now, the food we can get at home doesn't even compare to our dining hall food. The food at home is easily 110% better. Here are my top ten favorite places to go with friends, family, and even by myself when I am home in my capital region:
10. Country Drive-In
1455 Vischer Ferry Rd, Clifton Park, NY 12065
Country Drive-In is known for their amazing soft serve ice cream that no one can say no to. They also have a great variety of fast and fried foods like chicken tenders, burgers and fries. This place is a great one that everyone will count down the days until they open up again for the spring and the summer seasons.
9. Venezia Pizza & Pasta
629 Plank Rd, Clifton Park, NY 12065
Venezia Pizza & Pasta is probably my favorite place to get my pizza from when I come home. Everyone from high school almost works there, so you're bound to see someone you know when you take a trip here. We call it just "Venezia's" and one of the best parts is that they have gluten free pizza.
8. La Fiesta
1610 Central Ave, Albany, NY 12205 & 15 Park Ave # 7, Clifton Park, NY 12065
La Fiesta is like any classic Mexican food restaurant, but it does seem to be a fan's favorite when home. What is so cool about this place is that they can come to your house and cook food for you, and this is obviously if it is a catering order. However, they are amazing and great people working there which helps make the experience better. The food of course is an A+.
7. Ravenswood
1021 NY-146, Clifton Park, NY 12065
Ravenswood is just a a great pub around town. They have the best wings and their French fries are amazing. Ravenswood was the place to go after a game or even just practice. When home though, it is obviously just a good place to get food and let the memories flow on back.
6. Peaches Cafe
1475 Western Ave, Albany, NY 12203
Peaches Cafe is a cute cafe my mom always took me to when I was little. Sometimes we would go with her co-worker and her co-worker's daughter. Ever since, I have been in love with their hot chocolate and nothing can top it. So even just a quick stop for hot chocolate at Peaches is the best.
5. Halfmoon Diner
231 Grooms Rd, Clifton Park, NY 12065
The Halfmoon Diner is where you are bound to go to even if you aren't a fan of diners. You most likely will go with a big group of people and get the same thing when you go, but it is always good. You can get the best stack of pancakes, French toast loaded with powdered sugar, omelets and many other classic diner foods you cannot compare to another diner. Don't forget, obviously they have coffee that almost everyone at the table will get when you go.
4. Circus Cafe
392 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
Circus Cafe is one of the sweetest cafes on Broadway. When I say the sweetest, I really mean it. You can get a huge plate of just cotton candy that is so high you can't even see the person sitting across from you. The workers here wear shirts that all have something to do with the circus and the inside is all circus themed. It is a cute place for a 4-year-old and even a 70-year-old. They do have a wide variety of gluten free options which makes them special as well.
3. The Whistling Kettle
254 Broadway, Troy, NY 12180 & 24 Front St, Ballston Spa, NY 12020
The Whistling Kettle is the cutest tea shop and cafe one will step foot in. The amount of teas and flavors they have will blow your mind. The whole wall is lined and filled with the different teas. The sandwiches are to die for, and can be made gluten free, but you can't forget the great kettle chips as well. One of many people's favorite thing from here I always get is the flourless chocolate cake. It is gluten free and doesn't even taste like it is.
2. Stewart's Shops
1529/1531 Crescent Rd, Clifton Park, NY 12065
Stewart's Shops are basically all around the area and other places too. However, I like to say they are only from my area. The best part about Stewart's is clearly the ice cream. It is the best hard ice cream one will ever try. Not to mention, they make the best extra thick milkshakes. Name your flavor or the special seasonal flavor and one of the people working will be sure to make it feel like it was better than the ice cream you had before.
1. Iron Roost
36 Front St, Ballston Spa, NY 12020
Iron Roost is a place where no matter who you are, you WILL take a picture of your food because of how beautiful and delicious it looks. Iron Roost is known for their amazing waffles and what they do with them. The funky flavors you never would think go good together do. Best part about Iron Roost is that they have gluten free waffles that are actually good, imagine that!